Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-13 | Page 8 | Boy Scouts Visit the White House

BDY SCOUTS VISIT TIE WHITE HOUSE President Wilson 111 With a Cold and Delegation Is Received by Bryan. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12. Moro than ono hundred" boy scouts and scout masters rjathorcd today for tlio fourth annual session of the National Council of Boy Scouts of America. A principal fenturo of tho first day's programme a rccoptiou and au address by President Wilson was abandoned because Iho president was confined to his room with a cold. Tho morning session was takeu up with reports of ollicors and the afternoon after-noon programme was rearranged to go on without the march to tlio Whito house. I Secretary "Bryan grootod tho Boy .Scouts and their ollicors in the White hou.Hu and couveyed to them the president's presi-dent's message of welcome, ILrp. Wilson pin nod on Ave boys eagle badges, the highest honor which the organization confers on its members. To get an eaglo bndgo it. is necessary that tho 33oy Scout shall have previously won twouty-onc honor badges, each tho mark of morit; in some individual lino of accomplishment. "When tho country wakes up lliore will be a chair of scouting in every university uni-versity and a secretary of scouting in the cabinet," declared Ernest Thompson Thomp-son Seton. chief scout, at. tho business session of tho council. " Evoryono now knows that boys nro not born bad, but arc nuulo so by evil surroundings. Tt is up to the peonlo to end this destruction destruc-tion of our most precious national resource." re-source." Secretary Bryan praisod tho scout leaders for tho excellent work thoy wero doing in training bovs in the right direction and helping them to develop de-velop those qualities ot body, mind and spirit which would make them valuable citizens. Secretary "Daniel?;, addressing the council later, paid it was tho greatest thing in the world for grown men to keep in touch with the enthusiasm of youth. With tho. exception of religion, he added, tho two things in life worth while wore enthusiasm and initiative. James E. West, chief scout exocutivo, reported on the growth of the movement move-ment and told of how it was gaining favor. Ho said ho had just learned that tho national Socialist party had. "without our knowledge, investigated the several boy scout organizations in this country and compiled a circular favorable to out movement, which is sent to their inquirers." FTo recom-mondod recom-mondod that tho country be divided into eight districts, with a field man in charge of each.