TE KORERO FOR BOY SCOUTS TO RAISE A SMILE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 19, 23 January 1929, Page 19

TE KORERO FOR BOY SCOUTS

TO RAISE A SMILE.

Ex Sea Scout in Port. _ Mr. Alec WooGs, son of Assistant Sea Scout Commissioner R. A. Woods, who is serving aboard the S.s. Port Pine, arrived from England after two years' absence, last Monday. He was one of the first boys to become a Sea Scout in Auckland.® He has spent some time on the training ship Conway, and, with his Sea Scout training to help him, soon became one of the ship's best

all-round boya and won many laurels. He &as thoroughly upheld the honour and good name of Auckland Sea Scouts. We wish him the best of luck and hope some;..qf his ex-Sea Scout chums will pay him a visit at his home. He is on long leave from the ship. • • • • A Visit from "the Major." Those who represented Auckland at the Dunedin Jamboree a few years ago will be pleased to hear that Major F. W. Sandford, H.S.W., is intending to spend three weeks cruising around the bays of the Waitemata. He arrives in | Auckland on Saturday morning. • * • • Victory Boys at fine Island. Note.—Michael regrets that a section of the Victory Christmas camp report was overlooked last week; it is published below:— Boxing Day was very wet so we could do no outdoor work. The whaler was expected at 11 a.m., but as 11 o'clock came and no boat we began to get anxious and spent an uneasy afternoon until 3 o'clock, when the whaler hove in sight off the Point. Adverse weather conditions was the reason for their late arrival. Three more tents were then erected, making a total of ten. The day's programme was as follows: 6 a.m., Reveille; 6.30 to 7 a.m., exercises and marching; 7 to 8 a.m., cleaning up tents for inspection; 8 a.m., colours. Breakfast then followed, after which boatwork ; and signalling was the order of the day.' On the morning of New Year's Eve the Hawke Sea Scouts had the misfortune to lose their boat and it was found under the wreck of Cappy Ricks' boat. After a lot of trouble we managed to prise it out and tow it back to the moorings. As the boat was undamaged no one was the worse off. On New Year's Day Commander Woods visited us and passed! both Bos'un R. Mclntyre and Cox J. Ward for their oarsman's and boatman's badges. As two of our committee women generously offered to cook for us we had no trouble with our meals. The most welcome- Sunday visitor was our first mate, Mr. Dean, who brought with him a gallon keg of ice cream. • * • • St. Aidan's at Mellons Bay. St. Aidan's returned on January 11 from a very successful fortnight's camp at Mellons Bay, Howick, writes "Deerfoot." A tota\ of 32 attended. Fine weather was experienced during the length of the camp. During the camp several treks were held and a large athletic programme was run off. Several boating races were held, the single scull being won b# P.L. Jones and the pair oars by P.L. Cahill and A. Forter. In the athletic sports several events were held each day, and so kept interest keen throughout the camp. The cricket competition was won by No. 5 Patrol. In a cricket match the S-M. team beat the Q.S.M. team by 191 funs to 38 runs. The tent competition resulted in a win for the No. 5 Tent (P.L. Nairn). This competition was a very keen one, as each day's wmner had a flag flying outside it." On Sunday, January 6, a Scout's hour was held, and proved so popular that the Scouts have asked that they be held during the year, instead of ordinary church parades.

. Near the end of the camp a concert v as held and items were contributed by T.L. Morton and R. Forter, songs; T.L. Hill, P.L. Xairn, Forter, money in plays; T.L. Morton, A. forter, P.L. Cahill, C. Forter, in* a play and T.L. Morton and P.L. Cahill in juggling. The end of the camp came all too soon and the flags were hauled down for the last time on Friday afternoon. A small party were left to clean up and they, brought the boats up on Sunday afternoon.

Vindictive Sea Scouts (Bayswater). Last Friday night 21 boys paraded, i After the presentation of many badges signalling instructions were held. Owing to a poor parade ou Saturday a few odd jobs were attended to and then the boys had a swim. This company will compete for the championship pennant on regatta day. Re our own regatta day, it is going to be the event of the year. Here are some of the events:— Whaler race, under oars, boys; whaler race, under oars, officers; whaler race, sailing, boys; whaler race, backwards, boys, under oars; whaler obstacle race, Navy method (the great event); Z class race; canoe race; ladies' dinghy race; club members v, Sea Scout officers; sculling race and many novelty events. A fine cup for aggregate points. All that other companies need do is send in entries and roll up in full force, and we will do the rest. March 23 is the date and it is getting near.

Edendale Camp. The Edendale Scouts have come back from camp and are still alive and quite healthy, writes E. J. Spier, Scoutmaster. We started off with 15 boys and three Scouters, but after the heavy rain one of the younger members of the camp thought it would be better for him at home. We were thankful that the heavy rain came at the beginning of the camp. Scouting games were played and thoroughly enjoyed by the boys. Boating and fishing were the order of the day, and "listening in" the order of the evening. We were fortunate in having a 3-valve set and loud speaker loaned to us by tlie father of one of the boys, and a dinghy by an ex-eom-mittee member. We desire to extend our thanks to these two gentlemen. Our cook, T.L. Bob Brebner, deserves special mention, as he carried off his duties without a hitch. We had a visit from the Fame Sea Scouts as they were passing the earnp on their way beck to town. Visitors' day brought a large number of parents and friends, and they enjoyed the outing.

70-Mile Hike. When the Leys Institute Troop broke camp in the Huia Valley after 17 days there two of the seniors accompanied the S.M. on a 70-mile tramp. The party left the Valley on Tuesday, January 8 with swags and provisions and struck through the bush track to the Piha Road. After lunch at Piha the trampers pushed on up the coast, passing through Anawhata and Te Henga until, on the heights above Muriwai, with darkness coming on apace, it was decided to camp for the night near Goldie's bush. "Mosquito Ridge" is the name they gave it, for after three and a-half hours' sleepless tossing it was found necessary to shift camp to the road in the early hours of the morning to evade the ravages of mosquitoes. The 12 miles cross country to Waitakere, where the party camped the next night, brought them over the range into open country. On the third day the trampers followed the rail to TaupaW, thence to Riverhead, where they had lunch. Pressing on towards the East Coast, Albany was reached in the late afternoon and at 6.30 p.m. camp was pitched at Brown's Bay, the trampers having covered a distance of approximately 70 miles from coast to coast. The remainder of the week was spent at Brown's Bay, the trio returning to Auckland on Saturday night. • • • e Punua Afield. On Saturday week last Punua Troop, with K. L. Dyer, D.S.M., set out for Rangitoto Island, and on arriving there made themselves at home in Devonport's country residence, "Scoutville," writes one of the party. What was left of Saturday was employed in giving the nearby "sights" the once over.

On Sunday morning after "Scouts Own Service." fishing was indulged in. Second Ingall making the record catch of eight fish, the largest being "big game, weighing at least 20z." A start

was then made in the broiling heat for the summit, but a diversion was made to the caves, which proved a lovely cool haven for the weary and "dry : ' travellers. A plentiful supply of ice c6ld water was located and disposed of, along with lunch. The summit was then attacked and gained after a hot struggle. The return to camp was made in quick time, and fishing was again the main sport. The 5 p.m. boat brought the travellers back to Auckland, to home and a bath. The beet thanks of the troop are extended to S.M. Jones, of the Devonport Troop for the loan of "Scotrtville."

Fiji Boys Return. On Monday last the visiting patrol under Scoutmasters Shankar Pratap and Louis Mahabir were welcomed back to Auckland by H.Q. Staff, Assistant Commissioner E. B. Is. Boswell, D.S.M.'s K. L. Dyer and A. Tribble, and the Social Officer. Since they left here about a fortnight ago, en route for the Scout Jamboree at Stratford, they have sccen much and have lots to tell. Of the Jamboree, universal comment is that it was really interesting, and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. "Further," said one of. the Seouters, "we have learned quite a lot from contact with our New Zealand brothers." That the athletic side of scouting has not been neglected is shown by the fact that the visitors carry with them several cetrificates earned on the sports flay of the rally. Representatives of the Ist Toorah Troop captured prizes in throwing the cricket ball and relay race, while a Ist Ayra boy captured the 440 yds title. The following day the party made an early attack on Egmont's snowy slopes, and, under the leadership of Guides R. Moss and Boyd, climbed to within 1500 ft of the top, when it waß decided to return to camp. When camp was struck on January 12 the visitors left for Wanganui, where they spent an enjoyable week end with the Scouts, leaving at midday on Monday for Wellington, where they were re-

ceived by Commissioner Robin and other Wellington Rover Scouts. During their stay there they were entertained at Donbank Hostel by the Scouters, and subsequently were the guests of Rotary. They much appreciated a visit to the-bush in the Eastbourne district, where they were taken by a number of Wellington Rovers. Round trips were also much >appreci-

ated, and there was not much of Wei-! lington that they had not seen when they left on Thursday. On Friday the party visited Rotorua, where for the rest of the week they enjoyed to the full the wonders of the thermal district. One of the seouters said that it will be a long time before they forget the wonderful sights there —sights which none of them dreamed they would ever see. Throughout their stay at Rotorua the boys were entertained by the local troop, under Scoutmaster Hawkins. On their arrival here the party was driven out to Point Chevalier, where a swim was much appreciated after the hot and dusty train journey. After tea tfeey all drove up Mount Eden, where the direction table proved of great interest. From there the visitors were taken through Waikowhai and Blockhouse Bay to Titirangi, where, from Mount Atkinson, they were afforded an excellent view of Auckland by night. On Tuesday, with Assistant Commissioner Boswell and M;s. Roughton as host and hostess, they were given a tennis afternoon and social evening at Ely! House, the home of our Assistant Coni-! missioncr. The function was acclaimed I a great success, there being about 30 | people present. At the "Star" Office to-day the boys watched their photo graph (appearing elsewhere on this P a g e ) go through the various processes from camera to printing machine. A harbour trip will be a feature of to-morrow's programme, while Friday, the day before their departure, will be free. "Michael" hopes that when the Tofua sails on Saturday morning the representatives of the first Indian . troop to visit our shores will carry away with them happy memories of their visit here, and so help to strengthen the bonds of our world brotherhood. •"• • • Sea Scout Notice. Assistant Sea Scout Commissioner R. A. Woods states that he would like to see all Sea Scout companies parade at Calliope Dock on Regatta Day in order that he may inspect both boats and crews. • • • • Fame Doings. We had 25 lads on parade last Friday night, writes the First Mate. The examinations for second class were finished and a little instruction in chart work was given. Saturday afternoon was spent swimming and sailing round the beach, combined with instruction. Four boys under Mr. Cottle, first mate, camped on Walker's Beach on Saturday night, and did a little sailing Sunday morning. Later on in the day Captain Price and a few boys joined us and we sailed round to the main beach where the regatta was in progress. There we met Calliope and Hawke companies. Calliope challenged us to a rowing race, which we accepted, but they were too good for us. After tea we sailed back and finished a very enjoyable week-end at 8.30 p.m.

Second-hand Garment Vendor (to youthful assistant): Fashionable; it's too shabby. Assistant: That's all right, sir. Mark it "Very much worn." "Don't you think that long hair makes a fellow look intellectual t" "Yes, except when his wife picks one off his coat." "Oh, no." soliloquised Johnny, bitterly. "Tliere ain't any favourites in this family. Oh, 110! If I bite my fingernails I get a rap over the knuckles, but if the I baby tries to eat his whole foot they I think it's clever."