Tke Higli Point Scout
Vol. I
High Point, N. C., March 15, 1919
No. 1
ANNOUNCEMENT
TROOP THREE.
The High Point Scout, Troop Three,
uiakea its initial bow, makes its bid
t, r the attention of the public. It is a
, modest little sheet. It is an infant
yet, and has hardly learned to walk.
-But it hopes to be well received. The
idea did not originate with the scout
master, but with tlie boys of the troop.
We must say for them, too, that they
are a “live” set of boys. They are
real boys. They are boys of courage
;ind ambition. And, best of all, they
are clean, upright boys with high
■ ideals. Since T have been identified
with them. 1 have studied them, and
1 think 1 know them. There is not
one of them but has the right stuff
in him. Furthermore, they thoroughly
believe in the scout work. They be
lieve the scout work furnishes them
an outlet of expression for the thing
tluA is in Ihem, and that its ideals
and its work will help them to become
what they want to be.
It is an unfortunate fact that there
are some parents who are not in full
.sympathy with the scout work. That
must come from one of two reasons
or both. They do not understand the
scout work, or else they do not under
stand the boy. The nature of the boy
is not that of the man. His energies
and interests must find expression.
They cannot be suppressed, if he is
to grow naturally and develop broad
ly. What a boy needs is not repres
sion, but expression under'proper di
rection. The scout work offers that
which appeals to the boy Instinct and
nature and directs it in proper chan
nels. It is wholesome; it is cle.f^ it
is disciplinary without being irksome.
It offers an education in things ^hat
are both useful and interesting to the
boy. It takes him out of doors. It
offers the association a boy must
have, and sees that this is safe and
clean. The hikes, the camping par
ties, the tests they must stand, the
things they must learn, to become first
class scouts, are not a waste of time.
Thcv are the best thing a boy can do
at the age he does it.
There are a few needs ! would like
briefly to point out.
First, more interest and sympathy
on the part of the parents in boy life
and activity. Encourage your boy
in the scout work. It is to your ad
vantage, if you have a boy, and will
assist you more than anything in that
boy problem you have on your hands.
Second. There should be more
community interest. This has never
been general. There are certain gen
tlemen who understand and who are
i ever ready to help the boys. Some of
them do not have boys of their own.
But the community sympathy does
I not seem to be as real now as it was.
i There is a reason. This leads me to
the third need, namely, more men who
‘ are interested enough to be scout
i masters. There is a woeful lack of
i leadership. I dare to make the su,g-
j gestion that there ought to be some
j good material in some of the clean,
i high-minded soldiers for scout mas-
! ters. The most important qualifica
tion is of course character. Next to
I that is a knowledge of and sympathy
! with boys. The soldier of right char-
j acter and sympathy has something
that is tremendously interesting to
the boy. This organization is in no
way military, but the soldier would
find in the scout work something to
interest him, that would be a helj) to
him. Also he can greatly benefit the
boy.
Fourth. We need a permanent meet
ing place, headquarters for the scouts.
We can find none for which the scouts
are able to pay the price. It seems to
me that the scouts ought to be able,
at a small cost, to obtain a place
which they could call their own. and
hold their meetings there and have all
their work center around it.
I should be glad if some one who
happens to read these lines should
assist us in finding a solution for our
problems. I furthermore commend to
you Troop Number Three. They aie
fine boys. Most of them, if not all of
them, work. Most of them go to
school, too. Some of them are going
to be heard from some day. Give them
your sympathv in their efforts.
C. P. COBLE.
APPRECIATED.
We are appreciative of the courte-
j sies extended us by Hie business
houses of High Point, who have made
this paper possible through their pat-
1 ronage.