The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-04
BRITISH BOY
SCOUTS IN WAR
From Reciprocal News Service.
13 Queen Anne's Gate, London, ). W.
BY MARGARET WALTER.


one morning not long ago longing for
the "all clear" signal and wondering if
we should hear it when it came. Then
through the stiffness that follows an
explosion, rang 2 child's voice, pitched
high, clear and to us, the sweetest we
ever heard "All clear" it piped far off
along the street.
Who was that child? How dared his
mother let anything so young, 50
fragile, out at night in a London street
during q raid? Nobody seemed to
know. l crept up to bed and settled
down for nap before it was time to
begin the day still hearing young
voices in the distance.
The policeman at the corner answered
my query promptly enough. WA,
them's the Boy Scouts, ma'am. They
volunteer at all our stations as soon as
a raid signal is given and it's their job
10 bugle the all clear. We send them
out in motor cars with their little
bugles and they wakes the dead they
does"
But last night it was just one boy
calling, not bugle," l corrected.
THAT was because we had acci-
dent, maam. Just as the motor was
starting out with the young bugler bit
Of shrapnel came tearing along and the
bugler was killed. SO a couple Of his
mates took the job on
This war service is not the only one
in which the British Boy Scouts have
DISTINGUISHED themselves. Seventy per
cent Of the membership is now in ma
tional service. Within the first fort
night after war was declared Boy
Scouts volunteered for coast guard
duty, signalling, in government offices.
hospitals, relief stations and various
branches of home defense. And within
five months $4,000 scouts were at work.
war service badge was Instituted
for scouts who performed twenty
eight day continuous service OF three
hours a day without reward; over 1000
bows received these badges before the
end of the first six months.
The scouts support ambulances In
France and renew these AS they wear
out, and it must always be remembered
that no scout is allowed to ask for
money-he must give it out of his own
pocket or work for it-and he may not
receive pay for his services while acting
as n scout.
When he goes into government EN-
nloy he is given rations and a clothing
allowance. Now that the "comblng
out" process has taken all the young
men of the country, there are miles OF
coastline entirely watched by the scouts
in constant communication with a cen
tral station. Two scouts take the place
of one man The boys work in pairs
and in patrols of eight members. TheS
have their own equipment and do theil
own cooking.
lust now the board Of agriculture
has put in to scout headquarters cal
for so 900 boys to work on the land dur
ing the coming year and already day
and night classes are in progress glVlnl
lessons in sheep tending, dairy farming
poultry raising, market and nursery
gardening, stock tending and forestry
The scouts who are sent on the lanl
will go in troops. A farmer will appl!
TO the nearest troop scoutmaster, WHIT
will provide the required number o
scouts with their tents and full equip
ment. They will camp at farm a.
long as they are needed and then go OF
10 the next. The farmer viii pay int
the troop funds the usual wages ant
this money will be used for troop eX
penses.
Airplane mechanics and pilotage i
one of the most popular branches Deinl
taken up by the Boy Scouts. Engineer
ing and draughtsmanship follow closely
Realizing that this country has beel
deprived of an entire generation D.
war. that the boys of today have go
to take their fathers places and do l
under the most difficult circumstances
that they have got to excel their ia
theirs in every way, the scouts are
ready in the full swing Of reconstru'
tional education and training.
In connection with polytechnical II
stitutes and county schools, specia
courses are given to Boy Scouts an
certificates from these carry with ther
a standard wage,
Already the sleeves of hundreds c
these busy little fellows bristle with e
dclency buttons which they are PRIV
ileged to wear when they have con
pleted a special training, say in teiet
raphy, flying signalling, bee'farmint
ploughing, carpentry and dozen othe
peace.time occupations.
One Of the first things that attrac'
n visitor at the great military hospital
is the number of Boy Scouts in tn
waiting rooms, the corridors, and eve
assisting in the wards and clinics. A
ways ready to run errands, full OF ell
couragement and resource, these bar
lneed little knights are the life OF IN
place.
At a hospital where manned Ton
mics are trying to learn TO get accu
toned to their store legs and arms
was deeply touched by the sight of on
leaning hard on the sturdy youn
shoulders Of a Boy Scout who with h
smiling young face turned up TO u
man. appeared to be saying somethin
that made it worth while going on.
At another hospital the scouts wei
busily washing the breakfast dishes
the canteen and group OF elghl pol
and four young V. A. d. Volunteer A
Diyision) girlus, daughters OF wealth.
narents. were singing and whistling
their task as il it we're a. party.
IA Hse