The daily worker., 1929-08-05

bare gathering in Liverpool, England,
m Jamboree (world gathering). This
Iamboree is in line with the Kellogg
peace" pact and the other capitalist
maneuvers in preparation for an
other imperialist war. 1t is another
Imoke screen to fool the workers as
to the real aims of the bourgeoisie.
At this Jamboree the American
scout movement is we'll represented
oy thousands of picked boy scouts
to help to strengthen the "brother-
hood" of mana pacifist aim of the
scout movement.
There will soon be another world
gathering. 1t will be an ALL Union
Pioneer meet to be held in the Soviet
Union. To this gathering will come
working class children from all parts
of the world. Unlike the aims of the
scout movement, the aim of the ALL
Union Pioneer meet 81 to prepare the
working class children for greater
struggles against the capitalists and
for the defense of the Soviet Union.
lThe American working class children
will also be represented at this meet.
Among these American workers
children will also be a representative
of the Junior Section of the Labor
Sports Union. 1t is very significant
that the Junior Section will be rep
resented at this worker children's
meet for the Junior Section of Labor
Sports Union is destined to play a
great role in the fight against the
boy scout movement in the United
States.
History of the Boy Scout
Movement.
In order to properly estimate the
forces Of the coming Jamboree it is
a prerequisite that we know the
history of the boy scout movement.
The history of the boy scout move
ment is history of bourgeois inter-
nationalism and national jingoism.
During hte period between 1905
and 1907, the boy scout movement
was born in England and the United
States, independent of each other.
Ernest Thompson Satton, an Amer
lean writer and naturalist, formed a
group of boys into an organization
called: Woodcraft Indians, whom he
taught to lead hte life of Indians,
living outdoors, following trails, etc.
While in England, Baden Powell, a
British general, organized a boy
4. scout detachment bearing a military
] character.
In the years that followed, the
movement of Baden Powell became
more popular (after taking over the
,est of the American movement) and
consequently it gained great influ-
.nce in the United States. 1t also
Ipread to the other countries of the
yorld-the bourgeoisie quickly rec
'gnizing its military value.
This boy scout movement became
popular because of its romantic ap-
peal to the youth. Its activities con-
sisted mainly of camping, hiking,
nature study, military drill with it's
discipline and physical education.
The point of honesty and bravery
above principles and activities, the
we're also stressed. Besides the
'ollowing slogans were fostered upon
he movement: state service, world
brotherhood, and general peace. In
1910 the representatives of separate
countries met in London and formed
an international boy scout organiza-
| lion.
This national spirit showed itself
most sharply during the last impe-
rialist war. Precisely at this time,
when the international brotherhood
and other pacifist tendencies should
have been brought to the forefront,
all scout organizations forgot these
tendencies and came to serve their
respective countries in hte military
service as well as in the rear, helping
in the slaughter of their brother"
scouts of the other countries.
The complete bankruptcy of these
ideas and principles of the world
scout movement let to a great deal
of discord and in some instances to
split in certain sections of the
movement. After the war the scout
movement came out openly as the
obedient tool of the bourgeoisie. 1t
went even further and became the
instrument of the bosses in the
struggle against the workers, help
ing to form and recruit scabs, fgiht-
ing strikers, etc.
In Europe the working class Gee
ing the bankruptcy of the bourgeois
scout movement began to withdraw
the youth from these organizations,
but hte romance of scout life con-
tinued to attract great number of
youth, who lacked sufficient class
understanding to realize in whose
! benefit the scout, movement was
| working for.
To the leaders of the working
class it was quite evident that a
class-conscious scout organization
must be formed in order to counter
act the organization of the bour-
geoisie. The first steps in this direc-
tion were taken by the Czecho-slo-
vakian workers in the year of 1919.
This organization at first united
all class-conscious workers children
but later the political disagreements
between the different parties devided