The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-04-14

sport. clean habits, and travels with IL clean
crowd. II. A Scout is reverent. He is reverent
toward God. He Is faithful in his religious du-
ties, and respects the convictions of others in mat
ters Of custom and religion.
The Movement Is Nonsectarian.
While Scouts are given definite ideals and are
taught that they must distinguish between right
and wrong, the teaching they receive is absolutely
nonsectarian. The Boy Scout movement main
tains that the recognition of God as the creating
and ruling power of the universe, and the CRATE
full acknowledgment of his guidance, is necessary
In directing the growing boy toward the best type
of American citizenship. 1t lso nonsectarian, how
ever, in its attitude toward religion. Its policy is
that the religious organization or Institution with
which the Boy Scout is connected shall give the
needed attention to his spiritual life. If he be a
Catholic, the Catholic church should be the agency
for his religious training. If he be a Hebrew boy,
then the synagogue will teach him the faith of his
fathers. If he be a Protestant, the church Of
which he is an adherent is the proper organlza-
ton to give him an understanding Of the things
that pertain to his allegiance to God.
After studying the Scout law, the next step is
to learn the history of the Stars and Stripes and
the forms of respect due to it. Then comes the
tying of knots. A very practical bit of knowl-
edge, for a granny" may spill the contents of the
sugar package. When he has met these require
ments he receives the title of "Tenderfoot Scout"
and is then entitled to wear the official insignia
of his rank.
After one months service as a tenderfoot, he
may be promoted to second-class Scout as soon as
he has learned elementary first aid and bandag-
ing, the semaphore or international Morse code
for signaling, how to follow human or animal
tracks at the rate of at least half a mile in twen-
ty-fve minutes, how to cover a mile in exactly
twelve minutes by alternately running and walk
ing fifty PAGES; how to use a knife or Ratchet
without cTtting himself or anybody else or dam
aging his tool or anything else, how to build
a fire In the open, using but two matches at the
most and no kerosene or anything which he
could not pick up in a virgin wilderness; how to
cook over an open fire without kitchen utensils;
how to earn and save money. at least one dollar;
and how to read a compass, naming from memory
at least the sixteen principal points.
Having earned his second-class badge, he finds
that his trouble-or pleasure, all according to the
point of view-hawe just begun. A 6rst-class
Scout must be able to swim fifty yards, earn and
deposit in a public bank at least two dollars;
send and receive a message at the rate of sixteen
letters per minute; make a trip alone or with
another Scout to a point at least seven miles
away and write an account of the trip; render
first aid cook a variety of ~palatabie dishes over
an open fire; draw and read maps; use an AK
properly; judge distance, size, number, height and
weight within % per cent; describe fully from OBJ
servation trees and plants, especially those which
are especially useful or especially harmful fur
nfsh satisfactory evidence that he has put into
practice In his daily life the principles Of the
Scout oath and law; and enlist a boy trained by
himself as q tenderfoOt.
And that is not all. Having become a frst-class
Scout. he is eligible to earn merit badges, and
there are enough Of these to keep him busy until
he has grandchildren enough to make a troop by
themselves. Each merit badge represents a con-
siderable start In some trade, profession, voca-
ton, or avocation, among them architecture, art,
astronomy, beekeeping, b~laeksmithing, business,
camping, electricity, forestry, poultry keeping, and
surveying.
The Scout Handbook.
Tn ordar 70 p1aoa In tho hands % coonto o.dE
Scout workers a concise statement of the ideals
Of the movement and the activities approved of
and encouraged by the movement, a textbook of
the organization, the Handbook has been pre-
pared. This is now In the fifteenth edition. 1t
has been again and again revised and improved.
Our %country's most popular Juvenile is not. as
might be supposed, Robinson Crusoe" or "Treas-
ye Island" but the Handbook for Boys" pub
Ushed by the Boy Scouts of America. Within the
flast two years, there have been published more
than @ 1000 copies Of this book. and 1t is a good
guess that more copies have been sold than have
been sold OF both Treasure Island and Robinson
Crusoe" together during the same period. Indeed.