The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-08-17

PROGRAM
CHEERED

Boy-Scouting is the big theme these
days in East Chicago. Last night at
the Lyric theatre. a crowded house.
composed OF adults only. sat for two
hours in a Boy Scout program. which
was roundly cheered.
This program consisted Of several
ginger ak by c. H. True. chairman
of the industrial section; II. Z. Jack
son. president Of the council; Rev.
Elmer Jones. pastor Of the Methodist
church. Indiana Harbor; Mayor Hodges
OF Gary: Mayor Mccormack Of East
Chicago and others. These talks were
interspersed with stunts furnished BY
the boys from troops in Hammond un-
der the OF Scout Commits
sion Or. Shanklin and Scout Execu
tive. Harris.
Then Field Commissioner Weston
showed a number OF slides Illustrating
some Boy Scout activities in which
he participated in Madison. Wisconsin,.
Then came the movie. The Boy VIII
Cried Wolf"
One Of the stunts which the Ham
mond boys pulled of was that of Civ
ing fret aid TO a lad who slipped on
= banana peel and spralned or broke
his ankle. These boys pitch a camp,
talk with each other by w~ig-wag sig
nails. build fires without matches and
do a hundred other things exciting 10
the man as well as 10 the boy. Ii
probably may be said that every boy.
every camper. every normal man has
his moments when he would give all
81 civilization and It's wonder to be
back in the woods and the wilds for
e day. a single happy day and when he
cherishes back in his sout the unat-
tanned ambition Of making a fire, In
dian fashion, as these boys are able
to do.
During the ~evening the thought was
thought was brought out that Scout
iug aims TO break down every mag
mary barrier Of sect and caste and
every opposition that has been based
or the mistaken notion that the move
ment had to do with military train
ing OF the young.
As Field Commissioner Weston said.
TT is something much broader and
bigger than that. Ii is getting at the
boy on his own ground. setting HIM
to do the things he ardently wants 10
do. but IN our cities with their twisted
social conditions. he doesn't know 10
do.
Eve boy has in him a little sav-
Z ana a potential good citizen. The
question is which is to get the upper
Strip; upon that depends what kin
Of a man he is going to be. He would
rather be good than bad. all things be-
ing even. But they are not even. Give
Sim the street and the gutter for a
playground. rob him OF his play, and he
joins the gang and learns the lessons
that do not lead to respect for au-
thority or property. Yet in the ganz
he Will yield to that respect to the boy
who Is holder and ADLER than the rest
who is fit to lead. The savage has
come uppermost. and he lives the Law
or the jungle. Put before him the 9th
er alternative. and he viii adopt the
Scout law to be dutiful, obedient. help
full. clean. with the same enthusiasm
They really start from the same point
IL is the way they work out that
makes the difference. Is he to Kill
swans Or vultures. when he is a man,
Everything depends on the guide-posr
where the roads fork"
The promoters of the movement ir
East Chicago this morning expressed
themselves as very grateful to the
mayor of Gary and TO the men and boys
from Hammond who so kindly and gen.
erously helped last evening to make the
program a success. Everyone not pres.
ent missed a golden opportunity.