Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-02-13
INTERESTING REPORT RI
Of SCOUT !! MASTER
Third Annual Report Made to Local
Council of Boy Scouts by
Murray McMurray.

Il FOllOWlnS is the report Dy Scout
Master Murray McMurray to the Lo-
cal Council of the Boy Scouts on
the evening of Feb. 9th:
The aim OF this report is to put
lin statistical form the activities of
the Boy Scouts in Webster City for
the past year.
i Since the organization of the
TROOP here in January, 1913, there
have been 12G boys who have been
scouts for some period o. time. In
Feb. 1916, there had been ITO men,
hers, showing that 16 boys have
Joined in the last year. The num-
Der of boys in the troop last Feb
ruary was AS, while the present
membership is the largest it has ev-
err been, so, which is really two
more than the constitution provides
for. However, there are several
boys who are expecting to drop out
this spring and for that reason it
was deemed advisable to take in the
two extra boys from the waiting
list. Of the 50 scouts, Is are First
Glass Scouts, 2S are Second Class
and s are Tenderfeet. This troop al
SO has three Life and Star Scouts
Kenneth Neel, Glen Olmstead and
Harold Clifton.
Two open meetings are held an
nually SO that parents and friends
may visit the scout hall and see
what the boys are doing. In 1916
these meetings were held in March
and November and programs of var
led interest were given.
This troop has been self support
ing in every way, with the exception
of the fund which the Local Council
has raised each year to take care of
permanent equipment in the Scout
Hall and to furnish supplies and
prizes for the six or seven contests
which are held every year. In 1916
a sum amounting to about $50 was
raised by popular subscription. The
scouts have raised their camping eX
penses each year by benefit at one
of the picture shows and they will
probably do the same this year.
| The troop was in camp last June
for four days at Bells mill, IL miles
south of town, and will bave anoth-
err camp this coming June at some
spot along the river. 1t is hoped to
be in camp longer this year that the
boys may get better acquainted with
camp life and the things it requires.
This troop has always taken an
interest in community work, having
carried flowers to all the sick in the
city last March, aided last winter in
1.-THE distribution Of food and cloth
ing to the poor of the town by help
ing the Good Fellows and the local
charity association; took part on
the program and acted as ushers
during Baby Week last April;
marched in the parade and carried
flowers to all the graves of old sold
iers on last Memorial Day, and fin
ally took an active part in the de-
stroying of tussock moth cocoons
last November. In this last contest
they destroyed the most cocoons of
any group of workers.
| Although the scout work is in no
sense military, either in spirit or
practice, we are proud to say that
we have four former scouts now in
service on the Mexican border; three
Iboys-Guilford West, George Norton
and Rex Britson-as members OF
Company C and one boy, Clifford
Thompson, in the regular army serv-
ling in Arizona.
The local council through its
members has taken great interest
| in the scout movement and has CIV
en- great help in the form of giving
Merit Badge examinations. Since
last February, 81 Merit Badges have
been won by boys from this troop.
They have been from the following
16 subjects: Civics, Music, Pathfind-
ling, Poultry Keeping, Scholarship.
Conservation, Automobiling, Swim
ming, Pioneering, Athletics, Fire
lmanship, First Aid to Animals, Pub
lie Health, Craftsmanship, Personal
Health and First Aid
OF these, c. H. Currie has given
%; E. E. Richardson 16: o. j. Hen
derson 2; J. E. Olmstead 4; J. A.
Clifton 4; n. C. A. Berg 6; G. c.
Mills 2; w. H. Frazier, who though
not member of the Local Council,
has kindly consented to give tho
4, Friendship test, 8; and the scat
tering out door and Scholarship
tests, total of 23, have been given