SCOUT NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20630, 20 August 1932, Page 8

SCOUT NOTES.

[exclusive 10 the tress.] [By The Assistant Metropolitan Commissioner.] Bover Moot. Arrangements are well in hand for a combined "Rover Moot" to be held at the Y.M.C.A. rooms on September lsfc. Group Scoutmaster G. Coley has now Jinked up with the Addington crew, as a squire, and later intends registering a crew of rovers at Tennyson street group. ... , Mr Simpson is also being received as a squire in the Addington crew, and ho will then form a crew at the Y.M.C.A. Two of his prospective rovers are also joining up with Addington for training in the meantime. X am very glad to know that tho Y.M.C.A. is giving the rovering movement its official support, and I trust j when the Y.M.C.A. group is registered, that provision will also bo made for scout troops, which will encourage the younger boys as well as provide recruits for the senior movement. Badge Committee Report. Some delay has been caused through the absence of examiners, which will necessitate first-class examinations bein" carried forward into September. Two evenings this month have already been devoted to ambulance, and twenty-two passes have resulted. Cub examinations are well in hand and practically all candidates have.been dealt with. , The following havo been successful in the proficiency examinations-.—Am-bulance: St. Saviour's, Scouts J. G. Jennings. R. Wilson, J. Duncan, and C Knight; Addington. A. Sewell, J. Lucas, J. Mechan. I>. Orange. N. A'Court, I. Biggs, R. Moore, G. Genet, and A. Genet. Two Star: Rugby street, Cubs C. Ching, D. Pratt, B. Oliver, and N. Ackroyd. Interpreter: Troop Leader P. Seymour of the North Beaeb troop was successful in qualifyin? ns an interpreter in French. The study of languages is very interesting, and although there is limited scope in this country, one never knows what tho future may have to offer. Too H. Troop. The troop paraded at the Toe FT. rooms Oxford terrace, on August 12th, with an attendance of two officers and nineteen scouts. Six members of the "Jackal" and "Morepork" patrols passed in "scout paco" for the second class badge. This was carried out by moonlight in Hagley Park. The new "Kiwi" patrol is making good progress under the leadership of P.L. Pat Luxton. P.L. Vic. Harris was h successful candidate at tho recent examination for tho ambulance badge. It is very interesting to note the progress being made by this comparatively new troop, and 1 am anxious to seo a parade of the boys in uniform, with deerskin bands complete.

Parents' Evening. There was a large gathering of members of the Addington group at a parents' evening, held on Thursday of last week. Parents were also there in full force. Commissioner F. G. Tidswell attended, and was greeted in traditional stylo, with a Dominion haka. Later in the evening, Commissioner Tidswell presented prizes won in the recent map-drawing and essay competitions. T.L. Georgo Genet, who won tho map-drawing competition, was presented with a set of drawing instruments, given by Mr C. F. Dyer; and T.L. E. J. Moore received a book for winning the essay competition, the subject being, "First Class Hike." During the evening, Mr Genet, on behalf of the Group Committee, presented G.S.M. K. Dyer with a tobacco pouch, in recognition of hia services as group scoutmaster at Addington. During an interval a scout bridge, built by scouts with their staves, was opened by the Commissioner, who afterwards crossed it with due cere- 1 mony. The bridge was an excellent Structure, and a credit to the boys. Addington Rovers. I At a recent meeting of the Addington rover crew, the leader of the International Brotherhood, Hapu, read the correspondence received from overseas. Letters of interest were read from Australia, Canada, Fiji, South Africa, and England. Rovers reported having written to these countries, also to India, Hungary, Malta; Scotland, and Ireland. Altogether there are twenty-two overseas rovers and scouters in touch with the Addington crew. Football Tournament. The troops of No. 3 District are at present playing off an inter-troop football tournament. Commissioner Tidswell lias presented the district with a silver cup to be held by tho winning troop. All the games will be watched by a selector, who will choose a strong fifteen to play Commissioner Gray's crack team at Kaiapoi. The tournament i? as yet only in its early stages, but it promises to become exciting later on. All the troops arc meeting at Lyttelton on August 22nd, for a district rally, tho City boys journeying to Port by train.

For every day that an Atlantic liner such as the Berengaria or the Empress of Britain is under way, tho owners .have to find nearly £2OOO to cover fuel, wages, and other running costs. An oilburning liner consumes about a ton of oil for every milo she covers at sea. The crew's wages run a long way into four figures every week, and the value of a liner is continually dropping, the depreciation alone amounting to £3OO to £4OO a day. When a liner is in port the costs are staggering. Dock dues run to about a penny a ton. Thus, a 50,000-ton liner must pay 50,000 pence, or over £2OB every time she "turns round" at the end of her voyage. She cannot enter or leave port without the services of a pilot, and these run to a large amount. Tugs are required in many ports to enable the ship to berth and to turn round. A recent estimato shows that to earn any profit, a 50,000-ton ship must take three-quart-ers of a million pounds a year in fares and freights.