2/7/65

Scripture: Read Psalm 24 (From J.M.R. Smith translation.)

More than a half century has passed since a certain day in London when an American man found himself trying to make his way through one of that city’s “pea-soup” fogs. Unable to see even a few steps ahead, and not quite certain that he could continue in the right direction, the man was grateful, and a bit surprised, when a boy appeared at his side and offered to guide him. Evidently the British boy knew the neighborhood; so the American man followed the boy’s leading, and presently found himself at the door where he had said he wanted to go. He offered to pay the boy for his trouble and was immeasurably surprised when the boy refused either wage or tip. When asked why he refused money, the boy replied that he was a Scout and that no Scout would accept money for a good turn.

The American was much impressed. This, to him, was something new in his world! He lost no time, as soon as his errand was finished, in finding out more about the British Boy Scouts; what was their program? Who could join it? How were boys trained in any movement that would make a fellow so willingly helpful as that lad had been? What the American man found out was so exciting to him that he decided American boys ought to have opportunity to belong to something so fine. Back home, he lost no time in talking up the idea. It caught on like wild fire. Magazines wrote articles about the possibility of Scouting in America. And soon the Boy Scouts of America became an organized fact. That was early in 1910.

Troops were organized, here and there, all over the United States of America. Out in Wisconsin, some men in Wisconsin Rapids had gotten excited over it. Here was something good that looked like fun for boys and for the men who could work with them. The idea that boys must obey their father and their elders was taken for granted. Boys knew the stern side of their fathers, their teachers, their elders in general. But here came an idea that looked different to many. By learning to live together in the out-of-doors, by learning nature by camping out in it, by giving attention to the traits of character which both men and boys admire by developing comradeship, not only between boys but among boys and their fathers and other men who worked and camped together, a new kind of wholesome life might open up.

Guy Nash was all for getting a Boy Scout troop started --- right away. Others agreed with him. And so Mr. Nash, the Rev. Fred Staff, who was pastor of the Congregational Church, Dr. Donald Waters and Mr. T. W. Brazeau took steps to organize a troop and to apply for a charter. The result was that, before the year 1910 was out, troop No. 1 was organized in September, and chartered in December, with Guy Nash as its first Scoutmaster. The troop has been sponsored by men of this church even since.

When the local Grand Rapids Scout Council was formed in 1919, this troop was registered as Troop #2. In later years it became troop 72 and now is known as troop 172. The original troop was the first one organized in this area, and was one of the very first in the whole state of Wisconsin.

For more than a half century, Scouting has flourished under the approval and sponsorship of this church. Hundreds of boys have enjoyed its activity and training (among them my own four sons.) Scores of men have given their time and attention as scouters, to see to it that boys have the opportunities offered in Scouting. It might be hard to name all who have served as scoutmasters; but here are listed most of them; Guy Nash, Victor Thompson, Theodore Bradford, Leonard Kinister, Otto Roenius, William Thiele, Thomas Nash, John Smart, Don Booton, John Crook, Joe Rude, Russell Christesen, Lloyd Klinger, Morgan Midthun, Robert Wallis, Elmer Smolke, William Haselow, John Druger, Dan Molsberry, and Ralph Lau.

About 1937 the first Cub Pack in Wisconsin Rapids, for younger boys, was formed with Del Rowland as the first Cub master. It was first chartered, by a committee sponsored by this church, as Pack 17. Later it became Pack 72 and is now Pack 172. Among Cub Masters, who have led the pack since Del Rowland, are M. V. Molsberry, Gilbert Dickerman, Clifford Peterson, Carl Klandrud, Bernard Brazeau, A. B. Silcox, Stanford Rowe, William Smalley, Richard Sleight, Milt Bushman, Herbert Jackson, Douglas Marshall, Dr. George Handy, John Siewert and Morgan Midthun.

But these Scoutmasters and Cubmasters are only a few of the many men (and women -- mothers, wives, den mothers) who have seen to it that the boys of this church and community have opportunity to enjoy the benefits of Scouting. Some have given years of service to the boys. And ours is but one of the churches and community organizations that now sponsor Scout troops. For instance, we welcome with us this morning, Scouts and Scouters of Troop 115, sponsored by Children’s Choice School. Several of our men have been marked with special distinction by the Boy Scout organization, for their service to boys.

The highest award given to Scouters on the Council level is the Silver Beaver award. The first Silver Beaver Award given to any Scouter in this area was bestowed upon Guy Nash in 1938. Others have followed. Five men of our congregation now living have been recipients of the Silver Beaver Award. They are: Del Rowland, Ralph Boyer, John Crook, James Plzak, and Stanton Mead. Stanton Mead has a further distinction. He has been the recipient of the Silver Antelope, the highest award to be presented to anyone on the regional level, where he has served as Vice President of Region 7. Mr. Mead and Mr. Plzak are at present members on the National Council, Boy Scouts of America. And Mr. Boyer has served in that capacity.

If you will take the time to examine them as you go out from church this morning, you may see, on the bulletin boards above the literature tables, a facsimile of an article in the Wisconsin Rapids Congregational News of about 1931 concerning the origins of scouting here; a copy of a letter attesting the very earliest registration of this troop with the national organization; a certificate of Mr. Guy Nash’s standing as Scoutmaster about 1914; and the certificate of his Silver Beaver award in 1938. The last two items are loaned by Guy Nash’s daughter, Miss Jean Nash.

Now why should men be so excited about a boy’s organization as to give great amounts of their time and enthusiasm to keep it going for generation after generation of boys? What does it mean to the boys themselves?

Well, it means a lot of wholesome, health-building, nature-learning, character-forming, fun and work and service! The boys train themselves. The standard each boy sets for himself is very high indeed, when he resolves to live by his Scout oath or promise: “On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the Scout law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

And what is the “Scout law” to which the boy refers in his promise? Is it a regulation under which he is “policed” by some agency, or compelled by someone? No, it is not. It is a set of standards, or reminders --- 12 of them --- by which he proposes to govern his own life. And these standards could be called laws of good living -- for that is what they are. The very desire to maintain his honor, helps a fellow to keep the Scout law.

A Scout is Trustworthy. That is to say he is faithful, reliable, dependable. When he gives you his word, you know he will perform it to the best of his ability because a Scout is like that. If he were not like that, he would cease to be a Scout! And his trustworthiness is rewarded by the approval of his fellows, of his own conscience, and of God.

A Scout is Loyal. He sticks up for his family, his employers, and the fellows who work with him, for his country and his God, and he is never ashamed of any of them. He may sometimes respectfully disagree with members of his family or his employer or his teacher or the officials of his country. But he never says, or admits, that they are no good. If he is any Scout at all, he is loyal to the good in them.

A Scout is Helpful. He realizes that every human being is his neighbor. And he leans to enjoy giving a hand to anyone whose difficulties he can help to meet. He will go to a great deal of personal inconvenience to help those who are in danger. And he takes helping around his home as a matter of course.

A Scout is Friendly. He learns to be friendly not merely to other Scouts, but to all people of every sort. He loyally sticks up for his closest friends and he learns to behave toward others as he would like them to behave toward him. It is reasonable to suppose that friendliness is attracted to friendliness and that Scouts will therefore find themselves especially friendly toward other Scouts the world over.

A Scout is Courteous. Another word for it is politeness. It is good manners and it marks one as a gentleman rather than a boor or a “roughneck.” When people observe the courtesy of a Scout, they know that he has learned that the manners of a person have a great deal to do with making life smooth and pleasant. A courteous person has learned to use good, clean language and to speak in a pleasant tone. He is able to control his temper, even when others lose theirs. He is courteous in face and manner to all people. In so doing, he makes them feel good, and he himself feels good, too.

A Scout is Kind. There are a great many people in the world who still are savages in their cruelty. Some even seem to take pleasure in the sufferings of animals and of people. But the more civilized a person becomes, the more he feels of pity, mercy and kindness to all living things. We have learned, by the teaching and life of Jesus, to think of God as loving, kind and merciful to us even in the midst of the sickness and sorrows and difficulties we have. If that is a true understanding of God, then we his creatures should normally be equally kind and merciful and charitable.

A Scout is Obedient. The only way that has even been worked out whereby people may get along in confidence and safety and cooperation with each other is in the observance of rules, of established customs. The laws of a government are made to protect life and property. The principles laid down in the home are for the benefit of all the family members. The rules of health are to be followed if one is to have a strong body. The rules of the school and of the Scout troop are not for punishment but are for the greatest advantage of the greatest number. Punishment is only for those who disobey and thereby throw themselves and others out of gear, or into danger. These are some of the reasons why a Scout is obedient to the laws of his country and his state and county, his school and his troop, his home and his health, his conscience and his God. And he shows that obedience in his attitude toward those who have been duly and properly placed in authority -- his leaders, his parents, his teachers, his governmental officers.

A Scout is Cheerful. Nobody likes a grouch, and everyone loves a smile. One cheerful face, one pleasant remark, sometimes even one joyous “wise-crack” can make a whole gang feel better. The fellow who is lucky enough to wake up in the morning to the sound of his mother’s singing or his father’s cheerful call, has his day all oiled and running smoothly by the time he gets his face washed. And the cheerfulness which he displays to others is mirrored right back by the smiles and well-being of those others throughout the day. “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance --- and he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” [Proverbs 15: 13, 15].

How fine is the joy

Of a whistling boy!

A Scout is Thrifty. He works for what he needs. He makes good use of his earnings and avoids wasting them. What he saves, he saves in such a way as to take care that he does not become a burden on other people. If, by chance, he earns in his life more than he needs, he uses it in helpfulness to his church, his community, to those of his family or friends who need help.

A Scout is Brave. Most of us have some fear. I suspect that every living person fears some thing or other. Many people have many fears and are dominated greatly by them. But a brave fellow is one who has courage in spite of his fears, because he knows his fears. He will be the boss of them rather than let his fears be the boss of him. The one who does his duty regardless of whether he may get hurt, or opposed or ridiculed -- that fellow has courage. That is bravery. The fellow who will balk at doing things he knows wrong or harmful to himself or others, who will say “no!” in spite of temptation, crafty persuasion or jeers -- that fellow has courage. That is bravery. To dare to do right is to be a good Scout.

A Scout is Clean. He keeps his body clean and his mind clean, knowing that this is necessary to his own physical and mental health as well as to the pleasure others have in him. A great many years ago, I knew a doctor who never looked clean, who had pipe ashes all over his clothes and whose hands were frequently soiled black. You always wanted to show him to the wash basin before letting him see the patient, and you wished there were a clean doctor closer than 25 miles away, for his very lack of neatness made you wonder if he were a good doctor. The same principle applies to cleanliness of mind. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

A Scout is Reverent. One reason why a special Scout Sunday is set aside during the year for special observance is that this Scout law may be emphasized. Reverence is having respect for all sacred things. A reverent person reserves the name of “God” for the deepest and most powerful fact that he knows about. He therefore, never used it lightly or crudely. He respects religion -- not only his own way of believing, but the other fellow’s faith as well. He also has reverence for human personality, for beauty, for greatness, for honor and integrity. I wonder if these principles of the Scout law are arranged to “lead up to” the twelfth as the most important of all --- a Scout is reverent!

We recall that when Jesus was summarizing the laws of God for his people, as they are found in Ten Commandments, he put first in importance: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ---- and thy neighbor as thyself.” [Matthew 22: 37-40]. And this is really living, said he.

Every boy -- every person -- who adopts these principles as his own law of life, earnestly trying to make his attitudes and actions consistent with their ideal, has hold of something good. And we believe in that kind of goodness.

[End of sermon. Presentation of plaque. Last May, during the Annual Meeting of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, held in Cleveland, there was a luncheon meeting of the Protestant Relationships Service during which recognition was made of all units that were over fifty years old. Mr. J. J. Plzak was present at the meeting and received in our behalf the recognition accorded to Troop 172. At this time he is to present to us the visible evidence of that recognition.]

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, February 7, 1965.

Includes material used previously, 2-9-36 and 2-9-41;

these are pages 6-10 filed with sermon of 2-9-41.