[English] THE BOY SCOUTS.

THE BOY SCOUTS.

By Elwood S. Brown, Physical Director, Manila Y. M. C. A. in the "Philippines Monthly."

"Be Prepared," the Boy Scout slogan, is an extremely unique and significant motto. It is the foundation stone of the Scout craft scheme. Add to this the Scout's pledge to do a good turn to someone every day and a combination is made hard to excel as a virile, live precept for the growing boy.

While the Boy Scout movement grew out of Sir General Baden-Powell's experience with volunteer boys in the siege of Mafeking, the movement is not essentially a military one. Just enough of the military element is maintained to insure proper discipline. The fundamental idea is to seize the character of the boy in its plastic stage and develop him along lines that will make for courage, energy resourcefulness and a deep understanding of nature and its wonder.

The country boy of thirty years ago went largely to nature's school, could ride, swim, hunt, skate, was handy with tools, knew the secrets of the forest, woods and streams, and was sturdy and self-reliant in body and brain. The average city boy lacks opportunities to attain to this standard. The Boy Scout movement is seeking to overcome this condition, and with great success. At the present time in America there are over 500,000 regularly enrolled Boy Scouts, and the movement has spread to twenty-one different countries.

The plan itself is such as will appeal to any boy at once. There are three classes of Scouts, the Tenderfoot, Second Class Scout, and First Class Scout. To become a Scout a boy must be at least twelve years of age and pass a test in the following: 1. Know the Scout law, sign, salute, and significance of the badge. 2. Know the composition and history of the United States flag and customary forms of respect due to it. 3. Tie four of the following knots: square or reef, sheet bend bowline, fisherman's, sheep's-shank, halter, clove hitch, timber hitch, or two half-hitches.

To become a Second Class Scout a Tenderfoot must pass the following tests: 1. At least one month's service as a Tenderfoot. 2. Elementary first aid and bandaging; know the general directions for first aid for injuries; know the treatment for fainting, shock, fractures, bruises, sprains, injuries in which skin is broken, burns and scalds; demonstrate how to carry the injured, and the use of the triangular and roller bandages and tourniquet. 3. Elementary signalling; know the semaphore or Continental Morse or American Morse or Meyer alphabet. 4. Track half a mile in 25 minutes, or if in town describe satisfactorily the contents of one store window out of four observed for one minute each. 5. Go a mile in twelve minutes at Scout's pace (about fifty steps running and fifty walking, alternately). 6. Use properly knife and hatchet. 7. Prove ability to lay and light a fire in the open, using not more than two matches. 8. Cook a quarter of a pound of meat and two potatoes in the open without the ordinary kitchen cooking utensils. 9. Earn and deposit at least One Dollar in a public bank. 10. Know the sixteen principal points of the compass.

To become a First Class Scout the Second Class Scout must pass the following tests: 1. Swim fifty yards. 2. Earn and deposit at least Two Dollars in a public bank. 3. Send and receive a message by semaphore or Continental Morse, American Morse or Meyer alphabet, at least sixteen letters per minute. 4. Make a round trip alone, or with one other Scout, to a point at least seven miles away, going on foot or rowing a boat, and write a satisfactory account of the trip and things observed. 5. Advanced first aid; know the methods for panic prevention, what to do in case of fire, electric and gas accidents, how to help in case of runaway horse, mad dog or snake bite; treatment for dislocations, unconsciousness, poisoning, fainting, apoplexy, sunstroke, heat exhaustion, and know treatment for sunburn, ivy poisoning, bites and stings, nose bleed, earache, toothache, inflammation or grit in the eye; cramp or stomach ache or chills; administer artificial respiration. 6. Prepare and cook satisfactorily two of the following articles: eggs, bacon, hunters' stew, fish, fowl, game, pancake, hoe cake, biscuit, hardtack, or a "twist" baked on a stick; explain to another boy the methods followed. 7. Read a map correctly and draw from field notes made on the spot an intelligible rough sketch map indicating all their proper marks, important buildings, roads, trolley lines, main land marks, principal elevations, etc. Point out a compass direction without the help of a compass. 8. Use properly an ax for felling or trimming light timber, or produce an article of carpentry or cabinet making or metal work made by himself. Explain the method followed. 9. Judge distance, size, number, height and weight within twenty-five per cent. 10. Describe fully from observation ten species of trees or plants by their bark, leaves, flowers, fruit or scent. Or describe six pieces of wild birds by their plumage, notes, tracks or habits, or six species of native wild animals by their form, colour, call, track or habits; find the North Star and name and describe at least three constellations of stars. 11. Furnish satisfactory evidence that he has put into practice in his daily life the principles of the Scout oath and law. 12. Enlist a boy trained by himself in the requirements of a Tenderfoot.

A careful study of these requirements will convince the reader that a boy lays out for himself no small task when he essays to become a First Class Scout, and it is also evident that after satisfactorily passing these requirements he is potentially a better citizen than the boy who has not had the benefit of such training. The Scout law is extremely interesting and never fails to appeal to the boys. The twelve points of the law are:

1. A Scout is trustworthy.

2. A Scout is loyal.

3. A Scout is useful.

4. A Scout is friendly.

5. A Scout is courteous.

6. A Scout is kind.

7. A Scout is patient.

8. A Scout is cheerful.

9. A Scout is thrifty.

10. A Scout is brave.

11. A Scout is clean.

12. A Scout is reverent.

It would seem that the average boy who passed the First Class Scout test had done enough, but the work does not stop here. If a boy so desires he may try for merit badges. Merit badges are given for specialization in cooking, cycling, horsemanship, marksmanship, pathfinding, seamanship, signalling, pioneering, surveying, archery, astronomy, bugling, camping, ornithology, angling, forestry, handicraft, aviating, blacksmithing, electricity, engineering, leather working, photographing, mining, plumbing, printing, music, carpentry, automobiling, architecture, invention, art, sculpture, business, chemistry, machinery, painting, craftsmanship, bee farming, dairying, gardening, poultry farming, taxidormy, agriculture, interpreting, first aid to animals, firemanship, swimming and life saving, athletics, personal health, public health, first aid conservation.

The requirements for these various merit badges are not too difficult for the boy to learn, and will be valuable to him all through life. As an example, to qualify for the public health merit badge a Scout must state what are the chief causes of each of the following diseases: tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria; draw a diagram showing how the house fly carries disease; tell how a Scout could co-operate with the Board of Health; describe the method used by his city of disposing of its garbage; what should be done with a house occupied by a person who has had a contagious disease; tell how a city protects its foods, milk, meat, and food in public markets; tell how to plan the sanitary care of a camp.

A boy able to specialize in five of the above activities becomes a Life Scout. If he qualifies for ten badges he becomes a Star Scout, and if he qualifies for twenty-one merit badges is entitled to wear the highest Scout merit badge, a wolf's head in silver representing the all-around perfect Scout. For saving life a bronze medal with a First Class Scout badge superimposed upon it is given. A silver medal is given to a Scout who saves life with considerable risk to himself. A gold medal is given as the highest possible reward for service and heroism. It is granted to a Scout who has saved life at the greatest possible risk to his own, and also to one who has rendered service of peculiar merit to the Boy Scouts of America.

It will be noticed that the scheme is quite complete, and number of boys in America have taken various merit badges. Hundreds of stories are on record of deeds of courage and heroism performed by boys who before becoming members of the Boy Scout organization lacked both the courage and energy required to perform the things that have been accomplished.

The Manila Boy Scouts were organized about a year ago among the members of the Boys Section of the Y. M. C. A., and while the personnel has changed frequently two very efficient patrols of Boy Scouts are now in existence. Practically all of the boys have passed the Second Class Scout test satisfactorily, and many of them are ready for the First Class examination. Only one boy, Earle Butts, patrol leader of the Eagles patrol, has succeeded in passing the First Class examination. The Manila Scouts, however, as a whole have rendered service in numerous ways during the short period of their existence. During the last Carnival their aid was requested by the Director-General, and during the entire Carnival week they rendered service as guides, helpers, bearers of information, and gave efficient aid to the police in handling crowds. At the last Paco fire a considerable number of the boys arrived at the scene of disaster almost with the fire department, and under the direction of the firemen working under trying conditions, helping frightened Filipinos to places of safety, and assisting in removing articles of value from houses that were in the path of the flames. The daily good turns that they have done without monetary consideration mount up into the hundreds.

Another patrol is being organized among the boys at Fort McKinley, and it is hoped that before a great length of time has passed it will be possible to start Scout work with the Filipinos. If it were possible now to organize patrols among the Filipino boys all over the Islands, a great force would be launched which would help the American government in its effort to develop the younger generation into helpful and useful citizens.

Source:

1. Page 8, "Hongkong Telegraph", 9th Day, 8th Month, 3rd Year of Xuan-tong

   • 9th Day, 8th Lunar Month, Xin-hai Year

   • Saturday, 30th September, 1911 Common Era