his enemies who had leagued themselves to kill him during
the fight. They sought him through all the ranks, and every time they
met one of these officers they thought they had come face to face with
the king. The fact that these officers hailed such a dangerous honor
with delight and devotion is a striking illustration of their loyalty.

The scout should be no less loyal to his parents, home, and country.

Duty to God

No scout can ever hope to amount to much until he has learned a
reverence for religion. The scout should believe in God and God's
word. In the olden days, knighthood, when it was bestowed, was a
religious ceremony, and a knight not only considered himself a servant
of the king, but also a servant of God. The entire night preceding the
day upon which the young esquire was made knight was spent by him on
his knees in prayer, in a fast and vigil.

There are many kinds of religion in the world. One important point,
however, about them is that they all involve the worship of the same
God. There is but one leader, although many ways of following Him. If
a scout meets one of another religion, he should remember that he,
too, is striving for the best. {250} A scout should respect the
convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.

[Illustration: Scout helping old lady across street.]

A Boy Scout's Religion

The Boy Scouts of America maintain that no boy can grow into the best
kind of citizenship without recognizing his obligation to God. The
first part of the boy scout's oath or pledge is therefore: "I promise
on my honor to do my best to honor my God and my country." The
recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe,
and the grateful acknowledgement of His favors and blessings is
necessary to the best type of citizenship and is a wholesome thing in
the education of the growing boy. No matter what the boy may
be--Catholic, or Protestant, or Jew--this fundamental need of good
citizenship should be kept before him. The Boy Scouts of America
therefore recognize the religious element in the training of a boy,
but it is absolutely non-sectarian in its attitude toward that
religious training. Its policy is that the organization or institution
with which the boy scout is connected shall give definite attention to
his religious life. If he be a Catholic boy scout, the Catholic Church
of which he is a member is the best channel for his training. If he be
a Hebrew boy, then th