The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-02-08
Foreign Representatives
SMALL. SPENCER, BREWER
(Incorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON
Boy Scout Week

Boy Scout Week
Bismarck today becomes the center
of interest for thousands of boys in
the Missouri Slope area as it opens
the celebration of Boy Scout Week. A
Court of Honor program tonight
marks the beginning Of a period OF
activity even more intense than usual
among our most active class of Citi-
gems.
BY the proved fruit Of Its efforts
the Boy Scout movement has gener-
ally come to be recognized as a good
thing. 1t has benefited grown-ups
as well as budding youth and SO has
won for itself a place in the mind and
heart of America which is indeed
enviable.
Probably it is not perfect. Nothing
ever is. But 1t is good enough to
keep many a boy on the straight and
narrow path who otherwise might
stray. It has inculcated In many q
juvenile mind lessons OF work and
thrift, of honor and honesty, Of cour-
tesy and kindness which might new
er have been learned otherwise.
The cynical and hardened man is
inclined to look with contempt upon
the Scout motto of do a good deed
every day. and yet. if the grown-upS
would all try it this would be a bet
ter world, for the grown-ups have
much better opportunity to make
their good deeds count heavily.
Those Of us who look back upon
our own boyhood are apt to forget
that conditions have changed for
boys quite as much as they have
changed for men-and deep in our
hearts we know they never were per-
feet.
What man is there who didn't be-
long to some sort Of gang or group
Of boys. banded together for those
nebulous purposes SO dear to q boys
heart and so utterly mysterious to
grown-ups: Who cannot recall the
longing to 60 places and do things,
just for the doing?
We would have been willing to take
a man along when We were kids II we
knew he was q good fellow and
wouldn't spoil the fun, but most Of
the men who had the time and in
clination couldn't qualify as individu-
ais. They were too likely to preach
at us or to dote on "Donts."
There were, Of course, times and
trips with Dad which were different
but he couldn't always spare the time
and very frequently he lacked the
energy. Work was harder then and
1t Is a lob to keep step with a gang
of growing boys.
That old gang spirit still persists
in boyhood. No generation within
our ken will see 1t disappear. A IL
year-old has instincts as old as the
hills and as Interchangeable.
The Boy Scout movement recog-
nizes this, hence 1t organizes the boys
into troops. There are many differ
ences between Scout troop and a
knot-hole gang Of two or three de-
cades ago but only two Of them
are important. The first major con-
trast Is in the different attitude Of
the grown-ups. There was a time
when man risked his reputation for
sound citizenship by taking too much
interest in boys. The old ideal was
the stern individual who commanded
rather than led. In the old days it
was Don't" With Scouting 1t is
''do.''
The suggestion now is what to do,
rather than what to avoid. It recog-
niSes the limitless physical energy and
the abundant mental activity Of youth
and furnishes it an outlet.
The second big difference grows
naturally from the first. It Is that
Of responsibility, both on the part Of
the boy and the man who joins with
him In Scouting. Scouting rules re.
quire that some organization spon.
sor every troop and that It have adult
advisors. This rather puts 1t up te
the boy not to let down the friends
who have faith In him. It teache.
him to expect friendliness from hi,
slders ana to consult with them. He
= led. not pushed. toward . better
understanding o. our complex sxis.
tsnce and the things which make III
worth whi1e. h bensfits b. good O..
anapls.
And tho example = almost invafi'
ably good. The man In tho coz
would no more think q letting down
his bunch Of lids" than he would
Of stepping of the straight and mar.
ron while his maiden Aunt Emma