a start. An idea of the efficiency and watchfulness of these 

 boys is furnished by the case of one lad who alone put out 

 100 incipient fires this summer. And while none of the young- 

 sters suffered injury, their work was not by any means play. 

 Raymond Hoban, scout captain at Comins, Oscoda county, ran 

 barefooted seven miles at 4 o'clock in the morning for the 

 township fire warden, and by so doing saved the town from 

 destruction. 



The expectation of the state officials is that eventually there 

 will be 10,000 or more forest scouts in Michigan. The method 

 of organizing a company is simple. Organization may be ef- 

 fected by five or more qualified candidates applying to the 

 field supervisor or the head of the department. Any boy be- 

 tween the ages of seven and nineteen may become a member 

 by appearing before a township, village or city school teacher 

 and subscribing that he is of the requisite age, that he will 

 obey all reasonable orders, and that he will at all times be 

 considerate of others and clean in sport and habits. To be a 

 charter member the would-be scout must know the scout rules 

 and regulations. The officers of a company are the captain, 

 lieutenant and sergeant, ranking in the order given. Com- 

 panies are named after noted American soldiers, frontiers- 

 men, Indian chiefs, or the names of American trees, plants or 

 animals. 



When a forest scout puts out a fire or reports one to the fire 

 warden he receives an honor medal. Hero's medals are con- 

 ferred on scouts for conspicuous bravery or good judgment in 

 the saving of life or property. The state department of educa- 

 tion has seconded the efforts of the forestry department and 

 provision has been made by which honor medals will be, 

 awarded for the six best stories (narrative, descriptive or 

 didactic) by the. boys of the public schools of Michigan, and 

 similar medals for the best stories by girls, all these stories 

 to be pertinent to the forest scouts or their work. Honorary 

 membership in forest scouts is conferred on those who have 

 won story awards, or others who may be deemed to have 

 earned the distinction. 



The scouts are given a text book which recites methods of 

 fighting forest fires, first aid to the injured and general out- 



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