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Show Review Of Scouting As Presented At National Training GGiiferesrce For Professional Staffs By Grant Mace Field Scout Executive ' The evening of September 12 brought to a close the 9th National Na-tional Training Conference for the professional staff of the Boy , Scouts of America. The conference was held at Michigan State College in East Lansing, Michigan. Of the 2415 professional Scouters in Amer-1 ica, Hawaii and Alaska, 2216 were present, as well as a number num-ber of Scouters from foreign countries. Wives and children at the conference brought the total attendance to 3008 the largest conference yet held. This is understandable from the fact that the present membership member-ship off the Boy Scouts of America Amer-ica is at an all-time high of 2,750,000. Scouting at present is reaching reach-ing one out of every five boys in America. It's purpose is to extend its program of character building and citizenship training train-ing to as many of the youth of the land as possible. Another step in that direction will be the launching of a new three-year three-year program, "Forward on Liberty's Team," which will become be-come effective January 1, 1952 and will go through December 31, 1954. Units registering between be-tween now and January. 1952, however, can receive a Crusade award, providing they register on time. The present crusade to "Strengthen Liberty" will end December 31, 1951. The new program will have three objectives: (1) To obtain a greater functioning manpower; (2) To improve the quality of the program through better-trained better-trained leadership; (3) To' increase in-crease the present boy membership. Details of the program, such as goals and awards, etc.. will be given to the Scouters through their district committee meetings, meet-ings, round-tables, visits to the units and institutions, publications publica-tions sent out by the National and local councils, and other methods. Plans are now underway under-way for launching the program on a Nation-wide basis. A highlight feature of the conference was a huge Convocation Convo-cation held Sunday morning, 1 September 9, at which addresses were given by ifour outstanding men representing the four religious re-ligious roups of America. They were the Most Reverend Richard Rich-ard Oliver Gerow, D. D.; bishop of Natchez for over 25 years and chairman of the Catholic Committee Com-mittee on Scouting; Elder Ezra Taft Benson, member of the Council o'f the Twelve, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and member of the National Na-tional Executive Board, Boy Scouts of America; Dr. Norman Salit, vice president of the Synagogue Syn-agogue Council of America; and Dr. Franklin Clark Fry, president presi-dent of the United Lutheran Church in America, and vice chairman o the Central Committee Com-mittee of the World Council of Churches. The Conference was a great success and marks the beginning begin-ning of another step to build an even greater organization out of what is already the greatest and biggest organization of youth in the world. It is an organization or-ganization dedicated to the cause of Democracy. Quoting Arthur A. Schuck, Chief Scout Executive Execu-tive of the Boy Scouts of America: Amer-ica: "The . nations of the world stand today at acrossroads. One turning leads to the freedom for which our country stands. The influence and example of the free peoples of the world may well decide the destiny of humanity. "The Boy Scouts of America is in a position to tip the scales in the direction of liberty. We deal with youth in its formative time of life. We represent the ideals of democracy translated into daily living. "Our nation's leaders are aware of the value of the contribution contri-bution we can make. We have recently received many letters from men in high places. The President of the United States, leaders of labor and industry, cabinet members, governors, educators, ed-ucators, religious leaders have expressed their convictions that we are an asset of great impor tance. They value our Movement Move-ment as a powerful force for freedom. "We have a tremendous responsibility re-sponsibility to do our part. It seems planned by Divine Providence Provi-dence that we should have come into existence and developed through the years for this very purpose. Ours can well be the opportunity to influence the course of history by 'doing our best' in this crisis to build service ser-vice ideals and mould character in our youth. "In order to accomplish this, it is necessary for each Council, each District, each Unit, not only to 'let Freedom ring', but more than that, to 'help Freedom Free-dom ring.' We must reach every possible boy to' exert the greatest great-est possible influence toward freedom. Our program must be of the highest quality for greatest great-est effectiveness. Each one of us, wherever we may be must go the extra mile in the teamwork team-work which will guide our nation na-tion 'Forward on Liberty's Team.' " |
