THE 8EMI.WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
What f he Boy ocouf
A A AAA V
Movement fveans to
he Nation
6y
James
Chiej- (5cou(r
Executive.
'jf
It teaches the
youngsters to be
happier and more
useful citizens
N Till-; past seven years thousands (if
town and cities In alt purls of tin Unit
ed States have used tho Hoy Scout
ift program as a means of developing their
Iio.vh Into manly men, and the success
of tliclr efforts Is shown by the fact
that today (here arc over 20,000 Hoy
.Scouts In this country.
Tho movement Iiuh boon Indorsed by
cducator, by churches of every de
nomination, hy civic and philanthropic
organizations, by the press and by tho public
fecnornlly. It Is broad enough to take In every
hoy who la Interested In hlHown development,
kind no matter what his social status, creed and
Vulucatlon may he, he will find In It a means of
attaining his proper Ideals.
A Hoy Scout begins by Joining u troop. Tho
troop may ho organized In connection with n
church, neighborhood center, n boy's club, a Y.
M. 0. A., or Independently. Three things are
tiocessary It must have a troop commltteo of
three or more representative men to guldo Jta
bolides, a scoutmaster who will direct and su
kiervlso Its nctlvltjes. and from eight to thirty
two boys. In exceptional cases thero may bo less
thnn eight or more than thirty-two. Tho nverago
number Is twenty-live.
Klgbt Scouts make a patrol, ono of them being
the pntrol leader, and the patrol Is a unit within
iho troop.
One thing Is kept constantly boforo every Scout
f ho Is training to become a man. Not n soldier,
but a man. Hecause Scouts wear uniforms
.which somewhat resemble Ihoso worn by soldiers,
Borne peoplo Imagine that they are being pre
pared for "cannon food." All wrong. The uni
form was adopted because It was tho strongest,
most convenient, most serviceable suit which
could bo bought for tho monoy. From five to ten
dollars It costs, at tho local store, and when It
goes on, mother may settle back In her arm
jchalr with a sigh or relief, for thero will bo no
patching to do for a long time.
It Ib not necessary for a Scout to wear n uni
form at all. -Ho can ho Just ns good n Scout
without ono, but It adds to his pleasure to have
it, and It adds to tho Impression which ho createB.
j The Scout Low and Oath.
. A boy In becoming a Scout takes the following
joath :
On my honor I will do my best
1. To do my duty to God, and my country, nnd
to obey tho Scout law ;
2. To help other people at all limes;
I 3. To keep myself physically strong, mentally
hvvnke, and morally straight.
Tho Idea of Bcoutlng, Its Inspiration, Is em
bodied in the Scout law and oath. Tho Scout law:
I 1. A Scout Is trustworthy. A Scout's honor Is
to bo trusted. If ho were to violate his honor
ly telling a Ho, or by cheating, or by not doing
uxaclly a given tusk, when trusted on his honor,
uo may be directed to hand over his Scout badge.
2. A Scout Is loyal. Uo Is loyal to all to whom
Royalty Is duo; his scoutleader, his home, and
imrcnta and country. 11. A Scout Is helpful. Ho
mist ho prepared at any tlmo to save life, help
Injured persons, and share tho homo duties. He
inust do at least ono good turn to somebody every
jday. 4. A Scout Is friendly. Ho Is a friend to
nil mid a brother to every other Scout. 5, A
Scout Is courteous. Ho Is polite to all, especially
xo women, children, old people, and the weak and
tiolpless. He must not take pay for being helpful
tor courteous. 0, A Scout Is kind, Ho Is a friend
to animals. Ho will not kill nor hurt any living
jcreature needlessly, but will Btrlvo to snve and
iirotect all harmless life. 7. A Scout Is obedient,
?lo obeys his parents, scoutmaster, patrol leader,
fruid all other duly constituted authorities. 8. A
8cout Ik cheerful. Ho smiles whenever ho can.
JIIh obcdlenco to orders Is prompt and cheery,
llo never shirks nor grumbles at hardships. I). A
Scout Is thrifty. He does not wantonly destroy
property. He works faithfully, wastes nothing,
lind makes the host use of his opportunities. Ho
naves his money so Hint bo may pay his own way,
))0 generous to thnso In need, and helpful to
worthy objects. He may work for pay, but must
friot recelvo tips for courtesies or good turns. 10.
Scout Is brnve. Ho has tho courage to face
(danger In splto of fear, and to stnnd up for tho
ight against the coaxings of friends or the Jeers
ur threatB of enemies, and defent does not down
Mm. U. A Scout Is clean. Ho keeps clean In
liody and thought, stands for clean speech, clean
spoil, (.linn liiiblli, anil travels with IT clean
crowd. 12. A Scout Is reverent. Ho Is reverent
toward Clod. He Is faithful In his religious du
ties, and respects the convictions of others In mat
ters of custom and religion.
The Movement Is Nonsectarlan.
While Scouts aro given definite Idenls and nro
taught that they must distinguish between right
and wrong, tho teaching they recelvo Is absolutely
nonsectarlan. The Roy Scout movement main
tains Unit tho recognition of God ns the creating
and ruling power of the universe, and the grate
ful acknowledgment of his guidance, Is necessary
In directing tho growing boy toward tho best typo
of American citizenship. It Is nonscctnrlnn, how
ever, In Its attitude toward religion. Its policy Is
that the religious organization or Institution with
which the Hoy Scout Is connected shall give tho
needed attention to his splrttunl life. If,ho he n
Catholic, the Catholic church should bo tho agency
for his religious training. If ho be a Hebfow boy,
then tho synagogue will teach him the faith of his
fathers, If ho bo a Protestant, tho church of
which ho Is an adherent Is tho proper organiza
tion to give him an understanding of tho things
that pertain to his allegiance to God.
After studying tho Scout law, tho next step Is
to learn tho history of the Stars and Stripes and
the forms of respect duo to It. Then comes tho
tying of knots. A very practical bit of knowl
edge, for a ''granny" may spill tho contents of tho
sugar packugo. When ho has met these require
ments ho receives tho tltlo of "Tenderfoot Scout,"
and Is then entitled to wear the official Insignia
of his rank.
After one nidnth's service ns a tenderfoot, ho
may bo promoted to second-class Scout as soon as
ho has learned elementary llrst aid and bandag
ing, the semaphore or International Morso codo
for signaling, how to follow human or animal
tracks nt tho rate of nt least half a mllo In twenty-five
minutes, how to cover a mllo In . exactly
tw'elvo minutes by alternately running' ami walk
ing llfty paces; how to uso ft knife or hatchet
without cutting himself or nnybody else or dam
aging bis tool or nuythlng else, how to build
a llro In tho open, using but two matches at tho
most arid no keroseno or anything which ho
could not pick up In a virgin wilderness; how to
cook over an open Are without kitchen utensils;
how to earn nild savo money, at least ono dollar;
aud how to read a compass, nnmlng from memory
at least the "sixteen principal points.
Having earned his second-class badge, ho finds
that his trouble or pleasure, all according to tho
point of view havd Just begun. A flrst-clnss
Scout must bo able to swim fifty yards, earn and
deposit In a public bank nt least two dollars;
Rend nnd receive a message at tho rate of sixteen
letters per minute; inako a trip aloue or with
another Scout to n point at least seven miles
away and write an account of the trip; render
llrst nld; cook n variety of palatablo dishes over
an open tiro; draw and read mnps; uso an ax
properly; Judgo distance, size, number, height nnd
weight within 28 per cent ; descrlbo fully from ob
servation trees and plants, especially those which
. aro especially useful or especially harmful ; fur
nish satisfactory ovldenco that ho has put Into
prncttco In his dally life tho principles of tho
Scout oath nnd lnw; nnd enlist a boy trained by
himself as a tenderfoot.
And that Is not all. Having become a tlrst-class
Scout, he Is eligible to earn morlt badges, and
thero aro enough of these to keep him busy until
he has grandchildren enough to make a troop by
themselves. Each merit batlgo represents a con
siderable start In some trade, profession, voca
tion, or avocation, among them architecture, art,
astronomy, beekeeping, blacksmlthlng, business,
camping, electricity, forestry, poultry keeping, and
surveying. v
The Scout Handbook.
In order to place In the hands of Scouts nnd
Scout workers a concise statement of tho Ideals
of tho movement nnd tho nctlvltles approved of
and encouraged hy tho movement, a textbook of
tho organization, the Handbook has been pre
pared. This Is now In tho fifteenth edition. It
has been again aud again revised and Improved.
Our country's most popular Juvenile Is not, as
might bo supposed, "Robinson Crusoe" or "Treas
ure Island," but tho "Handbook for .Hoys," pub-
llshed by tho Hoy Scouts of America. Within tho
last two years, there hnvo been published moro
than 300,000 coplosaU this book, and It Is a good
guess that mom copies have been sold than havo
been sold of both "Treasuro'Island" and "Itoblnson
Crusoe' together during tho same period. Indeed,
It Is not too much to say that If the figures were
available to make such a comparison possible, It
would bo shown that thero havo been published
In the last two years more copies of tho "Hand
book for Hoys" than nil the standard stories for
hoys published during the samo period.
Such a fact becomes more significant when It Is
understood that tho "Handbook for Roys" Is renl
ly a book of facts. Scoutcraft; woodcraft, wild
life and conservation; campcraft; health and en
durance; chlvnlry, first aid and life-saving; patrio
tism nnd citizenship, nro tho subjects treated.
All nro presented In n picturesque way that com
mands the nttcntlon of the most red-blooded of
boys. Thtjt ho takes It all seriously Is evidenced
by tho fact that Increasingly there Is appearing
among us n new kind of boy, Inured to hnrdshlp
and the doing of the difficult; enthusiastic In his
purpose to keep himself "physically strong,
mentnlly awake and morally straight;" nobly
chivalrous In his regard for others; eagerly will
ing to do his duty ns a citizen In his community
as often ns he has opportunity.
In n word, tho "Handbook for Boys" Is a book
boys llvo by. In establishing such n book as our
country's most popular Juvenile, tho Boy Scouts
of America havo developed n power for upbuild
ing boyhood, ns Influential for good as In the pnst
the Iniquitous thriller has been Influential for
evil.
Worth-While Reading.
It Is tho purposo of the Boy Scout movement to
.give educational value and moral worth to the
boy's Instinctive equipment, chief, of which Is tho
piny Instinct. Rrondly speaking, tho boy spends
Ids leisure time either In outdoor diversions, or
indoors rending. In ono lnstnnco, It Is tho boy In
action, expressing himself through his mnnlfold
play activities; In the other, n boy's body Is at
rest, but his mind still goes on under the domina
tion of tho piny Instinct, so thnt, after all, the
boy's recreational reading Interests nro only an
other manifestation of tho piny Instinct and
should bo reckoned with from the samo point of
view.
In a word, If It is Important to give direction to
the piny Instinct In the one Instance, it is equally
Important to glvo direction to it ns regnrds
the other; nnd It Is in proportion ns this Is dono
that good Is accomplished by directing the boy
In his play activities. This Is why the movement,
In Its effort to understand and guide tho boy In
his hours of leisure, has Incorporated In its plnns
a reading program. And it is the belief of many
that In doing this the movement has mndc ns
vulunblo a contribution as that which already
makes Its leadership tho most vitally helpful effort
ever organized for guiding tho Instincts and ener
gies of boys In their early teens.
A book Is. for the average boy, a good book in
proportion as thero Is "something doing." This
demand on the- part of the boy for thrill and ex
citement and "pop," ns tho boy would say, Is
quite legitimate. What must bo Insisted upon Is
that writers of boys' books bo guided In their uso
of "pep," I. c., that they cut out the red "pep."
The Scout program has developed many heroes,
Every month the national court of honor, nwards
letters of commendation nnd honor medals to
Scouts who, In gravo emergencies, hnvo saved
others at considerable risk to themselves. Theso
cases aro reported In Hoys' Life, tho Roy Scouts'
magazine, and serve to Inspire ninny youngsters
Just awakening to the meaning of nltrulsm.
National headquarters registers overy Scout and
protects him In the exclusive use of tho badges
and uniforms which ho works so hnrd to earn.
It scrutinizes every application for a scout
master's commission and overy applicant must
prove himself worthy to bo n leader of boys.
Locally, tho close supervision of the work Is
delegated to n local council, provided thero aro
three or moro troops, this council being composed
of ten or moro men who represent every civic,
religious and educatlonnl element In tho com
inanity.
The Scout program Is adaptable to all sorts of
conditions, aud It fills thoso hours which are
often wasted, and worse than wasted, by boys
who lack nothing but proper leadership. It teach
es them to serve their community. Many an un
Rightly dump has been turned Into n garden spot
many a mosquito Incubator drained nnd destroyed
many a public occasion been made brighter and
better by tho Hoy Scouts.
Economically, educationally, morally, the oi
ganlzatlon of tho hoys of a town Into troops of
Hoy Scouts pays big returns.
Em tk Mifflfffi
FIGHTS WASTE IN INFANT LIFE
For tho last quarter of a century
Uncle $am has been saying much nnd
doing much for the conservation of
tho nation's resources. Hut it 1ms
only been in recent years that Uio
American baby has come to be consid
ered one of these resources.
Now we have n children's bureau,
the purposo of which Is to look after,
the natlbn's little folks, its chief prob
lem being Infant mortality.
The chief of the children's bureau
Is Miss Julia O. Lathrop, and she has
as collaborators sevcrai experts, who
head tho various divisions of the of
fice. The bend of the division of
hygiene is Dr. Grace L. Meigs, n very
capable young woman, n graduate of
Bryn Mnwr college and of Hush Med
ical college, University of Chicago,
who has nlso done post-graduate work
In Berlin, Vienna nnd Budapest before
accepting her post in Washington.
"American neonlo nrn now nllvn
to the fact that thero Is an enormous wnsto in infant life." snid Doctor MoIps.
in talking of her work. "The census tells us that in 1915 ono In ten nf nil nf
the babies born In the United States died before it had completed twelvo
months of life." She called attention to n recent report from the United States
bureau of the census.
This report shows thnt of 100,000 nntivo white boys born alive. 4.075. or
almost 5 per cent, died during the first month, nnd 12,002, or 12 per cent, died
within one year. A somewhat startling comparison is made to the effect that
the child at birth hns just the same chance to live n month ns has the native
white man of one hundred nnd two years of nge or the native white woman
of ninety-nine.
LONG FOE OF AUTOCRACY
With some reason the reigning
governments of Europe for tho last
fifty years have regarded Prince
Peter Alexclevitch Kropotkln as one
of tho most dangerous foes to their es
tablished Institutions.
Yet since his melodramatic escape
from u Russlun prison in 1870, this
rebel of the Russian aristocracy has
never been nn avenger, but always u
martyr. Expelled from Switzerland,
Imprisoned in France, lie finally found
refuge In a London suburb. From
there he has scattered over tho world
by peaceful methods the propaganda
of anarchy, writing numerous hooks
and pnmphlcts, editing a paper called
Freedom, and by Ills personal life
proving his sincerity in all he taught.
Never has Prlnco Peter Imposed
sacrifices upon others, but he hns
made them himself. None hns been
more disinterested, none has loved
mankind more. Always ho has lived
on his slender income, refusing the temptation to garner wealth. For most
of his books he took nothing, for one, "Tho Conquest of Bread," he received
fifteen dollars.
"Ono of the two great Russians who think for the Russian people, and
whoso thoughts belong to mnnklnd," someone hns written of him, classing him
with Tolstoy. From Ills refuge in England he has favored every movement
toward making Russia a republic. Is it not possible that the Russians In
those great days will be guided by his teachings?
WOULD SPEED UP SENATE
Senntor Newlands Is the states
man who inaugurated a campaign for
speeding things up, nnd the institu
tion of modern practices for customs
that have outlived their usefulness.
Ho introduced u resolution that would
direct the rules committee "to Investi
gate the question as to superfluous
committees of the senate" and report
its recommendations regarding them
as well as the allowances for clerical
aid that should be granted.
The senator made it plain at once
that he was not striking at the pay
roll of minority committeeships nnd
chairman. Ho declared that he did not
think the standard of pay which Is
now allowed was sufficient. Every
minority senator, ho contended, should
havo u clerk at $2,400, another at
2,000 and another at $1,500. Minority
members, he said, had just as im
portant public duties to perform ns
majority senators. The evil he was
aiming at, he announced, was the multiplicity of useless committees that pre
vented full attendance nnd prompt action upon the public business before
those committees where the business of the country really was handled.
"It must be evident," said Senator Newlands, "that present methods em
ployed for the consideration of public business are not such as to secure
economy of time. It must be perfectly evident that this body should npply;
Itself to tho study of tho rules of efficiency which are now being applied to
almost every vocation.
STEEL COMPANY'S HUGE PROFITS
Tho unprecedented prosperity at
tending tho operation of tho United
.States Steel corporation for 1010 aro
set forth In the annual report.
Total earnings of $342,997,002 ex
ceeded thoso of 1915 by no less than
$202,747,020; net income of $294,020,
505 showed nn lncreuso of $100,058,
002, nnd surr-lu3 net tncomo for tho
year aggregated $201,835,585, as com
pared with $44,200,374 In the previous
year. This last Item is tho more re
mnrkablo from tho fact that It in
cludes regular and extra dividends of
$44,470,409 on tho common stock, ns
agalust only $0,353,781 disbursed in
1015.
Expenditure during 1010 for
mnlntennnce, renewals and extraordi
nary replacements totaled $09,392,
027, nn increase of 00.01 per cent over
1915.
Tho nverago number of employees
in tho service of all tho subordlnnto
companies during 1010 was 252,008, as against 191,120 In 1915, with total
salaries and wages of $203,385,502, nn increase of $80,584,038.
Tho undivided surplus of tho corporation nnd its subsidiaries, including
tho $25,000,000 cash provided In organization, amounts to $381,300,013.