WITH THE SCOUTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 79, 2 April 1914, Page 8

WITH THE SCOUTS.

(By WATCHFUI4 X meeting of swntmastw will, be held at St. Matthew? Schoolroom, at i.4d _ p.m. on Saturday next (April 4th). All scout masters aTe nrged to be present.

The following order hae been issued by the District Commander (Mr. Q. v. Thorpe), and Is to be regarded as if personally delivered to each troop °ffl cer =— morning. '

Last Thursday evening gave an excellent lecture oa "Submarine Mines and Mintns," at the PensonbyJSo. 1 Drill Room. The lecture wee both interesting and educative, and greatly appreciated by the boys.

Commander Thorpe writes:—"lt is with great regret that we have to note the resignation of Mt. E. S. Henry, our worthy and indefatigable secretary. As Mr. Henry Is unable to devote the necessary time to the Boy Scouts, he is reluctantly compelled to tender his resignation. It will be very hard to appoint a successor who will take so much trouble and time as our late secretary has. Mr. Henry has the very best wishes for his fnture welfare from everyone connected with the Boy Scouts. Mr. Henry has been asked to accept the position of Relieving Scoutmaster."

The Central Fire Brigade Station presents a very busy aspect on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons when the Ponsonbv No. 1 Troop receive Instruction in Fire "Brigade work. The deputy-fore-man is so pleafied with the way in which the boys attend to their work that he has presented a medal for competition. This evening Mr. Leys is giving a lecture on "Australia," illustrated by lantern elides. Scoutmaster Pearce has arranged for a series of lectures during the winter months. The Camera Club recently started by the Ponsonby Troop vow numbers eight members, and promises well for the future. The strength of the Ponsonby Troop now numbers 00. and the S-M. fully expects to "make a century" before long.

An order has been instituted for Scoutmasters who have rendered exceptionally good work for the Boy Scout movement. This order, which is for the Dominion only, is called the "Silver Kiwi." Three new badges have also been instituted for the Dominion Boy Scouts, owing to the fact that now, to win the "Silver Wolf," a Scout must save life, and the consequent narrowing down of candidates for this badge. Any Scout who is a King's Scout, and has 12 badges will now be awarded the "Bronze Kuri"; for a King's Scout and 18 badges, the Kuri"; and for a Kinj-'s Scout who fcas 24 badges, the "Golden Knri." The decorations will be worn as a medal on the right breast, with a red, white, and blue ribbon respectively. These will in no way interfere with the higher and more honourable "Silver Wolf decoration.

At a recent meeting of the Dominion Council, an application was received from an officer for the Silver Wolf badge, and enclosing a certificate from the Chief Inspector that he had been examined In the necessary tests. The Council decided that the decoration could not be awarded because three men only had examined him. Since then another scoutmaster has sent in an application and certificate signed by himself requesting the Snver Wolf decoration for a scoutmaster, whom he says he has examined in some thirty tests, and is therefore entitled to the decoration. It appears astonishing that any man should think himself qualified for such a herculean taßk. and it is incredible that, with the regulations regarding badge examination staring them in the face, scontmasters should imagine that their certificates would be accepted for the highest honour that can be earned in the organisation. It is probable that a very drastic resolution will be passed at next meeting of the Council in respect to this matter.

The following , communication from the Boy Scout Association, London, has been sent to all the Dominion Commissioners through Colonel Cossgrove:—"Bear Sir.—l am very anxious to develop the Sea Scout branch of the movement, and I hope that the attached pamphlet will explain our policy, organisation, and the method of training. There has been in the past a good deal of misunderstanding as to what position the Sea Scout troops held in the association, and I ehau be most grateful if you will foster and en-courage them in every way. and endeavour to make it understood throughout your district that Sea Scouting is only a branch of our brotherhood, and Is in no sense a separate organisation. I have had conferences with the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty on the subject of eea scouting, and he is very anxious we should tap the land boy and sound in him the "call of the sea," and to this end I am anxious that Sea Scout troops should be started Wherever rivers, lakes, etc.. give facilities for boat work, It is hoped also that Sea Scout training will serve as a variation in the worlfcsOf ordinary land troops—say for a season occasionally, when desired as a new attraction to the hoys and to encon-rage them to perfect their swimming as well as general hantliuese. Without the assistance and whole-hearted co-operation of commissioners and and local committees, it is impossible for much progress to be made, but now that our policy has been defined, and has been found by practice to work well I confidently leave the development of Sea Seonti-ng i n the hands of the commissioners and local committees.—Yours very truly,

The above letter endorses our New Zealand Sea Scout scheme of training and organisation as laid down in Colonel Coesgrove's handbook. •'Dominion Sea Scouts." Ihe pamphlet referred to is on the lines of the "Dominion Sea Scout' , book, with some nseful hints aad rules regarding boats and boating. Colonel Cotsgrove is pleased to forward one of these pamphlets, as some of our Sea Scoutmasters are prone to carry on the training of their troops on their own authority, without reference to their local d.strict committees, whereas in our Dominion regulation, authorised by Capta n Jlarciel. our Chief S Oa Scout, also in the pamphlet referred to. It is emphatically . fi? at Sea Scouts are on ly a branch of the Boy Scouts, and that Sea Scotft ™f f °^L must Work UDder Uleir local com-

Scouts will be sorry to learn of the serious accident that has befallen Frontiersman Erabbs. Mr. Brabbs met with the unfortunate mishap at Otahnnu, and has since had to lose his right arm. The \^"J y J?, °, ne of tneir most energetic me £. ft •Sa^heTX

ins ie e -te < r eDt "? C , AT °V dale / cndß the follow " in X leaer — lam pleased to note that the Ist Avondaie Troop of Boy Scout* nre progressing with P great Access uaaer hcoutmaster 11. B. Martin, Assistant Scoutmaster W. Potter, and Sergeant F Irvine Allead y.about twelve of the boys ha\ ? e passed the lr tenderfoot tests, and are now working for their second-class tests I was very glad to see their success "t oSSt , ™! l eacl l. ,Mt Satnrd »y to dilpatch quarterstaff aud tracking work. 1 wish Mr Martin and his troop every success and hope that the people of Avondlle wili

was excellent, and the 'generaf aViroop"** WoUl<l have dODe «3»m5

The St. Columbas propose ~oinfcamp at Shark Bay durtag the Easter the ld ? s \ l aD ? -r bave lssued a the Auckland Troops to attack them there h , y oo^ me betw een 7 a.m. on Saturday and 32.30 noon on Monday. Llfe-savinc and swimming will be carried out dur nl the camp, and as a number of the Scout! purpose sitting for their second Ixamina tlons on Saturday, the troop should have i^^LrS .nf p'oUnVMt s'tfc tempted any shield work this year.

There will be no parade of the Ist All The 0 ™ t,. OP ° n^M rldoy , or ■■*««■»next The .tod Troop will parade as usual at ill Saints- Corner at 7 p.m. sharp on Friday evening and the combined trSops at the earne place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday

The Rev. A. C. Lawry. chaplain of X&0>:, Saints , Troops, returned from am extende* tour of Europe by the Sydney bo«t os Sunday morning. He was met by a sTOri of honour from the Ist All Saints' troop, composed entirely of King's Scouts. TatJ is something unique in the North Island, and is believed to be the only occasion aj which a guard has been solely made m of King's Scouts. In the course of a few remarks Mr. Lawry told the lads tatt Iho had a message from Sir Robert Badev Powell for them, which be would reaa to them at an early date. It will be renea. bered that at the "B.P. Bally" thr "Saints" had constructed a model of the Chief Scouts' camp in Norway.

The All Saints' and St. Heller's Troepj propose holding a *'trek camp' , to TVark* worth at Easter. The combined troops, with their wagons, will leave the DeTool port side on Thursday evening, trekklnc during the early part of the nlghtTeij camping on the foreshore each evening.