The Monett times., 1922-12-29
AI5OY'H
SCOUTS
Conducted by Nationsl CounciI Of the Boy
Scouts of Amer1ca-)
A MESSAGE FROM FRANCE

the Boy Scouts Of france:
"A scout is man whose mind is
open to new ideas, and who goes on
his way unafraid; he Is also q knight
with the firm conviction to aid other
people at all times, and to do his best
to make the world more happy,
France of the Old World Is the
home of the knight; America of the
New World, the home Of the pioneer.
What magnificent ideal we can pre-
sent to the world in placing together
the noble traditions which are ours |"
The bearer of this message was NJ.
Guerin Des Jardins, who represented
the Boy Scouts Of France at the recent
National Conference of Scout Execu.
tives at Blue Ridge. N. G. Mr.. Des
Jardlns is known throughout the
length and breadth of his own country
for his work for the welfare Of boys,
he is also prominent for his efforts to
unity scouting in France and he is the
first man to be honored jointly by the
three French scout movements for the
mission of representing the whole
scout body. The Italian and Belgian
organizations have decorated him with
their highest award, and In England
he has been honored by receiving from
Sir Robert Baden-Powell, father of the
scout movement, the silver Wolf cup.
M. Des Jardins brought warm and
cordial expressions of the apprecia-
ton Of the French scouts for their
American brothers He said: "The
French boy and the American boy may
differ as far as natural surroundings
go, but at heart they are alilxe-happy
and gay and lOvable. The same splen-
did qualities to be developed and the
same dangers to be avoided" When
M. Des Jardins was compIimented on
his study of boy psychology, he cred
tied our American books on the SUBJ
ject as the basis of his work. II reaI
these works and then I observe our
own boys to see how they react under
the same conditions as are described
in your books. The experiment proves
the boy is essentially the same every
where. We, too, find the gang spirit
harmful, but thanks to our scouting,
boys are being now formed into useful,
energetic troops. Once in passing
through a small town I had not visited
for some time, and noticing the alb
sence of idle, loafing boys, l said to a
little fellow nearby: Where are all
the tough kids that used to be around
hereT we amt got any tough kids
any more said the lad, there's boy
scout troop here now"
At the conference NJ Des Jardins
showed an exhibit of the French scouts
handicraft, and their version of the
life and work Of the American Indian.
Our boys" said he, "are perhaps more
enthusiastic about the Indians than the
American boys themselves. j. Fenni.
more Cooper is eagerly read every
where by the French boy. Our lads
are constantly trying to initiate the
endurance, courage and self-control Of
the Red Man. Sometimes they will set
a goal in self-restraint by not speaking
for certain length Of time That's
just to be like the Indian, who is a
man Of few words. When a French
scout hurts himself, he tries to bear
the pain bravely, without letting one
know how much it hurts. That, too, is
an effort to endure bravely just as the
Indians did. Indeed, one of the official
scout tests in France is called the In
dian test in which the boys are re-
quired, for instance, to remain motion.
less for certain length of time, just
as the Red Man would have done in
the forests of old when studying the
ways Of the birds and timid animals
of the woods Other features of the
test bring out the great virtues Of
these first Americans. In fact, 'Visage
Pale which in English is Pale Face
is sturdy scouts term of reproach for
an unscoutlike comrade.
M. Des Jardins says that the French
boys are especially fond of the artistic
features connected with scouting. At
the French camps the boys compete in
arranging floral decorations of their
own design on the tables in the mess
hall or outside of their camps. They
like to beautlfy the interior of their
camps, too, with decorations which
they make themselves. This summer
at M. Des Jardins' camp daily prize
was offered to the boy who arranged
the most beautiful decoration in the
mess hall. So interested were these
French lads In this artistic work that
they would give up part Of their play
time to designing attractive center
pieces for the mess hall in small
stones, wild flowers and moss, Often
such slogans of appreciation as "Vive
Amerique"-Long live America, "Vive
les Boy Scouts d'Amerique"--Long live
the Boy Scouts of America, would ap-
pear worked in small white stones.
Throughout his stay In this country,
M. Des Jardins will be the guest of
the American Committee for Devas-
tated France. a,