Just a minute
Reading edition
“I have a problem, and I’m glad!” said someone. We looked up to see—you guessed it, our old friend Scoutmaster BLIMP. His Troop is just as lively as ever, maybe more so. It’s a good Troop.
“Who in the world,” we asked, “ever heard of anyone being glad he had a problem?”
“Oh, but you don’t understand,” BLIMP went on, “my problem is the kind you can be glad about. Want to hear the details?”
“Is it optional?” we asked, knowing better.
“No,” replied BLIMP. “It’s very simple. Before I got wise to myself, I used to worry a lot about what in the world to DO at Troop meetings. Since I have started using the Program Notebook and all the swell ideas in Scouting (see contents, Page 1) and since my Scouts have been reading Boys’ Life, we have a new and interesting problem ... with all this material we worry about what to leave out!”
Troops which discovered this new problem have just about finished a whirlwind month of compass work and orienteering, with a world of usable games and teaching methods in Scouting and almost an entire issue of Boys’ Life showing the Scouts the “how” of it.
There’s no excuse for running out of ideas!
The same is true of January. The December issue of Boys’ Life (which will soon be on its way to your boys) is crammed full of ideas on “Handicraft,” the very popular theme for January.
Your Scouts will feast their eyes on a swell photo-feature called “Bead Work,” a Ben Hunt special which will bring out the Indian in a lot of our boys, and that’s good! This ONE feature will be reprinted, if you need a few just drop us a card.
Other handicrafts include “Tie Pins” by Glenn Wagner (no, not Pie Tins!) and a bunch of back-of-the-book nifties you’ll want to try. Of course, Green Bar Bill scores his usual bull’s-eye with a page of terrific ideas for P.L.s, and all the usual features, articles, and shorts.
We toss-up an action packed basketball serial, “Backboard Magic” by Howard M. Brier, as well as “Rambling Christmas Tree” and “Voice of the Ugly Truck” by Ward and Conley respectively. There is a thrilling mountain climb described in “Ladders to the Clouds,” by Joseph Stocker, “Geared for Winter Woods,” by John J. Rowlands, and page after page of other thrilling Scout material.
“May I put on my false whiskers and make a good suggestion,” asked BLIMP who has been peering over our shoulder.
“I know ... I know ...” we interrupted. “Remind all Scouters that there is NO better Christmas present for any boy, or any Troop ... than Boys’ Life.”
“Exactly!” he replied, as he banged the door and went cheerily down the hall whistling “Jingle Bells!”
M. H. McMasters
For Boys’ Life