Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1922-12-14
66I5(YH
SCOUTS
Conducted by National Council of the Boy
Scouts OF America.)
A MESSAGE FROM FRANCE


open to new IDEAS, and who goes on
MS way unafraid; he is also knight
with the firm conviction to aid other
people at all Zines, and to do his best
TO make the world more happy.
France of the Old World is the
nome or 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 oursp
Inc bearer lof this message was M.
Guerln DeS JardinS, who represented
the Boy Scouts of France at the recent
National Conference of Scout Execu.
tves at BlueS Ridge, N. G. Mr.. Des
Jardins is known throughout the
length and breadth Of his own country
for his work Tor the welfare of boys,
he is also prominent for his efforts to
unity scouting5in 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 ane the American boy may
differ as far as natural surroundings
go, but at heart they are alike-happy
and gay and lofable. The same splen-
did qualities to be developed and the
same dangers 10 be avoided" When
M. Des Jardins was complimented on
his study of boy psychology, he cred
tied our American books on the sub
ject as the basis of his work. 81 read
these works and then 1 observe our
own boys to see how they react under
the same conditions as are described
in your books. sThe 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 small town had not visited
for some time, and noticing the alb
sence Of idle, leafing boys I said to
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 a 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. ]. 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
goal in self-restraint by not speaking
for a 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 a 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 a sturdy scouts term of reproach for |
an unscoutlike comrade.
NJ. Des Jardins says that the French |
boys are especially fpnd of the artistic |
features connected with scouting. At
the French camps the boys compete in
arranging floral decorations of their
own design on the fables In the mess |
hall or outside of their camps. They |
like to beautify the interior of their |
camps, too, with decorations which |
they make themselves. This summer
at M. Des Jardins' camp a 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
hey would give up6part Of their play
lime to designing attractive center
pieces for the mess hall In small
stones, wild fiowerss and moss. Often
such slogans of appreciation as "vive Z
Amerique"-Long live America, "vive
es Boy Scouts d'Amerique''-Long live
he Boy Scouts of america, would ap-
bear worked in small white stones.
Throughout his stay in this country,
". Des Jardins win be the guest Of
he American Committee for Devas-
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