BADEN-POWELL’S ADVICE TO BOYS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 61

BADEN-POWELL’S ADVICE TO BOYS

A LETTER FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.

A League of Health and Manliness, or Anti-Smoking Society, has been established in connection -with Weston Church. In the current numer of “Runcorn, Pans Magazine’’ there appears the following letter written by nxajor-G en©ral Baaen-P.owel! to Mr Fred Fryer, the bon. secretary to the Society: Rustenburg, Transvaal, 23rd July, 1900. My Dear Boys— I was very glad to get your kind congratulations on the Relief- of Mate king. I am very glad to 'be elected Patron of your Club—and I have three reasons for taking special interest in it.—lstiy- Because. I was myself for five years a choirboy, in the Charterhouse Onoir. 2ndl> Because I am not a Smoker. 3r<ily Because I was partly educated as a hoy at Norbhwidh, and used to go over to Runcorn. So you see I feel qualified to take a more than outside interest in your doings. “I quite agree until your principles, that it is at your time of life that your habits and character are formed and remain yours during your manhood. A feeble youth, who smokes becau.se he thinks iit manly, is just as liable to drink or to swear because he has known grown-up men do it—not because it is any pleasure to him—then he gets into the habit of it. and the fault becomes part of it for the rest of his life.. The sltronger minded boy thinks a bit ior himself —as you in your—of, may I say, in our ciub do—and keep himself clear of faults which he recognises as failings in men. Your recognition cf the good work ue_ in o' done by the soldiers out here . 111 their devotion to their duty shows that you are looking in the right direction to see what is the proper example of man to follow. And I think that if boys would take the line of always trying i.o do what is their Duty it would become in a short time part of taeir v &- ture. and would thus guide every action of theirs as men. . You who are choir boys—or past enoir boys—-will recognise that if each sings his part in the harmony under the direction of the leader —-that is, if each one does his deity—the result is a pleasing anithem ; whereas if each sang what he liked best there would be a fine old cits dh or us! So it is in life—if each does his duty in his proper line or profession the whole community moves prosperously and successfully. . Fellows are very often m doubt as to which of two courses may he the proper one to take, or are tempted to take or.e line because it is more, pleasant or easy than the one which their conscience tells them is the right one. well, it ever you are in sue*, doubt, there is an easy way of deciding, and that is to ask your conscience : “W hich is it my duty to do?” and that will nearly always guide you right. In this way you will soon find that it comes as a habit to do your duty to your leader, whether that he the choirmaster, the head of your department, employer, or officer, cr the Queen. And remember always that m thus Going. conscientiously, your duty to your leader, you are also doing your duty to (tod. And also remember that as you lads may often—-without knowing it perhaps —be imitating tbe examples 01 men before you, so also unknown to you, there may be. and probably are, other boys watching you and imitating your example So let your example to them be always a good one. In this way the whole of England’s boys and men will in a short time be what the best of them now are, viz., a lot- living honourably u,p to what their conscience tells them is their duty.

Wishing the Club every success, I am yours truly, R. S. BADEN-POWELL