Scouting, Volume 1, Number 12, October 1, 1913 Page: 7
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SCOUTING
A Striking Tribute to the
Boy Scout Movement
HUMANE WORK FOR BOY SCOUTS
Definite Suggestions Which Scout Masters and Their Boys Will Be
Glad to Get.
(From the Associated Press report of the
session of the British Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, held at Birmingham,
England, Sept. 12. 1913.)
ASSAILS EDUCATIONAL METHODS.
A strong attack on modern education
was made by Prof. Ernest Howard Grif-
fiths, professor of philosophy at the Uni-
versity of South Wales and Monmouth-
shire.
Prof. Griffiths claimed it was difficult to
find evidence of improvement in any way
commensurate with the increase in the
amount of money spent on education. The
assumption that all children were fitted to
profit by more than, the rudiments of an
academic education was responsible for
this, he said. He contended that State aid
in higher education should be restricted
to those children able to profit by such
help. The speaker denounced the " con-
spiracy of silence on sexual instruction,"
and then turned to the Boy Scouts.
" I believe the Boy Scout movement is ren-
dering a greater service than our complicated
State machinery in preparing boys for their
struggle in life," he said. " Gen. Sir Robert
Baden-Powell, founder of the British organi-
zation of Boy Scouts, is the greatest educator
of our time. I would like to see Gen. Baden-
Powell appointed Minister of Education,
with plenary powers, for a decade."
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Do not use the spaces under the head-
ing " Miscellaneous Record." This is in-
tended for National Headquarters record.
The yellow copy is specifically marked
"For the use of Troop Scribe or Secre-
tary for a rough draft." This should not
be sent to National Headquarters.
No blanks should be sent to National
Headquarters without the remittance called
for by the blank. It simply increases the
work for all concerned to send the blanks
in with the statement that the money will
be sent later.
BY SYDNEY H. COLEMAN
(IN THE "NATIONAL HUMANE REVIEW")
One of the first essential steps for. train-
ing Scouts in humane work is for the
Scout Master and patrol leader to famil-
iarize themselves with the work of their
local humane society. If this be a com-
pound society—one doing work for chil-
dren and animals—there will be only one
set of officers to get acquainted with. If
there is a society for the prevention of
cruelty to children and a society for the
prevention of cruelty to animals, the lead-
ers should get acquainted with both or-
ganizations, their office location and their
working force. A first hand knowledge
will create a much better spirit of co-oper-
ation.
Information regarding the work that the
societies are doing is important. It is es-
sential to know what sort of cases each
society handles; what the detention home
for children is for; what the cat and dog
pound is; and what steps are necessary to
utilize them. Thefe should be a careful
study of what constitutes cruelty to a child
or animal, and what should be done should
a case of either be discovered. Through
the first hand information thus obtained,
the Scout Master and patrol leader can
materially assist the Scouts in recognizing
wrongs and show means of correcting
them.
Let us consider for a moment the work
for animals. This offers the greatest field
of effort for the Boy Scout, because it is
What the Law Says
A SCOUT IS KIND—He is a friend to animals.
He will not kill or hurt any living crea-
ture needlessly, but will strive to save and pro-
tect all harmless life.
REPORTS AT EXECUTIVE
BOARD MEETING.
(Continued from page 5)
ices of field men. Indeed, some of our
most capable Scout officials predict that,
unless we take prompt steps to increase our
field force and map out a comprehensive
plan for covering the whole country, the
Scout movement is going to suffer a se-
rious setback.
It is sincerely hoped that the income
from the new membership plan will justify
the early development of a field force to
meet the needs. At the present time we
have Mr. Moffat on our staff, and through
a special contribution of Mr. Pratt, the
services of Mr. Dale. There should be at
least three others employed for work this
winter, and it is earnestly hoped that steps
may be taken to secure three suitable men
at an early date. It is believed that if the
right kind of men are secured they can
practically finance their own budgets or cer-
tainly raise a large proportion of the money
required.
Mr. West reported also on the appoint-
ment of Mr. Victor Ridder as a National
Scout Commissioner for Scout work in
Catholic churches; on the successful prog-
ress with the program for carrying the new
membership plan into effect, both of which
are treated elsewhere in this issue of
Scouting, and on many minor matters.
Read it to Your Boys
""THE accompanying suggestions for active
' anti-cruelty work for Scouts are reprinted
from the September number of the National
Humane Review, the official magazine of the
American Humane Association, which organ-
ization has been asked by the Editorial Board
to prepare a chapter on this subject for the
Boy Scout Handbook.
The article contains such definite sugges-
tions for really interesting as well as beneficial
work for Scouts that Scout Masters are urged
to read it to their boys at the first favorable
opportunity.
less complex than the work among chil-
dren. As a dispenser of first aid to ani-
mals the Scout can make himself ex-
tremely useful. The streets and alleys of
our cities and towns, all hold their quota
of lost and homeless dogs and cats. These
poor creatures left to themselves become,
through starvation and lack of water, a
menace to the health of the neighborhood.
If the Scouts have been told about the
shelter or pound for small animals, they
can observe " Rule 6 " by taking these ani-
mals to it. If a cat or dog is injured so
badly that it cannot be moved by them,
then the office of the S. P. C. A. should
be notified and arrangement made for the
animal's removal. The boys should be
very careful not to kidnap a valued family
pet which is in no sense a tramp.
Another very practical way for a Boy
Scout to be of aid is to notify the society
when diseased, disabled or injured animals
are found on the street. This work re-
quires cool headwork and is excellent for
training boys how to act in emergencies.
After determining that a horse or other
animal is seriously injured and unable to
get up or walk, he should get the number
and name on the wagon; a description of
the horse or team; and the owner's name
if it can be had without argument. He
should carefully note the location of the
accident and at once telephone the society
all of the details. The society's officers
will then advise and come to the Scout's
assistance. If a policeman is in sight he
should be called to keep the crowd back
and protect the animal until the agent from
the society arrives. It is far better for
the boys to confine themselves to reporting
cases than it is for them to attempt to
correct the trouble themselves. An error
in judgment as to the actual condition of
a horse and its fitness to work sometimes
does a great deal of harm.
The relief that Boy Scouts can afford
animals through the supply of proper
drinking facilities is beyond calculation.
Basins of water placed in yards for the
b.enefit of cats and dogs and birds do much
to prevent suffering during the hot sum-
mer months. In some cases it may be
possible for them to water thirsty horses
from the water taps in front of their
homes. The latter plan has been followed
very largely in some cities, and with
marked success. Above all, the Scouts
should be impressed with the necessity of
adequately watering and caring for their
own pets. There is no greater unkindness
than failure to provide for the little crea-
tures that are shut up in their hutches, pens
or cages for the amusement of their
thoughtless masters.
The rule of kindness means, further-
more, that Boy Scouts should not be
taught to hunt and trap. Blood sports are
far from necessary to train boys in the
way of chivalry and other Scout virtues.
The sight of the blood of the hunter's vic-
tim or the dying struggles of a trapped
animal can well be spared the growing
boy. Teach him to hunt with the camera
and confine his shooting to a target, and
his manliness will be increased a hundred-
fold.
While the opportunities for service are
greater in the animals' department than in
the work for children, still there are places
where the Boy Scout can be of service in
this field of effort. Here again the Scout
Master and patrol leaders must be thor-
oughly in touch with the local humane offi-
cers and alive to the work that the organi-
zation is doing. In no case involving chil-
dren should a Scout attempt to remedy
conditions personally, but should report the
facts to the humane officer who will be
able to act on the evidence presented or
secure additional if needed. This is espe-
cially so where cases of grave abuse or
neglect of children has been observed by a
Scout.
In most every State it is against the law
to sell or give cigarettes, tobacco, cigars,
wines, malt, or alcoholic liquors to a child
under sixteen years of age. In many
States and cities it is contrary to law to
admit a child under that age to motion pic-
ture shows. The street trades in which
children often engage not infrequently as-
sociate them with bad and injurious condi-
tions. The alert Boy Scout is in a posi-
tion, through his associates at school and
otherwise, to learn of these infractions of
the law.
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 1, Number 12, October 1, 1913, periodical, October 1, 1913; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282647/m1/7/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.