dial friendship toward and a spirit of co- We recommend the appointment of a joint The Boy Scouts of America gladly responded to this invitation to participate in the Joint Commission and the Commission will at an early date issue a joint statement on relationships. Organized for Service The policy of the Boy Scouts of America is one about which there can be no doubt it is fixed by the constitution of the Movement as well as by its ideals of service. 1) The Boy Scouts of America neither seeks nor desires monopoly in boy service. 2) Its purpose is clearly to "cooperate with existing agencies" in every possible way toward the welfare of boyhood. Every genuine, fair and honest agency has a right to such cooperation. 3) When the Movement is invited into a community by that community, its duty is to serve the boyhood to the best of its ability— indeed it is its duty to serve better than any other agency has done, if that be possible but competitive criticism or mud-slinging or opposition should be clearly left to someone else to do. Let the Scout Executive stick religiously and efficiently to his job of serving boys! The Community will recognize where merit exists. 4) Where difficulty has arisen the Scout Executive and his council should search with care their own hearts and acts to see that they themselves consistently live the Golden Rule and do no ill and give no cause for offense. CO-OPERATION WITH AMERICAN LEGION Ever since the war veterans and posts have in individual cases sponsored scout troops and provided leadership but more recently a definite concerted effort has been made by the Legion under the direction of its National Commander-Hanford MacNider, himself a local council member and firm believer in Scouting to develop a nation-wide plan of co-operation with the Boy Scouts of America in organizing new troops and in working to strengthen troops already formed. There are at present (1922) some 6,600 communities in the United States which do not have any scout troops. It is hoped that the Legion may be successful in reaching these communities, which are for the most part in rural districts, where problems of leadership are particularly difficult. Much is hoped from the proffered service of the 11,000 Legion Posts throughout the country and the Scout Executive and the Local Council should make an earnest effort to get in touch with local post commanders and interest them in Scouting. In turn it goes without saying every Boy Scout troop will gladly hold itself prepared to serve the Legion in every way within its power. A good example of such service is the remarkable work done by Scouts of Kansas City and vicinity during last year's Legion Convention, when a thousand or more boys were on duty as traffic aides, guides, messengers, guards of honor and so forth during the whole period of the convention, doing their task so well that the Legion voted them a resolution of appreciation in addition to a resolution endorsing Scouting and urging Legionnaires to become active workers as Scoutmasters, Troop Committeemen and so forth. CO-OPERATION WITH ROTARY, KIWANIS, ETC. Boy Scouts are also well equipped for co-operative service with Rotary, Kiwanis, Exchange, Lions Clubs, Elks, Masons. etc.. and as many of these clubs and fraternal orders as possible should be interested in Scouting and drawn into active sponsorship where conditions warrant. Women's Clubs, Auburn Societies, Save-the-Flowers Clubs, Humane Associations and many other institutions and groups will find it possible and advantageous to use Scout Service from time to time, and will in turn give loyal support to the Movement if properly approached and interested. THE SCOUT OATH On my honor I will do my best 1. To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law. 2. To help other people at all times. 3. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. CHAPTER XV COMMUNITY SERVICE Scout Executive A. D. Jamieson, Detroit, Mich. "Community service is always possible to any Conditions vary but there is always work to be "The rule for Scouts should be:-Render service Handbook for Scoutmasters. Citizenship Through Serving "To be Helpful to Other People at all Times" Service to others is a fundamental principle of practice in Scouting. Not only are important personal habits builded thereby, but citizenship itself is best taught and developed through actual service to the Common Welfare. READINESS TO SERVE is the working attitude demanded of those who would live in and help maintain a real democracy. Such an attitude is builded by actual service. Scouting Serves in Peace or War Boy Scouts rendered such splendid service during the war period that many people came to regard the movement as existing only for such service. A prominent war-worker in a large city remarked on Armistice Day, "Well, what are the scouts going to do now that the war is over?" This question is an index to much of the favorable impression aroused by the Scout Movement by its extensive and varied war service.* This war service accomplished real results for the winning of the war, and it did more-it set a new pace for Scout service in peace time. And if, as we claim, we are peace Scouts, we must be no less aggressive in *See Handbook for Scoutmasters, page 229. |