Stránka:book 1922.djvu/34

4 The Book of Woodcraft throwing them into the woods, saying, " Go and have a glorious time." The boys sulked around and sullenly disappeared. An hour later, on being looked up, they were found in groups under the bushes, smoking cigarettes, shooting *' craps," and playing cards — the only things they knew. Thus the well-meaning rich man learned that it is not enough to take men out of doors. We much also teach them to enjoy it. The purpose of this book is to show how Outdoor Life may be followed to advantage. Nine leading principles are kept in view: (i) This movement is essentially for recreation. (2) Camp-life. Camping is the simple Ufe reduced to actual practice, as well as the culmination of the outdoor Ufe. Camping has no great popularity to-day, because men have the idea that it is possible only after an expensive journey to the wilderness; and women that it is inconven- ient, dirty, and dangerous. These are errors. They have arisen because camping as an art is not understood. When intelligently followed, cam.p-life must take its place as a cheap and delightful way of living, as well as a mental and physical savior of those strained or broken by the grind of the over-busy world. The wilderness affords the ideal camping, but many of the benefits can be got by Uving in a tent on a town lot, a piazza, or even a housetop. (3) Self-government with Adult Guidance. Control from without is a poor thing when you can get control from within. As far as possible, then, we make these camps self- governing. Each full member has a vote in affairs. (4) The Magic of the Campflre. What is a camp with- out a campfire? — no camp at all, but a chilly place in a