Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-24
AN INTERESTING START
OF A SCOUT TROOP

Around the remnants Of what was
once a grocers' delivery wagon, there
congregated group of youthful neigh
borhood boys in one of the poorer dis
tricts of a Colorado city. Evidences of
poverty. neglect and what even the
people of the neighborhood considered
EYE sores" abounded on every side.
1t was the slums of the community.
Surrounded by this accumulated rub
bish, weeds, dilapidatcd sheds and
stables, little group OF boys gathered
after school time, and whenever they
got n chance, to, indulge in all the IN
nocent things, and otherwise, that boys
are prone to do to amuse themselves.
One of them was called Jimmy, boy
of fifteen; no had a lfcless chipmunk
that he was busily skinnipg. The OK
act details as to how he became pos
sessed of it could not be clearly estab-
lished. He did not know exactly what
he was going to do with it, but was
very carefully cutting tho skin from
tho dead animal He was going to
stretch it on a board, salt 1t, and then
put it in the sun to dry. Tho rest of
the companions stood by eagerly lis
teninE to Jimmie's talk of how TO do
tho trick. ! happened to come along
at this moment, stumbling over some
recently removed from the near by
chapeD and in passing thru the com
nunity l came upon the boys in the
midst of these distressing environ
ments. Tho thought came to me natur-
ally was not this an opportunity TO
help a fellow up; to do a good turn"
something to improve their lives,
thoughts, actions and the surround
ings? How it could be done, was the
next thought, but / recalled a Scout
master in the Boy Scouts OF America.
Upon finding him and telling him Of
what l had discovered in our COM
munity he came back at me. ANY
man possessed of sufficient gumption
to stumble onto and recognize such
conditions as you tell about would
make a good scoutmastor and over
come them all: provided however. the
spirit moved him. I made a survey of
myself. OF all the things l did during
those years how many of them were
helpful to me as 1 grew into manhood?
What are the most helpful influences
during these years. What different
course would I pursue IL ! had my life
to live over again? Is my character
and social standing in the community
such as would be an inspiration To
these boys? Have / sufficient grit and
rcsourcefulness to carry thru the pro-
position once l start II.
-"S aSsNiSu INV
that I knew enough OF the difficultics
| and the problems surrounding the lives
of those boys, so that I could do them
some good. So / decided to organize
them into a troop of Boy Scouts. A
perusal of tho Handbook for Boys
and the "Scoutmastcrs' Handbook" en-
abled me to comprehend the course TO
be pursued: then the boys gathered
together and the ono greatest JOY came
into their lives. The nciEhborhood no
longer is tho dumping place for rub
bish. Everything unsightly has long
since disappeared and old conditions
forgotten. for today they live with
things in proper order, clean and at
tractivo surroundings. Tho little Chap
cl tnow their hcadpuarters) is bcauti-
full by n grass plot and flower beds,
and now has Il different place in thcir
hearts. Jimmy, well he has just been
made assistant Scoutmastcr after his
three years work and play, is tho proud
posscssor of six merit badges lone for
taSidcrmy). That little group has now
become a happy family of forty-onc
boys, with six patrols, with their own
leaders conducting their activities.
with three meetings each month. l.
Is the fourth meeting that Mr.. Scout
master appears, assumes charge and
furnishes new food for thought and
action. The ncigbbors say, THE world
seems brighter and better since the