Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11
Text of HOOver's Scout Address
Tells Committee 1t Acted in Spirit of William Howard Taft
First Honorary President of Organization.

The text of the Presidents speech
to the Boy Scouts follows:
"Mr. Chairman, officers of the Boy
Scouts and your guests, we meet this
evening under the cloud of deep sad
ness. Since many Of you started your
journey to Washington, the most be-
loved of Americans has passed into
the great beyond, and in determining
not to cancel this occasion, your COM
mittee has acted in the spirit of VIII
liam Howard Taft, with a lifelong,
open-hearted devotion to boys, the first
honorary president of the Boy Scouts
would, had he known Of 1t, insisted
that your work should go forward.
This occasion commentaries the
twentieth anniversary of the Boy
Scouts and 1t is indeed in keeping with
the true tribute to his great spirit
whose name graced your first anniver-
Sary.
You have met in the special interest
of boys. I am willing ally In that in
/ tereSt. There is no feeling of exclusion
of their sisters from our concern, bat
! their similar problems are to be con-
sidered elsewhere.
Boy, Most Precious Possession.
Together with his sister, the boy
is the most precious possession of the
American home I sometimes think that
one of the sad things of life is that
they will grow up. Literature and lore
have established our boys in varied re-
lations to life; as a growing animal OF
superlative promise, to be fed and
watered and kept warm; as periodic
nuisance; as q joy forever; as the in
carnation of destruction; as the father
of the man; as the child of iniQuity; as
the problem of our times and the hope
of the Nation.
I'm any event he is complex Of cells
teaming with affection filled with curl
osity as to every mortal thing; radtat-
ing sunlight to all the world; endowed
with dynamic energy and the impelling
desire TO take exercise on ell occasions.
He is a perpetual problem to his
parents, and the wisdom In his upbring-
ing consists more often in the de-
termination of what to do With him
next rather than in what he shall do
when he goes out into the cold world.
1.-THE problem that we are considering
here is not primarily system of health
or education or morals. 1t is what 20
do with him in his leisure time that viii.
OF course, contribute to his health and
his education and his morals, but in the
main what viii direct his interests to
constructive joy instead Of destructive
glee and will yield him constructive JOY
for the balance Of his life.
Given Special Attention.
~The Declaration of independence
calls special attention to him and his
sister in the reference to the inalienable
right to liberty and pursuit OF happiness.
At least in the practical workings of the
republic we find it easier to realize
these rights for boys than we do for the
grown-up, tax-paying citizen.
"As civilization becomes more COM
pick, and as the number of human be-
ingS per acre increases, as We live more
and more In towns and cities than In
the countryside, and IS the necessity OF
submitting to all forms Of mechanical
device carries us further and further
from the simpler and more primitive
forms of life, We are unconsciouSly de-
creaSing liberty for boys and diminish
ing the opportunities for pursuit OF
happiness, because the boy is primitive
animal and takes to primitive life. His
true life should be one of discovery, ad-
venture and great undertakings not to