Prominent Scouter To Visit Christchurch

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31011, 17 March 1966, Page 14

Prominent Scouter To Visit Christchurch

A prominent international scouter, Mr R. F. Thurman, will be in Christchurch from March 26 to March 29 as part of a New Zealand tour. Mr Thurman has been camp chief of Gilwell Park, England, since 1943, and he is the director of leaders training. Gilwell Park is the international training centre of the Boy Scouts’ Association. Mr Thurman is also a member of the World Training Advisory Committee.

Mr Thurman joined the Scout movement as a scout in 1928, and for a period during the Second World War acted as County Commissioner of Middlesex. He played an active part in running a handicapped group and before joining the full-time staff he was a member of the Middlesex County training team for 12 years.

In 1942 he became one of the first people to be appointed a field commissioner. As camp chief of Gilwell Park. Mr Thurman supervises the training of scouters and scout leaders in all parts of the United Kingdom, and advises on leader training

throughout the scouting world. i He has visited every continent to attend scout functions and to lead or advise on training. He has also been present at most of the post-war meetings of the association’s world conference. Many Awards Scout awards from many countries, including the Silver Wolf and the only world conference award, the Bronze Wolf, have been awarded to Mr Thurman for his services to scouting. He was awarded the 0.8. E. in 1963, and is also a Justice of the Peace. While in Christchurch Mr Thurman will visit the Canterbury Area camping and training ground at Blue Skies, Kaiapoi, on March 27, where a scouters’ refresher training course has been arranged. On March 28 he will attend a dinner, where invited guests will include the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) and Mrs Manning, and representatives of other youth organisations and scouters who have the Wood Badge He will leave Christchurch for Greymouth on March 29.