Scouting for Boys

You should carry on your courtesy to ladies at all times. If you are sitting down and a lady comes into the room, stand up, and see if you can help her in any way before you sit

down.

Don’t spend time on a girl whom you would not like your mother or sister to see you with. Don’t make love to any girl unless you mean to marry her. Don’t marry a girl unless you are in a position to support her and to support some children.

Thanks!

And, look here! Here is a very important bit of courtesy that is too often forgotten, but which a true Scout will never omit, and that is to thank for any kindness you receive. A present is not yours till you have thanked for it. You have not finished your camp, even if you have packed up your kit and cleaned up the ground, until you have thanked the owner for use of it and have thanked God for giving you a good time.

PATROL PRACTICES IN CHIVALRY

The Patrol Leader can do much to encourage the Good Turn by referring to it at opportune moments (don’t overdo it!), and by occasionally asking the Scouts what Good Turns they have done lately. When out with his Patrol, he can suggest opportunities for individuals and Patrol Good Turns. But remember: IT IS THE PATROL LEADER’S OWN EXAMPLE THAT COUNTS MOST.

Make each Scout tie a knot in his neckerchief every morning as a reminder to carry out his idea of doing a good turn every day, till it becomes a habit with him.

Talk over some of the many good turns a boy can do in his daily life:

Sprinkle sand on a frozen road where someone is liable to slip— remove orange or banana skins from the pavement, as they are apt to throw people down—help old people—help to keep the streets clean by removing scraps of paper—provide meals for poor children. THEN DO SOME OF THEM!

Have a Scout bring in a boy who is a total stranger, as his guest for the evening to play in games, hear camp stories, and so on.

CAMP FIRE YARN  NO. 21

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Honour - Obedience - Courage – Cheeriness

HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS

SELF-DISCIPLINE

The most important thing that the Scoutmaster has to teach his boys is to understand and to possess the sense of Honour.

This is not always an easy thing to do, but it is the keystone of character building.

The mention of it has been designedly omitted from the Wolf Cub training, because it is as a ride beyond the grasp of very young boys; but at the Scout age it can he introduced and with strong and lasting effect.

The self-disciplined man is described by Browning as:

“One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward;

Never doubted clouds would break;

Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph;

Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better,

Sleep—to wake.”

Lycurgus said that the wealth of a state lay not so much in money as in men who were sound in body and mind, with a body fit for toil and endurance, and with a mind well disciplined, and seeing things in their proper proportions.

The true knight placed his honour before all things. It was sacred. A man who is honourable is always to be trusted. He will never do a dishonourable action, such as telling an untruth or deceiving his superiors or employers, or those under his orders, and always commands the respect of his fellow-men.

A captain sticks to the ship till the last. Why? She is only a lump of iron and wood and his life is as valuable as that of any of the women and children on board. But he makes everybody get away safely before he attempts to save his more valuable life. Why?

Because the ship is his ship, and he has been taught that it is his duty to stick to it, and he considers it would be dishonourable in him to do otherwise—so he puts honour before safety.

So also a Scout should value his honour most of anything.

Lord Kitchener said to the Boy Scouts: “There is one thought I would like to impress upon you all — ONCE A SCOUT, ALWAYS A SCOUT”. By this he meant that when you are grown up you must still carry out what you learned as a Scout—and especially that you will go on being honourable and trustworthy.