Globusz^® Publishing 

Our Art Badge is devised to lead boys on to express their ideas graphically from their own observation or imagination without attempting thereby to be or to imitate artists. By encouraging drawing, however crude, on the part of the youngster, he can be led on to recognise beauty in color or in form, to realise that even in sordid surroundings there may yet be light and shadow, color and beauty.

A further stage in his education can be brought about by getting him to practice mental photography, that is to notice the details of a scene or incident or person, and fix these in his mind, and then to go and reproduce them on paper.

This teaches observation in the highest degree. Personally I have found by prac- tice that one can develop a certain and considerable power in this direction. Rhythm is a form of art which comes naturally even to the untrained mind, whether it be employed in poetry or music or in body exercises. It gives a balance and order which has its natural appeal even and especially among those closest to nature-savages. In the form of music it is of course most obvious and universal. The Zulu War Song when sung by four or five thousand warriors is an example of rhythm, in music, poetry and bodily movement combined.

The enjoyment of rendering music is common to all the human family, The song as a setting to words enables the soul to give itself expression which, when adequately done, brings pleasure both to the singer and to his hearer.

Through his natural love of music the boy can be linked up with poetry and sentiment as by a natural and easy transition. It opens a ready means to the Scoutmaster of teaching happiness to his lads and at the same time of raising the tone of their thoughts.

Play-acting also ought to form part of every boy's education for self-expression. At school I was encouraged to do a lot of play-acting and I have thanked my stars ever since that I did so. For one thing it taught me to learn yards of stuff by heart; also accustomed me to speak clearly and without nervousness before a lot of people; and it gave me the novel joy of being someone else for a time.

It led one to know the beauties of Shakespeare and other authors, to feel, while expressing them, the emotions of joy and sorrow, love and sympathy.

Above all it gave one the pleasure and happiness of giving pleasure to other people at times when they needed it.

Many troops are giving entertainments in the winter months and are thus not only earning satisfactory additions to their funds, but are giving good training to their boys and pleasure to others.