BOY SCOUTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1924, Page 4

BOY SCOUTS.

PACTS AM) SUGGESTIONS. Save a man—you save one person save a hoy—and you save a whole multiplication table. John Wanamakcr. The world interest in the Hoy Seoul movement challenges the intelligent understanding ol every one, yet many people still ask, “What is Scouting?” "Whitt do Hoy Scouts do!-” The Hoy Scout idea is a movement rather than an organisation. It aims to supplement existing roganisations. The aim of the Scout movement is to inculcate character, which, although essential to success in life, in not taught within the school, and being a matter largely of environment, is too generally left to chalice, often with deplorable results. The Scout movement endeavours to supply the required environment and ambitions through games and outdoor activities, which lead a boy to become a better man and a good citizen. Scouting means outdoor life, and. therefore, health, .strength, happiness, and practical education. Hy combining wholesome and attractive outdoor activities, with the iillllleiice of the scout oath and law, the movement develops character. Il develops the .power of initative and resourcefulness. It helps hoys. It ensures good citizenship. The Hoy Scout movement healthfully and sanely offsets the disadvantages which civilisation has, rati-cd. CONSKI! YA.TIOX OK HOYIIOOD. , Conservation of olir national resources is universally approved, lint, of what value would material resources he unless we conserve the moral, intellectual, and physical future ot the e.uuing generation 1- .Prevention is better and less expensive than cure. The liov Scout movement takes the hoy at that time of life where lie is lic.set with the new and bewildering experiences of adolescence, and diverts his thoughts Herefrom to wholesome and, worth-like activities. In this manner our character-building movement has done much in numerous cities to diminish the problem of juvenile delin-. <|iicncy. We waul to help hoys oil leaving school to escape the evils of •■blind alley” occupations -that is, such work as gives the hoy a mere wage for the moment, but leaves him stranded without any trade or luindii rati In pursue when lie is a mail, and so sends him as a recruit to the great army of iineinployed, and (what is worse), the unemployable. "Doing is learning” and. when a Seoul in the formative stage of Ids life has this lesson thoroughly impressed upon his mind, he has learned to lie rosoureoltil. The simple help-yourself experiences

which a Scout receives in his impressionable years prepares him to meet emergencies covering the entire range of existence, which may develop later in Ids life. The Scout movement is not seeking to displace established educational institutions, for the value of school iiistruelion in indisputable. It does, however, aim to supplement the school b.v engaging the hoy’s leisure energies in outdoor games and activities of cultural and practical value. A hoy takes up a hobby with the same zest that lie plays tennis or football, ami that hobby may become his trade. 11l other wolds, a hoy lias Iranslerred his efforts from idle play or harmful mischief to vital achievements, ar.d, when the hoy lias learned to think constructivelv through the agency ol play. Ids problems are greatly simpli|;,..l. aml Ids lire more worth the living. Thousands m hoys are Scouts. They nay llioir own expenses, hill 1101-1 he directed, taught. and helped.

Scores of eh I .in men, many ol then’, clergymen and school teacher-. are Si ontmast ers. They receive no pay. No expensive equipment is required. All that is needed an- the nut-of-deor . a r-rmin e! hoy . and :i < nmpeI- !•) leader. i-1: i r.\ i’ "i m.l A- an <n e.ani-al inn ihe Sei.nl none incut is not military in tlumghi. lorm. or spirit, although il does instil in the hoys the military virtues, such as honour, loyalty, obedience, and pal riot-i-m. The iiiiiloriii. the patrol, the troop, and the drill are not lor military tactics—l hey are for the unity, the harmony, and the rhythm of spirit that hoys learn in Scooting. til the wearing of the uniform and doing of tilings lege! her as Scoots they ab-orb the force and truth ol the Seoul law. which slate-; "A Scout is a Irii-nd ol all, and a brother to every other I.” Scouting presents greater oppurtunities for the development of the hoy religiously than any other movement instil n lei I solely for Ihe hoys. Its aim to develop the hoy physically, menially, and'morally is lining realised very widely. .The movement has been developed nil sill'll broad .lilies as to embrace all classes and all creed-, alld at the same time to allow the greatest passible independence to individual organisations, officers. and hoys. Those who control the boy scold ii'.ive-

iiiciii maintain that no boy call grow into the best kind of litizenship Without recognising his obligation to Hod. The recognition ol Hod as the ruling and leading power in Ihe universe, and ihe grateful acknowledgment ol llis favours and blessings, are necessary lo the best, type ol citizenship, and arc a wholesome thing in the education of the growing ho.v. No matter to what Church the hoy may belong, this fundamental nee,l ol good citizenship .should he kept before him. AN AIM’HAI. TO .SCHOOL ■TKACH KISS. .

At no oilier time, perhaps, in the Umpire's history has iL been so necessary as at the present to stretch out a helping hand to the hoys of to-day, who will be the men of to-morrow, and lead them and make them men who

will act as a foiindatiou-sLoiie upon which may bo.buill up such a national struct me as w ill stand the test of all time. Hut of these very leaders we are in need. Where are wo lo find them? Among the men who are trusted by the Minister of balneation with the mental training of ihe hoys. Who could make hotter scoutmasters than those men wile have charge of

our boys in our educational institutions? You may say, "Hut we are always with them.” So you may he. hut do \nu not think that there are

other places than the schoolroom where you can get more thoroughly acquainted with the hoys and their individual characteristics? If you meet them on the common playground, in the scout troopfonni. at the camps, at the nillies. and the church parades, would you not there learn much that would he helpful to you in your position as teachers? You may say, “Hut how ran we spare the time for all this?” A troop meets generally once a week —sometimes twice—for an hour and a half each evening. That should make no great inroad on your spare lime, either as it regards your home life or your hours of study. Heroine a scoutmaster, and, not only do you get a wonderful opportunity of forming a bettor acquaintance with your pupils when in the troop, but you are gaining a knowledge and an educational asset which will be of the greatest

help to von in your profession. As i :i scoutmaster you would have t('/teach the hoys the scout laws, and how to keep them ; aiul every hoy who acts up to these laws must he a hotter hoy at home, in the school, in the playground and when at work, earning a living, or preparing to enter upon a professional career, after having left school. You will have to teach school. You will have to teach the hoys, among other things, that they must do one good turn every day; and when they acquire that hahit they will he happier and (as a natural consequence) hotter hays. That is nut all. You as scoutmasters and as teachers will find yourselves emulating the scouting spirit of the hoys and doing innunierahlc good turns yourselves. This is the first good turn we ask you to perform. I Over the hills and far away, A little hoy steals from his morning's play ; And under the blossoming apple tree He lies and dreams of the things to he— Of the battle fought, the victories won, The wrongs o’erthrown, tin* great things done, ! And the valour that he shall show some day. Over the hills and far away— Over the hills and far away. TO OKT 001 NO. There is a deep, tugging yearning in the heart of every hoy, a zealous longing to get into the struggle of life, conquer all obstacles, and succeed. To him the world is a glorious pinyliehl, and lame and fortune are the blazing goals. On, on, he wants to go, to do things, to achieve. Young in years and spirited in heart, not yet

having rulin' ill contact with tlir hitter nenatives ill lile, mill con.s'ci|tienlly hrimful nf enthusiasm and buoyancy, lie is receptive and impressionable. ' Vim ran tidl him thing's, and hr will listrn and alisnrh. mi can slniw him things, and hr will wall'll intently and Irani. I'm - life tn him is still a world of wnndrr and awe-excitino myslrry. IV.it tln'iw is a srii'iicr to Ihr telliii", and an rxart logical plan to tho show- 1 jiijf. Hr is still iinai'fniaintrd with mill'll of tin* world’s ways, and is inrliiird In misinterpret tin* things he hears and sers. In a word, hr is liahlr, in llirsr formative years ol his. to liasr his kunwlcdoc ol lilr nil Il'.'Stiinlerslnndin;', of its I iindanirntal truths. I'lirasr misuiiderslimdiii;' by iiislillinn truth in tiny yoinin while they are still willing to drink in tie 1 virtues and rharartri'istirs that tt‘i to make it. ’l’lir srhools are ilniilp; wonders : hut thev hold the yoiinr lor hut a lew hours every day. The home, too, hattlinj' against overwhelm}!!" dillieiillies, is gradually losing its iui!Hi.'ill's* over the hoy. who sees in the street I'lirner and outside interests lar more impellino atlrai l ions than those beyond the threshold. 'I lien the prolilem eoines down to "\\ hat to do with the Imv when away from selninl and home:-" Ami the answer mines hark Ironi thousands of ■'real statesmen, edueators, physicians, lawyers, writers, and husihess men—comes hack like a crack of steel in one short decisive statement: ‘•.Make him a Tiny Scout!”