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Show Scouting At VJhiterocks For Five Years Reviewed: Much Activity Is Manifest By Alvin J. Duley I WHITEROCKS (Special) The average Scouting membership for .the school years 1947-1950 was 27 members. At present the membership totals 35. This year's Scout membership shows a 200 per cent increase over the Scout membership of the school year 1946-1947. The average Cub Scout membership mem-bership for the school years 1947-1950 was 28. At present it is 31; last year it was 34. Since March, 1950 we have included the 11-year-old boys with the Scouts. This year's Cub membership member-ship shows an 82 per cent increase in-crease over the Cub Scout membership mem-bership for 1946-47, when 17 Cub Scouts were ' registered. It i has been found that new Scouts with a Cub background more I readily assimilate the spirit of ; Scouting than they perhaps 1 would without such experience. Figures used in computing percentages are based on active membership and does not include in-clude inactive and dropped registrations. reg-istrations. Records show that nearly 100 per cent of the boarding board-ing boys continue their membership member-ship each year while residing here. Persistence of their efforts " n4-thegQsTaining of their interest in-terest in Scouting is noteworthy. Last October, for the first time, we elected Crew leaders. Explorers held separate meetings meet-ings in addition to their troop work. More day school boys (non boarders) are registered this year than at any time during the 5-year Scouting period being studied. An 'analysis of the charters not only reveals an increase in adult Scouting members, but al-so al-so an increase in the number of Indians serving on these com-' com-' mittees. Of our twelve Scouters, seven belong to the Ute tribe. The rise in interest, pride and recognition given our Scouts by many Indians of this reservation is evident. This should continue to increase annually. Without a doubt, some of our present and former Scouts will some day help other boys in Scouting through continuing- their Scouting Scout-ing participation and leadership on reaching adulthood. This year we have one active Den Mother, in contrast to an average of three during the past three years. But this year we have added a Scout Mothers' club. Mothers meet -each Wednesday Wed-nesday afternoon under the auspices of the Ladies Guild at the . Parish hall. Den Mother training courses were conducted at the school during the years ' ' 1948 and 1949. v We have five Den Chiefs. This office, for some reason, is the most popular and most sought-after sought-after of the Scout positions. The Scouting program here may easily assimilate merit badge advisers. For example, there are at least 20 subjects in the field of Agriculture- alone offered through the Scout merit badge program. An instance of this type of integration is given when in May, 1948, eight Scouts received Agriculture merit badges bad-ges upon the recommendation of their Agricultural teacher. For six months during 1947 Cubs and Scouts owned a cow with twin calves. The following spring we purchased three heifers. heif-ers. For almost two years we raised rabbits. Enthusiasm for caring for these animals was continuously con-tinuously at high pitch. In addition addi-tion to inoculation of better attitudes toward animals, we made over $100 in profits. Other merit badge work that Scouts will find appealing are atheltics, bugling, camping, horsemanship, Indian lore, physical phys-ical development, pioneering, art, aviation, etc. Three months ago the Scout counsel was formed. Through the suggestions and support they have taken in our program, another an-other morale booster has been added. Individual help and personal guidance given Scouts, sought for by our Scouts, is part of our Scouting program. It aids in personality growth, character development de-velopment and increased comprehension, com-prehension, supplementing and strengthening the group activities activ-ities offered. Of special significance to those interested in boy leadership, leader-ship, are the numerous queries of the Cub Scouts, the eagerness to enroll upon reaching their 8th birthday, the advancement made in Boy Scous committee work. More oral reports were given this year than in any previous year, although in 1946-47 1946-47 Scouts wrote the most themes about their experiences. Registrations are all voluntary. volun-tary. We know that much improvement im-provement can be made, but during another five-year period. Scouting will do much to bring about a higher realization of our American ideals, democratic procedures and the meaning of; true freedom. An additional feature of the next school year Scouting program, pro-gram, will be a written, cumulative cumu-lative and flexible form of philosophy phil-osophy prepared by the Counseling Counsel-ing committee and the Boy Scouts, to specifically and more adequately help meet our advancing ad-vancing needs. We cherish with deep gratitude grati-tude the help and interest given us by the school employees, the residents of the community, our Scout and Cub Scout committee members, and the contributions and splendid cooperation of the Scouters of the National Parks Council, and the Tribal Business committee members. Another new feature of our Scout program is that plans will be studied to put Scouting here on a yearly basis, including includ-ing summers. Parents of our Cub and Boy Scouts are reminded that they are to present .the awards to their sons at our next Court of Honor, April 19. |