The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-02-07
IU.S Boy Scouts Celebrate
18th Birthday Feb. 18th
Has Had Wonderful Influence Up
on the Youth of the Land
Organization

Next Friday, February 8, 1929,
will be the nineteenth birthday of
Scouting in the United States.
Scouting was first started in Eng
land many years ago by Sir Bal
den Powell, in fact it can be
traced back as far as Knighthood.
1t was their practice to do a "Good
Turn to some one every day.
Fifteen hundred years rolled by
and over that selfsame one time
forest, through which the Knight of
old did ride, the great city of Lon
don has grown.
All day long it had been in the
hard grip of a dense, heavy fog.
Traffic crept cautiously and slow
ly. Street. lights had been or
dered on by the police before noon,
and now night was coming on.
Danger lurked on every hand, be-
cause "going" was difficult even
for the native.
William D. Boyce, Chicago pub.
Usher and traveller was seeking a
difficult address In old London. A
boy approached him, and asked,
may l be of service to Mr..
Boyce told him where he wanted
to go and the pov saluted and said
"come with me Sir" and forth
with led him to the desired spot.
Like the typical American tourist,
Mr.. Boyce reached in his pocket
and offered the boy shilling. The
boy promptly replied, "No Sir, I
am a Scout. Scouts do not ac-
cept tips for courtesies." The man
in surprise murmured, "what do
you say?" The Scout repeated and
then added, Don't you know
about the Boy Scouts?" Mr.. Boyce
said, "Tell me about them" The
boy did and added, "Their is one
very near, Sir. I'll be very glad to
show you the way"
Mr.. Boyce had to complete his
errand first. The lad waited, how
ever, and then led him to the office
of Sir Robert Baden Powell,
founder of the British Boy Scout
Association, where information
about the Scout movement was
gladly given. Mr.. Boyce was ire
mendously impressed and gather
ing all available information,
brought it back to the United
States.
On February 9th of the next
year, Mr.. Boyce and Others in
terested in boys and citizenship,
. formally incorporated The Boy
Scouts of America. This day is
observed each year as the birthday
| of Scouting in the United States of
America.
This GOOD Turn" to a stranger
brought Scouting to the United
States and to millions of Ameri-
can homes.
On May 1, 1926, at Washington,
D. c., the National Council of the
Boy Scouts of America honored
this Unknown English Scout with
the award. of the ''Bronze Buffalo
! a large statute in the form of a
buffalo similar to the Silver Buff
falo Award for distinguished SER
vice to boyhood. On it is this sim
PiS Wv CiOQuCHC lllSCIlpIlOIl. 10
the Unknown Scout Whose Faith
fllness in the Performance of the
Daily Good Turn Brought the
Scout Movement to the United
States of America"
Scouting is a great world broth
erhood of boys and men, and, as a
President of the United States of
AnC1lca has stated, is one of the
big forces today making for world
peace
Scouts meet in fifty-seven civil
lied countries which countries rep
resent 81 per cent of the worlds
population.
Scouting knows no race or creed
OF class.
Troops are found alike in Cath
Ole Parish, Jewish Synagogue and
Protestant church. It is available
to farm or city alike. 1t is found
! in schools serves the rich as it
/ serves the poor. It's aim is to help
each of these boys to become the
best citizen that he can make of
himself.