DOMINION BOY SCOUTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 80, 6 April 1910, Page 4

DOMINION BOY SCOUTS.

(By "Tracker.") Notes of general interest from Scoutmasters will be insetted in this column. They should be addressed to "Tracker," care the Editor Evening Post, and should reach -me each Monday for publication on the Wednesday. One of the most important things in the Boy Scout training is the act of doing a good turn everyday. It is one of the many things in "Scouting for Boys" which makes scouting quite different from any other game, hobby, or training. Therefore we must be mindful to live up to the reputation Scout* have earned all over tho world for thought fulness and unselfishness. One way in which any boy can do a good turn, is to bundle together all the magazines and cheap editions of books at home which are done with, and give them to someone who has not- read them. The lighthouse-keepers have lots of time to read, and often not many books available. Sailors on the long voyages to the other sid« of the world read a tremendous lot and any books given are appreciated. There are also the hospitals, the asylums and the benevolent homes, all full of people glad to have something to read, bo make np a parcel of literature and take it to one of the local institutions or to the Mu«ions to Seamen, or post it to one of the lighthouses. The postage on magazines and books, to the latter is only two penoe per pound. Enclose v note giving tho name of sender and name of troop. The Boys' Institute Troop is reported to be making splendid progress. A room in the Institute building has been placed at its disposal, and toe boys are actively engaged iv furnishing it as a club-room. They meet twice a week, one night being devoted to night scouting, in order that those scout* wishing to play football on Saturday may do so. This still leaves several patrols, however, who prefer scouting to football, and they turn out each Satuiday. Clu>se? in firstaid, knotting and splicing, and signalling are being arranged for, ro that the troop promises to be an efficient one. On Saturday the Mount Victoria troop journeyed to Ngaio, falling in with the Kelburne troop en route. On the way some ambushing wax indulged iv, which made tho distance seem lcsn Vhan it was. At Ngaio the former troop went in for a dip, while Kelburne went on to a pool near Khundallah to bathe. The return journey wan made interesting by scouting games. Every Scout should make it his duty to learn one accomplishment. It may be by singing a song, or telling a fctory at home or round the camp fire, or playing some musical instrument, doing conjuring tricks, or being the funny man of the party. If everybody practices one thing, and does it well, there will be no dull sitting round the fire in the evenings with nothing to do, but every one will b© able to do his shnre of entertaining, and will then be content to take a back seat and watch others. It is tuch a mistake to try and be good ct everything; a lot of boys do that, no that they need never be beaten by anyone else, but they only bore people when they start trying to hhow off. Those who aie really liked, and make themselves gen orally interesting, are the fellows who can do one thing really well themselves nnd admire •ther people's accomplishments, art well as their own, without always trying to go one better.— "The Scout." Tho Newtown Boy Scouto, under Scout max ter Woodwind, broko camp at 2.30 p.m. on Easter Monday, after four enjoyable days on Wninui HilK The first day (Good Friday) was spent putting up the tents and resting; on Satur day thero was scouting, ' games, and damper cooking (each, boy assisting), and » smg-song in the evening. Sunday brought ■> few visitors to the camp with some tasties for the boys. Hymn* weie sung in the evening. On Easter Monday the boys had a despatch-running game between the camp of the Petone boys (who were camped some distance from them) and their own, each troop enjoying the game very much. On Sunday one of the Newtown boys took ill in the blackberry fields, about threequarters of a mile from the camp. A stretcher was soon made out of two scout** jumpers and two poles, and the boy wa» in camp in a very short time, and quite well by tea-time. The camp was a great success. Tbe following Petone Scouts, under Scoutmaster Brear, have succeeded in gaining their tenderfoots' badges: — Patrol-leader Wright, Private Ron. Cowie, Bugler M'Arthur, Private Findlay, Private Burd, Private Mockeridge, Corporal Davenport, Private Donaldson, Private Wilson, 100 each. The minimum of pass marks was 75.