The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1925-03-19
The Boy Scout Celebration.

The fifteenth anniversary Of the
founding Of the Boy Scout movement
in this country was celebrated the en-
tire length and bredaadth Of this land
the week of February 9th. Over 25,-
100000 men and boys took part in
the celebration. This great brother
hood, if placed five feet apart, would
reach from coast to coast. The lofty
patriotic spirit of the early pioneers
is reincarnated in the soul of this vass
army of men and boys. If this means
anything it is that Scouting is 60
ing concern and is inseparable from
all that is worthwhile and best in the
homes and heart of the nation.
1t was Calvin Coolidge, President
of the United States, who addressed
the Boy Scout president at the White
House, Colin H. Livingston, by name,
and Mr.. Coolidge said in part: "If
there was ever a justification for I'M
certainty as to the usefulness of this
organization, it has long since been
removed, in view of the great work
of character development that has
been accomplished. 1t is a satisfac-
ton to express the hope and conf
dence that it will continue to expand
in numbers and in the strength of its
appeal to the youth of the nation"
What is the dynamic power and
genius behind this, the greatest or
ganization for boys the world has
ever known? The B. S. A. is COM
posite formation of all that is best to
be found in such organiza ions as the
Boys Brigade, the Knights of King
Arthur, Woodcraft Indians, Sons of
Daniel Boone and many others, and
yet while it incorporates the best of
all these it is different and distinct
from all of them. The B. S. A. is an
international brotherhood of boys to
be found in ffty-four countries and
islands of the sea, and in this organi-
cation you will find the future leader
ship for the best citizenship of this
country. 1t. Gen. Sir Robert Baden
Powell, soldier in the British Army,
who organized the Scout movement,
buIlded better than he knew. Origi-
naIly founded to care for the degen-
crate MASTERS and no good blind alley
boys and wharf rats, after cleaning
them up, made real men and citizens
OF them, the organization today boasts
of the best in the largest sense that is
to be found in the community.
Many parents are Withholding the
blessed boon of Scout fellowship from
their boy because they think that dur
ing the next war their boy will be
cannon fodder, that they are soldiers
in the making. B. S. A. is not a mil
ltary organization; they are not al
lowed to handle, nor do they receive
instruction in the use of war materi-
al, and yet thank God they do not
take their rank with the anti-militar-
lists. If by training for intelligent
citizenship, developing character, i'm
planting the highest ideals, cultivat-
ing self-reliance, mutual helpfulness
and capacity for making good and
the ability of playing the game of life
square, is making of your boy a SOL
der, then we without a blush plead
guilty to the charge.
The Scouts meet your boy problem
and solve it for you. Startling as
the statement may seem, "there are
no bad boys" if the boy is normal. In
every juvenile court case of the boy
Investigated we find the boy suffering
from the results of instructed ener-
gy and not from positive craving