Scouting for Boys Read online

  It is important to realise that every development of Scouting has been produced on the demand of the boys themselves. B.-P. indeed never intended that Scouting for Boys should be other than an addition to the training already provided by the Boys’ Brigade, the Y.M.C.A., and other organisations. It was the boys who got hold of the Book, formed their own Patrols and found their own Scoutmasters. It was because the sisters would not stay away that the Guides were born; the little brothers made the Wolf Cubs inevitable, and the unwillingness of those who had outgrown the Scout Troop to sever all connections with it brought in Rovering.

  Once again in recent years the older boys in many places wanted more virile activities than were possible for the 11 and 12-year-old. Senior Scouts were the only answer. Many of the Courts of Honour had already banded the older boys into Patrols of their own and the new branch was merely a recognition of established fact. Scouting provides, if we use it rightly, what the boys want; not what we older people think they should want.

  Scouting for Boys remains the basis for Scouting and the source of inspiration for Scoutmasters. When Scouting has failed it has been because we have departed from the Patrol System and have failed to trust the boys with responsibility, because we have made our Scouting too nearly a school subject and not a life of joyous adventure. Boys, particularly those who have reached adolescence, demand a challenge to their powers of mind, body and spirit. Scouting can and does provide that challenge if we use it aright. Read this book, not just once nor even twice, but constantly. Each reading will provide something new. Each reading will give us just that inspiration which we require to prevent us from becoming stale. We must recognise that through all the changes in our national life, in our educational system and our ideas of recreation, B.-P. did “know best.” While minor amendments may be necessary from time to time, the fundamentals of Scouting which have produced the most universal brotherhood of youth the world has seen, remain secure as a monument to one of the greatest benefactors to mankind.

  1951 Chief Scout.

  CHAPTER 1

  SCOUTCRAFT

  HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS

  Instruction in scouting should be given as far as possible through practices, games, and competitions.

  Games should be organized mainly as team matches, where the patrol forms the team, and every boy is playing, none merely looking on.

  Strict obedience to the rules to be at all times insisted on as instruction in discipline.

  The rules given in the book as to games may be altered by Scout-masters where necessary to suit local conditions.

  The ideas given here are merely offered as suggestions, upon which it is hoped that instructors will develop further games, competitions, and displays.

  Several of the games given here are founded on those in Mr. Thompson Seton’s “Book of Woodcraft”, called “Spearing the Sturgeon” (Whale Hunt), “Quick Sight” (Spotty Face), “Spot the Rabbit”, “Bang the Bear”, “Hostile Spy” (Stop Thief), etc.

  A number of non-scouting games are quoted from other sources.

  The following is a suggestion for the distribution of the work for the first few weeks. It is merely a Suggestion and in no sense binding.

  Remember that the boy on joining, wants to begin “Scouting” right away; so don’t dull his keenness, as is so often done, by too much preliminary explanation at first. Meet his wants by games and scouting practices, and instil elementary details bit by bit afterwards as you go along.

  N.B.— The previous paragraph was in the former editions of this book, but it was in some cases ignored by Scoutmasters, with the result that their training was a failure.

  Remember also to start small. Six or eight carefully chosen boys will be enough to begin with, and after they have received Scout training for a month or two, they will be fit to lead and instruct fresh recruits as they are admitted.

  FIRST EVENING

  Indoors

  Address the boys on ‘Scoutcraft”, giving a summary of the whole scheme, as in this chapter, with demonstrations or lantern slides, etc.

  Form Patrols, and give shoulder-knots.

  FOLLOWING DAYS

  Practical work, outdoors if possible, from the following:— Alternatives according to whether in town or country, indoors or out.

  Parade, break National Flag and salute it.

  Scouting game: e.g., “Scout Meets Scout” (see page 47). Practise salutes, signs, patrol calls, scouts’ chorus, etc. Practise making scout-signs on ground.

  Tie knots.

  Make ration bags, leather buttons, etc

  Self-measurement by each Scout of span, cubit, finger, joint, stride, etc. (see page 105).

  Send out scouts independently or in pairs to do a “good turn”, to return and report how they have done it (page 23).

  March out the Patrol to see the neighbourhood.

  Make them note direction of starting by ‘compass, wind, and sun (see pages 64-72).

  Notice and question them on details seen, explain “land marks”, etc. (see page 65).

  Practise Scout’s pace (see page 63).

  Judge distances (see page 106).

  Play a Scouting Wide Game (see “Games”, page 181).

  Or indoors if wet— ”Ju Jitsu”, “Scouts’ War Dance”, Boxing, Scouts’ Chorus and Rally, etc.

  Camp Fire Yarns from this book or from books recommended. Or rehearse a Scout play, or hold Debate, Kim’s Game, etc.

  Patrols to continue practice in these throughout the week in their own time or under the Scoutmaster, with final games or exercises on the following Saturday afternoon.

  If more evenings than one are available in the week one of the subjects might be taken in turn more fully each evening and rehearsals carried out of a display.

  CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 1

  SCOUTS’ WORK

  Peace Scouts - Kim - Boys of Mafeking

  I suppose every boy wants to help his country in some way or other.

  There is a way by which he can so do easily, and that is by becoming a Boy Scout.

  A scout in the army, as you know, is generally a soldier who is chosen for his cleverness and pluck to go out in front to find out where the enemy is, and report to the commander all about him.

  The colonists, hunters, and explorers all over the world are all scouts. They must know how to take care of themselves.

  But, besides war scouts, there are also peace scouts—men who in peace time carry out work which requires the same kind of pluck and resourcefulness.

  These are the frontiersmen of the world.

  The pioneers and trappers of North America, the colonists of South America, the hunters of Central Africa, the explorers and missionaries over Asia and all wild parts of the world, the bushmen and drovers of Australia, the constabulary of NorthWest Canada and of South Africa — all these are peace scouts, real men in every sense of the word, and good at scoutcraft:

  They understand how to live out in the jungle. They can find their way anywhere, and are able to read meanings from the smallest signs and

  foot tracks. They know how to look after their health when far away from doctors. They are strong and plucky, ready to face danger, and always keen to help each other. They are accustomed to take their lives in their hands, and to risk them without hesitation if they can help their country by doing so.

  They give up everything, their personal comforts and desires, in order to get their work done.

  The life of a frontiersman is a grand life, but to live it, you must prepare yourself in advance for difficulties that may arise.

  They do it because it is their duty.

  The life of the frontiersmen is a grand life, but it cannot suddenly be taken up by any man who thinks he would like it, unless he has prepared himself for it. Those who succeed best are those who learned Scouting while they were boys.

  Scouting is useful in any kind of life you like to take up. A famous scientist has said that it is valuable for a man who goes in for science. And a noted p
hysician pointed out how necessary it is for a doctor or a surgeon to notice small signs as a Scout does, and know their meaning.

  So I am going to show you how you can learn scoutcraft for yourself, and how you can put it into practice at home. It is very easy to learn and very interesting when you get into it.

  You can best learn by joining the Boy Scouts.

  The Adventures of Kim

  A good example of what a Boy Scout can do is found in Rudyard Kipling’s story of Kim.

  Kim, or, to give him his full name, Kimball O’Hara, was the son of a sergeant of an Irish regiment in India. His father and mother died while he was a child, and he was left to the care of an aunt.

  His playmates were all native boys, so he learned to talk their language and to know their ways. He became great friends with an old wandering priest and travelled with him all over northern India.

  One day he chanced to meet his father’s old regiment on the march, but in visiting the camp he was arrested on suspicion of being a thief. His birth certificate and other papers were found on him, and the regiment, seeing that he had belonged to them, took charge of him, and started to educate him. But whenever he could get away for holidays, Kim dressed himself in Indian clothes, and went among the natives as one of them.

  After a time he became acquainted with a Mr. Lurgan, a dealer in old jewelry and curiosities, who, owing to his knowledge of natives, was also a member of the Government Intelligence Department.

  This man, finding that Kim had such special knowledge of native habits and customs, saw that he could make a useful agent for Government Intelligence work. He therefore gave Kim lessons at noticing and remembering small details, which is an important point in the training of a Scout.

  Kim’s Training

  Lurgan began by showing Kim a tray full of precious stones of different kinds. He let him look at it for a minute, then covered it with a cloth, and asked him to state how many stones and what sorts were there. At first Kim could remember only a few, and could not describe them very

  accurately, but with a little practice he soon was able to remember them all quite well. And so, also, with many other kinds of articles which were shown to him in the same way.

  At last, after much other training, Kim was made a member of the Secret Service, and was given a secret sign—namely, a locket or badge to wear round his neck and a certain sentence, which, if said in a special way, meant he was one of the Service.

  Kim in Secret Service

  Once when Kim was travelling in the train he met a native, who was rather badly cut about the head and arms. He explained to the other passengers that he had fallen from a cart when driving to the station. But Kim, like a good Scout, noticed that the cuts were sharp, and not grazes such as you would get by falling from a cart, and so did not believe him.

  While the man was tying a bandage over his head, Kim noticed that he was wearing a locket like his own, so Kim showed him his. Immediately the man brought into the conversation some of his secret words, and Kim answered with the proper ones in reply. Then the stranger got into a corner with Kim and explained to him that he was carrying out some Secret Service work, and had been found out and was hunted by some enemies who had nearly killed him. They probably knew he was in the train and would therefore telegraph down the line to their friends that he was coming. He wanted to get his message to a certain police officer without being caught by the enemy, but he did not know how to do it if they were already warned of his coming. Kim hit upon the solution.

  Kim disguised the man as a beggar, with a mixture of flour and ashes.

  In India there are a number of holy beggars who travel about the country. They are considered very holy, and people always help them with food and money. They wear next to no clothing, smear themselves with ashes, and paint certain marks on their faces. So Kim set about disguising

  the man as a beggar. He made a mixture of flour and ashes, which he took from the bowl of a pipe, undressed his friend and smeared the mixture all over him. He also smeared the man’s wounds so that they did not show. Finally, with the aid of a little paint-box which he carried, he painted the proper face marks on the man’s forehead and brushed his hair down to look wild and shaggy like that of a beggar, and covered it with dust, so that the man’s own mother would not have known him.

  Soon afterwards they arrived at a big station. Here, on the platform, they found the police officer to whom the report was to be made. The imitation beggar pushed up against the officer and got scolded by him in English. The beggar replied with a string of native abuse into which he mixed the secret words. The police officer at once realized from the secret words that this beggar was an agent. He pretended to arrest him and marched him off to the police station where he could talk to him quietly and receive his report.

  Later Kim became acquainted with another agent of the Department—an educated native—and was able to give him great assistance in capturing two officers acting as spies.

  These and other adventures of Kim are well worth reading because they illustrate the kind of valuable work a Boy Scout can do for his country in times of emergency if he is sufficiently trained and sufficiently intelligent.

  Boys of Mafeking

  We had an example of how useful boys can be on active service, when a corps of boys was formed in the defence of Mafeking, 1899-1900, during the South African War.

  Mafeking, you may know, was a small, ordinary country town out on the open plains of South Africa. Nobody ever thought of it being attacked by an enemy. It just shows you how, in war, you must be prepared for what is possible, not only what is probable.

  Here is a map of South Africa. If you look carefully, you will find Mafeking and many other places mentioned in this book.

  When we found we were to be attacked at Mafeking, we ordered our garrison to the points they were to protect—some 700 trained men, police, and volunteers. Then we armed the townsmen, of whom there were some 300. Some of them were old frontiersmen, and quite equal to the occasion. But many of them were young shopmen, clerks, and others, who had never handled a rifle before.

  Altogether, then, we only had about a thousand men to defend the place, which was about five miles round and contained 600 white women and children and about 7,000 natives.

  Every man was of value, and as the weeks passed by and many were killed and wounded, the duties of fighting and keeping watch at night became harder for the rest.

  The Mafeking Cadet Corps

  It was then that Lord Edward Cecil, the chief staff officer, gathered together the boys of Mafeking and made them into a cadet corps. He put them in uniform and drilled them. And a jolly smart and useful lot they were. Previously, we had used a large number of men for carrying orders and messages, keeping lookout and acting as orderlies, and so on. These duties were now handed over to the boy cadets, and the men were released to strengthen the firing-line.

  The boys of Mafeking did excellent service. They were gathered together into a cadet corps, put into uniform and drilled.

  The cadets, under their sergeant- major, a boy named Goodyear, did good work, and well deserved the medals they got at the end of the war.

  Many of them rode bicycles, and we were thus able to establish a post by which people could send letters to their friends in the different forts, or about the town, without going out under fire themselves. For these letters we made postage stamps which had on them a picture of a cadet bicycle orderly.

  I said to one of these boys on one occasion, when he came in through a rather heavy fire:

  “You will get hit one of these days riding about like that when shells are flying.”

  “I pedal so quick, sir, they’ll never catch me!” he replied.

  These boys didn’t seem to mind the bullets one bit. They were always ready to carry out orders, though it meant risking their lives every time.

  Would You Do It?

  Would any of you do that? If an enemy were firing down this street, and you had to take a mess
age across to a house on the other side, would you do it? I am sure you would—although probably you wouldn’t much like doing it.