WORLD SCOUTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 307, 28 December 1934, Page 7

WORLD SCOUTS.

OVER TWO MILLION. Movement Aims at Extension Of Good Will. LEADERS IN" MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE, Dcccmber 21. Right-hand man to the World Chief Scout (Lord Baden-Powell), and one of the most important overseas visitors to the International Boy Scouts' Jamboree, which will begin at Frankston next week, Colonel Granville Walton arrived by the Adelaide express to-day. Colonel Walton is Rover Commissioner of Imperial Boy Scouts headquarters, London, and he will represent Imperial headquarters at the jamboree, besides co-operating closely with Lord BadenPowell at the camp. He is accompanied by his wife, who is Assistant Commissioner for Wolf Cubs ill London. Colonel Walton mentioned that there were now 2,250,000 scouts in 40 countries of tlic world, and 1,250,000 girl guides. "The future of the boy scout movement lies in its international aspect," he said, "and, therefore, these jamborees are of the greatest importance throughout the world. "The Chief Scout is keen on the idea of the old scout movement; of those who were formerly scouts linking up in a sound body of scout opinion. There should be some sort ol' organisation to keep those former scouts throughout the world in touch with one another. Physical Training. "Another thing that Lord BadenPowell is keen on is the question of physical training. It is now suggested to scoutmasters that they should do all they can in the way of organising healthgiving games, so that each scout is gaining in a physical way from his scout training. "I accompanied Lord Baden-Powell as far as Colombo, and up to that stage of the tour the intense enthusiasm shown by all scouts at the places called at or passed was remarkable. "At Port Said we saw British and Egyptian scouts together, and further on Greek and Armenian scouts. At Aden there was a rally of Cingalese, British, Arabian, Somali and Jewish scouts. "At Aden the British Resident Coni-mander-in-Chief, Sir Bernard Reilly, told us how he began the movement there. "When in India we saw a small Indian child knocked down by a horse. He went up and tried to "help it, but the child was terrified at the sight of a white human being. "Later an Indian boy came along and attended to the child. Sir Bernard said to him, 'Surely this is a relative of yours.' The lad replied that he was a boy scout and had never seen the child before. "When Sir Bernard Reilly went back to Aden he started the movement there . because he could see in it the spirit of mutual help. In a somewhat similar manner the movement was started in America. Militarism Banned. "There are no scouts in Germany. Before the rise of Hitler we were in touch with various health organisations in Germany because we were anxious to inaugurate the movement there so long as they fell in with our international ideas. But youth organisations in Germany are now too military, and scouting is not military. "The position is much the same in Italy. Lord Baden-Powell had an interview with M.ussolini some time ago, and Mussolini said he was adopting many of the ideas of the boy scouts, but he was giving it a military basis. In the future he would consider its international aspects. "In Russia we cannbt recognise any scouts because they do not conform with the scouting policy, although there are Russian refugee scouts in Paris." Colonel Walton said that Lord BadenPowell, who is //, has lully recovered from his two severe illnesses.

GREAT JAMBOREE.

Chief Scout and Guide in Melbourne. HAND OF COMRADESHIP. MELBOURNE, December 27. The Chief Scout and Chief Guide, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, have arrived in Melbourne for the opening of the first scout jamboree to be held outside of Europe. In a special message Lord BadenPowell said: "I am mighty glad to be hero in time for the opening of the jamboree and to welcome all the scouts from the many different countries they represent. I hope they will all realise that the jamboree is not merely held for them to come and stare at each other and criticise one another's dress and appearance, but that they may hold out tiie left hand of scouting to each and every scout and make real friends, not acquaintances." '1 he jamboree will be opened 011 Saturday with a national educational pageantry and a grand march past of all the scouts, and will be continued until January 13.