THE PRINCE AND THE SCOUTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17632, 8 December 1922, Page 12

THE PRINCE AND THE SCOUTS.

+ POSSE OF WELCOME. \ BIG AND JOLLY BROTHERHOOD, j (from our own correspondent.) LONDOIV. October 13. To bis already extensive wardrobe of uniiorins, the Prince of Wales has added yet another. Ho wore it for the ] first time, on Saturday, when he spent j very nearly three hours with tens of ; thousands of jolly Boy Scoots and their J nice Wolf Cub brothers. To be exact I there were 20,000 little chaps and 40,000 of the older boys, and they came to London from every quarter of the British Isles to bo present at the "Posse of Welcome," which was held in tho extensive grounds at Alexandra Palace, in North London. To the bovs, young and oid, the Prince delivered fine etirring aadwasts, which were carried by specially installed instruments to every corner of the 200 acres of gardens, and thev as much impressed the 10,000 spectatois as they did those for whom uiey were specially intended. There was no excuse for people to sav that they had not seen the Prm.e. He was everywhere, walking, rowing over tlie iako, and motoring through the grounds. He was determined, it seemed, to see every individual Scout, and he just took his own time and chatted naturally and informally with all and sunary, and ho. seemed aeiiijhtod with his great reception. As Chief Scout of Wales, he wore the Scout uniform of the Higher command, ail khaki-coloured—hat, with a yel-ov/ and green plume, be-ted jacket, 6horts, showing bare knees, and short stockiags—and well it became lus slim, athletic form. He also carried tho long pole or staff, but what was most noticeable, and creatiy admired, was the devil-may-care expression of the true Scout, lurking under the Pnncs.s happv smile, that was imparted to hia face by the rakish cut and set of his broad-rimmed hat, which t seemed slightly to worry him as the wim wad caught by the breezes. Just before tl.fi Prince arrived a very interesting ceremony was performed. Le Viscounte de la Panousso,. the French Military Attache, on behalf of tho French- Ambassador, placing his sword first on the left shoulder and then on the right and kissing Sir Robert on both cheeks, declared tbe> Chief Scout a member of the Legion of Honour. The Great Howl. The whole of-the morning was takou up in assembling and in preparing for the great doings of the afternoon. The Cubs in their thousands gathered nround their "Council Rock," in the Grove, and did deep breathing exercises in readiness for the combined howl with which they greeted tha Prince. Fire brigade demonstrations by Sheffield Scouts and an inspiring oharge ur> to the saluting base and singing by Welsh Scouts, were other features of tho amazing spectacle. The programme was opened by the Chief Scout inspecting the Inner Circle, which was composed partly of the King's Scouts. The arrival of tho Duke of Connaught, President of the Boy Scouts' Association, was greeted with cheers. He was received by Chief Scout Lord Hampton,.nnder whose direction the great assembly wqb carried out; it was,a masterpiece of organisation. Even the weest of the Cubs knew precisely where he was going, and what he had to do. It did one good to see this vast multitude of boys with faces so clean, intelligent, and full of health—they, indeed, do credit to the Chief Scout, whose, preliminary instructions were implicitly obeyed. These included: "Show tho publio that you are not ordinary boys, out smart, well-disciplined Scouts. • "Keep yourselves clean and alert. "Leave ragging and bugle-blowing to rotters. "Remember that other people will want' to use the ground after you, so . prove that you are true Scouts by leaving your rally ground as clean as you found it, and possibly a bit cleaner, collecting all refuse into proper places. '"tfou have come to give the Prince a welcome on his return from Overseas. He has been seeing there many fine Brother Scouts of yours; show him that you '.are as smart and as efficient as they are. '.''-,. "And when you cheer him, cheer him like Billy-O." ' it is needless to say that all these injunctions were implicitly obeyed, especially the last one, but even this was bottled up till the signalling white flag fell—and then the roar was tremendous, coming in great waves along the dense lines, accompanied by the waving of thousands of hats on long poles and the fluttering of many coloured flags. The scene really was a wonderful one, as by signal all the multitude simultaneously scaled the sloping heights to group themselves nearer the central dais; then multi-coloured scarves making quite a kaleidoscope of colour. The Cubs. - On arrival at 3 o'clock the Prince was received by the Duke of Connaught, Sir R. Baden-Powell, and other oihcers, and was greeted by some small Welsh boys singing "God Bless the Prince of Wales." The Cubs were first visited. For the Prince a most picturesque council rock had been prepared. It was just such a rock as a Red Indian chief in all hia feathers might have stood on to harangue his trusty wari riors. The Cubs, many of them man- ' aged by lady Cubmasters, were prepar- ' nig to howl around the council rock 1 like the wolve9 in Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book." They started with the shout "Akela," which ' means "Great Wolf." Then they 1 shouted, "We'll do our totV-this beina the motto of the Wolf Cubs. Pollowing this a boy called a "sixer" shouted into the wireless telephone, ' "Dyb, dyb, dyb" (Do your best), and ' the Cubs answered "Dob, dob, dob" i (We'll do our best). After hearing their great howl, the Prince 6poke to them saying: "I have seen Wolf Cubs in many parte of the world, but I have never seen so big a pack "before. Nor have I ever heard sulh, a howl. What a howl!- It was quite eplendid. I was glad to hear it, because I know you mean it when you say yon will do your best to caTry out i whatever 'the Old Wolf tells you. i Stick to that. Always try to do your best, whether at work or play. And i then, don't forget your good turns to • other peoplej and especially do your best in helping your mothers in your own homes. Never forget all through your Tife if you do vour best you can't do better. So good luck to you all." Clever Entertainers. While this ceremony was taking place, numerous guests—for, naturally they could not all be on tour—-were being entertained most interestingly by tree-cutting competitions, by very clever and elaborate gymnastic displays, by Highland flings, baenipes and a brass band. This band was. ' formed of instrumentalists in minia-'j tnre. some of them being no larger than the brass they bore, but the volume of tone was wonderful, and their time admirable; indeed, so good were their many performances that one wished the small boys had entered for the recent brass bands' contest. They played like old stagers. Elsewhere were green and white pierrote with a piano, and they amused vast crowds. It was not till 4 o'clock that the • company assembled et tie saluting

base saw the Prince, who came with bis party, and on his approach the Royal btandard was broken bv Scout Man-, of the Quest, in kilts. Tho Prmco looked jolly and happy, but iu five minutes he was again on the move, his peregrinations this time lasting another hour. Prior to this long tour, however, the Duke of Coimaught invested him tuth the Boy fccouta urtier of the Silver Wolf, and the three cheers which the Duke called for were deafening in. their enthusiasm. The leisurely tour over, the great "Rush" took place on the signal 01 the dipping of the white flag and- the firing of guns. A huge roar went up, and the of thousands of feet iilled the "air, whereat the Prince was heard to exclaim, "My hat!" It was some time before silence was obtained for him to address the Scouts. After the "Rush" intense silence prevailed, and the Prince, holding the microphone to his mouth, sooke to the 60,000, and a 1! that he said was carried to every individual by means of the huge trumpet instruments that were placed about the grounds. The Same Old Smile. During his travels, the Prince said, he had seen their brother Scouts in most parts of the world, with the same old hats, staves, and bare knees, and tho same old smile when things looked bad. And all of them were doing just tho same good turns to other people. He added: "You are members of a very big and jolly brotherhood,, and you"arc doing a fiile thing by making yourselves strong, active, efficient Scouts, because you are thereby carrying out your motto, 'Be prepared'— to be good, useful citizens for your country, and for that greater brotherhood of free nations which forms the British Empire. There is no higher duty than that. So stick to it, and do it well, and good luck to you all." The Chief Scout called for three cheers for the Prince, and the Welsh Scouts sang "Land of My Fathers.'' The Prince then read a telegram which had been despatched to the King, and the King's reply, congratulating the Scouts and Cubs on their wonderful gathering. The proceedings ended with three cheers, for the King, which were called for by the Prince.| And so terminated for him three happy, if strenuous, hours. Speech by Wireless. In the evening, the Princo sent a wireless message to Scouts all over the Kingdom. A special machine was set up in his study at York House, and at 7.30, in company with experts from Marconi House and a representative of the Post Office, he delivered his address for broadcasting. One of the Marconi experts gave the code call. There was a short pause, and then tho expert introduced the Prince in the words: "The Chief Scout for Wales." Tho instrument was then handed to the Princo, who spoke through it, saying: '' Boy Scouts and Seouters, -wherever you may be, in the course of my recent travels I have seen Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs growing up in overy part of tho Empire. I have been rceoived at the Alexandra Palace by some 40,000 Scouts and 17,000 Wolf Cubs in a great posse of welcome. I understand that this word 'posse' moans a representative group, and not the whole body of ■ the movement. All I can say is that if the rest of you are like those I have seen, your standard of smartness and efficiency is a very high ono. But, apart from such outward signs, I admire more especially the inward spirit of goodwill and patriotism which makes the whole movement so like a brotherhood. You are all doing a splendid work, Seouters, by showing a self-sacri-ficing example to your younger brothers, Scouts and Cubs, by dong your best to be prepared for making good citizens for your country and Empire. You could do nothing better. Stick to it. From my heart I wish you every possible success aud good camping." This great rally was directly due to the Prince himself, and is not a kind of continuation of the "Jamboree" of two years ago. Soon after his return from India and Japan, Sir E. Baden:. Powell asked him whether he would like to see a "Posse of Welcome" when ho attended some such function as llio Guildhall reception. The Prince replied that he would prefer a rally all to himself in place of a guard of honour, and Boy Scouts all over tho country were soon making arrangements for the Alexandra Palace gathering. Training in Sane Citizenship. "The spirit of tho gathoring," says Sir Robert, "is a portent which has meaning for us all. Here are these boys, coming with fares paid somehow, by hook or by crook, from Scotland, Ireland, and, of course, from Wales.. Where 20,000 had been hoped for, over double the number have registered to come. What is the reason that brings them? Is it curiosity, cr what? To enquiry on this head the replies seem various. . . . The great motive seems largely to be that of loyalty to the Throne. This means,, incidentally, something more than its existence merely among tho boys themselves, but also among those thousands of their grown-up leaders, and also among the tens of thousands of parents who, costly though it be, encourage the boys to carry out this pilgrimage. This spirit may reasonably be counted as a sign of promise, in these days of unrest and cloudy outlook, and at a time when varied temptations are held out to the youth of the nation to turn aside from the ways of their fathers, and to worship new and strange political gods, and also, be it remembered, at a time when many of those fathers and elder brothers are not there to advise them, but lie buried in Flanders. Developing the Character. J "In the Scout and Guide movement our first object is to aid education by taking them in their spare time and developing character in every boy and girl. Under 'character' we include such qualities as sense of honour, responsibility, self-discipline, reverence, foresight, and broadminded outlook, good-will and sense of duty for the common weal—in other words, the qualities of sane citizenship. Over half a million boys and girls are now going through a progressive course of individual self-education in this training, and their numbers are increasing every day. But numbers are of little account unless the teaching is right. In this respect the movement has, until lately, been handicapper through want of men and women leaders properly equipped for the work; but now we have our schools of training established for helping them to acquire the true principles and methods of the System, and all promises well. As they come in, in increased numbers to lead, we shall be able to extend our training until it influences for good a material Eercentage of the coming citizenhood, a this way, it will supply a real heaven of sane, contented, balanced citizens. Funds are, unhapily, wanting, but men and women are coming in rapidly, now that they understand the truly national service which Scouting enables them to render; they realise that they need not be 'Admirable Crichtons,' but that the great asset for their success lies in the spirit of the youngsters themselves, which meets them half-way, and merely asks direction. This youthful enthusiasm has been left too long neglected, unrecognised, and unutilised. If the Prince's 'Posse of Welcome' does nothing more than open the eyes of people to the existence and possibilities of this spirit, it will have been worth while." A Man in the Making. "In other days," writes the editor of the "Daily Telegraph," "chivalry was for knights in armour; in our day Sir Robert Baden-Powell has taught hundreds of thousands of lads how they may bring something of its glamour jnto their own humble live*. They

promise 'on their honour' to do their duty to God and the King, 'to help other people at all times, and 'to obey the Scout Law.' They join a youtnful brotherhood of high purposes, eacii member of which is pledged to be 'the friend of all,' and 'a brother to every other Scout, no matter to what social class the other Scout belongs.' Courtesy to all, kindness to animals, a spirit of helpfulness and of willing submission to discipline are among the virtues inculcated in all manner of manly ways. For the Scout is regarded as a man in the making, -who should make his way in the world, knowing something of the beauties and wonders as well as its pitfalls and snares, and conscious, above nil. of its opportunities for service. Those who are familiar with the history cf the Scout movement will 1-pmemtier the eulogy pronounced by Dean Russell, of Columbia University. 'The naturalist,' he declared, 'may praise it for its success in putting the boy close to Nature's heart; the moralist for its splendid code of ethics; the hygienist for its methods of physical training; the parent for its ability to keen the hoy out cf mischief; but from the standpoint of the educator, it has marvellous potency for converting the restless, irresponsible, self-centred boy into the straightforward, dependable, helpful young citizen.' That is the verdict of an American who has made .1 life-long study of boys. Need we ask for further testimony to the value of the Boy Scout movement?' ''The event comes as a reminder that in process of time we have reached a new conception of what a boy may be —neither n scallywag nor a mollycoddle. The typicnl Boy Scout is not ashamed of right doing; he is 'clean in thought, in word, in deed.', He is, moreover, cheerful, radiating a spirit of brightness and helpfulness, and he 'smiles and whistles under all difficulties.' The popular figure of the sturdy Boy Scout, with his lusty stavo| and the suggestion of competency, which he conveys has seized the public mind in this as well as in other countries. Wo have a system of free and compulsory education, but Sir .Robert Baden-jfowell will bo honoured as the creator of another codo quite worthy to rank with it, and all tho more valuable because voluntary. Tho one is complementary to tho other. The Boy Scout learns many things in tho course of his training, but, above all, his character is developed. This movement is changing the generally-held view of the-signinc-ance and promise of boyhood. The world and all that is in it belongs to the boys of to-day, and men and women of vision are anxious to fit them to take up in a worthy spirit tho legacy which will fall to tnem in the course of Nature. The Prince of Wales could have made no more splendid return to public life than in showing by his presence at the Alexandra Palace his sympathy with this movement." Long Trots. The Scouts arrived in London by fifty-eight special trains; nearly 20C0 slept in the Palace one night and SOOO the next. A detachment of Sea Scouts from Chiswick arrived, having walked all the way, pushing their equipment in their own trek carts. Four cubs who had walked from Wolverhampton were taken in hand by some Durham Sea Scouts, fed, washed and put to bed. They were all.merry and bright in the morning. Young Scots 111 kilts there were, to the number of 5000. A little cub from Bristol came all the way by himself, carrying a pack twice his own size. He is ouly ten, but he had paid his own exDenses. It waa, indeed, a great day for the Chief Scout, for (as the "Evening News" remarks) few men hayo been so fortunate as he in seeing their ideals achieved with such completeness. "The success of the Boy Scout movement is a clear answer to the pessimists who would have us think that the world is going to the doge; rather we hope it will bo with the cubs' of to-day. It is doubtless amusing to be a Boy Scout, but it means duty and discinJine. sacrifice and service. These are the things that are needed to make a bett r world, and to see tho younger generation embracing them and finding that they hold the best of life gives us a better hope for the future than all the windy eloquence of our politicians." Vicissitudes of Alexander Palace. Alexandra Palace has seen as many strange vicissitudes of late as in its earlier years. Originally built in 1873 as a North London rival to the Oyetal Palace, it was shortly afterwards burnt down and then rebuilt. After varying efforts to make it a popular show place it fell into a somewhat" derelict condition until acquired m 1901 for the public and administered by a iiepresentative board of trustees. Bv that time however, a large part of the original estate had been cut up into ''desirable building plots," but still leaving enorgh for a very spacious playground. On the outbreak of the war the Palace was taken over as a hostel aid clearinghouse for the Belgian refugees.'Later it became a detention camp for German prisoners of war. Then it housed Government Departments, and has only lately reverted to the public possession.