Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-29
REVERENCE FOR NATURE, LAW
AND GOD ARE FUNDAMENTALS,
COOLIDGE TELLS BOY SCOUTS
President in Radio Speech to
Youngsters Departing for
Copenhagen G afh ering
Stresses Observance of
These Principles

WASHINGTON, July 26.-Rev.
erence for nature, for law and for
God was laid down as the funda-
mental of Boy Scouthood and Ameri.
can institutions by President Cool
ldSe in an address delivered last
night at the White House and trans.
mitted by telephone to farewell
meeting in New York for a group
Of Boy Scouts who sailed today to
attend an international gathering of
the organization in Copenhagen.
The president babe the scouts
farewell in his capacity as honorary
president of the American Boy
Scouts and enjOined the departing
boys to show to the foreign asso-
ciates, in the scout movement, that
they desired to protect and cherish
their own country, and ''co1tribute
to the we'll being, right thinking
and true living of the whole world -
There was no Boy Scout organi-
cation in my boyhoOd, but every
boy who has the privilege of grow
ing up on farm learns instilctively
the three fundamentals of scout
hood the president said.
ture. Boys should never lose their
love of the fields and the streams,
the mountains and the plains, the
open spaces and the forests. That
love will be a priceless possession
as your years lengthen out. There
is an instructive myth about the
giant Anteus. Whenever, in a con-
test he was thrown down, he drew
fresh strength from his mother, the
earth, and so was thought inVilci-
bic. But Hercules lifted him away
from the earth and SO destroyed him.
There is new life in the soil for
every man. There is healing in the
trees for tired minds, and for our
Overburdened spirits there is strength
in the hills, if only we will lift up
our eyes. Remember that nature is
your great reStorer.
Reverence for Law
The second is q reverence for law.
| remember the town meetings OF
my boyhood when the citizens of our
little town met to levy taxes on
themselves and to choose from their
own number those who should be
their officers. There is something
in every such meeting, in every cleo
ton, that approaches very near to
the sublime. / am thrilled at the
thought of my audience tonight, for
never address boys without think
ing that among them may be a boy
who will sit in this White House.
Somewhere there are boys who will
be presidents of our railroads, presl-
dents Of colleges, of banks, owners
of splendid farms and useful indus
tries. members of congress. repre-
sentatives Of our people in foreign
lands That is the heritage of the
American boy. 1t was an act of
magnificent courage when our an
cestors set up nation wherein any
boy may aspire to anything,
That great achievement was not
wrought without blood and sacrl-
flee Make firm your resolution to-
carry on nobly what has been so
nobly begun. Let this nation, under
your guidance be a finer nation. Re
solve that the sacrifices by which
your great opportunities have been
purchased will be matched by a
sacrifice, on your part. that Will
give your children even a better
chance.
Faith i'm Divine Power
The third is reverence for
d
man can be an atheist Without the
sustaining influence of faith in d
divine power we could have little
faith N ourselves. We need to feel
that behind us is intelligence and
love. DOubters do not achieve; skep-
tics do not contribute; cynics do not
create. Faith is the great motive
power and no man realizes his full
posslbllitieE- unless he has the deep
conviction that life is eternally i'm
portant and that his work, we'll
done, is a part of an amending
plan.
These are not only some of the
fundamentals of the teachings of
the Boy Scouts, they are the fun
damentals of our American institu-
tons. If YOU will take them with
YOU, if you will be living examples
of them abroad, you will make
great contribution toward a better
understanding of our own country,
and receive in return a better
understanding of other countries;
for you will find in other lands. to
a very large extent exactly what
you carry there yourselves. 1 trust
that you can show TO your foreign
associates In the great scout move
ment that YOU have a deep reVer-
ence Tor the truth. and are deter
mined to 1--we by it; that you wish
to protect and cherish your own
country and contribute to the well
being. right thinking, and trIe liv-
ing Of the whole world