The Dolores star., 1924-03-14

; !: : ; ]; !:
m HN Is fourteen years old this year in
JsN "A y corporation having been made In
k-f4Rg3 A\ l9lE Gnder the laws of the District
f.AkaSEj " Of Columbia. Celebration of Ami
49, Nersary Week has passed the Boy
-DTIs% Scouts in review before the whole
-FS- nation. And the nation gave its ap-
ST7 proval.
FeS-4fsgs6a In the fourteen years the member
fEStE-O-@ ship has increased to 4J06s4 reg
L--SSS stercd scouts and I42 ,OS2 men Civ
ing service In volunteer capacities such as scout
masters, ana 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 90 boys each Each troop Is organized in
connection with an institution like church, school
or business mems ciub, or under the supervision
of community committee. Among the institutions
In which there Boy Scout troops there are
i0.so3 churches. 1.719 schools. 2s5 Young Mems
Christian associations and lG3 Rotary clubs and
other business mems organizations.
During these fourteen years merit badges have
been awarded to scouts to total of 345,6UT, of
which 144.26S were awarded In 1922 practically
twice the number awarded In 1920 showing the
increasing interest manifested by in the
more serious side of the program. A total of 80
gold honor medals have been awarded to scouts
who have saved. or tried 10 save human lives at
their own peril. Other badges to the number of
156Gs have been awarded for extraordinary acts
OF heroism
There are 27OO organized equipped and stand
ardiZed Boy Scout camps which can take care of
2JO.O0o time in addition TO many thousands
of singe-troop camps. Last summer than
225,0O0 scouts were in camp from to three
weeks. Winter hiking and camping are now al
most popular.
The phenomenal success Of the Boy Scout move
nnent may surprise some people, but to those who
know and love boys it Is the most natural thing
IN the world. II gets at the yourgster in the right
way and II gives him exactly what he wants at the
fine he wants H.
Every normal boy, at a certain stage of his de-
veopment, thinks he wants to run away from home
and fight Indians or live in a cave. which is his way
OF reactng to 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
fng 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
direction-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 henrt really is And competition and emu
iaton. with the prospect of fame among his feI-
lows suit him exactly.
And finally nobody says the Boy Scout Don't
go In swimming; the waters too cold" Instead,
somebody he likes and looks up to says, Come on
In the waters fine" Say, Don't" to a boy and
you incite him to do that very thing. Lets CO."
starts him in the right direction by force Of ex-
ample.
Service. everybody knows has come to be
big thing in the training of the Boy Scouts. Police
department. fire department. American Red Cross
forest service. S p. c. A.. safety first, wild life
conservation American Aeronautical society, Sal
yatfon Army. Near East committee, antitubercu-
jos!s Elks. Lions, Rotary, K1wanis American
Legion. chambers of commerce. churches, schools
public movements everywhere, have active coop
Grafton from Boy Scouts and are glad to get 1t.
Ia q he I.pop of
Nations recently to pass resolution inviting the
governments of oil the member nations, to fac
t,te international exchange of visits among The
Roy Scouts Of the world. You see, the league
6pds the world woefully lacking In ideals of dis
Interested service Everywhere men are still be-
Ina trimmed in the school which recognizes self
interest MS the motive of life and the one road
to success This cult of self shares with gold the
oruroarioris distinction Of being the root Of all
evil So the league sees In the scouts rainin"