Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-31
BOY SCOUTS HELP
CITY WIN OUT IN
MANY CAMPAIGNS
By DAVID B. BERGQUIsT.
Scout Executive,)

Scout Executive.) al
The Boy Scout movement in this
city has long since passed the stage
where 1t was regarded as an ex-
pertinent. Since the movement was
organized in this city it has re-
ceived the hearty enforcement Of
every church, Catholic, Protestant
and Jewish, and received the en-
dorsement of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor and the American
Legion. Every large organization
In the city has cooperated in every
way to make the organization as
efiicient as possible in its manner
Of dealing with boys.
The Rotary club, which was d.
rectly responsible for the first CAM
paign put on to make local coun-
Gil with paid executive possible,
has always loyalty supported the
organization, and will continue to
do SO in time to come. During the
war the Scouts earned a wonderful
Reputation for :. doing real work.
While other boys were simply toss
ing their hats up or cheering from
the side lines, the Boy Scouts Of
America were being called upon by
the president, secretary or treas
urer of the war department, the
food administration and other
branches of the government, the
Red Cross. the liberty loan COM
mittees, and other factors in con-
nection with the war.
Tive hundred twenty-six Scouts
in Rock Island sold liberty bonds
totaling $4,000, sold $1,000 worth
Of war savings stamps. reported
2S6 standing walnut trees which
the war department desired for gun
stocks. distributed over 5000 post
ers for five liberty loan drives, over
500 posters for the local Red Cross,
and also distributed the posters for
the war savings stamps drives for
the local committee. They were
also active In reporting barberry
that was found in the community
and did great work in gathering
fruit pits to be used in the gas
masks. for the soldiers.
At the close Of the war the
Scouts adopted the slogan. The
war is over but our work is not. !"
They canvassed the city for q re-
port of the number of employers
who had taken back soldiers into
their employ. This was done at
the request Of the war department
and the employers reported were
awarded citations.
The national Boy Scout week
observed last June by the entire
nation under the direction of w. G.
McAdoo was also observed in this
city. The local committee under
the leadership Of J. L. Vernon, with
N. B. G0sline in charge of the men,
bership drive, secured Alb associate
memberships, while the quota ask
ed for 2S4. Local Rotarians and
members of the Elks were active
in this drive. During the week the
Scouts conducted numerous activi-
ties showing the community in var
ious ways Just how they could be
OF service. A walk-rite compaign
to encourage the people to walk
straight across from corner to cor
ner instead of cutting across
streets was put on in cooperation
with the local police force. That
it had results is vouched for by
leaders Of the community. The
Scouts also acted as guides for
delegates to the big convention held
at Augustana college this week.
The Scouts were busy night and
day, meeting incoming delegates
and directing them to the homes to
which they had been assigned.
A field day was conducted with
troop No. IA, the city's colored
troop. under the leadership of
Scoutmaster William Taylor as
winners.
A summer camp was conducted
10 miles south of the city with a
total Of 102 in attendance at the
two camps. This was very large
gain over the previous year, when
81 Scouts were in attendance. The
camp was held on the farm OF J.
F. Witter, one Of the deputy Scout
commissioners, and was made pos
sible through his generosity. A
large screened-in lodge was made
possible for the Scouts through the
help Of A. B. DuVon Of the Rock
Island Lumber & Manufacturing
company. Boys in camp, parents
and visitors proclaimed it the best
camp ever conducted for boys of
this city. Highest honors at this
camp were won by Eugene Stone
of troop No. IS. This honor was
awarded him following a vote taken
in an election to decide which
Scout did most to make the camp
a success.
During the last year the Scout
: movement in this city has grown
from four troops with 81 Scouts to
% troops with over 400 Scouts.
There still are a number of places
where Scout troops will be organ
lied within the next few months
A sufficient number of scoutmas-
tiers must be secured in order to
form additional troops. With such
leadership secured, it is safe to say
that within the next year Rock Is
land will be able to boast of near
| ly forty troops with close to 1000
Scouts. The wolf Cubs" the jun
ior Boy Scouts, for boys between
the ages Of 9 and IL. are also to be
organized in those places where
the older Scout organization is al
ready established. The Scouts are
meeting with splendid cooperation
from every possible source. and
from churches Of every denomina-
, ton, and those in charge feel high
ly gratif1ed at the success of the
movement at present. They feel
that they are doing real work in
building strong character into the
boys Of the present generation and
establishing in their minds the fact