SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 35, 10 February 1926, Page 15

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Scouter.")

Setting the fashion. It has been blazing hot to-day; one of those sort of days when you feel you want to go about in a bathing costume.

Probably by the time you read this it will be f raining to beat the band. It's hopeless trying to be topical with a climate like ours. Still, to-day has been hot. Phew! Out in the sunbaked streets, I met dozens of other unfortunates like myself,, all wilting like tired flowers under the merciless influence of Old, King Sol. And, with very few exceptions, we were all dressed alike. Long trousers, waistcoats, coats, collars, which seemed to be intent on throttling ua. Felt hats and capsj • neither of ttfem the least bit cool, or giving the least shade to the face. Into this, furnace walked a Scout, bare knees, shirt thrown open at the neck, widebrimmed hat to shade ibis face, and neck. How we all envied him.

In the matter of clothes generally, boys and men are like sheep. Just because someone, ages ago, decreed that men must wear linen collars, stiffened like cardboard with starch, if they would dress correctly, we still do so. We grumble, I admit, but nevertheless we stall, wear them.

I saw some fellows going iato a big dance the other evening. They wore white shirt fronts as hard as board, white collars right up on the neck, padded coats, already heavy enough, and they were about to dance. They,might just as well have donned a suit of armour.

For any fellow over fourteen, too, long "ims" are the correct thing to wear. All you fellow-sufferers must .Jsnow how uncomfortable and stuffy they are in hot weather. ' >

For practical efficiency and comfort there hasn't yet been a rig-out invented to equal the Scout Kit. I know our sartorial experts would condemn it on the grounds that you can't shape the shirt to the waist or lengthen the width of the trousers until they look more like a skirt. But I don't care. It's comfort for me, all the time. I am hoping that the day will come when every Scout will wear his uniform every day, or when some enterprising outfitter or tailor will devise something similar which will give equal comfort.

Too long have we been slaves to tradition and that tyrant, Starch. Scouts nave given the lead to the world in the matter of dress. Let us, until the world follows our lead, make the most of our comfortable and healthy kit. A Gil well scarf, with certificate, wood badge, and turks head, has arrived from London for presentation to Scoutmaster Z. Green (Trinity), who some time ago successfully passed the qualifying tests, The investiture is timed for 18th February at Trinity Troop Hall. I am sure Scouters, Scouts, and Cubs will join with me in congratulating Scoutmaster Green on his success.

The House Committee of the "Den" met last week to commence operations for the year with a view to still further increasing the usefulness and popularity of this rendezvous for Scouters and coming Rovers.

"Service" is the motto of the Rovers. What service does our country need most at present? Rovering must be made more than just Scouts grown up.

. The number of Troops and Scouts in .Wellington North, South, and Hutt Valley (üb-districta have so largely increased that District Scoutmasters are asked to nominate assistant District Scoutmasters, also a sub-district Cubmaster, to help along the good work. • The East Harbour Scouts resumed practice on Friday last, after their long holidays) Owing to it being wet that night the attendance was poor, but we hope to see the remainder of our fellow-Scouts with us again' this coming Friday. ■ Austin Andrews, a Sixer from the Cubs, was duly installed as a Tenderfoot Scout under 'Assistant Scoutmaster Miller and Scoutmaster Jones.

V.M.C.A. Troop met last Thursday for the first time this year. There was a good attendance of bpth Scouts and Scouters. After games (ping-pong, quoits, etc.) Scoutmaster Donkip spoke a few words- of welcome, after which the boys went on with their Scouting work. About 8.15, p.m. the Troop reassembled, and those who had been to the Jamboree at Dunedin entertained the others with games and choruses which they had learnt whilst there. They also related a few of their various experiences,' such as the use of that 'awful enemy on the last Dight of camp, "boot blacking." This, it appears, was used freely under the grandstand at the Exhibition;

An American Scout desires to. correspond with a New Zealand Scout interested in motors, and he will also exchange stamps. The local secretary will supply the address on application. : Lieutenant-Commander A. N. Tebbs, R.N., will inspect the Sea Scouts Troop next Tuesday/Following is the information he will ask from each Troop: Knowledge of Scout Promise; knowledge of Scout Law; investiture ceremony carried out or not; any record" of community service rendered by the Trpop; strength of Troop, number of Greenhorns, Seamen. Able Seamen; Troop property, list of articles or apparatus in possession which have been constructed by the Sea Scouts; turn-out, uniform, smartness, discipline: any (rewards for gallantry during past year; number in ■ possession of Swimmer's Badge; outside work, marching; one boat's crew at knotting and lashiDg; one boat's orew at pulling and handling a boat; one boafs crew at signalling and first-aid.

Wanted, a Scoutmaster.—A party of keen, prospective Scouts mt Ngaio are meeting together without a Scoutmaster. and require one urgently. Will you be that man? If so, kindly get in touch with the local secretary for further information. The lads are so keen that they would pay train fare to and from Nfraio on their meeting night. . -< Dear Cubs,—A little grumble this week. At a Cubby clubroom * short time ago I received a shock.

The Cubs were, on the whole, < first-rate chaps, but three: of them were, at fault. First one looked at their boots. 'Every pair gleamed, like those you see in the advertisements; But it was wh^en I looked upwards that the; shock came; The three were untidy about the hair.

Now, these three chaps must have said to themselves, "I'll go and clean up my boots for the meeting." otherwise their boots wouldn't have been clean.

This proves that they weren't slovenly chaps. So because they didn't^have part--IMB in their hair I'll say they forgot.

Forgetful ness in' the little things, however, ' leads to forgetfulness in the big things, no I'm going to ask sll my. readers to watch out in future.

Don't be caught by the ljttle thing.

Kindly forward your notes to Scoutmaster C. Meaclien, Ithaca, Thorndon quay, on or before Monday of each week.