“Get my new Scout suit,” said the boy named Billy, coming in with
himself all in khaki. “Look at the buttons, ’n the leggins ’n
all!”
“It’s very Scouty looking,” said Big Sister. “I hope you’ll keep
it that way.”
“Have to,” said the boy named Billy, “or get a demerit. Going for
drill now over on the parade ground in front of the armory. Got
just long enough for Somebody to tell me when and where the Boy
Scout movement started.”
“The Boy Scout movement,” said Somebody, “started in England in
1908 being launched by Sir Robert S. S. Baden Powell.”
“Oh say!” exclaimed the boy named Billy, “why did we have to let
England beat us to it?”
“We didn’t--exactly,” said Somebody, smiling at the zeal of
the young patriot, “because at that very time we had two
organizations which had the same purpose in view. One was called
the Wood-Craft Indians founded by Ernest Seton Thompson, and
another called the Sons of Daniel Boone founded by Dan Beard.
Both men were popular writers of out of door stories, and greatly
interested in boys and their sports and activities.
“Scouting gives a boy something to do, something he likes to
do, something worth doing. It has succeeded in doing what no
other plan of education has done--made the boy want to learn. It
organizes the gang spirit into group loyalty.
“In 1910 both these organizations were combined under the title
of the Boy Scouts of America, and as you of course know, Billy
Boy, before a boy can become a Scout he must take the Scout oath
of office.”
“Yes, indeed,” said the boy named Billy. “Wait, ’til I see if I’m
up on that. ‘On my honor I will do my best--To do my duty to God
and my country, and to obey the scout law; to help other people
at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake,
and morally straight.’
“A scout is required to know the Scout oath and law and subscribe
to both. But his obligation does not end here. He is expected not
only not to forget his oath and law, but to live up to them in
letter and spirit from first to last.”
“Fine!” said Somebody. “That sounds like a perfectly good working
rule. Now what are some of your ideals as Scouts?”
“Well,” said Billy, “we’re divided into three classes.
Tenderfoot, that’s what Bob White and I are as yet, but we’ll
grow--second class Scouts and first class. According to Scout law
one must have honor, loyalty, unselfishness, friendliness, hatred
of snobbishness, must be courteous, be really kind to animals,
and always obedient to fathers and mothers ’n Somebodys, be
gentle, fair minded, save money, look out for fires and clean up
after oneself.”
“On account of that last item, thanks be that you joined the
Scouts, Billy,” said Big Sister, “and just to help you along,
suppose you run up and wash the bowl where you just washed your
hands.”
“Oh, excuse me, Sis!” said the boy named Billy, “I guess I
forgot, but I won’t after this.
“I’m going to have a lesson on first aid this morning, so if you
ever get a sprained ankle or anything I can hold the lines until
the doctor gets here. S’long.”
“All of which means that I scrub up after the youngster myself,”
said Big Sister, “but Billy’s a pretty good scout at that.”