Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-06

Hay NJ. Butler, National Scout
Commissioner, has returned here
from a visit to New York with the
news that Lieutenant General Sir
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden
Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts,
is coming to this country for "a
visit.
General Baden-Powell was born
on February %, 1857, the son of the
Rev. Professor Baden-Powell, of OK
ford and Langton Manor, and Hen
rietta Grace, who was a descendant
of Admiral w. IL. Smyth, who
claimed descent from Captain John
Smith, of American colonial fame.
General Baden-Powell is best
konwn as the hero of Mafeking in
the Boer War. He formed the Boy
Scout organization in Great Britain
in the year 1908 for the purpose of
promoting good citizenship in the
rising generation. General Baden
Powell says that the possibility of
putting responsibility onto boys and
treating them seriously was brought
to the proof in Mafeking with the
corps of boy messengers raised by
Lord Edward Cecil there in 1899.
Will Visit Here
General Baden-Poweu is to visit
the Scout organizations in the Unit
cd States and in Canada during
May. He left England on the
White Star liner Baltic and will
arrive at st. Johns on May Z. He
will be in Boston on the 10th. in
New York on May II, in Washing
ton on May 13. He will return to
New York on the 18th and will be
here for the three following days.
During his visit in New York City
large program of Boy Scout ac-
tivities will be carried out in his
honor He will then return to Cam
ada, being in Ottawa on the 21st
and 22d, in Montreal on the 23d
and 24th, in Toronto on the 25th
to the 27th, returning to England
on May 2S.
General Baden-Powell is to be
accompanied by Lady Baden-Pow-
ell, who is chief guide of the Girl
Guides, as the girls organization in
Great Britain has always been
known.
lie will devote four days to the
Boy Scouts of America, visiting also
the Canadian Scouts and assisting in
the organizations for girls.
The main feature of his visit will
be a welcome rally at p. m. on
Saturday, May II, on the Sheep
Meadow of Central Park, New York,
at which time there will be a mobi-
lization of 10000 Boy Scouts of
America. This will be a formal oc-
casion in which Scouts awaiting
honor medals and Eagle Scout
badges will receive them from the
hands of Sir Robert himself.
National Scout Commissioner DAN
iel Carter Beard will be the rank
ing uniformed official. He will be
assisted by the staff of officials par
ticip9ting in the rally. Captain
James II. Beard, representing the
Chief Scout Executives; James f.
West, will be the active executive
officer for the rally.
Big Gatherings
General Baden-Powell will spend
May 16 in informal conferences
with the Scout officials at National
Headquarters. Following the well
come rally on Saturday a monster
dinner will be served to all Scout
officials in the metropolitan district.
On Nay IS, Mortimer L. Schiff, vice
America, will give a dinner in hon
or of Sir Robert to the Scouts
National Executive Board and the
Citizens National Committee for
Boy Scout week in June, it being
expected that Mr.. McAdoo, the
chairman of the committee, and
Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roose-
NelC Will ne present. On Monday
evening, May 10, there will be an
other great gathering at a citizens
dinner to which the public is well
come.
The London Times, in a recent
editorial, spoke of the Boy Scout or
ganization as follows:
mo greater or far-reaching move
ment has been launched in our gem
GRAFTON. In the decade which is
now ending Sir Robert Baden-Pow-
ell and other not less devoted work
ers have made experiments on a
great scale, and have shown that
the spirits of adventure and of
service can he harnessed to the
highest purposes of life, and that
energies which generation by gen.
Grafton have been perverted to evil
uses can be used as the foundations
of good citizenship"
General Baden-P Powell in one of
his letters said: The term scout
master for the officers was one
which I adopted from Oliver Crom-
wells officers rank among whom
fhprp wore 'ScOnt