Scouting for Boys

CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 3

BECOMING A SCOUT

Tenderfoot Test - Scout Law. Scout Promise. Scout

Sign and Salute. Investiture - Scout Uniform

To be a Scout you should join a Scout Patrol or a Scout Troop in your neighbourhood, with the written permission of your parents.

But before becoming a Scout, you must pass the Tenderfoot Test. This is a simple test just to show that you are worth your salt and mean to stick to it. The requirements for this are not very difficult and you will find all you want to know in this book.

When you have satisfied your Scoutmaster, the man in charge of your Troop, that you can do all the things and do them properly, you will be invested as a Scout and be entitled to wear the Tenderfoot Badge.

Scout Law

The Scout Law contains the rules which apply to Boy Scouts all the world over, and which you promise to obey when you are enrolled as a Scout. The Scout Law is on the inside front cover of this book. Study it carefully so that you understand the meaning of every point.

Scout Promise

At your investiture as a Scout you will make the Scout Promise in front of the rest of the Troop. The Scout Promise you will find on the inside front cover. This Promise is a very difficult one to keep, but it is a most serious one and no boy is a Scout unless he does his best to live up to his Promise.

So you see, Scouting is not only fun, but it also requires a lot from you, and I know I can trust you to do everything you possibly can to keep your Scout Promise.

Scout Motto

The Scout Motto is: BE PREPARED

which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY.

Be Prepared in Mind by having discip lined y ourself to be obedient to every order, and also by havin g thought out beforehand any accid ent or situation that might occur, so that y ou know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willin g to do it.

Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.

Scout Badge

The Scout Badge is the arrowhead which shows the North on a map or on a compass. It is the Badge of the Scout because it points in the right direction, and upwards. It shows, the way in doing your duty and helping others. The three points of it remind you of the three points of the Scout Promise.

This arrowhead has come to be the Badge of the Scouts in almost every country in the world. In order to distinguish one nationality from the other, the country’s own emblem is often placed on the front of it. You see this, for instance, in the United States where the eagle and the national shield of America stand in front, backed by the Badge of the world-wide Scout Brotherhood. The same is the case in many other countries.

Under the arrowhead is a scroll with the Scout Motto, “Be Prepared”. The scroll is turned up at the ends like a Scout’s mouth, because he does his duty with a smile and willingly.

Beneath the scroll is a cord with a knot tied in it. This knot is to remind you to do a good turn daily to someone.

The three points of the Scout Badge and the three fingers o f the Scout Sign remind a Scout of the three parts of the Scout Promise.

Scout Sign and Salute

The Scout Sign is made by raisin g your right hand, palm to the front, thumb resting on the nail of the little finger, and the other fingers up right, pointing upwards. The three fingers remind a Scout of the three parts of the Scout Promise. The Scout Sign is given at the making of the Promise, or as a gr eeting. When the hand held in this way is raised to the forehead, it is the Scout Salute.

When to Salute

All wearers of the Scout Badge salute each other once a day . The first to see the other Scout is the first to salute, irrespective of rank.

Scouts will always salute as a token of respect, at the hoisting of the Flag; at the playing of the National Anthem; to the uncased National Colours; to Scout Flags, when carried ceremonially; and to all funerals. On these occasions, if the Scouts are acting under orders, they obey the orders of the person in charge in regard to saluting or standing to the alert. If a Scout is not acting under orders he should salute independently. In all cases, leaders if covered should salute.

The hand salute is only used when a Scout is not carry ing his staff, and is always made with the right hand. Saluting when carrying a staff is done by bringing the left arm smartly across the body in a horizontal position, the fingers showing the Scout Sign just touching the staff.

When in uniform a Scout salutes whether he is wearing a hat or not, with one exception, namely at religious services, when all Scouts must stand at the alert, instead of saluting.

The Meaning of t he Salute

A man once told me that “he was just as good as any body else; and he was blowed if he ever would raise a finger to salute his so-called ‘betters’; he wasn’t going to be a slave and kow-tow to them, not he!” and so on.

That is a churlish spirit, which is common among fellows who have not been brought up as Scouts.

I didn’t argue with him, but I might have told him that he had the wrong idea about saluting.

A salute is a sign between men of standing. It is a privilege to be able to salute any one.

In the old days freemen were all allowed to carry weapons, and when one met another each would hold up his right hand to show that he had no weapon in it, and that they met as friends. So also when an armed man met a defenceless person or a lady .

Slaves or serfs were not allowed to carry weapons, and so had to slink past the freemen without making any sign.

A Scout shakes hands with another Scout with the left hand, in the Scout Handshake.

Nowadays people do not carry weapons. But those who would have been entitled to do so, such as knights, esquires, and men-at-arms, that is, those living on their own property or earning their own living, still go through the form of saluting each other by holding up their hand to their hat, or even taking it off. “Wasters” are not entitled to salute, and so should slink by, as they generally do, without taking notice of the freemen or wage-earners.

To salute merely shows that you are a right sort of fellow and mean well to the others. There is nothing slavish about it.

If a stranger makes the Scout Sign to you, you should acknowledge it at once by making the Sign back to him, and then shake hands with the LEFT HAND — the Scout Handshake. If he then shows his Scout Badge, or proves that he is a Scout, you must treat him as a Brother Scout, and help him.

Investiture of a Scout

Here is a suggested ceremon ial for a recru it to be invested as a Scout:

The Troop is formed in horseshoe formation, with Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster in the gap .

The recruit with his Patrol Leader stands just inside the circle, opposite to the Scoutmaster. The Assistant Scoutmaster holds the staff and hat of the recruit. When ordered to come forward by the Scoutmaster, the Patrol Leader brings the recruit to the centre. The Scoutmaster then asks: “Do you know what your honour is?”

The recruit rep lies: “Yes. It means that I can be trusted to be truthful and honest” (or words to that effect).

“Do you know the Scout Law?”

“Can I trust you, on your honour, to do your best to live up to the Scout Promise?”

Recruit then makes the Scout Sign, and so does the whole Troop while he gives the Scout Promise.

Scoutmaster: “I trust you, on your honour, to keep this Promise. You are now one of the great World Brotherhood of Scouts.”

The Assistant Scoutmaster then puts on him his hat and gives him his staff. The Scoutmaster shakes hands with him with the left hand. The new Scout faces about and salutes the Troop . The Troop salutes. The Scoutmaster gives the word, “To your Patrol, quick march”.

The Troop shoulders staves, and the new Scout and his Patrol Leader march back to their Patrol.

Going on in Scouting

When you have been invested as a Scout you can go on to the next grade, that of Second Class Scout: For this you will learn the beginnings of many useful subjects. The Badge of the Second Class Scout is the scroll alone, with the Scout Motto.

No Scout will want to remain Second Class for long and so you will become a First Class Scout as soon as you can. This will mean hard work tackling signalling, map-reading, hiking, first aid, and many other things. The First Class Badge consists of the arrowhead and the scroll both.

You can also win Proficiency Badges for your hobbies.

The Scout Uniform, used around the world, is very like the uniform worn by the men of the South African Constabulary.

Scout Uniform

The Scout Uniform is very like the uniform worn by my men when I commanded the South African Constabulary. They knew what was comfortable, serviceable, and a good protection against the weather. So Scouts have much the same uniform.

With a few minor alterations the original Scout Uniform has met the ideas of Scouts around the world and has been universally adopted. Of course, in extreme climates it has to be modified to suit the seasons, but on the whole the different nations in the temperate climates are dressed uniformly alike.

Starting at the top, the broad-brimmed khaki hat is a good protection from sun and rain. It is kept on by a bootlace tied in a bow in front on the brim and going round the back of the head. This lace will come in handy in many ways when you camp . The hat has four dents in it.

Then comes the neckerchief or scarf which is folded into a triangle with the point at the back of the neck. Every Troop has its own scarf colour, and since the honour of your Troop is bound up in the scarf, you must be very careful to keep it clean and tidy . It is fastened at the throat by a knot, or a slide or “woggle”, which is some form of ring made of cord, metal, or bone, or any thing you like. The scarf protects your neck from sunburn and serves many purposes, such as for a bandage or as an emergency rope.

The Scout shirt (or jersey) is a free-and-easy thing, and nothing could be more comfortable when the sleeves are rolled up . All Scouts have them rolled up because this tends to give them greater freedom, but also as a sign that they are ready to carry out their Motto. They only roll them down when it is very cold or when their arms may become sunburnt. In cold weather the shirt can be supplemented with warmer garments over or, better, under it.

Shorts are essential to hard work and to climbing, to hiking and to camping. They are less expensive and more hygienic than breeches or trousers. They give freedom and ventilation to the legs. Another advantage is that when the ground is wet, you can go about without stockings and none of your clothes gets damp .

The stockings are held up by garters, with green tabs showing below the turnover of the stocking top.

Personally, I consider shoes more suitable than high boots since they give better ventilation to the feet and therefore diminish the danger of chills and of chaffs which come from damp stockings softening the feet when tightly laced boots are worn.

Wearing the Uniform

The Scout kit, through its uniformity, now constitutes a bond of brotherhood among boys across the world.

The correct wearing of the Uniform and smartness of turnout of the individual Scout makes him a credit to our Movement.

It shows his pride in himself and in his Troop.

One slovenly Scout, on the other hand, inaccurately dressed may let down the whole Movement in the eyes of the public.

Show me such a fellow and I can show you one who has not grasped the true Scouting spirit and who takes no pride in his membership of our great Brotherhood.

Scout Staff

The Scout staff is a useful addition to the kit of the Scout.

Personally , I have found it an invaluable assistant when traversing mountains or boulder-strewn country and especially in night work in forest or bush. Also, by carving up on it various signs representing his achievements, the staff gradually becomes a record as well as a treasured companion to the Scout.

The Scout staff is a strong stick about as high as your nose, marked in feet and inches for measuring.

The staff is useful for all sorts of things, such as making a stretcher, keeping back a crowd, jumping over a ditch, testing the depth of a river, keeping in touch with the rest of your Patrol in the dark. You can help another Scout over a high wall if you hold your staff horizontally between

your hands and make a step for him; he can then give you a hand from above. Several staves can be used for building a light bridge, a hut or a flag staff.

There are many other uses for the staff. In fact, you will soon find that if you don’t have your staff with you, you will always be wanting it.

If you get the chance, cut your own staff. But remember to get permission first.

The Scout staff is useful for a great number of out-door activities.