Young Knights of the Empire
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Sir Robert Baden Powell >> Young Knights of the Empire
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15 Steve Schulze, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
This file was produced from images generously made available by the CWRU
Preservation Department Digital Library
YOUNG KNIGHTS OF THE EMPIRE
THEIR CODE AND FURTHER SCOUT YARNS
BY
SIR ROBERT BADEN-POWELL K.C.B., K.C.V.O., LL.D.
AUTHOR OF "SCOUTING FOR BOYS," "YARNS FOR BOY SCOUTS," "SCOUTING
GAMES," "MY ADVENTURES AS A SPY," ETC.
1917
FOREWORD
TO BOY-MEN,--
In offering this collection of yarns, I do not suggest that these are
anything more than further illustrations of the steps already schemed
in _Scouting for Boys_ for self-education in character and good
citizenship.
But illustrations by themselves are of comparatively little value
unless the theories and ideas conveyed by them are also put into
actual and habitual practice.
It is in this that the boy needs your encouragement.
ROBERT BADEN-POWELL
YOUNG KNIGHTS OF THE EMPIRE
THE SCOUT LAW
Perhaps you wonder what is a Young Knight of the Empire.
Well, you know what a knight is--or rather, used to be in the old
days--a gallant fellow who was always ready to defend weaker people
when they were being bullied; he was brave and honourable, and ready
to risk his life in doing his duty according to the code or law of
Chivalry.
Well, nowadays there are thousands of boys all over the British Empire
carrying out the same idea, and making themselves into fine, reliable
men, ready to take the place of those who have gone away to fight and
who have fallen at the Front. These are the Boy Scouts. Their code is
the Scout Law--that is, a set of ten rules which they carry out in
their daily life.
I will explain these Laws, and will give you some other yarns of camp
life and adventure such as the Scouts go in for.
HONOUR
Law 1. A SCOUT'S HONOUR IS TO BE TRUSTED.
_If a Scout says "On my honour it is so," that means it is so, just
as if he had taken a most solemn oath._
_Similarly if a Scout officer says to a Scout, "I trust you on your
honour to do this," the Scout is bound to carry out the order to the
very best of his ability, and to let nothing interfere with his doing
so._
_If a Scout were to break his honour by telling_ a lie, or_ by
not carrying out an order exactly when trusted on his honour to do so,
he may be directed to hand over his Scout badge and never wear it
again. He may also be directed to cease to be a Scout._
People of a civilised country, just like boys in a school, are bound
to conduct themselves in a proper manner, because of the law which
causes them to be punished if they misbehave. There is a code of laws
drawn up for this purpose.
But there is another kind of law which binds people just as much as
their written laws, though this one is neither written nor published.
This unwritten law is Honour.
A boy who has clambered over the school wall to go out of bounds and
smoke secretly has committed an offence against the published law of
the school. If next day the master asks in school, "Who has broken out
of bounds?" the boy is not bound by the law to confess that he did; he
can remain silent and thus escape punishment; but he is a
poor-spirited creature if he does so, and has no sense of honour. If
he is honourable he will manfully and honestly tell the master that he
broke out and will stand whatever punishment comes of it. By so doing
he will have proved to the master and to the other boys that he is
manly and not afraid to tell the truth, and is to be relied upon
because he puts his honour before all.
So the first training that the Boy Scout gets is to understand that
Honour is his own private law which is guided by his conscience, and
that once he is a Scout he must be guided in all his doings by his
sense of Honour.
LOYALTY
Law 2. A SCOUT IS LOYAL to the King, and to his officers, and to his
parents, his Country, his employers, and to those under his orders. He
must stick to them through thick and thin against anyone who is their
enemy or who even talks badly of them.
There was a Scoutmaster in the East End of London who when the war
broke out felt it his duty to give up the splendid work he was doing
amongst the poor boys of the East End in order to take up service for
his Country.
Scoutmaster Lukis--for that is his name--felt bound, by his sense of
loyalty to his King and his Country, to give up the life he was then
living and face the dangers of soldiering on active service.
But the example which he set in loyalty was promptly followed by some
eighty young fellows who were his Scouts or Old Scouts.
Their loyalty to him made them wish to follow their leader wherever
his duty led him. So they became soldiers like himself and all went
together to the Front.
A day came when the trenches which they were holding were heavily
shelled. The danger was great and the losses were heavy, and finally a
piece of shrapnel struck Captain Lukis in the leg and shattered his
thigh. Two of his East London Boy Scout's sprang to his assistance and
tended him with devoted care. They waited for a lull in the firing and
finally between them they carried him, although exposed to a deadly
fire, to a place of safety. While so doing one of them was hit and
severely wounded.
But the spirit of the lads was splendid. They cared nothing for their
own safety so that they got their beloved Scoutmaster out of danger.
That was loyalty.
Loyalty means faithfulness. Your dog is faithful to you and sticks to
you even though you may beat him. He overlooks your faults and your
unkindness and remains loyal to you.
Loyalty begins at home.
Some boys are always thinking that their parents are wrong or unfair
to them. If you think that your parents have any faults, don't look at
those faults. Be loyal to your parents; remember only that it is
thanks to them that you are alive and able to be a Scout.
Obey your parents, believe in them, and respect them; if you can at
any time help them, do so. By doing these things you are being loyal
to them. By being loyal to them you are carrying out that commandment
of the Bible which says: "Honour thy father and thy mother." Be loyal,
also, in the same way-by obeying and thinking no evil and by backing
them up-to your Patrol-leader, your Scoutmaster, and your
schoolmaster. If you are a working boy carry out the same idea towards
your foreman, your manager, and your employer.
On taking up your work, you have agreed to do a certain amount for a
certain wage, and it is loyalty on your part then to stick to that
agreement and to give good work in return for your pay.
If, on the other hand, you are a well-to-do boy and come to have a
servant or a man working under you as you grow older, you should
equally be loyal to him. Remember that in taking him on you expect a
certain amount of work from him for the money you give him; if you
find that he gives you more work than you agreed for, you will be
acting loyally to him if you then increase his wage: but never go back
on your agreement, and do not try to make more money out of him than
you meant to do when first making the contract. So, too, if you are a
Patrol or other leader, and if those under you get into trouble
through carrying out your ideas, be loyal to them; own up that it was
through your fault that they did wrong.
Whatever line of life you may be in, be loyal to God, to your King,
and to your Country.
* * * * *
ANTARCTIC SCOUTING.
All Boy Scouts know of Sir Ernest Shackleton, a brother peace-scout of
the Empire--and a first-class one, too.
On one of his voyages of exploration to the South Pole he was very
nearly successful in getting to that point, he was within ninety-seven
miles of it, in fact, when his food supplies gave out, and he and
those with him were in great danger of starving, and had, most
unwillingly, to turn back to regain their ship.
They had left the ship when they had got her as far south as was
possible through the ice; they then went on foot over land and sea,
all hard frozen and covered with snow, and they took their food with
them, and stored depots, or what Scouts would call "caches," to use on
their return journey. For weeks they struggled along over difficult
ground.
One day in January, although they had cut down their rations and ate
as little as possible (so little indeed that they were getting weak),
they found that they were coming to the end of their food, and they
must either turn back or go on and die, in which case the record of
their work would have been lost. So they planted a flagstaff with the
Union Jack on it, and left a box containing a notice that they had
annexed the land for Great Britain and King Edward VII.
They took a long look with their field-glasses in the direction of the
South Pole to see if any mountains were to be seen, but there were
none. And then they started on their desperate tramp to the ship.
They made a number of interesting and useful discoveries. They came
upon mountains and glaciers of ice, and mineral rocks of coal and
limestone.
And they found tiny insects which are able to live in the ice, and
when they boiled them, they did not kill them!
They found that the penguins, the great wingless birds which sit up
and look just like people, enjoyed listening to a gramophone, which
they set going for their benefit.
But their journey back was a very anxious and trying experience for
them.
In order to guide them they had planted flags here and there along
their path, but storms came and blew them down, and it was, therefore,
most difficult to find their way from one food depot to another. They
did it largely by spooring their old tracks.
This is how Sir Ernest Shackleton describes their doings on one
particular day:
"We were thirty miles from our depot. Although we could see it in the
distance, it was practically unattainable, for soft snow covered
treacherous crevasses, and as we stumbled along in our search for food
we seemed to get no nearer to our longed-for goal. The situation was
desperate.
"Two of our party, utterly worn out and exhausted, fell in harness,
but with the greatest pluck again pushed on as soon as they had
temporarily recovered. It was with a feeling of devout thankfulness
that we crossed the last crevasse and secured some food. Beyond a
little tea we had had nothing for thirty-four hours, and previously to
that our last meal consisted merely of one pannikin of half-cooked
pony maize-not much foundation for work under such conditions, and
with an extremely low temperature. Under these conditions we marched
sixteen miles in twenty-two hours.
"On another occasion during that same journey we were all struck down
with dysentery, and this at a distance of ninety miles from our depot.
Though the weather was fine, we were all too weak to move, but here,
as on other occasions, Providence came to our rescue, and strong
southerly blizzards helped us along.
"From December 4th, 1908, to February 23rd, 1909, we lived in a state
of constant anxiety, intensified by more acute knowledge gained from
narrow escapes and close contact with death. Over and over again there
were times when no mortal leadership could have availed us.
"It was during these periods that we learnt that some Power beyond our
own guided our footsteps. If we acknowledged this--as we did--down
among the ice, it is only fitting that we should remember it now when
the same Power has brought us safely home through all these troubles
and dangers. No one who has seen and experienced what we have done
there can take credit to himself for our escape from what appeared to
be overwhelming difficulties."
Sir Ernest Shackleton also praises the conduct of his officers and men
as helping largely to their success. He says:
"We were all the best of comrades. Every man denied himself, and was
eager to do his level best."
True Scouts, all of them.
* * * * *
SOME FAMOUS VICTORIES THROUGH LOYALTY TO LEADERS.
Trafalgar.
The month of October is full of glorious national memories for Scouts.
On October 21st, 1805, was fought the battle of Trafalgar, when the
British Fleet, under Admiral Lord Nelson, attacked and defeated the
combined forces of French and Spanish men-of-war.
It looked almost hopeless for a small fleet to attack so large a one;
but Nelson made that grand signal which called on every man _that
day to do his duty,_ and every man, like a true Scout, did his
duty, even though in many a case it cost him his life.
Nelson himself showed the example, for he drove his ship in between
two of the enemy's ships and fought them, one against two. He never
attempted to take cover, but exposed himself to danger as much as
anyone, and was killed at the moment of victory. The sailors of to-day
still wear a black silk neckerchief round their necks as a sign of
mourning for the great admiral.
* * * * *
BALACLAVA.
Then on October 25th, 1854, in the Crimea, in South Russia, took place
two grand charges by the British cavalry-against the Russian cavalry.
One of these, the charge of the Light Brigade, every boy knows about,
but somehow the charge of the Heavy Brigade is not so much talked
about, although it was equally fine in its way.
I have been lucky, because I have served in two cavalry regiments, and
both of them were in these charges one, the 13th Hussars, was in the
Light Brigade, and the other, the 5th Dragoon Guards, was in the Heavy
Brigade.
I don't mean that I was in the charges, too-no; I wasn't born then!
But I am very proud to belong to two regiments that were there.
Hussar regiments are called light cavalry, because they used to have
small, light-weight men who could ride far and fast to scout the
enemy. Dragoons were heavy troopers on big, strong horses, who by
their weight and long swords could deliver an overwhelming charge upon
an enemy.
A Brigade consists of three regiments. Two Brigades make up a
Division. So the Cavalry Division in the Crimea was made up of a Light
Brigade and a Heavy Brigade.
On October 25th the Light Cavalry Brigade got the order to charge the
Russian artillery, which was supported by the infantry and cavalry.
It was a hopeless task. The order had really been given by mistake.
But that did not matter to men who were accustomed to obey. They
charged, and, though it cost them a great number of gallant lives,
they carried out their duty with such bravery and dash as to command
the highest praise even from their enemies, and they won for British
soldiers the name of being ready to sacrifice their lives to carry out
their orders, even though the job looked hopeless. That is why Scouts
to-day have as their motto the single word,
"BALACLAVA"
to remind them that if they get an order which it is a bore or even a
danger to perform, their duty is to do as their brave fathers did at
Balaclava, and carry it out cheerily and well.
Now I will tell you about the charge of the Heavy Brigade,
* * * * *
"THE THIN RED LINE."
You have often heard the British Army talked of as "the thin red
line." Well, it got that title at Balaclava. Four hundred men of the
93rd Highlanders and a battalion of Turks were posted to guard the
road leading to the harbour of Balaclava, when the Russians, some
twenty thousand strong, proceeded to attack them. The Turks didn't
like the look of things, so they turned tail and bolted but the brave
Sir Cohn Campbell, who was in command of the Highlanders, said to
them:
"My lads, remember there is no retreat from here. You must die where
you stand."
And the gallant fellows meant to do it if they had to die--but they
were not the sort to say die before they were dead They formed a
line--a "thin red line," as it was afterwards described--on a small
rising ground, and received the first charge of the Russian cavalry
with so well-aimed and deadly a fire, at close range, that it put the
others off charging for a while.
The British Commander-in-Chief, seeing their danger, sent a message to
the Heavy Brigade of cavalry, who were camped in the neighbourhood, to
go to their assistance.
The "Heavies" were already parading just outside their camp, when
suddenly there appeared over the rising ground, within half a mile of
them, the head of a big force of Russian cavalry quietly advancing
towards them. Rather a startling apparition when the squadrons were
all moving out of camp to form up on parade.
But the General--General Scarlett--did not lose his head or hesitate
for a moment.
The enemy were on the left flank of the squadrons as they were moving
out. He ordered them to wheel into line to the left, and, without the
usual first orders to "Trot" and then to "Gallop," he directed his
trumpeter to sound "Charge!" and he at once turned his horse towards
the enemy, and started, with his staff officer and orderly, at a
gallop to lead the attack.
"DO OR DIE."
The Brigade saw what was wanted. They did not wait to form into one
line--that operation would have taken time--but each squadron wheeled
up, and, closing in towards its neighbour, galloped forward to back up
the General in the charge.
The Scots Greys, in red tunics and bearskins, mounted on their grey
horses, were in the front line with some of the Irish Inniskilling
Dragoons, and close behind them came the 5th Dragoon Guards and the
1st Royal Dragoons, with their red tunics and shining helmets.
There were not more than three hundred of them altogether, while the
Russian column amounted to some twelve thousand. 'It looked as if the
British must be smashed up by such overwhelming odds.
[Illustration: This sketch map stows the positions of the British and
Russian Forces in the charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava.]
But the General knew that he must do his best to save "the thin red
line" from being overridden, and the men knew that they had got the
order to "charge," and it was their business to carry out the order,
and not to look at the danger in doing it. So they charged.
The Russians were not less astonished than the British had been;
instead of surprising the British, they were themselves surprised.
For a minute or two they hesitated. No officer gave any command, no
one knew quite what to do, and in another minute the bolt burst upon
them.
General Scarlett and his staff came--bang, _smash_!--right
through their front ranks, followed immediately by the crashing weight
of the Greys and the wildly cheering Inniskillings.
The shock of this charge rolled the foremost ranks of the Russians
down underfoot as it ploughed its way into the centre of the column,
and gave a sort of backward surge to the whole mass-for the Russian
force was simply a big, square mass of men and horses.
Our charge, being made by a very small body, only broke into the
central part of the Russian front, so the two flanks of their line
wheeled forward like two arms to enfold it. But just as they were in
the act of doing so they were caught by our second line of Royal
Dragoons, 5th Dragoon Guards and Inniskillings; and were rolled up and
ridden over in an awful confusion.
These heavy blows seemed to send the great Russian mass staggering
backwards, when at this critical moment two more squadrons of Heavies,
belonging to the 4th Dragoon Guards, suddenly plunged into the right
flank of the Russian column, and completed its break-up.
It reeled again, and in a few minutes more was gradually melting and
spreading over the hills behind in hurried flight from the
battlefield. And the thin red line was saved.
The whole fight had lasted only eight minutes, the British loss was
fifty killed and wounded, while the Russians lost about four hundred.
This battle, like Trafalgar and like many other British victories,
showed that, with good, plucky leaders, backed up by men _who can be
trusted to obey their orders,_ we could attack overwhelming forces
against us and come out victorious every time.
Without discipline it could never have been done.
* * * * *
THE LOYALTY OF JACK TARS.
Sir Christopher Myngs was one of the tough sea-dogs of the British
Navy in the old days.
He was killed in action at sea in 1666. He had been wounded by a
bullet in the throat, but he held the wound together with his fingers
and went on fighting till a second shot struck him, and he shortly
afterwards died of his wounds. He was a splendid leader, brave and
strict, and beloved by his men.
His body was brought ashore to be buried in London, and at the funeral
a party of sailors came up to the carriage in which Sir W. Coventry
sat, and the leader of them, with tears in his eyes, asked him to beg
of the King to give them an old ship which they might use as a
fire-ship, and with which they might sail into the middle of the
enemy's fleet and set fire to it.
They would, of course, all lose their lives in doing this, but they
did not mind so long as they could avenge the death of their beloved
leader.
It was a fine spirit of loyalty to their chief which led these simple
seamen to do this, and their loyalty--not the spirit of revenge--is an
example to all to be loyal to their chief in whatever line they may
be. Don't look out for faults in him; note his good points, and stick
to him through thick and thin, for the good of what you and he are
doing together whether it is defending your Country or running a big
business.
USEFULNESS
Law 3. A SCOUT'S DUTY IS TO BE USEFUL AND TO HELP OTHERS.
_And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives
up his own pleasure or comfort or safety to do it. When in difficulty
to know which of two things to do, he must ask himself, "Which is my
duty?" that is, "Which is best for other people?"--and do that one._
_He must Be Prepared at any time to save life or to help injured
persons._
_And must try his best to do a good turn to somebody every day._
* * * * *
DO IT NOW.
Once when driving in my car I passed a man on a sunny, dusty road, and
I thought after I had passed him whether I might not have offered to
give him a lift. Then I thought probably he would be only going a
short distance to some house a little farther along the road.
As I sped farther and farther upon my way, I saw no house and no
turning, and therefore I argued that the poor man would have to be
walking all this dusty way when I might have given him a lift.
But while I sat all this time thinking, my car was rushing me miles
away from the spot. Eventually I made up my mind that I ought to go
back and do my good turn to the man. But I had gone so far that when I
got back again to where I expected to find him, he was not to be seen.
He had evidently taken some short cut across the fields, and I never
saw him again.
But the memory of it lingered in my mind for a long time, and ever
since that, when driving along, I have been quick to make up my mind
and use the opportunity when it has presented itself, of giving a lift
to any weary wayfarer.
I don't want to make out myself as being so very good for doing this
kind of good turn, for that is easy enough with a motor-car; but what
I do want to point out is that you should never let your chance go by,
else you may regret it, as it might not occur again. Your motto should
be--"Do it now."
* * * * *
GOOD TURNS.
Always remember that in going through this world we only pass this way
once, and if we miss our chance it never comes again.
I believe that our first business in life is to be happy. This world
with all its beauties and its sunshine of happiness was meant for us
to enjoy. When clouds come over with grief or pain, they are only the
contrasts to show us what true happiness is and to make us appreciate
it when it comes.
The shortest and most certain way to happiness is to make other people
happy. Even if we cannot make them happy, we can at least be helpful
to them. But so often we forget to do this, or, as I did in the
motor-car, leave it till too late, and let the chance slip by.
In order to be continually happy, the thing is to be continually doing
good turns. To get a habit you must at first carry out a great deal of
practice, and that is why it is part of the Scout Law to do a good
turn every day.
At first it may come a little difficult to remember each day that you
have this duty to do, and you may have some trouble in finding a job
that will be helpful to other people but if you stick to it, and force
yourself to do it day by day, it very soon grows into a habit with
you, and you then find how many little things you can do which all
count as good turns although small in themselves.
I could tell you endless yarns of the different kinds of "good turns"
which the Boy Scouts have done, but one of the most pleasing that I
have heard lately was when a Scout carefully placed a piece of orange
peel on the pavement, and when asked why he had done this, said:
"I am doing a good turn to some other Scout by giving him the
opportunity of doing his good turn by removing that orange peel so
that people will not slip on it!"
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