Evening journal., 1917-03-05
BY CLARENCE NJ. DILLON.
ScOutmaSter, TrOop No. z


The action Of the National I4ead-
quarters of the Boy Scouts of Amer
lea in sending orders Ia All scout
oihciais IN the United States to pre-
pare thelr troops for immediate as
sembiy ior' such duty as the Gov
.ernment might require, or local CON
ditions in various States prove neces-
sary, IN the event of declaration OF
war IN connection with the present
international emergency has given
rise to- much speculation in connec-
ton with this organization.
Tho scout movement, primarily. il
intended to develop a better standard
Of citizenship for the future. through
the training of the boys of TODAY I'm
all matters which tend to produce
that end, and the method used nv
scout officials Is at once simple and
effective. They divert the natural and
inherent exuberance of spirits and
crying demand for action with which
every healthy boy is overloaded. from
the channels into which, equally ma
turally, it would fall, and result In
concentrated devilment wherever
boys are to be found, into channels
which, without his being conscious of
its effect upon his future, develop
habits which soon make themselves
| felt in the home, the school, on the
streets, and. in fact, everywhere he
goes in that busy daily life he leads.
Nothing is more foreign to the truth
that the cry that is heard in some
places that the Boy Scouts Of Amer
lea is being made an embryo military
machine for future use. IN no sense
is it military, except in that it in
culcates permanently into the mind
and life Of the boy some qualities.
which, in military organizations, are
absolute essentials 10 success along
that line. But 1t is true, also that these
same qualities are equally necessary
to success in any line Of life or en-
deavor, be it army or church, school
or home business or profession. trade
or vocation. IL it may be said truth
fully that the teaching Of obedience to
properly constituted home, municipal,
State or national authority, is in any
sense a strictly military function, thea
the Boy Scouts may be called, with
equal propriety, a military body in
that regard, only, because the main
thing that is taught the boy is that
the scout is not "Wait-a-minute
fellow when his mother, or his school
teacher or anyone in civil authority
asks or directs him to do anything
but a "Do-it-NOW' article, with the
emphasis on the "NOW." And he
does all of these things cheerfully
no matter what it is that Is required
OF him.
But where implicit and instructive
obedience in the soldier is taught hin
! for the purpose OF making every mus
Gle OF his body instinctiyely respon
to the word of command when tn
mind is struggling 10 control Use
+, amid the many and seriously conflict
= ing emotions and impressions whic
! result from the shock and excitemen
2 Of battle, the idea of obedience q
r those who have a legal authority Z
direct his movements is taught tn
scout with the sole idea that it
e only the fellow who has learned tina
2 lesson who may be expected, in afte
I life, to be successful in anythin
whatever, or TO go to the top OF trad
! or profession. The broad experenc
! of those who have assumed the re
a sponsibilty OF acting as the directing
] heads of this movement long ag
Y taught them that one of the most pc
e tent factors in the success in life Q
b. the captains of industry of today
:, the fact that while they were yet boys
e they learned that the spoken wor
of mother, or teacher, or father, o
employer, was a law that require
that instant and implicit and cheerft
9 obedience that their own self-respe'
h required that they should give.
The boy is taught this obedience
manner that appeals to him, an
probably it might be said. truthful.
q that the instruction methods of I'll
. Boy Scout service had their inceptio
e i'm the teachings of Froebel, and ar
& identically the same-there possibl
is a trifiing difference in the su
S jects through which they are apple
s. las are in common use at this tim
Is in every kindergarten in the land. "
y the cry of "Militarism." so far {
s known, never has been raised again
= the kindergarten.
} Experience not only in this cit
s. but in every other city in the coul
IT try where there scouts, has demon
& stated that there have been time
when the cohesive action of mar
Scout troops has been Of matters
Is service to church organizations. p
n lice and fire departments, and Oth'