Evening Star Newspaper, June 6, 1937, Page 53

Studies in Capital Prepared 214 Men to Offer Inspiration for Big Jamboree Coming Soon and for Daily Tasks. By E.C. Canova. AMBOREE!"” A magic word in Boy Scoutdom—a glorious outing, an opportunity to travel, meet new people, go places and see things for most of the 30,000 young men who will descend on Washington like a swarm of vibrant, hungry, khaki-clad locusts, but very welcome locusts, at the end of this month to attend the National Boy Scout Jam- boree. Scouts from all 48 States of the Union will be here, as well as from Alaska, Hawali, the Philippines, and from England, France, Japan, China, and many other foreign countries, and & number of these lucky young men will leave Washington to go as rep- resentatives of Scouting to the Inter- national Jamboree to be held in Hol- land. But back of the word jamboree is ®n infinite amount of detail, with months of planning and study, for it §s no small task to transport, feed, house, and safeguard the health of 80,000 people, whether they be Boy Bcouts or business men. And speaking of study, it may sur- prise many of you to know that right here in Washington 214 men went back to school for 10 weeks to the Univer- sity of Scouting in order to fit them- selves better to lead Washington | Scouts, both during the Jamboree and in the normal, every day activity of Bcout life. Quietly and without pre- tension they have given freely of their time to attend classes at this univer- sity which gives no degrees, has no building of its own, no foot ball team, and no college yell, but whose influ- ence is far-reaching and beyond power to measure, AST year 165 men of all ages reg- istered for the courses that were offered for the first time in Washing- ton and so popular and valuable did they find it, that this, the secondeyear, found nearly half as many again tak- ing up the work of learning the how and why of Scouting, so that in #urn they many train and guide the 7,000 to 8,000 boys and young men in the National Capital Area Council, who are, or will become Scouts this year. Many people who are unfamiliar with Scouting and its value are in- clined to smile rather condescendingly at the mention of Scouts, or men who give 80 generously of their time to ghis work, and wonder why it is Mecessary to have such a university offering 14 different courses to teach men how to bring together a “gang” ©of boys, but if they fully understood the high principles of Scouting, the many things that & boy must know before he may be accepted as a ‘Tenderfoot, and the necessity for con- tinually progressing, perhaps they Would realize that it takes training awd specialized study to keep ahead of the boys and give them the kind of knewledge tisey should have and which they demand. ‘What are some of these high prin- eiples of Scouting? LUMPING them all together, prob- ably it may be said that the one word, "helpfulness,” or “serviee” cov- ors it, or to put it in more biblical banguage it is & present-day applica- tion of the golden rule and being a Good Samaritan. This “service” may be anything from giving a thirsty, [ homeless dog a drink of cool water on a hot day to assisting the police in handling crowds at a parade or risk- | ing their own lives to sav® another— | a5 was so prominently told in the press not so very long ago when two | Scouts rescued a frightened lad from | the dizzy sides of the Palisades in New York. Could these young men have per- formed this delicate task of scaling the steep sides of the Palisades and lowering the terrified boy to secur- ity, at the same time returning safe- ly to the base of the cliffs themselves, had they not had several years of training in the various phases of Scout work under the leadership and guidance of an older man who had given of his time and energies to teach them what and how to act under any circumstances so that they were physically fit and mentally alert, thus fulfilling the Scout motto, “Be pre- pared”? ‘When it is considered that the boys of today are the men of to- morrow who will head great indus- tries, be leaders in science or hold high governmental positions, the for- mation of character habits under Scout training is of untold value and influence in the future welfare of the Nation and shows how vitally se- rious and important is the univer- sity of Scouting and the courses that | were given in the buildings of Roose- velt High School, for who knows but that in this group was planted the seed that in years to come will be the means of saving the Nation from economic or political disaster? Probably no class of men deserves more respect and support for their sincere and unselfish work than the clergy of the various churches, yet in good truth it may be said that the men in charge of Scout training play equally as important a part in life as any minister or priest. It is also significant that practically all troops are sponsored by or afliated with a church, which brings us to the Scout law that states, “A Scout is rev-. erent.” WITHOUT Scout training Paul Siple probably would never have been included as a member‘of Ad- miral Byrd's Antarctic expeditions, but as an Eagle Scout he was pre- pared to play a man’s part in this hazardous and valuable research, bringing honor to the expedition, to Scouting and to himself by the way.in which he conducted himself. Fred Waring and his band might have become famous without his early experience as & member of a Boy Scout band, but the chances are strong that his interest in music was focussed and his ability both as & musiclan and & leader was largely fixed and developed as & result of that experience. Jackie Cooper was & Boy Scout be- fore he became a movie actor, and it is said that when Douglas Fair- banks, jr., arrived in Hollywood he was wearing a Scout uniform. And so it goes, hundreds of men who to- day are successful owe much of their victory in the battle of life to the association with men who inspired and guided them in some Scout troop, or while studying to win one of the many merit badges their interest was caught and held by a subject s that they pursued it as their life’s ‘work. A good example of this is the case A FEAT URES he Sy Star WASHINGTON, D. C, (Upper left corner) Troop camping is covered in course 8 at the University of Scout- ing. It teaches how to make camping out safe, sanitary and interesting. (Upper cen- ter) Dr. James E. West, chief scout executive of the Boy Scouts (left) and Representative Sol Bloom of New York with this year’s official Scout poster. The poster was painted and donated by Howard Chandler Christy to the Boy Scout jamboree, which will be held in Washington from June 30 to July 9. (At left) Dr. Wil- liam T. McClosky, chairman of the Training Committee Council of the University of Scouting, caught by the candid camera as he threat- ens to “shoot” some of his men with his movie outfit. of a Scout who some years ago went to an examiner to pass his test on “soil management’—it being in a rural area. The examiner, who also happened to be county agent, took the boy out to his garage and showed him carefully selected and labeled samples of soil from different parts of the county, which so aroused the boy’s interest in knowing that “dirt” varied greatly in different parts of the county that he took to accompanying the examiner on his Saturday rounds, later following up his newly acquired knowledge in college, majoring in soll chemistry, soil management and CHARITY SameName as Society Matron’s Is Used by Woman. - By Josaph Marian. MEMBER of the fair sex en- tered our picture this week and as a charity solicitor she is, in our estimation, far su- perior to any of her male competitors or associates, both from the point of genuine ability and actual returns. There is little doubt that she is doing at least some good with a por- tion of the moneys collected, but her “cut” is just too, too, big, which makes her eligible for space in our column. Being of the same name as a promi- nent society matron, she always uses her own name on her calls. And her clientele comprises as many women a8 men, for the majority seem to feel honored by a call from her, feeling sure they are talking to her namesake, who really devotes much of her own time toward charity, but of a far dif- ferent nature. ‘This little lady seasons her canvass with Jjust emough of the personal touch to insure her hearer’s interest. She has & very charming voice and upgn reaching her “tap” on the tele- Pl she opens her canvass with & cheery “Good morning, Mr. Brown. This is ‘Mrs, —— speaking.” Await- ing the return greeting she goes right into her wail. “Of course you know,” she commences, “I am one of the committee seeking funds for the poor of St. —— congregation. It really is a most worthy cause otherwise I would not be interested. I am simply giving up all social activities for- the time being to make this drive a huge success.” Continuing with some con- vincing. palaver, she gives the names of some prominent people as con- tributors—names .of people the “tap” [} soil sciences, and today has a collec- tion of sofl samples not only from every State in the Union, but from many foreign countries as well, and his professors prophesy that in a few years he will be one of the great soil scientists of the age. Perhaps that may not mean any- thing to you, but it wil# if you stop to realize the tremendous strides only recently made known in the almost unbelievable increase in the amount of different foodstuffs that can be %rown in properly selected and prop- erly fed soil. So, this Scout’s study may mean the difference between whether your grandchildren are well fed and healthy or on a starvation diet. Offhand, T don't know how many boys there are in Washington between the ages of 12 and manhood, but I SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 6, 1937. UNIVERSITY OF SCOUTING TRAINS L e (Upper right corner) Thomas A. King, registrar of the University of Scouting, and Ralph Bartley (with campaign hat), Scout com- missioner, inspect a troop on arrival in camp. Men who conduct courses at the Uni- versity of Scouting “know their stuff,” practically as well as theoretically. (Cen- ter, above) The lure of an overnight ° hike—congenial souls, a campfire, music— how to conduct such hikes and make them not only fun but instructive is taught by the University of Scouting. (At right) Boy Scouts paus- ing for a rest on a hiking trip in the hills. (At left) Chi- nese Boy Scouts entertaining Scout officials with their musical instruments at a jamboree a fetv years ago. am sure that there are far more than the 6,500 which is the average yearly enrofiment in the 200 troops through- out the city and adjacent areas. ‘HAT is one reason why it is im- portant to train more leaders, for unless there are scoutmasters and others available to take care of the thousands of boys who would like to be Scouts but who can't because there is no troop in their neighbor- hood, or because the troop they would like to join is overcrowded now, what are they going to do? Certainly they will miss one of the most valuable RACKETEERESS ENTERS FIELD EDITOR’S NOTE—This is the ninth of a series of articles exposing vicious rackets being practiced in the name of charity on innocent victims in Washington. The way in which these crooks operate and the scemes and devices they employ are explained in these articles, which reveal in detail actual cases of charity racketeering here. has read of but has never met and probably never will—and with some additional personal chatter fnally makes the “touch.” IP HER prospect hesitates, she chides him on his philanthropic reputa- tion or proceeds along a flattering line that would make the most modest man on earth swell with joy, believing, a8 he does, that the voice at the other end of the wire is that of the society matron. She cleverly plants this thought in his mind, casually referring to the weather as great for golfing, the horse show, the flower show, etc. And when her client says he or she will purchase some tickets, place an advertisement in her publication or make a personal donation, she tells him she will have her butler or her chauffeur stop by for his contribution. She then dis- patches her associate to the residence or office of the donor. And then comes that nice commission “cut,” after ‘which the “poor” receive theirs. This 6 just a little matter of bal- ancing the exact truth on the fine point of a telephone conversation, but as stated, she does turn in a por- tion of the funds she receives to the appeal represented, which is at least & trifie more legitimate than the numerqus charity pleas about which we have written where the charity ehiseler works 100 per cent, putting the entire proceeds into his pocket. And now poor old labor not only has her own troubles with the C. I. O’s, A. F. of L’s, sit-down strikes, etc., but she also is forced to “take it on the chin” from the charity chiseler in Washington. Any appeal smacking of labor makes an employer of labor & finished pros- ) pect for a contribution or a “touch,” and the crooked solicitor suddenly realizing this fact is simply “labor- ing” them to death in the District. EVE'RY once in a while a legit- oimate organization finds itself in the unenviable position of serv- ing as a “front” for the operations of. a crooked solicitor who has hood- winked its officers into a publication promotional proposition that on its face is open and above board—but happens not to be. One group that more than a year ago was maneuvered into sponsoring & special quarterly, has repudiated it, but that fact hasn't stopped the solic- itors, and the organization still is bedeviled by their operations, even though one—a parole breaker, inci- dentally—has been lodged behind bars. The solicitation for this publication, “pitched” in the presence of the writer, was as follows: “Good morning, Mr. Smith. This is Mr, Jones of the (here the sup- posed labor connection was men- tioned) calling. You seem to be & rather difficult man to reach. I have tried to contact you on a number of occasions, but without success. We are calling you relative to our quar- terly publication and we did not want to go to press without first giving you the opportunity of being represented in our next number. Our circulation has now reached 15,000 and the rates per issue are $60 & page, $30 a half, $15 a quarter and $8 an eighth. “The proceeds derived from the magazine are, as you know (they al- way inject that ‘As you know' in every solicitation) expended by eur relief- among the unemployed labor : i Worthy. Organiza- tions Sponsor Crook- ed Publications. men and their families in the Dis- trict. We appreciate the fact, Mr. Smith, that many employers do not wish to advertise, but a contribution to this work, in any amount, will be entirely acceptable. So if you desire to take an ‘ad’ or make a contri- bution we will have one of our mem- bers drop in on you some time today. Thank you, Mr. Smith.” F A prospect becomes too inquisi- tive regarding their labor afflia- tions, he is promptly advised that s member of the organization will call to see him and explain the work in detail., Of course, the member never calls and the prospect is marked “N. @. H. C” (no good, hot cal) meaning that he is suspicious of the entire proposition. A name marked just “N. G.” merely means that he is not interested and may be called at & later date. A Washington businessman ad- vised the writer that he had been carrying advertisements in this book for & year, belleving that his sup- port went directly to a national or- ganization and that the distribution was many more thousands than # actually was. But he has now be- come a member of our “taken the veil” group for the past month. Of course, the solicitation is not confined strictly to Washington. The big business man in other important cities is always a latent prospect, to whom the solicitor states the fund derived therefrom will be used in the promotion of the “convention to be held this yesr in your éity. (Oontinued on SBecond Page.) 4 Part Four F PAGE F—1 EADERS FOR YOUTH —_—— Institution Has No Building and Gives No Degrees—Scouts Attract 30,000 Visitors to National City. associations of their young lives, and may even take to hanging around Some corner “gang,” which does them |no good and may do them a lot of harm. Thus it becomes something more than just a Scout problem—it be- comes a civic problem and one which every church, school, community or civic association and all parents should concern themselves with. Moreover, since Scouting is not confined to one country, but is in- ternational in scope, just think of the great influence for world-peace that is exerted by these young men who meet and get to know each other at such a great jamboree, and it is only through better understanding and a development of the spirit of co-opera- tion with confidence that peace may be obtained on any permanent basis. “Well,” you say, “there’s more to this than I thought. What are some of the courses in this university of Scouting? I may want to take it up myself next year.” To answer that perhaps it would be well to cut back for a moment and briefly outline some of the re- quirements for becoming a Scout: To qualify as a tenderfoot a boy must have learned the Scout oath and laws; he must know the composition and history of the American flag and the forms of respect due it; and he must know how to' tie nine specified knots and explain the reasons fo using each. ¥ ADVANCE to a second-class Scout rating he must have served at least one month as a tenderfoot, and, in addition, must know and demonstrate what to do (or not to do—which is equally important) in injuries ranging from a simple cut finger to a particle of steel embedded in the eye; from nosebleed to scalding by steam; he must know one of the various signaling alphabets; he must be able to track a person or animal half a mile in 25 minutes, or, in the city, must be able to describe the contents of one window out of four, each of which has been studied for one minute; he must be able to go a mile on foot in 12 minutes; he must know how properly to use a knife and & hatchet; he must demonstrate his ability to build a fire in the open, ‘using not more than two matches, and must prove his knowledge of what to do with this fire when he is through with it, so that it would be out— safely out, not just apparently; he must know how to cook a quagter of a pound of meat and two potatoes in the open without the use of any uten- sils; he must know the 16 principal points of the compass and how to follow s compass course; he must know the rules of safety to be fol- lowed at home, at work, at play and in school; he must prove he has saved money that he has earned through his own efforts, and, finally, he must produce evidence that he has put into practice in his daily life and behavior the principles of Scouting. And let me interrupt here to inquire how many of you fathers could pass these first two elementary Scout re- quirements? To tell what a first-class Scout has to know would take too much space, other than to mention that in addi- tion to all the foregoing he must add the ability to swim at least 50 yards, and from there on through Star, Life ' & and Eagle Scout the requirements are | increasingly difficult. COURSE No. 1 in the University of Scouting covered the basic princi- ples of scouting and the requirements ’{Dr tenderfoot, second and first class couts, ag well as other incidental work—s0 you see the men who enrolled | for that had no idle moments on their | hands during the nine evening classes, the two afternoon hikes and the one overnight hike that they took. Course No. 2 followed up with more advanced work of a similar nature and also the nature and psychology of boys, methods of educating them, troop management, administfation and many other allied subjects. Then, skipping to Course No. 6, we find the men studying first aid so that they themselves know how -to impart this vital knowledge to the boys in different troops. Another ocourse devoted itself to camping—embodying all the necessary knowledge to make it safe, sanitary and entertaining. Still another gave instruction in mapping and elementary surveying so that boys unde? the leadership of men who have graduated from this course may learn how to make simple survey sketches and maps and thus be selfe reliant in strange territory. Then we come to the senior life- saving course, which is taught at the Y. M. C. A. pool during the Summer months and qualifies the leaders to be prepared themselves to look after their boys while in swimming and also to teach the Scouts how to take care of themselves or save others. Other courses and new ones added each year cover a variety of subjects that are essential to succesful funce tioning of troops. But speaking of life saving, would it sfrprise you to know that 2,018 medals, certificates or awards have been given to Scouts for heroism or some outstanding act? GLANCING at the annual report of this organization, its prosaically statistical pages hide such brief cita- tions as: s “Scout George Alma, aged 15, res- cued two girls from drowning. “Scout Edward Claxton, aged 14, saved two children, aged 4 and 3, from & burning building, showing rare jugdg- ment-in his method of entry into the building and carrying the two children to safety through the flames. “Scout Richard Clay, aged 18, dressed in corduroy trousers and heavy shirt, swam to and rescued a 29-year-old man from drowning. “Bernard Gordon, 13, second class Scout, rescued s 15-year-old youth from drowning after he had through the ice while skating. | “Jerome Nixon, agcd 13, Tenderfoot Scout, rescued a-33-year-old woman from drowning”—and°so it goes, an honor roll of young Americans that makes one proud, and at the same time humble, to think of the rage, the skill and the training these boys have undergone to prepare them to act intelligently and coolly under the stress of a crisis. 4 So, if & slogan is wanted for the University of Scouting, it might well be “The U. of S. trains men who teach boys for the good of the U. 8. And the practical demonstration of what they have learned will be put te the test in this great National Jame boree and in the International Jame borees which are held every four years, A