Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1919-06-19
No. 10
Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America were
formed in the United States in 1910
by a group of men who were inter
ested in the boys of America.
The first Boy Scouts in the world
were formed by Sir Robert Baden
Powell, a famous Englishman, who
recognized the need of giving boys
the right kind of traing. He organ
lied the first Boy Scouts in Eng
land.
The head of the American organ
ization is a body of men known as
the National Council. At the annual
meeting it elects an executive Board.
This Board is charged with all
questions of business, administration
and supervision. The executive
board also serves tn scouts and offic-
Gals through a Supply Department,
Department of Education, Field De-
partment, and Library Department.
For the information of Scout ofic-
ials a semi-monthly bulletin, named
Scouting, is published. 1t is also
one of the duties of the National
Council to provide for scouts the
official monthly magazine, "Boys'
Life", to serve as an aid and slim
lus to- better scouting.
In order that the Boy Scouts, all
over the country, may be uniform
and intelligent, the National Coun-
Gil has prepared an "Official Hand
Book, This. book contains mine
of information concerning tracking,
signaling, swimming, forestry, birds,
first aid, and other things concerning
scouting.
The Boy Scouts were Incorporated
June Is, 1916. The aim of the Boy
Scout movement is to teach boys to
do things for themselves and to
stand on their own feet.
The Boy Scouts are Toned in so
called Troops of not more than
thirty-two boys. Each troop is di-
vided into patrols, consisting of
eight boys.
Each patrol is in charge of patrol
leader, who is member of that pa
troll. At the head of the troop is a
Senior Patrol Leader, who is a men,
Der of the troop. One boy is also
elected as Scout Scribe, or troop
secretary, whose duty is to keep the
troop records. Each troop has one
or more assistant Scoutmasters, who
must be at least eighteen years of
age, and one Scout-master, who is in
charge of the troop. The Scout
master must be FL years of age and
of good moral character. In this
respect the Canaan troop has been
most lucky in having Rev. R. M.
Timberlake as Scoutmaster.
There are three ranks of Scouts
Tenderfoot, Second-Class and First
| Glass.
+ The tenderfoot examinations are
comparatively easy, the second class
less easy, and the first class quite
hard. The first class examination
includes the ability to swim fifty
yard, to know either the Semaphore
or the international Morse Code and
be able to send and receive at pre-
scribed rate, to know advanced first
aid, simple cooking in the open, how
to make and read map, how to use
properly an axe, to judge distance,
height, size, number and weight
within twenty-five per cent, to know
at least ten different kinds of trees,
and he must furnish satisfactory
evidence that he has put into prac-
tice in his daily life the principles of
the scout law. ..rs.
After boy becomes First Class
Scout he may try for merit badges.
These badges are given for general
knowledge of different subjects.
Any boy between the ages of
twelve and eighteen is eligible to be
a scout. ILL.,. FL.
Honor medals are awarded to
Iscouts by National Headquarters in
recognition of unusual bravery and
lheroism.
Each patrol is named after Ger