The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-08

NSW 4V4Ap 3Cps Oj-3oOyo VI VSW~ ish faith commence observance of National Boy Scout Week here and throughout the Nation today with appropriate services at the various synagogues. Others faiths will recog- nize this great organization by special programs in churches on Sunday.
 Wartime is an emergency period that brings out real qualities of this nationwide boys league. Statistics show a rapidly increasing youthful delinquency record. This would be expanded many times if 1t were not for the restraining influences to- ward bad deeds that are practiced by young people trying faithfully to perform the requirements of Scout ing, all headed toward good citizen ship with wide choice of program designed to accommodate every type of person.
 The writer of this column has in mild sort of way during the past ten years or more been lending 8 hand here and there to Scout pro- grams. Since Pearl Harbor, 1t has been a pleasure to recall some of the boys as they were from age twelve on. One soft spoken little peanut of Q boy is now tower- ing string bean and about six feet in height. He is in the Army. Was injured Q couple of times, once in protection of his own men. who naturally proclaim him the "tops." His folks do not know that he was hurt which accounts for the fact that his name is purposely omitted. Another fellow quite the opposite to the one just described was as tough as they make them. Fatherless carelessly clad and seemingly troop problem In his early teens, he re- acted to Scout training very fav- orably. Now immaculate in appear ance, the newspaper reports indi- cate that he is doing a swell job with the United States Marines.
 remember a thin, undernourish- ed boy of Italian descent who came uninvited to a Scout meeting, long, ing for the friendship of boys his age. The financial set-up at home was such that there was hardly enough to feed Q large family. This boy did not think he could belong because he could not afford @ uni- form or the nickel a week dues.
 Scout troop committeeman made him Q proposition 50 that he could earn his nickel a week and some money toward his uniform. re- member distinctly Investigating this boy to see why he had not pur- chased the uniform. He burst into tears for breaking his promise lon his honor" to use the money for that purpose. A visit to his home showed that his mother had very little food in the house. She ad- mitted taking the boys money and spending 1t on the family groceries believing the boy earned his money legitimately which he had.
 People like to help deserving cases of that kind. Tony went to camp, became interested in radio construc- tion. He was doing ScoutmaSter duties before the requisite age for a troop of his own formation in 8 poor neighborhood. At the same time he was feverishly working at radio as the result of his own Scout project.
 Today Tony is a radio specialist. somewhere out there with our arTn- ed forces. He was nearly ready for the finishing touches to make him an expert amateur when war was declared.
 There are a dozen other stories to tell, though my point is that these and other Boy Scouts with their training have proven to be eligible material for Officers Training. It is necessary that they have letters of recommendation from Scout of- fcials telling of their early experi- ences. This requires the use of the thinking cap by oldtimers going back over Memory Lane. In my own case I recall more than fifty boys eligible to be hopeful of favorable letters.
 There was one boy in particular that did not join with the troop with which I am associated. He had e yeaTnlng for Sea Scouts. There was Q group in the next town. We suggested he go there and make application believing he would not be happy unless he did. The lad joined up. He looked quite dappeF In his uniform. It was very notice. able in our community tor no other Scout belonged to the Sea Scouts. He progressed rapidly in that branch.
 Seemed as though fate had writ. ten pages in his book which were. l0 finish with tho words the Navy Department announced, Robert c. Blshop killed ln action" He was the first enHuaity Of the town. 4 s6a Scout. a Merchant Mariner who had lesk High school lo help deliver