The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-08
BADEN-P0WELL
TALKS OF medal.
FOR BOY SCOUTS
Founder of the Organization
Would Decorate Them
For Doing Mems
Work.

London, England, Feb. ga fun
damenta1 and general error is to i'm
agine that true discipline is the pro-
duct of collective training, whereas it
comes only of self discipline previous
ly developed in the Individual
These words of a famous English
general might serve to disclose the
secret of England's present military
achievements. In their context they
are part Of plea by Lieutenant Gen
eral Sir Robert Baden-Powell, chief
scout of the Boy Scouts, that it is use
less for England to provide prelim-
mary military training for boys of siz-
teen and upward without their hav-
ing first experienced some such pro-
gressive character training as is ex-
emplifed in the Boy Scout movement.
Although the aim of the movement
is not military, the remarkable extent
to which it has contributed to the
military efficiency of this country Isl
evident. Lord Derby has handsome
ly acknowledged it's help in his ia
nous recruiting campaign. The War
Office, the admiralty, and the ministry
of munitions all depend upon Boy
Scouts for important duties. Alto
gether there are some $4,000 Scouts
employed by the government and as
sociations Throughout the country on
war work, and in many cases. especial
ly in those Of the 1900 engaged in
coast line duties, they are doing mans
work. I was told of a striking in
stance Of this as I talked with the
chief scout the other day.
1.-THE lad was doing coast duty in
Lancashire, ''said Sir Robert, "and
I had to go up there to give him his
medal myself. There had been wreck,
and the coast guards wanted to get
rocket sent up from the station on
the cliff. The Scout took the message,
but instead of going four miles around
by the regular way, he climbed the
face Of the cliff to save time, and
came back the same way. This was in
the teeth of gale and in the night
Then he did it second time, al
though a single slip would have been
the end of him. Later on he was
helping to haul the shipwrecked men
out, Of the surf. One had been given
up by the doctor as drowned, but the
scout wasn't sure the doctor was right,
so he worked over him, and finally
brought him round.
The incident was narrated to illus
trate the kind of physical courage that
is often the result of the character
training a youth gets in the Boy
Scouts.
Sir Robert told me that they had
recently adopted scheme enabling
scouts to undergo a specific test for
physical courage
"Jack Cornwell, v. c., the boy hero
Of the Jutland battle, who stuck to his
post till death relieved him, was a
scout" he said, land the movement is
raising Cornwen memorial fund, to
be devoted to giving deserving scouts
a start in life. We have inaugurated
the Cornwell badge, awarded for the
passing of some test of physical cour-
age. The scout does not know in ad-
vance what this is to be it may be
high dive, or a tight rope walk, or
putting on the gloves with bigger
boy. But the boys who go in for the
badge must win their first class badges
before taking the test, and this in
wolves, in addition to courage, con-
siderable amount Of training in USE
full occupations during their leisure
hours. So the practical effect of the
new courage test is to stimulate the
boys interest in preparation for
peaceful pursuits"
CAT least 100000 men with scout
training are fighting in this war; 900
have been killed in action and their
honor record has been high
This view from so successful a SOL
der as t'B- P" will undoubtedly have
great influence in this country, and
merits careful consideration in any
country wishing to provide for it's
youth the most effective training in
preparedness.