The Washington times., 1923-01-19
BOY SCOUT
- un@ -.
DRIVE
ON
TenfoId Increase Is Sought in
Membership Among
District Youth.
BY GEORGE FRANKLIN.

With each Boy Scout troop and
more than 1900 volunteers en-
listed, the drive to raise the NUM-
Der of scouts in the Third Regional
District from 5O,853 to 100000
started today.
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, and the DISTRICT
Of Columbia comprise the region.
The campaign will be pushed
vigorously between now and the
middle Of February, when the
Boy Scouts will celebrate the
Thirteenth anniversary Of the
formation of their organization.
Plans Perfected.
Major r. F.. Seymour, regional
executive. will direct the drive from
scout headquarters. Fourteenth and
g streets.
Plans to be carried out during
the drive were perfected yesterday
at the annual conference of the
regional heads held at City Club.
While every effort will be made
to reach the full quota Of 500, 900
active members within the next four
weeks, scout officials stated today
that II accomplished 1t would place
the Third Regional District on q
100 per cent basis, q position as yet
unattained by any Of the other dis
tricts. Should IS per cent OF the
quota be secured, they stated, the
drive will have proved an unprece-
cedented success.
Reports submitted by attending
heads Of the district yesterday
showed that the membership
throughout the district has steadily
increased during the past year.
Among the facts brought out was
that more than $4,000 Boy Scouts in
the District belong to troops not
under council control. During the
drive, it was said, efforts will be
made to work out a system by
which they will all come into &C.
tive alliance with the council.
Made Eight Men Stand.
Many illustrations Of what scout
ing does for boys were related at
the conference. A local illustration
was that Of q twelve-year-old boy
scout who giving up his seat to q
woman in q bus and explaining his
reason for doing so, caused eight
men in the bus to surrender their
seats tN women who were stand
ing. It was also shown that boy
scout details each year are being
called on more frequently to render
civic service Of one kind or another
and have become a fixed feature
along the routes Of all parades.
"It is not every boy who wishes
to become a boy scout" said Major
Seymour in discussing the drive,
following the conference.
"In the Third Regional District
we have approximately 100000 boys
eligible to join the scouts. We in
tend getting as many OF them as
possible to enroll during the next
thirty days. / should say that we
will interest at least three fourths
Of them. But, Of course, we want
them all.
speaking from my experience
and observation of the scout move
ment 1 can only say that no boy
can become a scout without being
improved mentally, physically and
morally by the connection.
Asks Parents to Aid.
Parents SKlOuIu 6luuy IIG bOy
Scouts and learn just what it will
mean for their sons to affiliate
with the organization. Parents who
know without exception indorse
the scouts and are included among
our most active volunteer workers.
It is simply q case of testing the
pudding by tasting It.
Possibilities of pushing the Boy
Scout movement in the South have
been under consideration of regional
leaders for more than a year, &C.
cording to executives attending yes
terday's conference. A plan to ex-
tend the movement in that section
will be put into execution within
a short time, 1t was said, as soon as
proper executives can be secured
Local troops have been organized
in most of the Southern States. 1t
is now planned to consolidate these
units more closely and increase the
membership.
A new national poster will make
its appearance within the next few
days. 1t carries the Boy Scout
oath and reproductions of the va
rious insignia worn by them and
honor decorations conferred. 1t is
produced in colors and makes a
striking impression. These will be
placed in all public places, in store
windows and wherever public as
semblieS are held.