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Show CHIEF SEA SCOUT REPORTS. At the last national council meeting meet-ing the chief sea scout, James A. Wilder, made this report: "We have found our sea legs. After some backing and filling as to the best methods, we have, with the advice ad-vice of some 400 executives, and others, oth-ers, settled on the course to be steered. This decision has steadied the sea-coast sea-coast program and the taffrail log begins be-gins to register more speed. November, Novem-ber, 1920, was our banner month, followed fol-lowed by the record breakers, December Decem-ber and January, 1920 and 1921. As we go to press, February, 1921, has already al-ready broken the record again. We have registered more ships in the last five months than in the previous three years. This is at the rate of 110 per cent increase annually. "We have the assurance that the seacoast program is being pushed as the official older boy program, in 87 cities. Ship's papers or preliminary steps have already been taken by 104 scout ceriters. In some cities, notably San Francisco, Honolulu and others, the program has been under way for several years without the registry of a single ship, because of a vote to thoroughly train leadership before admitting ad-mitting boys to membership. The sea-scouts, sea-scouts, at the rate we are growing at present, will be 200 "ships" in 1922. If the last four months' increase in our number Is maintained we will be. In six months, the largest seamanship training course or 'nautical school' in the United States. Swift Increase is not expected In the face of such slogans slo-gans as 'You must know it all the time,' 'Don't start anything you can't finish.' 'Practice makes perfect.' 'No frauds.' 'The ship is what you make her.' 'Don't give up the ship.' Nevertheless," Never-theless," we're already half the size of Annapolis, and as far as plain sailing goes, we are giving the same boat-seamanship program. "Fifty navy boats have been loaned to bona-fide seascouts, according accord-ing to regulations, and to certain sea-coast sea-coast training bases. Five hundred are still available for really determined deter-mined seacoasts of schooner (or second) sec-ond) grade. "The slogan is now, 'run your troop like a ship,' and in a seamanlike manner. man-ner. Seacoast centers are asked to ovoid foolhardy practices, slack seamanship sea-manship and frauds, and the local shipping committees are required to lake a pledge that no hoatwork or small boat sailing shall lake place until un-til the ship's company have qualilicd as In'e-avers. This waiting game may not spell numbers, Inn- shells quality." |