WAR SCOUTING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 211, 6 September 1941, Page 5

WAR SCOUTING

IN NEW ZEALAND

VALUE OF TRAINING

fliany events of great importance In the scouting world have happened during the year covered by the 33rd annual report of the executive committee of the New Zealand Council of the movement, presented at the annual meeting in Wellington to-day °y the Dominion Chief Commissioner, Mr. Hector Christie. After the death of the world chief, Lord Baden-Powell, Lord Somers was] unanimously confirmed as his sue-, cessor. A tribute is paid to Lordi Vomers in the report, and also tol i ♦ support given by the iate Dominion chief scout, Viscount uanvay, and by the new New Zealand chief, Sir Cyril Newall. ; Scouting continued to lose scouters to war service. This should be looked upon not altogether as a loss, but Si ? r as a fulfilment. Scouting did t l a^n boys to be soldiers, but it Qia fit them for whatever might come their way in life. There was overwhelming evidence that this training had enabled scouters to quickly adapt themselves to whatever job they had been given. The Dominion Commissioner for Training, Mr. J. R. H. Cooksey, i reported that although the war had tu J* man y scouters into the forces, ■: J n ? troops had been fairly well maintained, and only those which were already weak had gone under.

War Service In New Zealand Throughout the whole Dominion scouts had been linked up with the Precautions Scheme, and areas formed a large part ?v *«is organisation. In some dis- ' 22SP ..emergency calls were made * and the scouts had state of proficiency in activities. The value of scouters as,instructors in signalling, first aid york and other E.P.S. work was • t0 of S re at benefit. The ♦„ivl in £ Commissioner had received tributes to the boys' work in the' l.p.S. organisation, and badges werel service VCn efficiency in national I

Rover scouting is another branch of the movement to be seriously affected by the war. Mr. W. D.| Johns, of Auckland, Dominion Com-! Imissioner for rover scouts, reported Ithat in a number of cases whole trover crews were in the forces. As was to be expected, a large proportion of these had been employed in key positions in the intelligence and signals branches of the army and navy, while many were in the air force. Valuable national service had also been capably performed by rovers in New Zealand, in the E.P.S. organisation, the Auxiliary Fire Service, in making camouflage netting, and in many other ways. Crews were still being formed. That lone jscout work also had successfully continued under war difficulties is ishown by the report of the Dominion (Commissioner for Lone Scouts, Mr. |N. M. Matheson, of Auckland.

Cubbing Carries On ! i Work in the wolf cub section ofj Ithe movement also continued to: make progress in spite of the drainj on the manpower, it was reported. Pack of lone cubs had been started' with 27 boys on the roll living in| the backblocks, one as far away as western Samoa.

Five awards for gallantry were made to scouts during the year, including one Cornwell Decoration, the highest award of the association. There were also five awards to officers for good service in the movement.

A new department of world-wide scouting, that of air scouts had been established. It was proposed tol develop this department on cautious! lines for a start, and it had been' suggested that one troop be formed for every airport in the Dominion. At a later date this number might be increased.

In spite of the enlistment in thel armed forces of many scouters and rover scouts, an increase of 391 in the membership of the movement in the Dominion is shown by the census figures, bringing the total to 15,711. Although it is also shown that 242 members of the organisation were on active service, it is believed that this is only a small percentage of I the scouts and scouters now serving jtheir country.

I Several blank spaces in the scout map of New Zealand had been filled jin during the past 12 months. One outstanding feature of scouting conItrol was the added interest ' being Itaken by older people in the various

districts. This had been more noticeable during the past year than at |any previous time. It did appear Ithat citizens generally were beginning to realise the great value of scouting as a pastime for boys with .its attendant character training value.