THE BOY SCOUT.

DURING the week the Press has been full of enthusiasm over the Scouts' Jamboree at Olympia, which closes to-day, and everyone who was able to visit Olympia must feel that the enthusiasm was thoroughly justified. Even to those of us who have worked with the scouts the Jamboree

must have brought surprises, but to those of us who know the Scout movement only from outside it must have been an astonishing

revelation of the inspiration, the imagination and the power of organization that have made the movement what it is. We have often seen scouts in camp, no doubt, and have smiled a little indulgently at the seriousness with which they took themselves ; we have watched them in mimic warfare over the hills, creeping stealthily towards their foe like their traditional model, the Red Indian, or rushing an ascent with joyous whoop ; we have stood by as they engaged in a great encounter with some village cricket team—and we have reflected what a pleasant opportunity the Boy Scouts movement gives of a jolly country

holiday. We have passed them on trek, dragging their para- phernalia cheerfully along dusty highways, or swinging along unimpeded to the tune of a whistling chorus ; or again, have admired them at some local gathering where they went through physical exercises with grace and precision—and we have reflected once more what an excellent opportunity the Boy

Scouts movement gives to boys to become physically fit. We have thought how attractive the boys looked in their uniform, and compared them with the boys who slouch about the streets,

unkempt and uncared for. We have remembered also that

there were roles for teaching the boys to be courteous and to do kindly things for people, and have thought how suitable it was that the movement should thus be rounded off by a little

moral instruction. And we have decided altogether that the Boy Scouts were a fine idea of General Baden-Powell and did him much credit. The war showed us the scouts in rather a different light. They were extremely useful with the Red Cross organizations ; . they were untiring and intrepid during air-raids, and none of us will forget the "All Clear ! " from their bugles. But it was not till we went to Olympia that we realized how superficial had been our view, in what numberless directions the Boy Scouts worked and with what thoroughness

every interest was pursued. We had looked upon them 49 primarily athletes in the making. Athletics is probably the main interest, but there are any number of others to suit the needs of all members. Each boy is encouraged first to discover what particular bit he can do, and then to do it to the best of

his ability. He may be pilot or plumber, naturalist or star-man, entertainer or bee-farmer, woodman or weatherman, artist or handyman. Anyone who has doubts about the usefulness of the movement should , read the qualifications for passing examinations in all the various branches, and particularly should they note the admirable clauses referring to the Public Health Man, Swimmer or Missioner. All the benefits of this training re-acts first, of course, on the boy's troop, but he is never allowed to forget that the objective of his organization is to be of service to the world. A charming little illustration of this is seen in certain passages in the Chief Scout's " Pow-wow " about the Jamboree in last week's number of

the Scout.

"Remember, A Scout is Courteous.' There will be hundreds of strangers there, and if you can do them a small good turn it will tell them more than any book can do that the Scout is a gentleman. So be on the look-out all the time to do good turns to people." A principal impression produced by the Jamboree is that

General laden-Powell has made usefulness romantic. It was a tremendous inspiration. Usefulness as usefulness, in its unadorned utilitarian aspect, is not attractive to the human boy. It was easy enough, no doubt, to get him to march and counter- march to the sound of the pipe and drum, to play the Indian brave, to wriggle through the bracken after a wily foe, to make a camp fire, to blow a bugle, to eat his dinner out of a tin in a field instead of round the dinner table at home. And for the sake of all these delights he would contentedly put up with a little discipline. But it was another matter to make him see

any glory in mending boots or washing a shirt, in thawing frozen pipes or repairing a basket-chair, or in any one of the ordinarily prosaic jobs of the handyman. There are boys,

of course—many of them—who would like nothing better than to mend a pair of boots or thaw pipes, whitewash a calling or even cook an Irish stew if they could do these things in their own way without the tiresome supervision of anxious elders.

An Irish stew might be a mighty adventure under the right conditions, and anyone with half an ounce of imagination can picture the ecstasy of the whitewashing.

Boys love adventure ; they have no particular love of being useful. "Helping mother" is no doubt an estimable thing, but despite the example of blameless little boys in books, the real boy does not delight in it as such. Duty is a splendid Thing, but even grown-ups frequently have to call it by some other name to make it attractive. We form ourselves into all sorts of associations and committees, brotherhoods and bands with a multitude of insignia and pages of formulae to carry us through the routine of life. Even our strongest instincts need some camouflage. We had a striking example only the other day when our statesmen told us that men could not be induced to join the fighting forces unless they could wear scarlet coats. Ritual is one of man's greatest discoveries and inspirations. If we who are mature and therefore, presumably, wise in experience, need these things, it is not surprising that boys need them even more. What is surprising is that the truth has not been applied before on the grand scale. Wise parents, of course, have recognized it long ago. Down the ages no doubt many and wondrous have been the shifts and inventions by which they have induced the reluctant little human to take up his duties gladly. But the wise parents are few and the foolish many, foolish in ignorance or austerity, and it was a happy day for youth when General Baden-Powell embodied the wisdom of the ages and combined adventure with usefulness.

Among the edifying books for the young, popular some twenty years ago, was a story which showed how a little girl curbed her naughty temper. She had three boxes, one empty, one holding blue beads and one holding white beads. At the end of each day she reflected upon her past behaviour, and for each naughty thing she said or done she put a blue bead into the empty box, and for each good thing a white bead. On some days there was a distressing preponderance of blue ; on others there was a dazzling white record of a blameless day. The method was a good one for a strong-minded child who could do without appreciation, for the ritual was conducted in solitude. Perhaps many little girls could pursue it satisfactorily, but we are sure that for the human boy the method of the Scouts is much better. It is inspired by esprit de corps. If he, so to speak, overloads his box with naughty blue beads, he cannot tell himself that, after all, nobody need know. The whole troop suffers from the disgrace of one bad Scout. He is thus early taught the force of example and the sense of responsibility. But the zealous Scout can win more even than the appreciation of his team. Every branch has its badge for proficiency, the cook no less than the pathfinder, the carpenter no less than the star-man. Imagination has played a noble part in the designing and colouring of these badges, and the Scout who can cover his sleeve with them—and we noted many such at Olympia—is not only a proud but a gorgeous and beautiful being.

In that same spirited " Pow-wow " the Chief Scout puts this very clearly :—

" I wantevery Scout who is going to the Jamboree to remember that he is going to be one of the performers there.

You may say : No, not me—I'm not going into the arena. I'm only going to look on.' Yes, but there will be other people looking at you all the same, and from what you do and the way you carry on they will be likely to judge of what all Scouts are like. So you will be on show and on duty.

We know that we are expected to be smart, upright fellows, clean and alert, Being Prepared for any job at any moment. Well, you can carry out that idea all right—at any rate most of you can, but there is just the occasional rotter who doesn't, and he is the one who will probably catch the eye of someone looking on and will let the rest of you down. If he goes slouching about in dirty, untidy uniform, sucking an ?range or chewing gum, or if he goes tearing about bumping against people with his pole and playing the ass, the onlooker will say, ' Oh I I don't think mu& of Scouts. They are a slack lot.' " Naturally a festival inspired by such a movement was bound to be joyous. The Jamboree was as jolly as its name. It was a spree of good fellowship. It was a super "pow-wow "-

a wondrous development from the feasts of those whom the Boy Scout insists on regarding as his legitimate founders, the Red Indians. Balloons of all (*lours hung in the air ; bands were continually playing—now the skirl of the pipes, now the shout of the bugles, now the full melody of the massed Scout band as it paraded the arena. In Handyman's Row, Scouts were to be seen at work at their handicrafts or displaying ingenious electric toys, artistic ironwork or quaint painted wooden utensils. Scouts representing twenty-one different nationalities and innumerable counties, towns and even villages in the United Kingdom thronged the galleries, stairways and alleys, and appeared to be swarming on roof and girders. Olympia glowed with colour, for every corps from whatever country seems to have its own peculiar ribbons and buttons and scarves. Dark-eyed Spaniards rubbed shoulders with the blue-eyed and blue-jerseyed boys from Sweden ; sunburnt Scouts from the new kingdom of Czecho-Slovakia mingled with a group of boys from some Wesleyan chapel in Slocum-by-Mudford or a sturdy kilted band from the North of Scotland. Wolf-Cubs in charge of demure Cub-masters sat at basket-weaving or mat-making or went through various exercises on a mock village green watched by admiring relatives. Cubs in battalions gathered together for that great moment when at the cry of one little cub lost in the great arena they should rush in from rocky pass and winding pathway to gather round the Wolf and send up the Great Howl. In the arena itself every type of sport and branch of Scout work was represented. It was delightful to see in the international tugs-of-war how well the sporting spirit has been inculcated. At the close of each contest the teams would each shout their peculiar cry—an education in war-cries—and the winners and losers would rush to shake hands in the most approved style of British playing fields. Scouts were shown rescuing miners from a Welsh coal-pit; saving people from a burning house—giving first aid, with here and there the right touch of fooling to cause merriment ; the injured man had a huge nose, or the timid old woman in the yellow dressing-gown and pink night-cap refused to jump into a blanket ! Swedish boys, playing one of their national games ; boys from all countries showing their form in physical drill ; boys from Scotland giving a representation of a Highland sports meeting. Many of the items were taking place simultaneously, and it was noticeable how each group of boys did their bit regardless of other groups or the particular regard of the vast audience. It requires self-effacement to become merely an item in so large a spectacle, and never to know whether that burst of applause was for you or the other fellow. The vanity of man yearns for recognition. But at the Jamboree the boys wrestled or jumped or ran or rescued miners or ran up tents or tugged a rope with the sole satisfaction of doing their bit. That this should be so and that all the bits were done so well is, we think, the best representation of the Scout movement that could be devised.

The Jamboree has been described over and over again as Youth's League of Nations; the International Brotherhood of Youth and other happy phrases. As the Grand Procession of Scouts wound through the arena, each group with its national flag, the ideal of an international good fellowship seemed easy of realization. Of course, this youthful League of Nations is as yet not more complete than its famous, and at the moment, somewhat shadowy namesake. The world has still some distance to go to achieve its true League. But every effort to bring nations together is a help to this end. It is at this moment when the world longs for peace that these fraternization.s are so welcome. The object of the Boy Scouts is to do a good turn for someone. Perhaps by this Jamboree they have done the grandest turn of their career—they have helped the world one step nearer to a better understanding.