Evening star., 1937-06-27
Staggering Statistics Show amboree Sites Lack Only Undesirable
Elements. Preparations Com plete for Healthy and Happy
Housing of $4,000 Boys From All Over the World.

the American boy was pretty mad
when he discovered that the Scot had
on no underwear.
Everything possible to amuse so
many youngsters has been planned for
the 1887 jamboree. Five theater tents
have been erected, where Scout talent
will entertain Scouts. On Wednesday,
the first night Of the session, they will
gather around Is huge campdres for
get-together.
One thousand local Scouts are now
completing training to act as guides
for the visitors, who will be shown
through all Government buildings and
will see Mount Vernon, travelling down
the Potomac by boat. Next Sunday an
open-air convocation service is plan
ned at the foot of Washington Monu-
ment, where Protestant, Catholic and
Jewish religious services will be part
Of the program.
Before the spectacle Of $4,000 boys
having fun and seeing great Nations
Capital, it might be asked, what Is the
purpose Of all this? Scout aims can
best be told in the words of Dr.. West:
well. Just think Of the high ad-
venture Of it-a trip to Washington,
a glorious, colorful, dramatic demon
stration. The fellowship Of the camp
fire magnifed a thousand times. A
grand swap-feet-yarns to swap, nick
names to swap, gadgets to swap. Boy
stuff
But back of It all, not merely
desire for 10 days of fun-no. there's
something bigger and finer even than
that in the purpose of the Boy Scout
Jamboree. Today the world is torn
between conflicting theories Of gov
ernment Civilization Is threatened
by intolerance and dBtrust. In the
midst of this is gathering Of youth
picked boys from the four corners
Of the earth-united on the COM
mon platform Of the Scout oath:
ITO do my duty to God and my
country and to obey the Scout law.
To help other people at all times. To
keep myself physically strong. men
tally awake end morally straight
tacle of youth movements abroad
regimented youth-stands this pic
turesque assembly Of our own boys.
symbolic OF the Scout-like way Ct
doing things, representing the Amer
lean tradition
| At THE moment. the Boy scou )
have An international league
which includes ~ different countries,
all working under the same oath and
laws and using the same activities
to accomplish identical ends.
Scouting in America began ~ years
ago. when a Chicagoan, w. D. Boyce,
was guided 10 his hotel in London in
dense fog by an unknown lad. The
boy astonished Mr.. Boyce by re-
fusing tip, giving as his reason the
fact that he was Boy Scout, doing
his good turn for the day. Mr. Boyce
made it a point to investigate the
organization and interview the Eng
lishman who founded 1t In 1907, Lord
Robert Baden-Powen.
Mr. Boyce heard Lord Baden-P -Powell's
story Of the now famous Brownsea
Island experiment, when 20 boys were
| gathered together from all sorts of
environment for holiday-from great
schools like Eton, Harrow and Char
terhouse, and from shops, factories
and slum-and he discovered that
they are all pretty much the same
under the surface.
Back in America, Mr.. Boyce in
terested other business men in the
movement and the Boy Scouts OF
America was under way. Today &C.
tive Scouts and Scout leaders in this
country alone number nearly two
| million.
The jamboree has been insured
against nearly every imaginable act
Of God" including pestilence and hur.
ricane. With an outlay Of nearly
, 81, 100000 sunk in the enterprise the
Boy Scouts organization has taken out
insurance policies covering all sorts Of
emergencies that might interfere with
the jamboree taking place. The pol.
icies are similar to those held In 1888
that saved the Scouts from q loss Of
around 100000 caused by the cam
collation. of the conclave on account
Of infantile paralysis.
President Roosevelt is honorary
president of the Boy Scouts Of Amer
ica. His Jamboree Committee Is made
up Of: District Commissioner Georgt
E. Allen, chairman; Harry Slattery
executive assistant to the Secretary o1
the Interior; Dr. Earl N. Bressman d
the Department of Agriculture, Capt
L. D. Clay Of the War Department
Lieut.. A. J. Bolton Of the Navy DEPART
ment and Lieut.. W. N. Derby o< tn
Coast Guard.