SCOUTING IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27246, 13 January 1954, Page 3

SCOUTING IN NEW ZEALAND

COMMEMORATION OF FIRST CAMP

CAIRN UNVEILED AT WOODEND

On December 26, 1908, just a little under a year after a book written by Lieutenant-General Robert BadenPowell entitled “’Scouting for Boys” first appeared on bookstalls in England, a group of youths held the first official Boy Scout troop camp at Woodend. Yesterday—4s years later —Boy Scouts representing all the Scout counties of New Zealand gathered at the site to witness the unveiling of a cairn which will commemorate the first camp. The ceremony of unveiling the cairn at Woodend yesterday was held in rain, after a heavy hail and rain storm had sent a fairly large crowd racing for shelter. Many remained, however, to see the cairn unveiled and a fire lit, from which a torch was kindled and carried to the Scouts’ Jamborette at Motukarara.

Among those who attended the ceremony were seven members of the original camp—Messrs J. Rennie (Kaiapoi), formerly of the Woolston troop, C. Pateman (Mount Pleasant), formerly of the Woodend troop, A. P. Smith (Woodend), also of the Woodend troop, A. A. Boon (Linwood troop), E. Stone (Ladbrooks), formerly of the Woodend troop, R. R. Dawber (Dallingtoh), formerly of the Linwood troop, and H. H. Fisher who was with the Woolston troop. Relatives of LieutenantColonel D. Cossgrove, V.D., Dominion Chief Commissioner until this death in 1920 and organiser of the camp, were represented by Mr O. L. Cossgrove, a son and an instructor at the first camp, and Mrs C. E. Aldridge, Colonel Cossgrove’s daughter.

Mr Rennie was the first King’s Scout in New Zealand and Mr Boon, at the visit of Lord Baden-Powell in 1912, the youngest King’s - Scout in the British Empire.

Major-General L. K. Lockhart, Dominion Chief Commissioner, also attended.

A Scout Pilgrimage Speech-making at the ceremony was kept to a minimum because of the rain, but before the chirn was unveiled, Sir Joseph Ward, County Commissioner, spoke of the first camp and likened the gathering at Woodend tq-a pilgrimage to the first troop camp in the Dominion. He thanked Messrs J. and W. Bunting for making the site of the cairn available and Mr D. J. Mclntosh, of Woodend, for building the cairn. The chairman of the Rangiora County Council (Mr F. A. Mclntosh) also spoke. The cairn was unveiled by Mr Rennie. Incorporated in it is a plaque which reads: “On this site from December 26, 1908, to January 2,1909, Lieutenant-Colonel D. Cossgrove, V.D., held the first official Boy Scout troop camp in New Zealand. Erected by the Canterbury jamborette scouts, January, 1954.” The cairn was not completed for the ceremony. When finished it will stand about 4ft 6in hjgh and in it will be incorporated stones containing the names of the various Boy Scout counties in the Dominion and also stones which have been taken from the tops of Mounts Cook, Sefton and Egmont. After the unveiling a small fire was lit by Mr Cossgrove and from this fire was kindled a torch which members of the Rover Scout Harrier Club conveyed by foot to Motukarara, 34 miles away.

Fourteen members of the club, each carrying the torch two miles and a half, ran in relays from Woodend. The rimners passed through Christchurch just before 6 p.m., escorted by a City Council motor-cycle patrol. The last runner reached Motukarara about 8.30 p.m. and the camp fire was lit from the blazing torch.