's Christian Association, Young
Men's Hebrew Association, Young Men's Catholic Association, or any
other organization to which you may belong. If there is no patrol near
you, get some man interested enough to start one by giving him all the
information.

A patrol consists of eight boys, one of whom becomes the patrol leader
and another the assistant patrol leader.

A troop consists of three or more patrols, and the leader of the troop
is called a scout master. There can be no patrols or troops of boy
scouts without this scout master.

The Scout Motto

The motto of the boy scouts is Be Prepared, and the badge of the boy
scouts is a copyrighted design with this motto, "Be Prepared," on a
scroll at its base.

The motto, "Be Prepared," means that the scout is always in a state of
readiness in mind and body to do his duty. To be prepared in mind, by
having disciplined himself to be obedient, and also by having thought
out beforehand any accident or situation that may occur, so that he
may know the right thing to do at the right moment, and be willing to
do it. To be prepared in body, by making himself strong and active and
able to do the right thing at the right moment, and then to do it.

The Scout Badge

The scout badge is not intended to represent the fleur-de-lis, or an
arrowhead. It is a modified form of the sign of the north on the
mariner's compass, which is as old as the history of navigation. The
Chinese claim its use among them as early as 2634 B. C., and we have
definite information that it was used at sea by them as early as 300
A. D. Marco Polo brought the compass to Europe on his return from
Cathay. The sign of the north on the compass gradually came to
represent the north, and pioneers, trappers, woodsmen, and scouts,
because of this, adopted it as their emblem. Through centuries of use
it has undergone modification until it has now assumed the shape of
our badge.

This trefoil badge of the scouts is now used, with slight local
variations, in almost every civilized country as the mark of
brotherhood, for good citizenship, and friendliness.

Its scroll is turned up at the ends like a scout's mouth, because he
does his duty with a smile and willingly.

The knot is to remind the scout to do a good turn to someone daily.

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The arrowhead part is worn by the tenderfoot. The scroll part only is
worn by the second-class scout. The badge worn by the first-class
scout is the whole badge.

The