Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-10
Boy Scouts.

Ali of the grownups or today VINO
were not boys before they became
grownups, were girls. OF course those
grownups who are still boys and girls,
are excepted in the classification, very
much to their credit.
But one of the strangest things about
grownups, especially those grownups
who are not still boys and girls, is the
fact that so few Of them remember
that they ever were boys and girls.
There are lots of grownups who as
sumo that they know all about boys
and girls because they have been all
along there themselves" and therefore
what the boys and girls are doing is to
them an old story.
AS a matter of fact most of these
grownups deceive themselves. Instead
of knowing all about boys and girls
they know little or nothing about
them. Worse than that, it seems that
they cannot learn anything-that is,
most Of them cannot learn anything.
Some wise fellow said once that the
hoy is father Of the man." and at first
glance the proposition seems self-evi-
dent; but when you reverse the propo-
sition a little without altering In the
least the relation thus declared by say
ing that the man is the son Of the boy,
your puzzle is not materially changed.
No, there is no intention to try to
make fun Of the boy or the grownup,
either. The subject is too terribly Sc
rious for any attempted gaity. Really
and truly just as the boy is the father
of the man, the man Is the son OF the
boy.
There are thousands and hundreds
of thousands of people who, If they
think about this Boy Scout movement
at all, look upon it as kind Of kim
dergarten game-something to amuse
the children. And in that they are
making the most serious mistake OF
their lives. 1t is not child's work by
any means. 1t is the school of men
and women.
The Boy Scout organization has been
in existence in this county for about
five years. There have been troops at
Yorkville, Rock Hill and Fort Mill, and
the troops at the last named places are
still in effective working order.
Grownups who have been noticing
have seen some very interesting devel-
opments in connection with these
troops. For one thing the principles
of the scout call for honor, character
truthfulness, cleanliness, courtesy,
courage, usefulness. These qualities
are more inherent in some boys than
in others; but they are admired by all
boys. Organize the boys into a scout
troop under a scoutmaster who Is equal
to the requirements of the high posi-
ton, and almost like presto change
the highest and best that is in the best
of the boys spreads through and takes
charge Of all the boys. That is the ten
dency, as has been proved time and
again.
During the five years the Boy Scouts
have been organized in Yorkville occa-
sion has several times arisen for GER
tain quality of police work" For In
stance the town would be filled with
visitors to a convention or some gath
ering of similar nature that called
for more or less guidance or direction.
Whenever the Boy Scouts have been In
charge their work has been perfect.
Several times there has arisen neces-
sity for canvasses Of different Sorts
and each time such work has been en-
trustees to the Boy Scouts it has been
done perfectly.
One Of the school superintendents,
Lieutenant Riddle, some time ago said
to the writer: 1T was not but little
while after took charge Of the school
that 1 was able to spot those Boy
Scouts with unerring accuracy, and
Furthermore 1 was not long in finding
that by following the principles Tor
which they stood I could use them In
the smooth and easy direction Of the
school"
To be sure the boys are not men yet
not in all things; but they are men In
some things, men even beyond their
elders, and in so far as this scout Or
ganization gives opportunity for the
full play of all that is best in the boy,
it is something more than worth while
1t is something that should be assist
ed and encouraged to the limit.
OF course there is no doubt about
the fact that the boy Of today is the
man of the future-physically speak
ing, to say the least Of it. Anybody can
see that; but it is we'll too. to ponder
how much of the man Of the future,
spiritually speaking, there may already
be in the boy Of today.