BOY SCOUTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19786, 26 November 1929, Page 7

BOY SCOUTS.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION. TWENTY-ONE YEARS' PROGRESS. The annual meeting of the Dorciaios B«.y Scout Council is to be held iu the Chamber of Commerce Hall to-morrow. The 21st annual report of the Executive Committee of the Council will be submitted. Reference is made to the death of Sir Jaines Wilson, and i'. -* stated that his influence and quiet wvk in many ways resulted in greater benefit to the boys of .his district than probably will ever be known. The total strength is less by 235 in 1928. Details of the strength as on September 30th last are: —Troops, 2 ,; j; packs, 178: officers, 943; cubs, 3434: scouts, 6431; total. 10,808. As compared with 1923. this shows that the strength has doubled, the total for U''-3 bring r.27L'. Regarding officers, the rej>ort sets <".ut that the difficulty of finding suitable officers was gradually being overcome by giving senior boys of King Scout and First Class standard an opportunity for advancement. On September 30th there were 570 First Class Scouts anl l") 01 King Scouts, and commissioners ar.d ! troop committees are urged to look over their troop and bring forward the names of likely lads for promotion. The work d'one in the Sea Scouts branch of the movement during the year was decidely encouraging. There are now 410 boys enrolled in this section, an increase of 53. To meet a local demand in accordance with local conditions, a junior branch of sea scouting was instituted, called Sea Cubs. Earl Jellicoe's silver trident was presented to the Iron Duke Company at Nelson, and the set of International Code signalling Mags, for the best all-round company in signalling, was awarded to the newlyformed company at Petone. The Chief Scout (Lord Baden-Powell), on recommendations submitted to him. made the following awards: — Silver Cross (for gallantry, with considerable riskl —Scout Eric Reynolds, of the Ist Whangarei Troop, "for his plucky action in having saved Muriel Loraine Potter from drowning at Taurikira Bay, Whangarei, on Saturdav, January 28th, 1928." Honorary Medal of Merit (for meritorious service* to the movement) Captain R. A. Woods, R.N.R., Auckland, "for his good services to the movement as Commissioner for Sea Scouts, Auckland district/' , Gilt Cross (for gallantry)— Patrol Leslie Jones, Bulls Troop, "for his gallantry in rescuing Asßißtant-Scout-master Rees from drowning in the Rangitikei river on November 25th, 1928." Patrol-Leader Fraser Robertson. Wellington, "for his Scout-like action in rescuing an eleven-year-old boy from drowning in the boat harbour. Wellington, on January 24th, 1929." Scout Edward Gordon Yallance, of the Alexandra Troop, "for his Scout-like action in rescuing a boy named Symonds from drowning in the Coronation Swimming Baths at Alexandra on February Bth, 1929." Congratulations were cabled to Lord Baden-Powell on the barony conferred by his Majesty the King on the Chief Scout. On August 3rd parades were held throughout the Dominion to mark the event, and were attended by approximately .1000 scouters, scouts, cubs, sea scouts, and rovers. The fact that 1929 is also New Zealand's twenty-first year of scouting will show that this Dominion was not behindhand in realising the possibilities of the movement, says the report. It may not be out of place to mention that the first troop of Boy Scouts in New Zealand was officially commenced by the swearing-in of the first patrol at Kaiapoi, in Canterburv, on July 3rd, 190S, by Colonel Cossgrove. The first scoutmaster was Mr T. Mallaseh, who had been working with boys for some time previously. The year opened with a credit balance of assets over liabilities of £3434, and ended with a credit of £3646, of which £2917 is cash in current accounts in banks and on fixed deposit. The Executive Committee was in receipt of cable advice that Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, accompanied by Colonel and Mrs Walton, intend leaving England in January, 1931, for New Zealand, vi# Panama. The Chief Scout first visited New Zealand in 1912, and the Executive Committee feel sure that all in the movement, as wall as the public, will look forward to his visit. Reporting on the Chriatchurch district. Major W. E. 8. Furby, Metropolitan District Commissioner, sets out: — '' Upon assuming charge of the Christchurch district last May, I found the District and Scouters' Association's finances, together with the District Training Centre, "Sandwell," in a state of chaos. "No District Committee being in existence, an Advisory Committee, comprising one elected representative of each Troop Committee, with the District Commissioner aa chairman, has been set up, and is now handling the administrative side of the district's affairs in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of the above unhappy state of affairs. This committee meets monthly, and Troop Commitees are kept in close touch with the policy of the Dominion Council through its representative, the District Commissioner. District scoutmasters are ex-officio members of this committee for training matters. Troops, through their committeemen, are now making efforts to wipe out back debts, and it is hoped that eventually our creditors will be paid in full."