BOY SCOUTS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 2

BOY SCOUTS

RESIGNATION OF CHIEF COMMISSIONER COLONEL P. C. FENWICK'S EXPLANATION His decision to resign from the position of Dominion Chief Commissioner of the boy scouts has been announced by Colonel P. Clennell Fenwick, and the facts leading up- to this decision were given by Colonel Fenwick last evening. He said that the matter was personal to himself only, and had nothing to do with his Excellency Lord Galway, as Dominion Chief Scout, or anybody else. The Imperial Headquarters of the Boy Scouts' Association in London had transmitted through the Chief Scout in New Zealand. Lord Galway, certain recommendations for alterations in the policy of the organisation. These were of a far-reaching nature, and Colonel Fenwick said that he did not feel that he was able to carry out the suggested reorganisation of the movement. "There is nothing underhand or hidden in.the matter at all," he said, "and any suggestion that 'interesting disclosures' would be made later is misleading." There -would be certain developments in the movement on account of the reorganisation of the association, but there was nothing sensational in the whole matter. At the annual meeting of the council last November Colonel Fenwick tendered his resignation. His resignation was accepted, but was deferred until March 31 this year, by which date a sub-committee would have gone into the whole matter and have tabled a report. DR. FENWICK'S REASONS STATEMENT BY AUCKLAND COMMISSIONER (PBEBS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, January 14. "The statement telegraphed from Christchurch regarding the boy scouts is entirely misleading, and is, moreover, contrary to fact, while the melodramatic suggestion by Major Fur by of 'interesting disclosures' is absurd," said the Auckland Metropolitan Commissioner, Mr W. J. Holdsworth, when the matter was referred to him. "The position can be simply stated in the few words," he added, "Imperial Headquarters of the Boy Scouts' Association in London transmitted through the, Chief Scout in New Zealand, Lord Galway, recommendations for alterations in the policy and organisation of the movement in this country. These were of a somewhat far-reaching nature, and Colonel Fenwick, Dominion Chief Commissioner, who has given 25 years' excellent service to the movement, and who is an exceptionally busy man, found himself unable to take the steps necessary. Consequently his resignation was tendered to the annual meeting of the council last November. This was accepted, and deferred until March 31. by which date a sub-com-mittee will v have gone into the whole matter and tabled a report."