BOY SCOUTS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THY "syser.roa."] SIR,—After reading Lieutenant Dewar's letter in your issue of August 3rd, and also " Nemo's " statement, I would like to ask if the time has not come when for the welfare of the Boy Scout movement a better system of appointing Scoutmasters should not be undertaken. I am in no way mixed up with the Boy Scouts except that I have encouraged them to visit my camp for week-ends and encouraged my subalterns in our Special Reserve Unit to interest thethselves in the Scout movement and become Scoutmasters in their districts. The result has been several of my young officers have gone into the movement hot and strong, and I notice at annual training a vast improvement in their capacity to instruct and lead men; in fact, two who, I thought, would never make keen soldiers, absolutely astonished my adjutant and myself this year. I would suggest, therefore, that the Boy Scoutmasters should be brought more in touch with the War Office, and in addition that the twenty pounds per annum retaining fee special reserve subalterns get should be increased by five pounds per month if a Special Reserve subaltern or captain is also a Scout- master. Here you would get Scoutmasters and active fellows with the time and the idea of training, discipline, and initia- tive.—I am, Sir, &c., [We agree that great care should be taken in the appoint,. ment of Scoutmasters, but we cannot approve of " Yager's " suggestion to secure that end by bringing the movement into touch with the War Office. By all means let the Boy Scout movement serve military ends in the sense of making boys better material for soldiers ; but to bring it under the direct control of the War Office would alienate many persons whose support it is of the utmost importance to retain.—En. Spec- tator.]
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