The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-25
0F SCOUTS DISCUSSED
 AT ANNUAL MEET
Birmingham One of Cities in Which New Permanent Camp Sites Purchased
 Last Year
By A.,oeiatsd Prs.s

New York, March 24.--Achievements or inc Boy Scouts of America in American'- sation, characterization and education of he youth of the United States and the part they are scheduled to play in the nations postwar reconstruction work, were discussed at the annual meeting here today of the organizations national council Nearay 37o delegates. represent ing 455,ooo Boy Scouts. attended the con- ference.
 In reporting the growth of the move ment throughout the United States, an- nouncement was made that new perma- nent camp sites were purchased last year in Birmingham, Ala. Los Angeles, Cal. Indianapolis, Evansville and Terre Haute Ind. Mont Clair. N. J., Omaha, Neb.. Akron, O., Scranton and Reading. Pa. and Milwaukee, Wis.
 Reports showed that for meritorious work merit badges were awarded S0,l6O scouts in 1918, against 26,72s in 1917, and that 66 honor medal applications had been acted upon, including the awarding of four gold medals to parents of scouts who had forfeited their lives in efforts to save others.
 PERFECT ORGANIZATION
 Paving tribute to the wide range of scout effort and achievement in war work in this country, Ralph Waldo Emerson, representing the treasury department, declared that he had never seen more perfectly oiled or more faultlessly operat- ing machine and that Boy Scouts had obtained 1,S569o6 Liberty Loan subscrip- tions totalling $27S,S95,0Oo.
 Speaking after adoption of resolution eulogizing his father, who was "chief scout citizen of the organization, Lieut. Col. Theodore Roosevelt declared that the Boy Scouts of America "can help in de- veloping Americanism as the great na- tionaI army of this country had done. =
 Brig Gen. William Fl. Chapin of the New York state military training com mission entered plea on behalf Of the boy not in school.
 There are 3Oo,OOO boys of the age of Is. IT and IS years in the state of New York, and more than a0,O00 are not Tn school" he said "Of these 30 per cent are employed, but they need guidance.
 John M Phillips, scout executive of Pittsburg, stated that it costs Allegheny county, Pa, $400,0O0 year to care for its bad boys" 1900 of whom are behini prison bars, while it costs only $4o,0OO to care for the 5000 Boy Scouts not one of whom, he said, had ever been in the courts.
 Colin H. Livingstone of Washington, president of the national council. deitv- cred the opening address at the confer ence
 WILSON HONORARY PRESIDENT
 President Wilson was elected honor ary president of the organization al tonight's session Former President Taft and Daniel Carter Beard of Flush ing, N Y., an originator of the Boy Scout, idea, were made honorary vice presidents.
 Among those elected members of the organization's national council were Secretary of War Baker. Secretary of the Navy Daniels Secretary of the Treasury Glass, General Pershing, Maj.-Gen. John F. ORyan, Lieut.-CoL Theodore Roosevelt. Charles Evans Hughes and Luther Burbank
 The following officers were elected;
 President Colin H. Livingston. Washington: vice presidents, Mortimer l.. Schiff. New York: Milton A. McRae, Detroit: B. L. Dulaney. Bristol, Tenn. Arthur Let's. Los Angeles; national scout commissioner Daniel Carter Beard. Flushing, N. Y. treasurer, George D. Pratt, New York.
 The following were elected to the executive board: John sherman HoJt. NewN York William D. Murray. Plain field. N. J.. Milton A. McRea, Detroit; George D. Porter. Philadelphia Frank Presbrey. New York; G. Barrett Rich, Jr.. Buffalo. Bolton Smith. Memphis, Tenn.