SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 129, 5 June 1929, Page 18

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Rover.")

A farewell by Wellington Scouters will bo tendered in the Lecture Hall, V.M.C.A. Buildings on Friday to the New Zealand Contingent leaving for the Imperial jamboree at daybreak on Saturday. A cordial invitation is exteuded to all Wellington Scoutcis to be piebent at S p.m. The whole party will assemble at the 01.C.A: at 10.30 a.m. ior inspection by the Dominion Chiet Commissioner. Thiough the couitesy of General Motors Uie paiiy will be later com eyed to the Parliament liuildmgs. ihe baggage •of the South Island Scouts, will be taken. from the ferry steamer to the V.M.C.A. on Friday moming. Air. W. E. H. Furby, geueidl secietary, Sew Zealand Boy Scouts" Association, will, be jii Welliugtou on VedneaJay morning.

It has been decided by the Wellington executive that a muuslei combined lally 61 ail.Uirl Uuides and all Boy Scouts will take place 1j Wellington on 3rd August to commemorate, the coming of age of the .Scout movement, as it will be celebrated in Birkenhead, England, by some 30,000 iiuy Scouts irom all nations.

The Masterton Wolf Cubs and Scouts did credit to the carnival week with the large muster of Wolf Cubs' and Boy Scouu under Aliss. Hubbard, ;Cub mistress, and Air. M'Levie, tor the Scouts, last Friday, i'lie Cubs met in the afternoon with giaud howls, jungle dances, and games, .finishing: with an ancient story. told by the District Commissioner.. lii the. evening the Key. Mr. Durand, with Scouts from". Featherstuu and a couple of patrols from Cartertou, were present to witness seven tenderfoots invested with the ceremony into the St. Matthew '& Troop. Many Scouts were presented with badges c. rned, including two King's Scouts, handymen, second class, swimmers, house orderly, etc. Assistant-Scoutmaster Hubbard received his. warrant from the District Commissioner by the very impressive Seoul ceremony of lpise. The Commissioner, Sir Alfred Robin, afterwards gave the choice of games or the adding of, say, 20 Scout signs to the tive already practiced. The immediate demand tor the jigus was encouraging evidence ol the desire ot the boys for more Scout knowledge.- The Scout Den adjoining the meeting hall officially opened by the Commissioner, assisted by the hon. secretary, Mr.' Robin, son, will prove a great value to the Scouters and Patrol Leaders for recreation, instruction, and an inducement for Rovers to become'Assistant-Scoutmasters. 'A library of two shelves' gives',promise of increase. The furnishing and scheme of decoration gives a homely and clublike atmosphere in the fire light.glow. The increase o£ Scouts in the Wairarapa during the year is satisfactory; the presence of a representative. resident from Martinborough and Greytown also gives promise for the formation of troops, at these towns, where many boys are waiting for the man to lead them.

The District Commissioner looked in oil the St. Thomas Troop last week for the handing over by. Scoutmaster P. Drummond of the troop prior to his departure with the jamboree contingent. 'Che annual report; and statement of accounts show the troop to be in quite a satisfactory, position.

Congratulations. are due ■'• to A.S.M. 0. Homer, who has not missed a single parade of the Terrace Troop on Tuesday nights for three years and four months, and has now qualified for his five-year star.

Last Tuesday week forty parents attended a meeting of the Kaiwarra Troop. Mr. Hartuett, chairman, opened the parade with a few, words of welcome, following which Mr. E. Turksma, of Ngaio,. gave' some useful advice to the Scouts and Cubs, and, presented badges and all-round cords. Mr. Johnston, ;chairman of the School Committee, also spoke. An appeal made for new members for the " Troop Committee met with a; good response. Games for Scouts and Cubs were played during the first half of the evening, and theSordinary parade was held, the parents taking a great interest in everything. Supper was servejtl by the ladies' committee, to whom special thanks are due.. The troop is making steady progress, uew boys joining'at each parade. The V.M.C.A. Cub Pack, Gisborne, has flourished .during 'the past 'six months. At the beginning of the year only ten ,Cubs were on the. roll; there are now thirtytwo, of,whom nine are second star, thirteen first star, seven tenderpads, and three are new recruits. Great' keenness has been shown in earning proficiency badges. The following four Cubs have done very creditably: Sixer E.'.Evans, eleven badges; Sixer, J. Langridge, six badges; Second T. Singer, eight badges; and Second P. Singer, seven badges. The, pack has progressed during the first par 1 of this year, mainly .'due to ihe intei'-six competition, which has caused much friendly rivalry and keenness.

A well-attended meeting of the East Harbour Scout Committee was held last Thursday. This committee is unique in that it controls both land and sea Scout troops. Discussion centred round the difficult problem of the provision of a Scoutmaster for the Land Scout Troop. Assist-ant-Commissioner Nelson % addressed the committee, and the Mayor of Eastbourne, Mr. Jones, spoke eulogistically of the good work performed by the Scouts in the Bay, and made a strong plea for the .maintenance of the troop. .Reference was made to the good iwork performed by Mr. Hurbert Millier, and he was accorded the committee's thanks. We shall be glad to hear of anyone interested in the welfare of boys at Eastbourne.

Assistant District Scoutmaster Smithcr and Troop Leader F. Cox, of The Terrace Troop, journeyed'to Napier on Saturday, 25th May, and took part on the Sunday morning iat the'dedication of-the ti-qop banner at the Miller. Memorial Church. The church was full on this occasion, there being present besides the Church Troop and Pack a number of Scouta from the Napier South and V.M.C.A. Troops, with their Scoutmasters, and representatives of three Guide companies. On the Monday evening the visitors were present' at a pound night in the new hall belonging to,'the church, at which opportunity was taken to farewell the two members of the troop who are going to England for the jamboree. Through, the kindness of the District Commissioner, the Rev. H. 13. Hughes, ■ A.D.S.M. Smither was also present at' the lunch .giveii by the Napier Kotary Club on the Monday to farewell Commissioner Cooksey and the fifteen Scouts from the district who are going to the Jamboree. Hawkes Bay is to be heartily congratulated on the splendid contingent it is sending to the.Old Country. The monthly report of the Scoutmaster and. the Cubmaster of Ist, Lower Hutt Troop' shows that good progress is being maintained in all branches of Scout work. The Cubs and Scouts were both present in large numbers on Anzac Day, while the two branches combined on the occasion of the visit of the Rotary Club to the hall. The folohving cubs have. been invested with Tenderpads during the past month: H. Pearce. C. Bevan, E. Bevan, D. Pilchcr, M. M'Kenzie. This, following have qualified for proficiency badges: R. Footer, observer, team-player, and artist: 6 M'Donaid, athlete; 'B.^Reid. athlete; T. Hutcheson, team-player;,- , Service stars were awarded to G. %I'Donald and B. Scott. Scout badges have been presented as follows: Athlete; V. Reynolds, D. War' burton; cyclist, J. Mair; basket worker,

R. Collins, N. Lines. A service star has been awarded to L. August. The Wellington North District, which now has twenty troops, would be pleased to ' ear from any person or persons prepared to assist a troop. Communications should be addressed to P.O. Box 024.

In order to extend its sphere of usefulness, the Ist Lower Hutt Troop is about to establish a Rover "crew," which will complete the group—Wolf Cubs, Scouts, and finally Rovers. For the information of those who are not acquainted with Rovennij, it should be said that - the Rover movement is a branch of Scouting, the latest addition to that vast and wonderful movement, inaugurated by Sir Robeit Baden-Powell. The idea behind Rovering is |ervite; both to the Scout movement itself and also to the community at large and in addition, the individuals are giveii greater opportunities for co-operative effort and social intercourse. Until the origination of the Rover movement, boys who felt that they were "too old" for the Scouts gradually fell off and were lost to the movement. Tn. many cases, troops telt this loss very greatly, and admitting the natural dislike that older fellows have tor parading with smaller boys, were powerless to prevent their older boys from leaving With the foundation of Rover crews for all troops, however, it is hoped that this loss ill be reduced to a minimum. ' The Scouts are fortunate in securing the services of a very able and experienced leader in this work. Scoutmaster C. O. Clark at present in charge of the 3rd Lower Hutt (Methodist) and Boys' Home Troops, will act as Rover-leader. Mr. Clark, who will take up the position of District Rover-leader, is a Scouter of long standing and has had experience of Kovenngm connection with-St. Thomas's Troop, Wellington. The Ist Wellington .Rovers met last Friday to bid farewell to Rover A. Meacnen, who is leaving with the the contingent this week to attend the Imperia Jamboree. In the absence of our Commissioner, Sir Alfred Robin, Mr Milher, Commissioner, Wellington South, presented on behalf of the Rovers a wallet inscribed "Ich Dien" to Meachen During my absence with the New Zealand contingent would Scouters please- forward notes to Box 624, Wellington, by latest, first mail on Monday morning. I would like to thank those that have supported me m the past and trust that when 1 return to New Zealand they will continue to do so.