The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-07-07

11Ao CNC4 WAbAASSSNNs
I went down to the Monument
Grounds last night a little fear
fully. expected to be bored by
so much galloping youth.
But let me tell you, I was more
entertained by that hour and a
half of young America than by
decade of anguishing elder states
men.
d without half trying, I could
hurry into the phrases OF q circus
press agent in telling Of the Scouts
big show. All of it was so unaf'
fected, so refreshing, and so gay
In much of it was beauty and
grace, In some of 1.-THE Indian
Eagle dance-there was genius.
Around an Indian village tepees
and all erected while you watched
about hundred Scouts, gorgeous
in feathers and war paint and
jingling with small ankle bells, did
ritualistic tribal dance-the
dance of the dying eagle.
Flares burned in red splaShes in
the dark arena. Two Scouts who
ought to be in great ballet, led
the frenzied whirling that repre-.
Sented the struggles Of the trap
ped bird. Dozens of other braves
followed rhythmically. Swaying
and stamping in time to tom toms,
Others squatted on the ground.
their brilliant war bonnets catch.
ing the Pickering light.
The audience of thousands In
the grandstand was entranced
Every young lad looking on wanted
to be a Scout-tomorrow. And
every little girl wished she lived
next door to one.
Regions VIII and x staged the
complete show. The fun began
with q pageant of the States. Miles
Of sturdy costumed Scouts - the
voyageurS Of Minnesota, the lum
berjackS of Wisconsin, the Indians
Of the Dakotas, the men of letters
and history Of Indiana, the
farmers of Illinois, the explorers OF
Minnesota and the mechanics OF
Michigan-entered the arena from
different entrances as do the per
formers in a circus.
When each State had presented
: its flags to the accompaniment OF
bursting bombs and fireworks
1000 Scouts marched on the scene
saluted the colors and, standing al
attention, repeated the Scout oath
ITO keep myself physically strong
mentally awake and morally
straight" From the hillside about
the Monument came the voices OF
thousands of other Scouts not in
the evenings program also speak
ing the oath.
After this aSSemblage several
companies Of fife and drum corps
took over the program for half an
hour or so. Scout music is rather
given to the fife and drum, you
know. And the tunes their bands
play are tunes you've heard before
Which is a comfort to the unedu'
Gated, such as myself.
Some of the most adroit drum.
mers of the Racine Drum and
Bugle Corps were of an age to eat
their spinach strained. But they
beat away merrily and brought
down the grandstand with their
music, their formations and their
lively drum major.
The Superior Corps twirled a
jaunty. rat-a-tat, too. thought, as
saw and heard these boys, how
many weary hours they had prac'
ticed to achieve such perfection
and also what medals their fami'
lies should be wearing for surviJ.
ing their "home work" How
would you like to have a deter
mined drummer boy in your
house?
Not too earnest was the eve.
ning's jamboree. In the second
episode, a mock chariot race de-
lighted the crowd. Full grown
bare-chested Scouts were hitched
to chariotS-four abreast. Small
energetic Scouts with togas fly
ing in the breezes dashed them
on in the race.
Cowboy Scouts spun ropes
until simple Washingtonians
grew dizzy watching. Paul
Bunyan-that heroic fictional
woodsman-waS the joke OF
another pageant. Paul, is feet
tall with enormous muscled
arms and great booted legs
strobe bravely ahead of smG
painting Scouts bearing Paul
Bunyan's Rifle" quite 20 feet
long); his extra teeth-as big
as railroad ties. His mouse trap
as large as a dog house, and
dozens of other amusing pieces
of equipment.
Before our citified eyes, thou
sands of Scouts now rushed out
in another episode and built a
lumber camp. A block house fort
was set in place while woods.
men placed small trees in the
ground and so made forest.
Other agile Scouts sprang out Of
nowhere in particular and set
fiercely to work chopping big
hunks of wood with honeSt-to-good'
ness hatchets. I was expecting to
see a finger fly off. Pieces of
wood were soon piled into a neat
heap. Still more Scouts struck to-
gether flint and steel. And in a
fifty, fires were burning about the
field, Hundreds Of fireblazing