Duty to G.o.d
No scout can ever hope to amount to much until he has learned a reverence for religion. The scout should believe in G.o.d and G.o.d"s word. In the olden days, knighthood, when it was bestowed, was a religious ceremony, and a knight not only considered himself a servant of the king, but also a servant of G.o.d. The entire night preceding the day upon which the young esquire was made knight was spent by him on his knees in prayer, in a fast and vigil.
There are many kinds of religion in the world. One important point, however, about them is that they all involve the worship of the same G.o.d. There is but one leader, although many ways of following Him. If a scout meets one of another religion, he should remember that he, too, is striving for the best. {250} A scout should respect the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Scout helping old lady across street.]
A Boy Scout"s Religion
The Boy Scouts of America maintain that no boy can grow into the best kind of citizenship without recognizing his obligation to G.o.d. The first part of the boy scout"s oath or pledge is therefore: "I promise on my honor to do my best to honor my G.o.d and my country." The recognition of G.o.d as the ruling and leading power in the universe, and the grateful acknowledgement of His favors and blessings is necessary to the best type of citizenship and is a wholesome thing in the education of the growing boy. No matter what the boy may be--Catholic, or Protestant, or Jew--this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before him. The Boy Scouts of America therefore recognize the religious element in the training of a boy, but it is absolutely non-sectarian in its att.i.tude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the organization or inst.i.tution with which the boy scout is connected shall give definite attention to his religious life. If he be a Catholic boy scout, the Catholic Church of which he is a member is the best channel for his training. If he be a Hebrew boy, then the Synagogue will train him in the faith of his fathers. If he be a Protestant, no matter to what denomination of Protestantism he may belong, the church of which he is an adherent or a member should be the proper organization to give him an education in the things that pertain to his allegiance to G.o.d. The Boy Scouts of America, then, while recognizing the fact that the boy should be taught the things that pertain to religion, insists upon the boy"s religious life being stimulated and fostered by the inst.i.tution with which he is connected. Of course, it is a fundamental principle of the Boy Scouts of America to insist on {251} clean, capable leadership in its scout masters, and the influence of the leader on the boy scout should be of a distinctly helpful character.
Work, Not Luck
Life, after all, is just this: Some go through life trusting to luck.
They are not worthy to be scouts. Others go through life trusting to hard work and clear thinking. These are they who have cleared the wilderness and planted wheat where forests once grew, who have driven back the savage, and have fostered civilization in the uncultivated places of the earth. The good scout is always at work--working to improve himself and to improve the daily lot of others.
The thing that is to be noticed in all of these men, those of the Round Table, and those of American pioneer days, is the fact that they were ever ready to do a good turn to some one. The knights of the Round Table did theirs by clash of arms, by the jousts and the tourney, and by the fierce hand-to-hand fights that were their delight in open battle. The old scouts, our own pioneers, very often had to use the rifle and the hatchet and the implements of war. However, those days have pa.s.sed, and we are living in a non-military and peace-loving age; and the glory of it is that, whereas these men took their lives in their hands and by dint of rifle and sword did their part in helping others, our modern civilization gives the Boy Scouts of America an opportunity to go out and do their good turn daily for others in the thousand ways that will benefit our American life the most. Sometimes they will have to risk their lives, but it will be in case of fire or accident or catastrophe. At other times they will be given the privilege of showing simple deeds of chivalry by their courteous treatment of their elders, cripples, and children, by giving up their seats in street cars, or by carrying the bundles of those who are not as physically strong as themselves. And in it all will come the satisfying feeling that they are doing just as much and perhaps a great deal more than the iron-clad men or the buckskin clothed scouts in making their country a little safer and a little better place to live in. Chivalry and courtesy and being a gentleman mean just as much now as they ever did, and there is a greater demand in these days to live pure, to speak true, and to help others by a good turn daily than ever before in the world"s history.
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CHAPTER VII
FIRST AID AND LIFE SAVING
_Major Charles Lynch, Medical Corps, U. S. A.
Acting for the American Red Cross_
PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS
General
Considerably over a million persons are seriously injured in the United States each year. The enormous loss of life and the great suffering involved certainly demand that every boy scout do what he can to improve conditions in this respect. Some accidents happen under all circ.u.mstances, but, on the other hand a great many accidents are avoidable and probably quite one half of the injuries which occur in the United States yearly could be prevented if common care were exercised.
Panics and Their Prevention
In case of a panic, at an in-door a.s.sembly, scouts, if they live up to their motto, "Be Prepared," will be able to save hundreds of lives.
There is usually plenty of time for people to get out of a building if the exits are not blocked by too many crowding them at once. One should, if possible, try to arrange to have the performance go on, and the others could rea.s.sure the people and get them to go out quietly through the exits provided. Almost all scouts know how quickly and safely our school buildings are cleared by means of the fire drill.
Fires
Fires const.i.tute a danger as great as panics, and scouts should be equally well informed what to do in case of fire. It is the duty of a scout to know how to prevent fires. Many fires are caused by carelessness. Never throw away a lighted match, for it may fall on inflammable material and start a fire. Reading in bed by the light of a lamp or candle is dangerous, for if the reader goes to sleep the bed clothing is likely to catch fire. {256} A scout may often have to dry his clothes before a fire and if so, they should be carefully watched.
Hot ashes in wooden boxes, or in barrels, are responsible for many fires. In camp, dry gra.s.s should be cut away from the locality of the camp fire; and not to put out a camp fire on leaving a camp is criminal. Many of the great fires in our forests have been due to carelessness in this respect. Fires also result frequently from explosions of gas or gunpowder. A room in which the odor of gas is apparent should never be entered with a light, and in handling gunpowder a scout should have no matches loose in his pockets.
How To Put Out Burning Clothing
If your own clothing should catch fire do not run for help as this will fan the flames. Lie down and roll up as tightly as possible in an overcoat, blanket, or rug. If nothing can be obtained in which to wrap up, lie down and roll over slowly at the same time beating out the fire with the hands. If another person"s clothing catches fire, throw him to the ground and smother the fire with a coat, blanket, or rug.
What To Do in Case of Fire
A fire can usually be put out very easily when it starts, and here is an occasion when a scout can show his presence of mind and coolness.
At first a few buckets of water or blankets or woollen clothing thrown upon a fire will smother it. Sand, ashes, or dirt, or even flour, will have the same effect.
[Transcriber"s note: Flour dust suspended in air is explosive.]
If a scout discovers a building to be on fire, he should sound the alarm for the fire department at once. If possible he should send some one else, as the scout will probably know better what to do before the fire-engine arrives. All doors should be kept closed so as to prevent draughts. If you enter the burning building, close the window or door after you, if possible, and leave some responsible person to guard it so it will not be opened and cause a draught. In searching for people, go to the top floor and walk down, examining each room as carefully as possible. If necessary to get air while making the search, close the door of the room, open a window, and stick the head out until a few breaths can be obtained. Afterward close the window to prevent a draught. If doors are found locked and you suspect people are asleep inside, knock and pound on doors to arouse them. If this produces no results, you will have to try to break down the door. While searching through a burning building it will be best to tie a wet handkerchief or cloth {257} over the nose and mouth. You will get a little air from the water.
Remember the air within six inches of the floor is free from smoke, so when you have difficulty in breathing, crawl along the floor, with the head low, dragging anyone you have rescued behind you.
If you tie the hands of an insensible person together with a handkerchief and put them over your head, you will find it fairly easy to crawl along the floor dragging him with you.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Learning by doing.]
Never jump from a window unless the flames are so close to you that this is the only means of escape.
If you are outside a building, put bedding in a pile to break the jumper"s fall, or get a strong carpet or rug to catch him, and have it firmly held by as many men and boys as can secure hand holds.
In country districts, scouts should organize a bucket brigade which consists of two lines from the nearest water supply to the fire.
Scouts in one line pa.s.s buckets, pitchers, or anything else that will hold water from one to another till the last scout {258} throws the water on the fire. The buckets are returned by the other line.