The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-22
SCOUT. MOVEMENT
SHOWS PROGRESS
N ationai Councils Seventh Annual
Meeting Shows Increase OF Men,
bers and Benefits Since
Its Birth.
TO TRAIN 100000 BOYS
Congress Backs Scouts and Arrange.
ments Are Being Made for Spe-
cIaI Preparation for This
Sort Of Work.

NEW YORK, March 22.-How the
Boy Scout movement is advancing In
all parts of the United States, and
how scout training is making Its i'm
press on the character and efficiency
Of boys, were strikingly revealed at
the seventh annual meeting of the
national council of the Boy Scouts OF
America held here this week. This
council. composed of eminent men
government officials, governors OF
states, college presidents. school
superintendent, pastors, priests, rab-
bis-received reports which show
that in the past year total Of 245.-
073 boys and men were registered as
scouts and scout officials as COM
pared with 1852 on December 81,
1916 OF these 54.345 were adults
scoutmasters, assistant scoutmasters,
members of troop com mittees and Of
heal scout councils.
Another interesting disclosure was
that whereas. prior to January l,
1915, forty-two men had been en-
ployed to give expert direction to
scout work in various cities In the
United States, eighty-two new men
were employed in 1916, gain Of 1875
ties, having had evidence of the
value of the scout program to the
boy himself, to his home, his neigh
borhood, his city, state and nation.
have been willing and ready to con-
tribute the small amount that is
necessary to maintain local head
quarters of scouting, under the direc-
ton Of man specially trained Tor
scout leadership and able to give
encouragement and practical assist
ance to the hundreds of volunteers
who are every ready to help in this
fascinating work with boys when the
way Is pointed out.
And Yet sut the Beginning.
Remarkable as has been the growth
of the Scout movement in the past
year, the director Of field work, s..
A. Moffat, pointed out in his report
that organization work had scarcely
begun, because in only 81 of the 700
cities in the country Of 10000 popu-
lation and over, have. scout councils
OF the first class been organized and
men employed to handle the execu-
tive work, though 231 other cities
have councils of the second class,
WITHOUT CACSuIiNSo. 4>Sdi
all of the cities having councils of
the second class are eager to have
assistance from the national staff SO
they may complete their organiza.
tons and provide the leadership that
Is necessary to make scouting OF
maximum benefit to the boys Of their
cities.
In view Of this report. and the
abundant testimony that was sub
mitted showing the universal ap-
prevail Of scouting as means of
training bows for good citizenship,
the national council adopted def.
mite appeal to the citizens of the
United States for financial assistance
to provide adequate staff of field Sec
retaries to go about the country and
assist cities and towns everywhere
to carry out their organization work,
enlisting volunteer leadership and
providing for 1t expert direction. In
this way the movement hopes to
reach with the benefits of scouting
the 100000 boys of Scout age in
the United States.
A New Vocation Created.
It is apparent that the Scout move
ment has created new vocation,
for which special training is neces-
sary. Such training is now being