--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 33 number: 11 published: 1930-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Scouting in England,” *Improvement Era* 33, no. 11 (September 1930): 727–729." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3311unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3311unse start_page: 727 end_page: 729 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1930-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3311unse publication_year: 1930 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1930, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Scouting in England !55>^? s :rm The famous Clock Tower Gate and wall at Chester, Cheshire, England, built by the Romans. Police on parade in foreground. MISSIONARY life in Great Britain is not all sunshine — in fact there is more of rain; nor is it all overshadowed with clouds of sorrow and dull, uninteresting work. It has its tem- poral and spiritual rewards for every elder who really labors in the field; it is "chuck full" of joy ("Men are that they might have joy") ; and, taken all in all, mis- sionary life — one place or another — is as good as any life can be. There are reasons for this: A missionary, devoting all his time to the service of his God and fel- low-men, feels happy in the knowledge that he is of some bene- fit to others. His mind, occupied with thoughts of spiritual salva- tion, is in a large measure free from petty earthly troubles. He breathes another atmosphere, apart from the world, in the sense that he is a teacher and exemplar of the life and law of Christ. That in itself is a sobering thought — to teach the crucified Christ, and to manifest the force of those teachings by exemplary living. The British Missionary By- WESTON N. NORDGREN Former Associated Editor of Millennial Star a sensible, human, missionary manner he enjoys all life has to offer to the elder in the field. Danc- ing is forbidden; but he enjoys opera, music, lectures, good "mov- ies." Neither time nor means per- mits too frequent indulgence in these things, and he is careful to observe the rules of the particular field in which he labors. He walks with his brethren in the beautiful parks and along the ever green and growing country lanes. He meets new people, comes face to face with new obstacles every day in his tracting; he receives the joy "V^ET the missionary has his good times; not -perhaps as the world views good times, or as we here at home view them- — but in President and Sister John A. Widtsoe, Mission Parents to over 700 missionaries in Europe. A British missionary investigating Dan- ish "eats" at the Jamboree. of making contacts with people unconversant with Gospel princi- ples. He learns the history of this old Empire by daily use of the material history affords, to secure Gospel conversations. He finds that the police are among his best non-"Mormon" friends; and he often converses with them hour after hour as he registers in (all aliens must register with the police in Europe) or registers out of the various cities and towns in which he works, receiving friendly ques- tions, giving answers and literature in return. And always he finds kindred spirits — a brotherhood of manly men — -when he meets his fellow ministers of the Gospel at the district conferences. "COR diversion, after a hard day's work at tracting, sometimes the ever-ready kodak comes into use. Little strolls down to the river, to the beach, over the rolling hills, through the heart of city or village, are recorded to be filed away to awaken precious mem- ories or to let those at home feel vicariously the missionary spirit. Visits, events, historic scenes, trips into the country, comrades and mission brethren and sisters — all are subjects for the kodak's record- ing eye. Snapshots enliven the the memory of persons and events dulled by time. In Great Britain, too, the bi- cycle has its place in missionary 728 The Improvement Era for September, 1930 labors — sometimes it serves faith- fully, up hill, down dale and across country; sometimes balks, or is used prankishly — for what boy, old or young, cannot make a Left — -"The pause that refresh- es"— drinking from a stream beside one of England's walled estates. Right — Signposts and bicycles — an interesting combination to the missionary tracting in the country. bicycle misbehave on occa- sions? It is the useful steed of the missionary, often luring him far afield in search of "green pastures," prospective converts. If it proves skittish downhill, it goes at snail's pace uphill, often propelled by hand, while the owner walks. But withal, it is a dependable friend. CIGNPOSTS and bridges interest ■ the missionary. Stone fences, higher than the reputed "wall around Salt Lake City," mysteri- ously hold from sightseers' eyes the ancient and mouldy estates of no- War tanks also occupy the missionary's attention and interest. blemen. Tall castles, church- es, priories and cathedrals must be inspected and ex- A group of "Mormon" missionaries at the International Boy Scout Jamboree, 1929. r amined at first hand. War tanks, cenotaphs and memori- als must be visited and photo- graphed. Thatched cottages must be recorded as evidence for unbe- lievers at home. When new meet- ing quarters have been secured, the missionary hitches himself to the old style British "hand cart" and moves from the former rooms to the new. "A change is as good as a rest" in missionary life; and missionary life is, in great measure, a series of changes. No traveling elder need ever feel bored if he goes about with open eyes. Indeed, he has no time to be bored. RENDER home ties are strengthened by this un- selfish labor. And new ties are formed. The elder learns to look upon the mission ':' '".' Bridges interest the missionary. Rock and slate are the chief materials used in the construction of country buildings and bridges. The missionary hitches himself to the old hand cart and moves from the old rooms to the new. president and his wife as upon a father and mother. He follows their advice in his daily work; and in times of trial or temptation, he may call upon them for more The Improvement Era for September, 1930 729 held at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead, England. They attended in the Scout uniforms of the countries from which they came, or in the A typical Welsh farmhouse, near Rhyl, Wales, of blue stone which looks like clay. This one is made personal help. His own parents and loved ones are not neglected; their letters always have a welcome and are bright spots in his life. Usually, too, there is a girl — before he loses her, loses his hair, 'grows a moustache and gets the "itch" — at least for the first six months. (He carries her photograph in his watch, pocketbook, or somewhere about his person, where his mind, and often his eyes, may dwell upon it. Her letters are tied up with fancy ribbon in the top till of his trunk.) Little by little he learns the real meaning and value of a home as the citizen of the kingdom of God, and of his country. Last year, missionaries from The Mission Presidents' Conference is always a source of help to the missionary. Here the photographer is lining up the Mission Presidents and their wives for a picture (Liverpool, 1929). several European countries at- tended the Boy Scout Jamboree, Top — Priories, such as the Cornishead Priory at Bardsea, in the English Lake District, must be examined. Bottom — A missionary cycling through the fine winding roads of rural England. case of British Mission re- presentatives in regular missionary dress — their or- dinary clothes. Mixing among the sixty thousand lads from most of the world's four corners, our missionaries made good use of their opportunity in ex- plaining to many the Gos- pel message. And at the same time they gathered valuable information on scouting for use in the various missions of the Church in Europe. The mission President's Con- ference is always a source of help (Continued on page 759) He often converses with the police and gives them information and liter- ature on Gospel topics. center unit of the family, city, church and nation; and as he learns this, he becomes a better supporter of the home and a better Cenotaphs and memorials must be visited and photographed.