LONE SCOUTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 3

LONE SCOUTS.

THEIR OWN WHARE.

GREEN BAY CAMP.

Saturday was a red-letter day for Boy Scouts of the Auckland province, since it saw the establishment of a longdesired headquarters for J.one. Scouts in a whare at Green Bay, which will be a.

rallying point from time to time, permitting lads from isolated points in the back country areas to enjoy the companionship of their fellows and participate in some of the advantages which are a commonplace amongst those who live in densely-populated centres. The whare, which has been built up from a huge case in which an aeroplane was shipped to Xe.w Zealand, is itself a symbol of the aptitude with which Boy Scouts, in the best traditions of the late Lord Baden-Powell's world-famous movement, can alter things to their own needs. It will provide a snug shelter, sufficiently weatherproof for practical purposes, round which lone scouts can camp. As Sir Joseph Smith, metropolitan commissioner of the council, explained to-day. Boy Scouts do not demand built-in bunks or anything of that nature. They prefer to improvise their own bedding, so that a well-fur-nished hut is not by any means an essential. However, a whare to serve as a shelter for their food and equipment serves a'most useful purpose-

In the presence of -00 Boy Scouts, including a number of Lone Scouts from various distant places. Sir Joseph officially opened the whare on Saturday. He congratulated the Lone Scouts mi their acquisition of this new headquarters, which would lie a focal point for their practical work. Xot till next Labour Day would it be possible to bring Lone Scouts together in numbers, said Sir Joseph, and for that reason it was the more gratifying to have, the whare established and opened this autumn. Itestablishment was the outcome of much painstaking work, and was made po-sihlc by the practical co operation of real friends of the H'out movement. TinMayor of Auckland. Sir Ernest Da\i». and a number of others, inchuliii:: Si; Henry Morton. Mr. W. It. Wilson and Mr. 11. J. Kellihcr. had made gen?rou donations the purchase of tlv Green Bay property. Their help rc \ ealed that they had a true appreciation of the \aiue of the scout movement t" lonely buys living in places vcmote from regular scout assemblies. "I'ljc Bank of Xew Zealand had also been most helpful in matters connected with the acquiring ol' the property.

Sir -Joseph said he knew that the Grcr.n Bay whare would be put to the best practical u>c. "Lone scout* will now ha%e a reuse of independence, in that they will ha\e a place, ideally siiuated, for their work to which thev can conic iliirins holiday periods." be raid. "It will be of great \alue as a week-end rendezvous for a general camp." Amongst tho-e present at the ceremony w as Commissioner X. X.

Mathieson. Dominion commissioner for Lone Scouts, who aavc mnoh useful direction and played a big part in the establishment of the whare.