The Holly chieftain., 1924-03-06

z|zz Is! ] ! &
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN n,ssr s.sss .SS>2N
A HE BOY SCOUTS OF I1dsr~eoa ~
~ AMERICA movement
m @ is fourteen years old this year. in
| SA y corporation having been made In
AIpHEm Al 1910 under the laws of the District
t.AESS-8 " of Columbia. Celebration of Ami
SIfsE versary Week has passed the Boy
99HE Scouts In review before the whole
SRlgtfe.. nation. And the nation gave its ap-
6fa proval.
E5fse In the fourteen years the member
EtyaVH,T9 ship has increased 45OGS4 reg
I-----S--s istered scouts and 142,0S2 men Civ
ing service In volunteer capacities, such as scout
masters and members of troop committees and
local councils AT this writing there are 20 437
troops in the United States composed of an aver
age OF - boys each. Each troop Is organized in
connection with an institution like church, school
or business mems club. under the supervision
of community committee Among the institutions
in which there are Boy Scout troops there are
10rSo3 churches, 1.719 schools. 2S5 Young Mems
christian associations, and 1G3 Rotary clubs and
other business mems organizations
During these fourteen years merit badges have
been awarded to scouts to total of 345,6O7, of
which 14426s were awarded In 1922. practically
twice the number awarded In 1920 showing the
increasing interest manifested by scouts In the
more serious side of the program A total of 30
gold honor medals have been awarded to scouts
who have saved. tried save human lives at
In he thar
15,66S have been awarded for extraordinary acts
of herolsm.
There are 2.70O organized. equipped and stand.
ardzed Boy Scout camps which take care of
10000 at one time in addition to many thousands
of single-troop camps. Last summer than
22o,OOO scouts were in camp from to three
weeks. Winter hiking and camping al
most as popular
The phenomenal success of the Boy Scout move
ment may surprise some people, but to those who
know and love boys it is the most natural thing
in the world 1t gets at the youngster in the right
way and it gives him exactly what he wants at the
time he wants il.
Every normal boy, at certain stage of his de-
veopment. thinks he wants to run away from home
and fight Indians or live in cave which is his way
OF reacting the Call of the Wild" and the urge
for adventure out-of-doors. to natures heart
So naturally the Boy Scout Is just crazy over get
ting out into the wild and being told the things
he wants to know and being shown how to do the
things he wants to do.
Every normal boy would rather do right than do
wrong. Nevertheless, he likes to go with the crowd
and looks up to the bigger boy. In the Boy Scout
troop some leader is always moving in the right
directon-and toward something Interesting and
worth while.
Every normal boy likes to be busy and useful
provided he doesn't have TO do the thing and
nobody is going TO laugh at him for showing how
soft his heart really is. And competition and emu.
tntion, with the prospect of fame among his fell
lows suit him exactly.
And. finally nobody says to the Boy Scout, Don't
go in swimming; the waters too cold" Instead,
somebody he likes and looks up to says, Come on
II; ; the waters fine" Say, Don't" to boy and
you incite him to do that very thing. Lets 60"
starts him in the right direction by, force of ex-
ample.
Service, as everybody knows, has come to be n
big thing in the training of the Boy Scouts. Police
department. fire department, American Red Cross
conservation, American Aeronautical society Sal.
walton Army, Near East commitee auti-tubercu-
Ioss, Elks, Lions Rotary KiwnnIs, American
Legion. chambers OF commerce, churches, schools,
public movements everywhere, have active coop
eration from Boy Scouts and are glad to get it.
II is this idea of service that led the Leagrp of
Nations recently to pass a resolution inviting the
governments of Sll the member nations, to facill-
tate International exchange of visits among the
Boy Scouts of the world You see, the league
finds the world woefully lacking in Ideals of dis
Interested service. Everywhere men are still be
ing trained in the school which recognizes self.
interest as the one motive OF life and the one road
10 success. This cult of self shares with gold the
opprohrlous distinction Of being the root of al
evil" So the league sees In the scouts training