Oscar A. Kirkham Honored

Oscar A. Kirkham Honored OUR own Oscar A. Kirkham has been selected by the American Jamboree Committee, Boy Scouts of America, to go in an official capacity to the great gathering to be held in England this summer. This information was conveyed in a telegram from Mr. Barclay, who is the chief of staff of the American delegation. Almost every community in the country has had a candidate for the place which finally has been given to the Utah man, and it is a distinct honor to him and also to the Church, for Oscar is well known to all officials of scouting as a "Mormon." He has pro- claimed that fact to high and low wherever he has gone, among others to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he was introduced while in England attending the Jamboree in 1920. During that visit he was the guest of the English, French and Belgian governments. Three hundred and one boys had gone from America to the gathering, and there were about 5,000 from 37 different nations. Oscar (everybody in the country calls him by that familiar name) was introduced to Dr. De Marquette, while over there before, and his friends have been pulling out of him, piecemeal, a personal story connected with that interview which is very interesting. It will be pieced together, in spite of Brother Kirkham's protests, for a future number of the Era. Fifteen hundred young Americans will make the pilgrimage to England this summer and will take part as official representatives of the Boy Scouts of America, in the greatest peace-time encampment of boys that the world has ever known. The Jamboree is being held at Birkenhead, across the Mersey River from Liverpool, England, from July 31 to August 13. Fifty thousand Boy Scouts, repre- senting 42 different nations, will pitch their tents and for two weeks will work and play together. The World Jamboree is being held to celebrate the 2 1st birthday of the founding of the Boy Scout move- ment and also to pay tribute to Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World. More than 400 acres of ground will be under canvas on July 31. In patrol units of eight, under adult leaders, the American Scouts will embark from several different seaports and, landing at Liverpool, Harwich, Grimsby, Hull, Goole and Newcastle, will journey to the Jamboree Camp. Many of the American Scouts will embark on special trains from the various English seaports and be carried to Birkenhead and Upton. From there they will be trans-

750 IMPROVEMENT ERA July. 1929 ported by motor to Arrowc Park where the world-gathering is to be held. Many notables from continental Europe will be present. In previous Jamborees, held at four-year intervals, the kings of Eng- land, Sweden and Denmark have attended. This year, the Prince of Wales, who is Chief Scout of Wales, will camp with the Scouts. Ten Scouts will represent Utah at this gathering. They are: Wendell Gibbs, Ray L. Richards, Eric Ohlson and Theron Plumb, of Salt Lake City; Harold Chesler, Bingham; Austin E. Fife, Logan; Mark J. Brockbank, Spanish Fork; Martin C. Ririe, Lewiston; Homer P. Andersen, Hyrum; and Matthew D. Browning, Ogden. Conrad A. Johnson, Logan, Scoutmaster of the Cache Valley Council, has been named Scoutmaster of the ten. The group will leave Salt Lake about July 12, after a week's training in the Ogden Gateway Scout Camp, for New York. Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington will be visited en route. They em- bark aboard the S. S. Cedric July 20 and arrive in Liverpool July 29, proceeding directly to Birkenhead for the two-weeks' jamboree. Word comes also that a number of "Mormon" Scouts from continental missions as well as from the missions of the United States will be in attendance. It is interesting to note that the boy who is to represent Austria at the Jamboree is a "Mormon." As the Day Begins on a Coral Atoll All is quiet in the hour before the dawn. Everyone enjoys a last minute's sleep before the day arrives. A dog barks in the distance; a man murmurs as he awakes. The stillness is further broken by the sound of a church bell calling the people to prayer; it is joined by the tinkle of a bottle beaten with a nail, which serves as a bell for another group of worshippers. Here and there low voices are heard as the people gather to supplicate God for his watchcare and protection throughout the day. A woman leads in a queer native chant; others join in pleasing harmony — then silence during the prayer. The darkness is fleeing; the east begins to lighten. The clouds, as if to combat the approaching Monarch of the Day, and apparently intending to obstruct his invading rays of light, rush together at the brightest spot. At first they appear to be successful — it grows slightly darker as they bank up — but not for long. Suddenly a beam shoots from behind a soft-gray cloud, changing its thin border of bright red to gold. As if fearful of being subdued, some of the clouds on the outskirts suddenly break away and scurry across the sky. The King, confident that victory is near, presses on, ever widening the clouds' lacy border of gold — and more deserters leave the fighting ranks. He cannot be stopped now! With a last mighty effort, by which the golden band of obstructing clouds is broken and dispersed, "Old Sol" pushes his smiling face into the world to greet us with a pleasant — IA ORA NA! — Ellis V. Christensen, Richfield, Utah.