Scouting, Volume 3, Number 11, October 1, 1915 Page: 1
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SCOUTING
Published semi-monthly by National Headquarters, Boy Scouts of America
For Scout Officials and Others Interested In Work fcr Boys
Vol. III.
NEW YORK, N. Y., OCTOBER 1, 1915
No. 11
SCOUTS DOING GREAT
WORK AT G. A. R. REUNION
Scores of Them Are on Duty at the
National Encampment in Wash-
ington, D. C.
AS this issue of Scouting goes to press,
reports are being received at National
Headquarters, telling of the splendid
work done by the boy scouts of Washing-
ton at the 49th Annual Reunion of the
Grand Army of the Republic, which is be-
ing held in that city.
These reports show that Washington
scouts are maintaining their record of gen-
erous help and real usefulness to the au-
thorities in charge of such celebrations.
The scouts were asked to render their
assistance by the Chairman of the Citizens
Committee, which has charge of the ar-
rangements for the Reunion. A meeting
of the scoutmasters was held on Wednes-
day, September 22nd, at which time definite
instructions were issued.
Assigned to Headquarters
The boys went on duty during the early
days of the encampment, meeting incom-
ing _ veterans, guiding them to the regis-
tration offices and from there to the rooms
to which they were assigned. One group
of scouts was on duty at Camp Emery,
the G. A. R. Headquarters, and others
were detailed for duty at each of the five
information booths which were established.
In addition to these scouts, others patrolled
the_ principal streets for the purpose of
{riving information and acting as guides
whenever their services were required.
Scouts were also detailed to assist traffic
policemen at the important crossings.
On every day except Wednesday, the day
of the parade, about one hundred scouts
were on duty. Excuses were granted from
school on presentation of certificates signed
by scoutmasters. On Wednesday, every
scout in the city was on duty during the
parade.
Scout Reserve Maintained
In addition to the regular service, a num-
ber of scouts were kept in reserve con-
stantly, for special calls. These special
demands for scout services were frequently
received and in every case the boys were
available, even when, as in several cases,
, as many as twenty-five or thirty boys were
wanted on short notice.
Many expressions of highest praise of
the work of the scouts are being made by
the Citizens Committee of Washington and
by the officers of the G. A. R.
A more extended account of this splen-
did service by the Washington scouts will
appear in the next issue of Scouting.
Again!
From, a Washington dispatch to the New York
Times, Thursday morning, September 30, in
commenting on the G. A. R. Encampment
EVERY provision that could be made
for the care and comfort of these
old men has been most painstakingly
arranged. The special police and the
omn "present Boy Scouts were instantly .
at the side of any old soldier who showed
the slightest sign of needing help. The
work of the Boy Scouts deserves the
highest praise. They were everywhere,
always alert to see or to hear any call
for assistance. They escorted fainting
and sick women through the line of
marching veterans and across the ave-
nue to be taken to their homes or to a
waiting ambulance. Long before physi-
cians in the ambulance could be called,
some well-tra'ned young scout would be
at the side of a stricken man or woman
with his first aid kit open and a needed
restorative ready for use. Up and down
the lines they ran with cold water for
some failing old man who, in a few min-
utes, would hearten up and get to his
feet to take place in the line and totter
by the President."
EXTENSION WORK PLANNED
AT FIELD CONFERENCE
Will Continue Policy of Short-Term
Financial Campaigns—Four Cities
Now Raising Budgets.
A CONFERENCE of the members of
the Field Department of the Na-
tional Council was held at National
Headquarters on September 15 and 16.
This conference was attended by Messrs.
West, Moffat, Dale, Freeman, Eddy, Hous-
man and Weisheit. The work of the field
secretaries during the past year was re-
viewed and from the experiences of these
men_ in organizing local councils and con-
ducting short-term campaigns, a defintie
policy was developed for the ensuing year.
During the past six months, campaigns
for funds have been conducted in upwards
of twenty cities. In each case from three
thousand to seventy-two thousand dollars
was secured. It was proposed that this
type of work be continued and bulletins
are now being prepared fully outlining a
plan whereby the National Council will
agree to have one of its secretaries spend
from two to four weeks in any unor-
ganized city to assist in developing a local
council and in organizing and conducting a
short-term campaign for funds.
At the time of the conference there were
on hand upwards of thirty applications
from cities for this service. Messrs. Hous-
man,_ Eddy, Freeman and Weisheit have
definite engagements ahead of them for
(Continued on Page 8, Col. 3.)
WHAT SCOUTING HAS DONE
FOR WAGONER, OKLAHOMA
Remarkable Demonstration of the Possi-
bilities of the Boy Scout Move-
ment.
A most impressive demonstration of the possibili-
ties of the Boy Scout Movement is the work which
has been done in Wagoner, Oklahoma, by Scout-
master H. H. Townsend. Under the leadership
of this man the boy scouts have become the most
vital moral force in the community. So striking
have been the achievements of the scouts under
Mr. Townsend's direction that the citizens of
Wagoner have elected him Chief of Police. It
would be difficult to find a more inspiring message
to scout officials, or one more rich in suggestions,
than the report which Scoutmaster Townsend has
made to National Headquarters and which is pub-
lished here in detail.
—The Editor.
By Scoutmaster H. H. Townsend.
BOYS in the city of Wagoner, Okla.,
before the advent of the Boy Scout
Movement, were considered a public
nuisance, and they were not abused by being
taxed with this name for they were con-
stantly demonstrating the truth of the ac-
cusation.
In making a careful investigation of the
conditions in the city, I found that the
BOY, was about the only thing that the
business men, the club women, the
churches, • the schools and society in gen-
eral, cared nothing about and did nothing
for. Year after year had brought the Wa-
goner boy nothing but abuse. But the boy
had a right to make his impression on so-
ciety, and if it was not the right kind of
impression, society alone was to blame.
My work with the Wagoner boys be-
gan about the fall of 1911. For six year.>
previous, I had never seen one single act
done in the city for their welfare. I was
employed on the Missouri Pacific railroad,
having charge of one hundred and seventy-
six miles of telegraph line, with Wagoner
as headquarters.
How the Work Started
During the summer of 1911 the pastor
of the South Methodist Church became
interested in the welfare of the Wagoner
boys and wanted to do something for them.
He had written for scout information.
About the same time the Pastor of the
Episcopal Church had made an investiga-
tion of the same Movement and had suc-
ceeded in getting his scoutmaster's certifi-
cate first. Each of these pastors organ-
ized a separate class of boys, one known
as the Wagoner Scouts and the other as
the Wagoner Tigers. I endeavored to com-
bine the two, but found it impossible. The
scouts seemed to be denominational so I
enlisted with the Tigers.
During the late summer and fall we
made things lively. There was no trouble
in getting boys, as the little fellows went
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 3, Number 11, October 1, 1915, periodical, October 1, 1915; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282765/m1/1/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.