Scouting, Volume 1, Number 23, April 15, 1914 Page: 54
126 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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54 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Why a Boy Scouts' Magazine
In June, 1912, when the magazine was purchased by the Boy Scouts
of America, it was stated that this was deemed necessary to prevent the
threatened exploitation of the boys of America by individuals using the
name of our organization with incalculable harm to the Movement.
This explanation as to why the Boy Scout Movement entered upon
the publication of current literature for boys has been accepted as
sufficient by all who understand boy life and the things which vitally in-
fluence it, and have given serious thought to this part of the Movement's
work. But the reason previously given now has to be, not changed, but
amended. For, in the publication work itself, those in charge—careful,
conscientious students of the influence of reading on character—have
been obtaining more nearly exact information on important points that
formerly were but vaguely comprehended by even those most seriously
concerned, and which at present are scarcely understood at all by a
large percentage of parents, teachers, and workers with boys.
Influences Through Reading
In the first place, to mention a commonplace fact, there is woful lack
of appreciation among people in general of the tremendous influences
which get into a boy's life through his reading. Again, even among those
who know something of the extent of such influences, there is uncertainty,
or complete ignorance, as to what to do about it. The result is that,
for the most part, boys flounder about in a sea of "printed stuff," like a
ship without compass or rudder, striking now and again rocks which
mean, if not tragic disaster, at least damage to their morals, false ideas
of the human motives and the relation of man to man, cruel misunder-
standings as to how to get on in the world, to say nothing of the handi-
cap of a miscellaneous lot of erroneous information.
Importance of Proper Development of the Imagination
The imagination of the boy is greatly heightened at the beginning
of the "teen" age, due largely to definite physiological causes, formerly
mysterious but now well understood. The nurture and development of
imagination at this period mean development of initiative and resource-
fulness, which are so necessary if he is to "be prepared" to meet emerg-
ency. It is not at all difficult to develop these qualities at that time, be-
cause the boy is so much interested, on one hand, in the tale of adventure
which gives information and instruction, and, on the other hand, in life
in the open through the many activities of Scoutcraft. The one gives
the impulse, the power; the other, training and the opportunity for
achievement.
What the Boy in His Teens Likes
The boy, upon entering his teens, has outgrown stories of fairies and
demi-gods who do wonderful things, living more in a world of reality.
But, because of his growing imagination, he still loves the wonderful,
the unusual and the improbable. Without the personal element stories
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 1, Number 23, April 15, 1914, periodical, April 15, 1914; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282674/m1/58/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.