BOY SCOUTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 89, 3 June 1911, Page 6

BOY SCOUTS.

ABI3 OF THE MOVEMENT. ADDRESS BY THE CHIEF SCOUT,

At Wednesday night’s meeting of ttio Boy Scouts, the Scoutmaster, Mr !<’. Bird, rend the following address, which was delivered by the Chief Scout on tlic occasion oi Ids visit to the I'slo of Man on April Ist:—l must ' timid: you for cumin;.’ hero in such largo numbers to encourage these boss in the work they have taken up. 1 think the exhibition they have already given you this afternoon and tins evening will show you to a great extent what the movement is and what scouting means. Yon will see from the first that the idea of the scout is to imitate tiro backwoodsman of our over-sea colonies; those men who are pushing civilisation in the wilds and ino fe.i most extremities of the Empire—those men who have to rely upon themselves to bo able to live at all. They have nobody to hclu them, but they go out on their own initiative, working for themselves, making their own uay, simply because they have get ten In ci.r peculiar situations in a civilised country, everything is done for ns by other people. If you waul water you turn on. a tap; if'yen want light yon turn on a switch ; you leave everything to other people to 'do for you. AV cl I, that is* no good for anybody; it does not make a man. So wc try am. make the boys backwoodsmen; wo teach them to do everything possible for themselves: wo teach them to make their own way in life, and not to lean upon anybody else. Wc tram them not only vo help themselves, but to help others along—to help the lame dor over the ctvlo when they get tac chance. Wo teach them through those games and practices which they like and 'enjoy, and wc try to make them manly young men. Iho first point is to make ' them capable ot looking after themselves and to show them • J,ow todio strong and healthy. You saw the Scouts engaging tins afternoon io a lot of exercises for strengthening their bodies and making them healthy and able to look alter themselves.' Thou we try and teach them handicrafts, such as joiners, blacksmiths, and ’things ot that _kmd, 30 that when they get out in Ino they can find professions, and d they lad in one lino the s’ have otlieis to lull back on. Again, wc try and make them useful to other people by training them in lire brigade and ambim lan Co work, looking alter ■ poor an-., arrod people, lighting their hres and that sort of thing. Then along our coasts they are acting as coastguards. On bad nights .hundreds ol boys are out looking for ships in distress. all of these boys, who are hrst-dass Scouts, can' swim' and save lire m the water, and in snort make

themselves useful in every .way m ‘case of emergency. They begin by doing staall turns of kindness to ofciicr bo\s or to animals. It- may be only a little thing, hut it moans a good turn. If the intention is good that is all you want. When 1 was in Canada 1 remember hearing of a boy who was disappointed becousc he had not been a bio to do a good turn for anybody that day and could nob get to. sleep. All at. once ho heard a mouse scratching ill n. tiap ? mid n h.iilliant iuc«x struck him. He got up and very tenderly .took tire mouse out of the trap—and gave it to the cat. (Laughter.) Well,’ho did the cat. a-good turn any way. Lord Charles Bercsford is a ‘ very ardent Scout, and has 000 bays at Portsmouth, who are all learning to ho sailors. He once asked one of his Boy Scouts—“ What did you do yesterday, my boy?” “Well,” the boy said, “I was very baud'put to dor a "good.turn, and went about all day looking for people in distress, but I could not find any, so in the evening I dressed myself up in my uniform and marched up and down, past my little brother, just to please him.” (Laughter.) lie had got -the idea; that is all wo look for,.; as .long as a boy means well, that is all 'we want. I was reading only to-day of a i a.so where a policeman was attacked by two ruffians and was potting the worst of it, when a little Scent dived in, got hold of the policeman’s waist!’, and blew it so well that, other pome-

men hopped up and rescued their comrade. The other day two ladies .were out far a walk. One of thorn had a has hanging to her waist. Two roughs came up to them and snatched this hag from the lady and made <. The lady called out for help Whenever anybody calls for 11 ip r-ow-a-days, there is always a if •..out short. Tiro lady pointed to those two thieves, and the Scout, without waiting for help, rail after them. It took h n come time to catch them, aud they got out of sight at first, hut lie drew ii little picture of their footmarks, showing where the nails were, so that he could recognise the footmarks again. He ran on again, following their tracks, and’when suddenly jumping through a hedge he found the two thiovos on the other side. The hoy pro tended he had a lot of other Scouts following him, and shouted, “Come on, lads! Wo .have got them now,” and the thieves took to their heels and ran, leaving their plunder. Tho Scout nicked up tho bag and handed it over to tho lady. (Applause.) Tho other day 1 saw a Boy Scout at Liverpool who was only 11, and • rather email for his ago. Ho told me he was nearly run ever by a horse which was running away. Ho barely got out of the way in lime, and ho said to himself, “J arn a Scout, and have to bo always on tho look out. II I arn nearly run over, what about an ordinary boy ; lie is bound to bo killed.” (Laughter.) He scampered after'

the horse and climbed over t!io carton 'to his back. tie found the reins had tumbled about tho horse’s head and were broken, so he climbed along the 0010 .got to the horse’s head, and caught hold of the In idle and pulled the horse up into a hedge, just in time, because some children were coming cut of school into the road, and in aifpiobability he saved lire s y his ga: la.ut action. (Applause-.. 'loose ate fiomt of th.e results of the tr-v mug that you see; the boys got the good spirit wi want them to have, and they catty it. out at the risk of flier lives, ;f necessary. We have uvvvrled ahv.icty 20*) medals for gallantry i sa. .-g There are all ° >'ts of chases in th.e Scout movement. \Ve want mom young men to cv;*.* ;c d •>(, the training of -tie «. »v.-. I -»ru sun- when some ;.l ' u v.. :■ g U .!<•.• s see what it is, you will come forward. It is to me a sorrowful tiling to see young men anxious to servo their country if they could, but doing nothing. Some will cay—“l have not any mousy; I cannot afford it.” But it docs not want much time or money or cleverness. You pick it up as yon go along, and you find it the finest sport in the world. it is work, hut at the same time it is a great pleasure, because it. is exciting and interesting, and though it is taking up time, think how otherwise you would bo using that time. 1 see in the towns of England thousands of young fellows gathering to lonic on at a fontbull match. Now. 1 hate that game of “looking on” ; 1 would like to see them play the game, instead of being mere lookers-on. (Hoar, hear.) Vvell, J would ask any young fellows who want to help their country to ‘‘chip in,” and take a hand in this Scout movement. You will he doing a .great .thing for yourself and for your own brothers, and it may be a great

thing for your country ns well. The Scenic movement lias spread far beyond your own Island, great as it is ' —(1:1 lighter)—and boyonththo British Islands; it has spread to a great miniher of countries beyond tiie seas. In the far west of Canada you will see Scouts working the same way as 1 hoy

in a Going here. We have 2,10,(100 of (In so boys at work now . and .”00,000 in Aiiici i'-a, and a great many thousands in other countries. _ I hopa 1 tlic Isle cf Alan is not going to no behind in the race of making a largo proportion of the boys to be Scouts. , Jt just depends on whether the young men have pluck enough to liack it up. There in no difficulty in getting boys; I,‘iev all want to come >n. It is ’only that we want officers. .Now, I should like to got one hoy on the stage to show wimt the badges oi efficiency moan, because I 'enow ilie ladies are interested m those tn.aigs. (Leader Philip Corrin—employed, in "The isle of‘Man Times’' Q.f.cc- - stepped on 1.0 the stage in uniform.) This is a patrol leader; ho i* in charge-of a patrol of eight boys, lath patrol is called after some animal. This is the otter patrol. They carry the patrol colour on the should at ; The ’colour of the lie shows the troop to which they belong. Then raero arc various badges of efficiency. 1 ins is a first-class Scout, which means that bo can cook for himself, k cl after himself, make his own hut, can tut down trees, find ids way by (Viy or by night by the stars; bo can > \a;i a niap t>r carry a report; no knows how t,:> creep about, and knows something about tracking; bo can swim and save life in the water; he can do ainbu- ’ lance woi’k, signalling, and different other tilings. In addition, be is capable of teaching others ambulance

work, and he is also a marksman with the rifle. He is a guide, and knows all bis neighbourhood for two miles round. He can use the telephone, ' or telegraph for a doctor or anything of that sort. He can give you the 1 general history of the place whore lie 1 Fives, and he" knows where supplies jean ho obtained—at the butcher's, the ; baker’s, the corn merchant’s, and so j on. He is also a signaller, and can send or receive messages by signal. Those four badges toll you that, he is a man who can serve Ids King: ho is a King’s Scout. .Now, il any lady boro wants a good husband, she has him here. (Laughter.) Ho is a handy man about the house, but as he is a cook himpclf, she must he careful. (Renewed laughter.) Ho is a sur- ■ vcyor and can make maps; ho is a pioneer, and can build bridges; he is a printer and musician. (Jh the Scout: What instrument do you playh) Ho tells mo he Is a great performer on the mouth organ. (Laughter.) Ho can box and fence and wrestle—timt is to sav, ho is a master at arms. He is a naturalist, too, and understands i about animals. He is qualified to wear this cord—Die all-round cord of a good Scout, who has won at least six badges. Ho has passed examination in all those hobbies, which may afterwards form the basis of a trade cr profession. Now, 1 think that cx- ■ plains to you faiilywell what these i badges moan, and it gives yon a rough outline of what wo are trying to do with these boys. Von will notice that they all have badges ol one • kind or other. We have one Scout . at least here who has saved life. I - think they have all got the right ■ spirit, and 1 hope yon will encourage i them to continue as you have done ’ to-night. Sec that these lads arc ; taken seriously, and if you get a ; chance in the future, 1 hope you will r kindly givo thorn a help to earn taoir > badges and do good turns, am# so on, > and especially urge your young men » to train these lads in manliness oi • character, and so on. 'jhan.k you - very much for your attendance and ; for' your patient- hearing. (Loud f | cheers and applause.)