BOY SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 156, 30 December 1925, Page 10

BOY SCOUT NOTES

•Wi'v.'<. (py "Scouter.")

By the Tahiti, due at Wellington from Sydney on Monday, 4th January, two parties of Scouts are due to arrive. These are from Both Africa and from Victoria, en route to Dunedin to take part 'n the great Scout Jamboree in the Exhibition ground*. Most of the camps will then be over, and no doubt Wellington Scouts will make the most of thin opportunity to show their cousins from overseas the sights \oi the city. The houtli Africans travel via Nelion and the West Coast, and thus will see quite a lot of New Zealand before reaching Dunediri. a

Most of the troops which are camping this year went under canvas on Boxtpjf Day. The following are the locations oi the various troop*: JSt. Paul's, Brooklyn, and St. Mark's 'nt Paraparaunvu, Y.M.C.A. and Cambridge at ■ Haywavds, Island Bay and St. Ciithbert's at Moonshine, Kelburn at Wallaceville, Lower Hutt at Akatarawa, Lyall Bay at Paekakariki, Institute at Titaln Bay, St. Thomas at Akatara^ wa, Trinity at South Karori, East Harbour at Gollan's Valley, St. Augustine's at Wainui Valley, Kilbirnie at Nelson, Kaiwana at Hukunui. St. Paul's Church Troop go to Moonshine early in January for their camp. We cannot say the exact number of Scouts in camp, but at least five hundred Wellington boys are enjoying this most important part of scouting. Perhaps 25 per cent, of these are in camp for the first; time, and are learning by. practical experience how, to be comfortable in camp. There is much to learn in this respect, and it' cannot all be taken in at one camp—how to make a bed so that the ground is not too hard, how to roll up into,the blankets so that the to«8 do not work out during the nig'ut, how to cook, how to dispose of rubbish, and, most important of all; how to look after the other fellow. If they have rain, and/ we hope they will have a little, they will learn how to stop leaks by running the finger down the canvas from the leak to the near' est >.*am in the canvas and so let the. water run down. It is no unkind wish to hope the campers have a little rain, for Scouts should be wet-weather, camp* era as well as fine-weather campers. The art of keeping dry in a wet camp ii| -worth knowing, but in not difficult if a' 1 few simple rules are followed. It is a fact that there is, no more and probably much less siclcness among camper* than among the stay-at-homes, always excepting little attacks of "home-sick-ness to which some boys are subject. After all, home-sickness only shows a boy's appreciation of home and parents. The first camp report to hand is from Kaiwarra Troop, although they are' one of the most distant. Arriving at Hiikunui on Saturday, 2flth, they made themselves snug, but the wind during the night nearly wrecked the camp.' Now, however, everyone is happy nnd appreciating their meals. The resident« are very Siterested in the visit of thi> Wellington Scouts, and a proposal to hold a cencert on Friday night is behii well received.

Now, Cubs., what do von thiuk of camping? Only,a few very iuoky Cubs are in camp, because really, it is intended that you wait till you are * pit older before you tackle ileepitui; jn a tent in wet or fine weather. So you must not be down-hearted if yoii h»ve been left behind. Remember, you must "give in to the Old Wolf." In this <:aso the old wolf is the cub-master <* your parents. ■■ ■