Newark post., 1919-06-11
SCOUTING BINDS
THE BOY TO HIS
CHURCH"
Chief Executive Discusses Re-
ligious Policy Of
Movement

After review Of the achievements
If the Boy Scouts in the World War,
James E. West, Chief Scout Execu-
tive, in lecture on "Why the Churches
Should Support the Boy Scouts" gives
as the cry of the movement under way
this week, ''The War is Over. But
Our Work is Not"
He says: "This week is to be far
more than a drive 1t is to be a
seven-day demonstration of gratitude
in appreciation of what the scouts did
during the war; it will be dedicated
to the 100000 boys of scout age
to whom, the benefits of Scouting
should be extended; it will aim to
arouse the people to the necessity Of
training the youth of today for the
responsibilities of citizenship tomor-
row.
And behind it will be every race and
creed, every agency of service the
country can muster-every school,
every club, every church.
The churches particularly will lend
their support to the movement. for,
first of all, eighty per cent of the
vast number of scout troops are con-
nected with churches. AS the Rev.
Franklin D. Elmer of the Northern
Baptists Convention has said. "Scout-
ing binds the boy to his church and
affords mutually helpful. opportunities
for the church to serve him and for
him to serve in his place. The troop
of today may be built into the church
of tomorrow"
The religious policy Of the Scout
Movement is consistent with the best
of ecclesiastical principles. In all
matters of faith the boy is directly
under the guidance of his parent
church. No religious teaching is
thrust upon him from the outside. No
attempt is made to wean him away
from his proper religious environ
ment. Scouting turns the boy toward
his church and home instead of draw
ing him out Of it!
1t is endorsed by every faith and
creed. 1t is approved and generously
Jew alike. 1t is thoroughly Ameri-
supported by Catholic, Protestant and
can, thoroughly religious. 1t teaches
boys to live-to live as God intended
they should.N
The philosophy of "dont-ism has
no place in the creed of Scouting. It
is a movement of expression, not re-
preston, expression through con-
structive imagination in the woods,
under blue skies, on long winding
roads, out where nature is most beau
tiful, where the soul works as in the
Temples of God, most purely.
One million associate members are
to be recruited during Boy Scout
Week. They are to come from the big
cities and remote country hamlets,
from every place where people con-
gregate, largely from the most holy
Of such places-the church.
The need of such q membership,
such financial auxiliary IS imperative,
for, as great as this movement j., it
as yet embraces but one &wonty-tifth
of the eligible boyhood Of The nation.
The boys can be secured ay millions.
They want Scouting. They plead for
it! Their Applications for scout men,
hership pour into National H ,adguar-
tiers at the rate of a thousand day!
But troops cannot be formed with
out red-blood, God-faaring men to
serve as scoutmasters and assistants.
This leadership cannot be obtained
without the necessary funds for super
vision, for extension.
And the most democratic of funds,
the most American of funds, will
come from a great interested asso-
ciated membership, who give, not
only their dollars, but their hearts
and sympathies as we'll; who feel in
the giving, that in preparing these, on
whom its future rests, the Nation it.
self will be prepared"