EDITORIAL 
The First Woodcraft Dinner. 
The first annual dinner of the Wood- 
craft League of America was held at 
the Pennsylvania Hotel, New York 
City, December 8. In the earliest 
plans it was estimated that there mi ght 
be two hundred present and provision 
was made for that number. Imagine 
the delightful surprise when five hun- 
dred appeared and the great disap- 
pointment when foulr hundred were 
turned away. This attendance and the 
added applications, together with the 
evident enthusiasm at the dinner, must 
be gratifying to the managers of the 
Woodcraft League, especially to Mr. 
Ernest Thompson Seton and his sec- 
retary, Philip D. Fagans. Every de- 
tail was carefully observed. An enor- 
mous number of souvenirs from the 
wild woods in the form of birch bark, 
Christmas ferns, hemlock branches, 
ground pine (lycopodium), etc., was 
supplied through the personal labors 
of Mr. Seton for the table decorations. 
The W oodcraft League is rapidly 
growing. We congratulate the organ- 
ization. In the spirit of real nature 
study it seems to come close to the 
true all-round nature study for young 
and old. It approaches nearer the 
work and purpose of The Agassiz As- 
sociation than any other society of 
which we have knowledge. The only 
difference is this : the work of The AA 
is along perhaps what we might call 
direct or at least more technical lines 
of nature study. We go back to the 
primitive home of the earliest settlers 
for our emblems, while the Woodcraft 
goes to the Indians past and present 
and deals more especially with the de- 
lightful myths and emblematic signifi- 
cance of nature lore. 
When Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton 
and the Boy Scouts parted company all 
the world wondered. A variety of 
opinions were expressed as to the rea- 
son for his leaving the position of Chief 
Scout of the Boy Scouts of America, 
but whatever may have been the cause 
the result has been bad for the Boy 
Scouts of America and good for the 
establishment of the new organization. 
Mr. Seton was the idol and the ideal, 
the hero for the Boy Scouts, the per- 
sonification of all that is great and good 
in the woods and fields. Probably he 
was too much so and one can but sur- 
mise that jealousies arose. Nothing 
succeeds less than too much success 
under some circumstances. But what 
was a loss to the Boy Scouts is evi- 
dently a gain to Mr. Seton. In the 
Woodcraft League he can give full 
scope to his appreciation of Indian lore 
and his ideal of nature study. He can 
teach young and old to rub wood 
against wood to make a fire, and have 
all dance around the flames as much 
as he pleases. He is at liberty to in- 
spire all classes with a love for nature. 
Some of us can but be surprised that 
the Indian features have proved so 
valuable an aid, but that they have thus 
proved is evident to even the most 
casual observer. 
Perhaps it is best after all that 
Seton’s nature study should be devel- 
oped through the League rather than 
through the Boy Scouts. The Boy 
Scouts have so many other things to 
take their attention that they have not 
much time nor leisure left for the real 
out-of-doors, other than athletic and 
“gang” spirit. It is evident also that 
the Boy Scouts give but little encour- 
agement to any one who would try 
faithfully to develop nature study 
affairs. According to the conception 
of the management, the scope of the 
work does not include this item. Per- 
haps they are right, perhaps not. At 
any rate every one must admit that the 
Boy Scouts have been successful in 
developing their chosen pursuits. 
The Agassiz Association, the oldest 
organization for outdoor observation 
for all people, young and old, extends 
cordial greetings and good wishes to 
this youngest organization, the Wood- 
craft League. There is work enough 
for all and it is a joy to see that work 
being so well done. 
