The Henson Journals

[8]

Tuesday, June 7th, 1921.

I wrote a service for the missionary Festival. Then Dr Morison arrived to talk about boys' work in the diocese. He is an ardent little man, rather hide–bound by catch phrases. He stayed to lunch. Afterwards I did the letters with Clayton. There a party of 30 boys from Durham School arrived, and had tea. After tea I showed them over the castle. They went off about 6 p.m.

Dr Morison is an ardent advocate of the Boys' Brigade which differs from the Church Lads' Brigade in being undenominational, and in disdaining khaki. The wearing of khaki is objected against as indicating a tendency to "militarism". I suggested that the objection was probably inspired by an anti–patriotic feeling. Dr M. has a mean opinion of the Boys' Scouts, who are in his view without effective discipline. The difficulty of finding suitable men to serve as scout–masters is very great. It is impossible to shut out from one's mind a dark anxiety as to the moral discipline which exists in some parts of the scout movement. Both Morison and Slovach agree in professing the gravest accusations, but then neither is an impartial person. Each is passionately devoted to his own specific movement – Boys Brigade in the one case, the Church Lads' Brigade in the other. Both find their most formidable rival in the Boys' Scouts. The picturesque uniform has made the Scouts popular, and whatever is popular needs no other title to the support of all who follow the multitude. The whole question of "Boys work" grows more difficult daily.

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