Big Row in Boy Scouts Explained by Seton

1915

Says Officers All the Time Begging From Rich Men — No Connection With Lone Scouts

NEW YORK, Dec. 16. — The quarrel among the officers of the Boy Scouts of America is bringing out some interesting facts concerning the present policies of the organization and the men now at its head. Ernest Thompson Seton, who recently announced his resignation as Chief Scout of the organization, has come out with a statement that he did not resign because of opposition to the policy of "preparedness" for national defense.

"I am not opposed to preparedness," says the former Chief Scout. "My idea of preparedness is a little more inclusive than that of extreme militarists, as I see that we must prepare for peace as well as for war; but if life, as it is, leads to war we must be prepared for that, too.

"It is not because the Boy Scouts took up military training that I resigned my commission; it was because, while pretending to be non-military and collecting funds from those who were opposed to military training, they neglected the non-military activities which seemed to me so fundamental. I resigned a year ago; resigned quietly. I did not mean to injure the organization. But I protested, and brought on all this publicity, against their use of the manual I had written, a manual which emphasized the non-military activities, when the organization was being given over to drills and military discipline."

In nearly all cities where there are Boy Scouts, campaigns are being made to raise funds for the Boy Scout movement.

Ernest Thompson Seton, who is noted as a naturalist and writer of books on nature, charges that militarism comes first in the Boy Scout training, and woodcraft, the original purpose of the movement, is now second.

When Mr. Seton announced his resignation, officers of the Boy Scouts here issued a statement denouncing his action as "unfriendly and selfish" because it came on the eve of a campaign to raise funds to finance the Boy Scout work in New York for the next three years.

Later the National Council of the Boy Scouts held a special meeting and announced that Mr. Seton had not resigned, but was deliberately dropped when his term as Chief Scout expired, because he had only taken out his first papers for citizenship in the United States. He had been connected with the organization nearly all the time since was started.

Other men connected with the Boy Scout organization have objected to the policies pursued by the officers in charge and indications are that the fuss with Mr. Seton will he followed by others.

No Connection With Lone Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated by W. D. Boyce, publisher of The Saturday Blade. who had made a study of the Baden-Powell Boy Scout organization in England and brought the plan to this country five years ago. Mr. Boyce had intended the organization for every boy. After it was well started he went to South America to write articles and get photographs for the Blade. On his return a year later he found that the Boy Scouts of America had grown to nearly 200,000 members, but he was surprised to find that its members were nearly all clubs of city boys and that they were put to the expense of buying hats, uniforms, badges, books, etc. He then planned an organization for boys in the smaller country towns and out on the farms, so they could operate alone or with each other, and without any expense. In January, 1915, he had incorporated in Washington, D. C., the Lone Scouts of America. At the first meeting of the incorporators Mr. Boyce was elected Chief Totem of the organization.

The Lone Scouts of America has no connection with the Boy Scouts of America or any other organization. It is not dependent on contributions from wealthy men, but is entirely supported by the sale of its weekly magazine, "Lone Scout," which is sold at a price within the reach of every boy. There are no fees or dues for members to pay. All instructions and badges are given free. It is not a military organization in any sense. The motto of the Lone Scouts of America is "Do a Useful Thing Each Day." Along with woodcraft and scouting and other play, the members acquire useful knowledge and training, are shown how to be helpful to themselves and others and are taught things which will be of value to them all their lives.

Other information concerning the Lone Scouts of America and directions for joining the organization are given in "Lone Scout," which is sold by all agents for The Saturday Blade, Chicago Ledger and the Farming Business.

—Saturday Blade, Chicago, Dec. 18, 1915, p. 4.

Plan to Play Ice Baseball

1915

Big Leaguers Get a New Idea — Scheme In the Making

Winter baseball played on the ice by major leaguers will be offered to New York fans who can't get enough of the old ball game in the summer, if plans of the promoters pan out.

"Wild Bill" Donovan, Heine Zimmerman, Rube Oldring and Harry McCormick are the promoters, and they reason it this way:

The winter rent on the Polo grounds could be paid from the proceeds of the skating ball game; the games would be played on skates with an indoor baseball; the ice would benefit the sod of the field, and the tariff on pleasure skaters when games are not in progress would leave a nifty profit.

The plans are only in the making, however.


Athletics Sign Boy of Seven?

The claim has often been made that Connie Mack, manager of the Philadelphia American League team, signs his ballplayers when they are infants, and Jack Doyle, Chicago White Sox scout, claims to have the dope in one case.

"I got a tip on Davies, an outfielder," says Doyle, "watched him in several games and decided to sign him.

"I found he had been signed by Connie Mack when he was only 7 years old. He is only 17 now and was with Mack's team last season."

Scout Naturalist Advises Exploration, Discovery

1920

Scout Naturalist Advises Boys Not to Limit Walks to Roads and Beaten Paths

"Do not limit your winter walks to the roads and the beaten paths," advises Edward F. Bigelow, the scout naturalist, in Boys' Life.

"That may be necessary in the marshland of the summer, but when the freezing weather has been prolonged take to the swamps. But be careful. Even the coldest weather sometimes leaves treacherous places in the underbrush and in other sheltered spots. Sometimes the frost is only superficial even when ice on the open ponds is thick. A little good, plain common sense will discover the riches and avoid the danger.

"One never can see the best parts of a brook bank from the opposite bank. They must be seen from the middle of the stream. I never thoroughly realized that until I started out with camera and rubber boots so that I could safely go into water about a foot and a half or two feet in depth. The ice fringes, the ornate palaces, the wonderful recesses, the strings of jewels, the fairyland caves are all beyond our most vivid dreams. I cannot sufficiently emphasize this, because I know that there are scouts who will not believe, no matter how often I reiterate. I did not believe it myself until I tried it, and the trial was almost by chance.

"But when I discover this foreign fairyland, I hold it in my possession and frequently explore it. There are many puzzles in that icy region. One cannot even imagine how some of those formations could have been made, but some of them may be puzzled out, and solving the problem is always entertaining and more so than finding the answer to word riddles. Things are more interesting than words."