Duke’s Challenge To World Youth

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30035, 21 January 1963, Page 12

Duke’s Challenge To World Youth

(New Zealand Press Association)

MJCKLMXD, January 20. The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme was a personal challenge from Prince Philip to the youth of the world, the overseas representative of the award scheme, Sir Percy Wyn Harris told the annual meeting of the Boys’ Brigade New Zealand council at Auckland today. More than 100 officers attended. He told the brigade leaders he waa sure that when the history of the present century was written Prince Philip would go down as one of the great men. “He is a leader, who has used his position, his gifts, and his education for others, and in particular for youth,” said Sir Percy Wyn Harris.

The award was a course in the proper use of leisure. It would give boys of all types something worth while to do in their leisure momenta.

The scheme was launched for boys in 1956 and for girls in 1958. It was already used in Britain by the Army, the Navy, apprentices, the police. Boys’ Brigade, Boy Scouts, in approved schools, and more recently In borstals. Mr R. M. Algie, Speaker of the House of Representatives, guest speaker, said that officers of the brigade bad chosen the difficult task of making th world a better place for young people. They were doing a magnificent job Mr Justice Boys said that while the law could not do anything to help the brigade, the brigade could help the law by giving youths a different outlook. Many young people regarded law as a negative thing which gaoled, fined, or punished in other ways. In reality the law could help then, if they let it The president (Mr M. T Dearsly) said that the Gov-ernor-General (Sir Bernard Ferguseon) had consented to receive members of the brigade at Government House on May 25 at the end of a nation-wide rally. Among matters discussed at the meeting were methods of expanding activities and a proposal to amend the coostitutaon to allow individual companies to decide whether they should accept grants from the Golden Kiwi funds At present they are not permitted to do so.