Scout Den Opened In Bishopdale

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31662, 24 April 1968, Page 8

Scout Den Opened In Bishopdale

Youth today was responsible and progressive and the majority should not be judged by the antics of a few, the member of Parliament for Fendalton (Mr E. S. F. Holland) said at the official opening of the Bishopdale scout group’s new den, in Bishopdale Park on Sunday.

About 175 persons, including 60 scouts and cubs, attended the opening. Mr Holland said he was disappointed that a Girl Guide company had not already been formed to take advantage of the new facilities. This was because of lack of leaders.

The new den. built for about $5OOO, has been designed to blend with existing surroundings and yet be distinctive as a scout den.

This has been achieved by giving the outward impression of a tent for the main room and extensions for ancillary rooms. The building is of concrete block with vertical board sheathing on four corners. Natural lighting is provided by translucent panels at the peak of the roof. The den is 35ft square and on each side is a 20ft by 10ft extension for a kitchen and storeroom, scouters’ and patrol council rooms, lavatories and a campfire fireplace. Plans to build a den began one year after the group was formed at Bishopdale in July, 1965. The Waimairi County Coun-

cil agreed to set aside a site in Bishopdale Park and by March last year enough funds had been raised to ensure that building could begin. Work began in August last year and, except for some specialists, all the labour had been done voluntarily by parents and friends of the movement. A Golden Kiwi grant was made of $9OO. The chairman of the Waimairi County Council (Mr D. B. Rich) said the council wanted to assist youth and community efforts in the same way as the scout group had been helped. The history of the group was traced by the Commissioner for the Kauri district (Mr H. W. Millard) who said that a scout den was a headquarters from which scouts went into the world.

The Canterbury area commissioner (Mr R. S. Glensor) spoke of scouting generally, including the money required to run the movement, the outdoor work and the indoor training. The dedication was performed by the Anglican vicar of Bishopdale (the Rev. R. B. Allen) on behalf of all the local churches.

During a tea after the opening a presentation was made by Paul Fallon, on behalf of the boys and the committee, to Scout Leader P. K. Bayne, who had given all his spare time to building the den in the last six months.