SCOUT NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20203, 4 April 1931, Page 8

SCOUT NOTES.

| ' [tXCMHUVS TO XHB TSIM.] [By Th* Metropolitin ComaMioxu-J

There will be a, Scooters' meeting on j next Thursday, April 9th, at head-. Quarters. It is hoped tEatas many Scouters win attend ai The object' of. Buck meetings. is ,io,, keep headquarters and'' Scouters. in touch with, each other, and •tq Soouters to <Jorelop original. „ ideas which they can!discuss at the:meeting. 'Thw meeting will deal mainly with two subjects; badge, examinations and training. The badge examination'committee hj« drawn up proposal for the next examination/ and before, these are finally embodied in a oixoular they will be" brought before the meeting and fully discussed. ;We want to get the examination system as perfect aa pc»sible, but we must bytrial and experience:- it cannot Be done in one day.. It will be proposed- that for:the next examination! only, those outeide the movement should'act ait Examiners, This i& an,experiment. Think before you orate to the meeting. Tfaeu wis will consider whether partidpaases should bis credited/to thenextexamination, or whether Scouts who have foiled in one or two subjects o&ly should have a limited time''to pass those andgain their firet-classcertifi-»tea. • / .'' i

Then there is the importaut question of examination of<»imtrytroap*. ,1.1 havo made enquiries, in , other-districts and find that they haveno. reliable method. We must v keep all first-class certificates op to. the P.O.R. standard, and we c*p ; do this in towns, with, single examiners, but howare .weto get the country, trorasan touch-with tho examiners P Think it oyer and help us with some ideas* that la what we want. 'Criticism is not, much.»w»d." Apyome can criticise, esjwciallyUnoee .wha are doing nothing, llemeinher:it-is': people who actually ,dothe work whb lay themselves open to. criticism.-,' Bqt brine some new and original proposals: they, will 'bewe!come\ < , » ;<-( It is the same about training.. -Thpre will Jbe a traitting;*eheme?for"the 'winter brought forward, because itJja. most important that Scoutmasters should be tally trained; 'As amatter<. « fact many of our had very little training, and we tfant to raised the standard. ,The want 5 , of *ex»S psrienced Scoutmasters is a great handicap. to thf» movement. The efficiency of a troop depends on and wo must raise the standard'if po»-~ sible. The difficulty occurs, - especially wilh- new trooper who - cannot^find 1 ail experienced £fcontmaster. ; t Tho tee propose someone who is not experi-. enced* - Either ,we have that the- qftntWit or we - must v ata»pt a; :ia,nofc up to the Btaidard.; Can >you suggests a remedy f any^t^ , yA»Miave, -aiiyf , suggestions strainthe • recognised old methods m you& troop. Bo you feel' the want'of new methods because; the did opes are. inefficient? Ypu tyilThave'an opportunity" "of'discussing the' matter on Thursday.' If you have any 6sher,ri#ttters>to bring up, would /P^hle'Jet me know beforehand. movement to be a .'democratic 'one," and' everyone to? take '-"an, iriterest; development. Remember you are liable to be told,afterwards'if you, make any complaints, didn't you "bring it up. at the Boosters', meetingP" . Bv the way, please address correspondence ■{» Metropolitan 'Headquarters,' and not'to- any' missioner. One know*; other-wise,-whpther fettera are .intended fo/ bo private or not. - '-I