For the Consideration of Parents

For the Consideration of Parents

BY DR. JOHN H. TAYLOR, M. I. A. SCOUT COMMISSIONER

In this day of specialization and intense activity, the questioof essential and non-essential lines, in courses of study, is a serioione. Time is so precious that it must be spent only in doing ththings that will qualify young men and women to best cope wi>'the problems of life in a successful manner.

In a vocational sense, this is particularly true. To succeedone must have special training along definite lines, and the addtion of extra things, not fundamentally necessary to the vocationchosen, retards advancement, as far as expertness is concerne.For example, success in the vocation of a banker does not requir>expert learning in horticulture, and vice versa. While specializtion is necessary, the fundamental principles that make for succe.-in all' vocations are the same. Certain things all must know, rmatter what they want to do, or whether they live in city, countior mining district. In religious and moral training there are itspecial lines. That which is good for one is good for all. Notbing can be omitted. All must measure up to the same standard ofefficiency, and the one who makes the best use of the means o;advancement offered, is the one who leads.

With the same end in view, the method of teaching truth maydiffer. The important thing is to choose the method best adaptedto the age and conditions of the one to be taught. The scoutmovement is one of the proven aids in moral and religious train-ing. It appeals to the boy between the ages of twelve and eighteenin just the right way to hold him during this critical period of hislife. It is not new, except in bringing together all the good thingsthat have been used in the past to guide and interest boys. It hasbeen and can be adapted to all conditions and localities. Whilei^-ts of the nrogram may be more necessary and more easily car-ried out in the city, the big, broad, basic principles of the move-ment apply to every locality.

Let us consider some of the points in the scout program andsee if it looks good.

When the boy becomes a scout he makes the followingpromise:

On my honor, I will do my best: first, to do my duty to Godand my country, and to obey the scout law; second, to help otherpeople at all times; third, to keep myself physically strong, men-tally awake, and morally straight.

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If he lives up to this standard any boy will be a better boy?Is there anything in the promise which would not apply and beof assistance to boys in every locality?

Idle scout law requires that he be trustworthy, loyal, helpful,friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean,and reverent.

The beauty and strength of the movement lies in the fact thatit not only teaches but also provides plans for carrying out itsteachings. The boy must not only be a sayer of and listener tothe word but a doer also. He does his daily good turn as an indi-vidual, and very often with his troop he does the troop good turn.

This feature of the work alone makes it worth while. Thedevelopment of kindness and thoughtfulness for others cannot beignored, if you would have the boy possess the qualities of a truegentleman. Through the constant reminder and performance of"the daily good turn," the doing of good deeds gradually becomesa habit. This training will result in good to the boy himself andto all with whom he comes in contact. If the scout movementhelps the boy to abstain from the use of tobacco, liquor, etc.; helpshim to be clean in thoughts and habits, as is the testimony of somany of the scout leaders, then it must be worth while.

In the past we have tried the method of telling the boy to begood. Having warned him, it was left to him to choose betweengood and evil. At this time of life, the boy is not worrying verymuch about good or bad. He's worrying about the trout, out inthe stream, the high peak in the distance, a ball game or a race.In order to influence him for good we must talk to him in his ownlanguage, and speak it so well that there will be mutual under-standing.

The boy is full of energy that must be properly directed, or itwill do harm. Without direction he runs the chance of using itin tearing down rather than building up his character. To be fairwith the boy and the community, we must do all we can to lessenhis chance of failure. He is too precious to the parent, to thecommunity, to his heavenly Father, to be treated otherwise. True,we can work him very hard and use up his physical energy, buthis mentality which craves variety and change is still active. Insatisfying its demand he will continue on to a state of fatigue inobtaining the enjoyment that his youth requires. If he meetstemptation, under these conditions, his power of resistance is nat-urally weakened. Work alone will not accomplish the purpose ofexhausting the boy's energy, and when used by the parent to ac-complish this purpose, it will but serve to put the boy in a mentalattitude toward them that will mean trouble in the end.

Why not recognize the fact that to get the most out of life,we must have a balanced ration of work and recreation! Thatthe former is the most important needs no argument, but that the

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latter also demands its time and place is equally true. It is byrecognizing this play instinct, and taking it seriously, that thescout master is enabled to get close to the boy's heart. In develop-ing this instinct the scout master has a definite purpose in view, agoal to be reached. He aims not only to make the boy's playrecreational, but also educational.

For example, if the boy follows his own will and inclination,he goes on a "hike." He has no definite plan in view. It may bea long or a short trip; aimlessly, he just goes and returns. Plisdesire for change has been gratified. Perhaps the fresh air andexercise were not particularly necessary to his health, as his farmwork supplied these needs. But the longing for change, the loveof adventure, the hunger to roam in the great out-of-doors, toclimb the highest peak and view new scenes beyond, to feel thestillness of the open; these were needs of his nature that his workfailed to meet. They lured him on and on. When satisfied, hereturned home with new vim and a determination to take holdagain. This desire to do his level best is especially strong, if hisgoing has been a part of the planning of his father and mother.If he went just because the lure of the open became stronger thanhe could resist, even then he comes home with at least a determina-tion "to stick it out."

The scout movement recognizes the craving for and need ofchange and variety in the life of the boy, and it provides for thatneed. Its plans call for well-directed, intelligent expenditure ofenergy. When the boy takes his "hike," it says he shall not only seeNature's great panorama, but shall learn to know the beautifulthings that make up the panorama. The flowers, the trees, therocks, gain new meaning when he becomes so intimate with themthat he can appreciate the beauty of their coloring and the wonderof their formation. It says that he must learn to distinguish thevaried voices of nature, to recognize the cry of the hungered anddistressed, or the cooing of the dove. This power of appreciationcan come only through knowledge. Did you think that the "hike"takes the boy away just for exercise, or to idle the time away?Don't you see, it is only one of the means of carrying him safelythrough the danger zone, giving him something his nature de-mands, but giving it to him in the right way?

Have you the idea that the scout organization is military inits nature, and will teach your boys to kill and destroy? If suchan idea were correct, you would be doing exactly right in^keepingvour bov out of it. You sing in your Sunday school, "We aresoldiers of the Cross," etc.. but the idea of killing is not associatedwith the word soldiers. The word has another meaning, it por-trays another mode of conquest. When the boy becomes a scout,to destroy life takes on new meaning; the birds, the insects, theanimals, demand his protection, and become immune from useless

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and reckless destruction. The mission of the scout is to save life,not to destroy it.

Again you say the boy wears a uniform. So do conductors,firemen, and policemen, but you do not think of them as soldiers.The object of a uniform is merely to indicate the organization towhich they belong and to provide a serviceable suit to carry outpart of their special work. Besides, the uniform is entirely op-tional. The boy may wear it or not as he pleases. It is not whathe wears, but what he does, that counts. The question is asked."Why give the boys drill work?" First, in carrying out the scoutprogram, the boys have to move from place to place, and to enablethem to do so in an orderly manner, they are taught to march.It is for the same purpose that Sunday schools, day schools, andgymnasiums, teach marching. Second, it helps the boys to walkand stand correctly. Third, it means better discipline, and is ex-cellent training in obedience. For these reasons marching has aplace in the scout program.

One of the splendid and exceedingly practical benefits of scoutwork is the training the boy receives in first aid. Can you giveany reason why every boy should not have this work ? Thousandsof lives are being saved every year bv the scouts—lives whichwould have been lost had not "first aid" been a part of the scoutprogram. And so we might go on and enumerate and discuss themany things that interest and hold the boy, educating him at thesame time.

The movement is not something foreign to the gospel, becausewhatever is good is gospel. Why not make use of it? It has theendorsement of the general authorities, of stake presidents andbishops, of scout men who have tried it out, of educators, and ofthe president of the United States. In fact, to become acquaintedwith it means to become an enthusiastic follower.

It is practicable in all communities, large or small, country orcity. Not that each part of the program shall have equal emphasisplaced upon it wherever it is taken up; but that the portion mostneeded in each individual community be emphasized. It is theboy that is our concern—the good boy we want to make better, theindifferent boy we want to guide, the boy on the edge we want todraw back and save. As long as we have any of these classes ofboys, we have need of this movement, as part of the M. I. A. planand work.