The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-21
COUNCIL OF BOi'
SCOUTS FORMED
Steps Taken for Co-ordinat-
ing Scout Work in Brat
tlebOrO
]. FREDRIK VIRGIN
is COMMISSIONER

Col. J. Gray Estey President of Council
Constitution Is Adopted and Dues
Fixed at 50 - Meeting Attended by
| About 25
Definite steps were taken last even
ing looking to the coordination of the
| Boy Scout work in Brattleboro and to
i a better organization of the Boy Scout
forces here and closer affiliation with
the national organization. The i'm
tportant step was the organization of a
Brattleboro council to supervise the
work, and the adoption of constitu-
tlon. K was the sense of the meeting
that the various local troops be desig-
mated by numbers instead of church
denominations, and as the Boy Scout
movement Is non-sectarian it is proba-
BILE that the steps taken at this meet
ing will result in re-arrangement of
the membership of the different troops
The meeting was held in the choir
room of St. Michael's Episcopal church
and was attended by about % per-
sons. Rev. j. Fredrik Virgin, rector,
called the meeting to order and Rev. D.
K. Trout was elected chairman Rev.
Mr.. Virgin, who has had considerable
lexperience in Boy Scout work, then out
lined briefly the scope of the work and
what If was desired to do in Brattle-
boro in the way of organization. Rev.
Mr.. Virgin was chairman of the court
of honor in Elizabeth, n. j., from which
city he recently came to Brattleboro,
and before that he was identified with
&Io
live wire and already has made many
friends among the boys here.
Rev. Mr.. Virgin read from the Boy
Scout handbook a paragraph showing
the nature of the organization called
the Boy Scouts of America, as follows:
1.-The Boy Scouts of America is cor
poration formed by group of men
who are anxious that the boys of
America should come under the infu-
ence of this movement and be
built up in all that goes to make char
acter and good citizenship. The af-
fairs of the organization are managed
by a national council, composed of
some of the most prominent men of
our country, who gladly give their time
and money that the purpose may be
accomplished. In the various cities,
towns and villages the welfare of the
Boy Scouts is cared for by local conn
els, and these councils, like the ma
tional council, are composed of men
who are seeking for the boys of the
community the very best things
He showed that the aim of the move
ment is to supplement the various ex.
isting educational agencies and to
promote the ability in boys to do
things for themselves and others,
| Scouteraft includes instruction in safe.
ty first methods, first aid, life saving,
2 tracking, signaling, cycling, nature
c study, seamanship, campcraft, wood
Q craft, chivalry, patriotism and other
S subjects.
D Boy Scouts are organized i'll patrols
d or troops. A patrol consists of eight
: boys, one of whom becomes patrol lead
: er and another assistant patrol lead
er. A troop consists of not more than
:. four patrols, preferably three, as
c scoutmaster can do better work with a
e small group of boys than with large
: one. In communities where there are
a three or more troops scout work is
It lpromoted and supervised under the .di-
/ rection of a local council, which is made
L up of 10 or more men. These men are
Y selected as representatives of the va
d rious interests of the community, in
G cluding religious, educational, bust
ness and civic activities. The national
Il council will grant to local council a
. charter to conduct scouting in accord
o ance with the official handbooks, and
= for the registration fee of 81 for each
member of the council there is issued
II to each member a years subscription
e in the semi monthly bulletin, Scout
:. ing, and the official magazine, BOYS ,
Il Life.
II After the. presentation of these facts
IS and a statement of the officers re-
IS quired committee was elected to
IS nominate officers. This committee CON
sisted of Rev. George E. Tomkinson,
Fred H. Harris and Capt. Ernest W.
Gibson. This committee IS report was
accepted and adopted and these officers
were elected: President, Col. J. Gray
Vi Estey; vice presidents, Dr.. Charles g.
Wheeler and George l.. Dunham; seere-
tary, Howard C. Rice; treasurer, Fred
eric G. Adams; commissioner. Rev. j.
:" Fredrik Virgin; court of honor, Ernest
j. Waterman, DR.. Ward r. Noyes,
Henry Shipman, Hyland D. Tasker,
Hermon E. Eddy and Edgar B. Smith.
The scout commissioner is the rank
ing commissioned officer in scouting for
the community. He receives his com
mission from the national council. This
officer here, as above stated, is Rev. j.
Fredrik Virgin.
On motion of Mr.. Shipman it was
voted to have the dues So, which will
pay the national council fee and leave
money on hand with which to pay local
texnonses which will uot he Ia zoe