Avoiding Temptation at Silver Bay

“At Silver Bay, in 1911, there was a large gathering of the scouts. There were two competitions. In the first, each boy was given a stick of wood, a hatchet, a pail of water and two matches. The contest was to see which boy could soonest bring the water to a boil. He must do everything with these materials, build his fire, support his pail, and so on. The next contest was the carrying of a message. One boy was to carry a message through to the hotel, and ten other boys were set to intercept him.

“If the Boy Scouts did nothing else than keep the boys out of doors and require the physical activities that it does, it would be worth while, because these are sure to build up the health, develop the physique, and keep the boys away from the temptations of the city.”

The Play Movement and Its Significance by Henry Stoddard Curtis, 1917

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