Mohave County miner., 1917-08-18

movement challenges the intelligent understanding of everyone, aand yet many people still ask: "What is Scouting?" What do Boy Scout do ?" Scouting is outdoor life, which means health, strength, happiness and practi- cal education.
 It develops the power Of initiative and resoUrcefulness.
 It helps boys.
 It insures good citizenship.
 The boy scout movement healthfully and sanely offsets the disadvantages which civilization has caused.
 It seeks to help boys on leaving
 school to escape the evils of 'blind alley" occupations-that is such work as gives boys a mere wage for the moment, but leaves him stranded with out any trade or handicraft to pursue when he is a man and so send him as a recruit to the great army of unem- ployed and, what is worse, the unem- ployable.
 Scoutcraft includes inspection in first aid, life saving, tracking, sig nalling, cycling, nature study, seaman ship, campcraft, woodcraft, chivalry and all of the handicrafts.
 Last April two scout officials sat in front seats at the annual scout dem onstration at Los Angeles. Between them sat a man who breathlessly watched every stunt done by the boys. He applauded when they pitched camp when they wig-wagged, tied up sprained ankles, and did a hundred other exciting things. When at last a troop halted right in front of where he sat and did the great stunning trick of building a fire without match es, by rubbing two dry sticks against each other, his eyes fairly bulged, and when the fire blazed up amid the laundering applause of the spectators he turned to his neighbors with a sigh Of satisfaction. "This is what we have been waiting for hundred years" he said. And they nodded; for it was. Every boy, every camper, every nor nal man who has his moments when he would give all of civilization and its wonders to back in the woods and wilds for day, a single happy day, cherishes back in his soul the unattain- ed ambition of making a fire Indian fashion; and these have done it. |. Every boy has in him a little sav- age and apotential good citizen. The question is which is to get the upper grip; upon that depends what kind of a man he is going to be- He would rather be good than bad, all things being even. But they are not even. He joins the gang and learns the les sons tEaat dO not lead to respect for authority or property.
 The savage has come uppermost, and he lives the law of the jungle. Put before him the other alternative, and he will adopt the scout law to be duti- ful, obedient, helpful and clean, with the same enthusiasm. They really start from the same point; it is the way they work out that makes the difference.
 Everything depends on the guide post where the road forks.
 Write the one word "don't" there and only that, and the boy, if he has any spirit will take to the jungle. Every father knows it; every teacher has learned it, if he has learned any thing. The word is not in the scout law. It is all affirmative. A scout |. is loyal, he is helpful, he is friendly, 1. courteous, kind; he is obedient, cheer ful, thrifty and and brave; he is clean in body and thought, stands for clean speech, clean sport, clean habits, and travels with a clean crowd. And he is reverent toward God, faithful him self, and respectful toward the con- victions of others. These are the scout . laws, and he obeys them not only be- 1 cause he has promised, but because he l wants to. There isn't a "don't" in the 1. lot. It is as easy as all that.
 There is no militarism or suggestion of militarism anywhere in the entire . There are no military drills; there are few direct commands i The scout master guides by sugges- tion rather thandirect order. He is a grown up "pal" to his followers rather than a commanding officer There is absolute equality among the of his troops. Social caste and difference in religious creed are unrecognized. The scout is neither rich nor poor; he is simply plain citizen boy, heir-apparent to independent, free-thinking, noble manhood.
 Realization of this has swept away f opposition which at first developed in certain quarters through misappre- hension of the ideals and purposes of I the organization The Roman Catholic The Socialist party has withdrawn its opposition as has the AmeE Fed | eration of Labor, as evident, by the following extract from a letter writ ten by Samuel Gompers to ar official at National Scout Headquarters:
 q am pleased to say that at the re- cent A. F. of L. convention a resolu- ton was passed endorsing the boy