Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1924-08-08

Reverence for nature. for law
and for God was laid down as the
fundamentals of Boy Scouthood
and Of American institutions by
President Coolidge in an address
delivered July 25th at the White
House and transmitted by tele-
phone to a farewell meeting in
New York for group of Boy
Scouts who will sail tomorrow
to attend an international gath
erng Of the organization in Cnn1
enhagen.
The President babe the scouts
farewell in his capacity as honor
airy president of the American
Boy Scouts and enjoyed the de-
parting boys to show the foreign
associates in the Scout movement
that they desired to protect and
cherish their own country and
contribute to the well being,
right thinking and true living of
the whole world"
"There was no Boy Scout org.
anization in my boyhood, but ev-
cry boy who has the privilege of
growing up on farm learns in
stinctively the three fundament:
ais of Scouthood", the president
said. "The first is reverence for
nature. Boys should never lose
their love of the fields and the
streams and mountains and the
plains, the open spaces and the
forests. That love will be a
priceless possession as your years
lcngthen out. There is an instruc
tive myth about the giant Anteus
and whenever iii a contest he was
thrown down he drew fresh
strength from his mother, the
earth, and so was thought inviu-
chile. But Hercules lifted him
away from the earth and so DIES
troyed him. There is new life in
the soil for every man. There is
healing in the trees for tired
mind. 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.
"The second is reverence for
law. l remember the town meet.
ings 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 offic.
ers. There is something in every
such meeting, in every election
that approaches very near to the
sublime. I aim thrilled at the thot
of my audience tonight for new
er address boys without thinking
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. presidents Of colleges.
of banks. owners of splendid
farms and useful industries, mem
bers of congress, representatives
of our people in foreign lands,
That is the heritage of the Amer
lean boy. 1t was an act Of mag
mficent courage. when our an
cestors set up a nation wherein
any boy may aspire to anything.
The great achievement was not
wrought without blood and sac
rifice. Make firm your resolu:
ton to carry on nobly what has
been so nobly begun. Let this
nation, under your guidance, be
a finer nation. Resolve that the
sacrifices by which your great
opportunities have been pur-
chased will be matched by a sac,
rifice on your part, that will give
your children even a better
chance.
"The third is a reverence for
God. 1t is hard to see how a
great man can be an atheist
Without the sustaining 'influ-
ence of faith in divine power,
we could have little faith in our
selves. We need to feel that be,
hind us is intelligence and love
Doubters did not achieve; skep,
ties did not contribute; cynics dc
not create. Faith, a great motive
! power, and no man realizes his
| full possibilities unless he has the
| deep conviction that life is etern'
ally important, and that his WORK
well done. is a part of an unend
ing plan,
the fundamentals Of the teach,
ings of the Boy Scouts, they are
the fundamentals of our Amer
lean institutions. If you will take