BOYS' BRIGADE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13242, 18 January 1941, Page 3

BOYS' BRIGADE

AUCKLAND TOUR

TEN DAYS HAPPY HOLIDAY

rl v,.- WEATHER ENSURES A FINE SUCCESSFUL TRIP

m , vox H Irving, Captain of the Th . e Sde who recently took a Boy " 'Auckland for a ten days partJ has written a full and interest- ! OUr :, ■count of the hoys" experiences which will be published to-day and on .Monday. Favoured by wonderful weather h laehout the ten days, the EducaKf of the local Companies !1 ,i to be a tremendous success, '"t , „ and hoys alike are alSady Toping next Christmas will ' ;. 0 f a similar holiday. Bl The journey up was marred by an inpnt just before Otahuhu when Se d r Tress'der, moving about in the Sor was .thrown through the Sfe panels of glass in the car,„Jpdoor lacerating the arteries in b o fh arms. Medical aid was un;;;„able at Otahuhu, nut the tram Led into Auckland where the AmSnce awaited his arrival. Owen '!:,;,. a nd Eric Gilbert, both trained ■v the local S. John Ambulance BriJJ e assisted the train guar* and nNZMC member on leave, with first '"id' At the hospital Peter received 22 stitches and other dressings before being released late the same night, and although he did not s'leen at the Camp he joined in during the day as pre-arranged. Two hoys who went into camp with sores were treated at the Casualty Ward, and one lad who developed chicken pox on the second day was admitted to Hospital. Another lad with a bad cold was admitted to Hospital. Both these boys have unfortunately not returned with the campers, but both ■ire happy and doing quite well. The facilities offered by All Saints ponsonby, were splendid. A large ball accommodated the general members for sleeping quarters and the Officers and N.C.O.'s used the stage and its ante-rooms. A large supper room seated all the campers for meals, the tables giving an atmosphere of home life —fully set and with flowers. The Camp mother was very popular and the boys will speak of her for years to come. Each one knew Mrs Hert personally at camp, and more than that, everyone agreed that no camp-cooking could compare with her personal efforts. The call by many boys for extra pocket money was not due to camp starvation, but to the hot weather which made cordials, ice creams, etc., a vital necessity. Life was busy and there was little time for homesickness. On twelve occasions the Transport Board sent out special trams for our use and the Auckland Bus Company was a friend indeed, some eight trips being made in these huge buses which seated over 60 quite comfortably.

The night of arrival saw everyone quite tired but nothing had to be dropped. The Tramways Inspector put our car on a loop line while w.e enjoyed a very welcome hot dinner, and then we set off on the visit to Buchanan's All-Electric Bakery. A small mixer was set up as we arrived a little late. Dough raising, loaf setting and weighing, oven fuelling, quick baking, the formation of fancy loaves, etc., the removal of the contents of the huge ovens, the labelling, packing, and delivery were all watched keenly, and several boys assisted with the labelling for a while. JJpon return to Camp, straw was issued for the palliasses, and all settled down to their appointed places .by midnight. Reveille was sounded at 6.30 each morning by Bugler L. Stratford and the various*, other calls were sounded by Buglers G. Fisher and C. Grigg. The morning menus included stewed fruits and cereals or oranges, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs and kedgerei, mince, sausages, bubble and squeak, ham together with friend vegetables, bread, and whatever else happened to be.available from day to day.. The boys buttered 2SO rounds of bread each morning for lunch sandwiches, these being packed for carrying, in bus, tram, or on the march. Three large tins of cake went along and Plenty of cordial. The evening meal included roasts, corned beef, stews, and dough boys, bam, meat pies, salads, all kinds of vegetables, apple pies, steamed plum Puddings (3 kerosene tins full held just sufficient for one meal), stewed fruits, milk custards, and puddings, bread and butter puddings, fruit salads, and preserved fruits. We are indeed grateful for all that the Tauranga parents provided for the pantry—lemons, potatoes, turnips, jams, Preserves, pickles, ham and cakes, it is hoped to have a sum over on the running expenses and this will be relunded to each company pro rata. When everything is finally settled. On the first morning in camp, the Parade marched to Thompson and Jidls factory in Nelson Street, where Jhe boys saw the canning of green Peas, then along to watch where various pulps were being used for lam.

. T r "sh was then made to Ambury's 5 ; Newmai 'ket, where the weighing, pasteurisation and bottling of milk wms d a wealth of mechanical work. The plant is continually washn«Wi aVold dust and the cooling apparatus i s a master stroke. All "etnods of test for bacteria, butter- « content, etc., were fully explainmrt h was enjoyed in a small convpv e^' by - After lim ' cll the tram Rom i tbe party to Breakwater led int u march Past the sentries the rr, • power station where all and fS- Ve turbin es, and pumping of tho s plants opened the eyes of Drnrt^ ng visitol 's to the mystery producing the City's electric sup~

Khyb er t? OS> Cor dial Factory in The *,»«„ Was a great attraction. mana Ser, a former Holy Trinity

churchman in Tauranga, entertained the visitors to soft drinks, which were a great treat before a very pleasant hour at the glorious Olympic Baths. Nearly everyone went to the Majestic Theatre in the evening to see "The Sea Raider."' All are grateful to the Theatre management for their generosity upon this occasion.

1941 was welcomed by a pyjama parade generally, and the shops across the way fared well with youthful celebrations at the milk bar. The Anglican members began New Year's Day by attending the service of Holy Communion at All Saints at Ba.m., when the_ Rev. Canon Averill celebrated. Then a rush for the Northern Wharf where we boarded the "Tangaroa" on which there was hardly room to move. In two hours

we arrived at Osterid where we had lunch under the shade of flowering pohutukawa trees. Next a swim, and then a rush to get advantage point whence to view the 115 mile motorcycle race —an annual event tor Waihelte, and full of excitement. The homeward' trip was rather cool and everyone was ready for bed when Camp was reached. On the Thursday morning Olaf McClure had to enter Hospital, while the campers joined the bus in Ponsonby, and proceeded by the Vehicular Ferry across the harbour to Long Bay, where the Auckland Brigade camp was in session at their permanent site. On arrival appropriate speeches of welcome were made, and the reply given by the visitors. Introductions were hurried through and to get to know one another more quickly the Officers were each taken off to Auckland officials' tents, and the boys were divided into 14 lots and enTered a corresponding tent number in the Auckland camp where they were made at home and were entertained to swimming, tent chats, etc., until lunch. The City officers had been up bright and early making over 10 00 substantial sandwiches for a real picnic party. During the afternoon competitive games were played between the Tauranga and the City campers, but the Waitemata dwellers, who included quite a few senior grade sportsmen, put the Bay of Plenty lads to rout in all events. After these events on the sand, a ceremonious farewell was tendered the visitors at the Camp. The O.C. of the Auckland Battalion, Mr Honeycombe, delivered an appropriate address on the visit, and the Rev. H. Irving thanked him for his remarks and the campers for their generous hospitality. The Bay of Plenty leader took the salute as both parties, headed by our local Trumpet Band and the Metropolitan Bugle Band, marched past the flag base on their way to the Bridge, where the Auckland 8.8. Band played the General Salute prior to our bus drawing out amidst resounding cheers. The visit was voted a huge success and we learnt much from that trip. Next morning the parade marched to the Gas Company's Works at Freeman's Bay where, amidst the terrific heat of coal fires, we were enlightened upon the mys'teries of gas production and its by-products. The Neon lighting plant in Hobson Street drew the earnest attention of the sightseers. The heating and seamless joining of glass fascinated the boys. The art room revealed the first stages of the work and as a personal .sideline all Tauranga signs were shown the visitors. The artists' sketch is drawn off in full size on brown paper rolls and then electrically copied off on to asbestos sheets. The tubular glass is worked out on these and bent or joined by powerful "jet" heating. A visit was then made to the Automatic Exchange in Wellesley Street, where thousands of cogs and springs keep in constant touch the personal and business phones of New Zealand's largest city. Alarm signals were explained and the whole process of contacting subscribers was displayed/ In the basement the heating system and the storage of batteries was inspected. Wending our way up the hill the party paused to pay homage to Capt. Hobson, first Governor of this land as a Crown Colony, by his grave in Grafton cemetery, and then came lunch in the shade of that rather famous bridge. Joining the bus, we were conveyed via Selwyn Court (the Bishop's residence) to St. Stephen's Chapel), and on to the Melanesian Mission Museum on the waterfront. Here Captain Burgess formerly of the "Southern Cross," showed the party round. Then followed a drive through the old Mission Estate where the martyr Bishop Paterson once trained his little Melanesians, and on to St. John's College, Tamaki, where the boys could see some relics ot Selwyn's Day. The little chapel with its gorgeous stained winuows and brass memorial plates commemorating Tauranga's first missionary, Archdeacon Brown, was well inspected. The College library with- its valuable collection of books, many of the lS'th century, was very interestingA speedy run home concluded a full a A special visit by tram at night to Mt. Eden afforded a later climb but this was well worthwhile.