Troop One of the Labrador | Page 7

much interested that I looked up the head office of the Boy
Scouts, and asked questions about them. Then I bought these copies of
the Boy Scout's Handbook. They tell about the things the scouts do, and
how a boy may become a scout. I knew you chaps would be so
interested you would each want a book, so I bought a half-dozen copies.
The extra books we can give to other boys up the Bay."
"Could we be scouts?" asked Andy breathlessly.
"Yes, to be sure!" Doctor Joe smiled.
"'Twould be rare fun, now!" exclaimed David.
"All of us scouts, just like the boys in New York?" Jamie asked, his
face aglow.
"Yes," answered Doctor Joe. "I knew you chaps would like to be scouts.
We'll organize a troop, and we'll call it Troop One of The Labrador.
There are Boy Scouts of America, and Boy Scouts of England, and Boy
Scouts of nearly every country in the world except The Labrador. We'll
be the Boy Scouts of The Labrador, and become a part of the great
army of scouts. It'll be something to be proud of."
"How'll we do it?" asked David.
"I'll be leader, or scoutmaster as they call the leader," explained Doctor
Joe. "These books explain all about the things we're to do.
"Before you become tenderfoot scouts you'll have to learn some

things," Doctor Joe continued, after looking through one of the
handbooks, until he found the proper page. "You can tie all the knots
already. You do that every day. But there are plenty of boys, and men
too, where I came from that can't even tie the ordinary square knot.
"You'll have to learn the oath and law. You live pretty close to the
requirements of the law now, but it'll be necessary to learn it, and I'll
explain then what each law means. You'll have to learn what the scout
badge stands for and how it's made up, and other things."
Doctor Joe carefully marked the necessary pages and references.
"Now about the flag," said Doctor Joe. "You'll have to learn about the
formation of the flag and what it stands for. This book is for the Boy
Scouts of America, and the flag it refers to is the United States flag. I'm
an American, but you chaps are living in British territory and you're
British subjects, so you'll have to learn about the British flag or Union
Jack, as it's called, for that's your flag.
"The Union Jack is the national flag of the whole British Empire. The
English flag was originally a red cross on a white field. This is called
the flag of St. George. Three hundred years ago King James the First
added to it the banner of Scotland, which was a blue flag with a white
cross, called St. Andrew's Cross, lying upon the blue from corner to
corner--that is diagonally."
Doctor Joe opened his travelling bag and drew forth two small flags,
one the Stars and Stripes and the other the British Union Jack.
"I nearly forgot about these," said he, spreading the flags upon the table.
"This is the flag of my country," and he caressed the United States flag
affectionately. "I love it as you should love your flag. The Union Jack
is the emblem of the great British Empire, of which you are a part. It is
one of the greatest and best countries in the world to live in. To be a
British subject is something to be proud of indeed."
"Aye," broke in Thomas, "'tis that, now."

"Yes," continued Doctor Joe, "I want you to be as proud of it as I am
that I'm a citizen of the United States, and I'm so proud of it I wouldn't
change for any other country in the world. When I reached St. John's
and saw the American flag flying over the office of the United States
Consulate, my eyes filled with tears. I hadn't seen that old flag for years,
and I stood in the street for an hour doing nothing but look at it and
think of all it represents. It makes my blood tingle just to touch it. You
chaps must feel the same toward the British flag, for that's your flag.
"Now let me show you how the flag is made up," and Doctor Joe
proceeded to trace St. George's Cross and St. Andrew's Cross,
explaining them again as he did so. "In the year 1801 another banner
was added. This was the Banner of St. Patrick of Ireland. St. Patrick's
Cross was a red diagonal cross on a white field, and here you see it."
Doctor Joe traced it on the flag.
"There," he went on, "you have the British flag complete. No one
knows exactly why it is called