SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1935, Page 22

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Sahi.")

If your foot slips you can regain your balance, but if your tongue slips you cannot recall the words.

Scouters in the area appear to be particularly busy just now inspecting camp sites and seeing to the hundred and one odd but important jobs in connection with camps. Quite a number will be held: St. Mary's with the Scoutmaster, Mr. N. Osboldstone, in charge is going to Paekakariki; The Terrace troop, under the supervision of Mr. H. I Allison, proposes to camp at Grace's Creek; Mr. Sadler, District Commissioner, is taking the Island Bay and Lyall Bay Baptist troops into the Mungaroa Valley. We understand that Trinity Methodist, Wadestown, Karori, and the Collingwood Sea Scouts are also planning camps, and a number of Roman Catholic troops are having a combined camp in Whiteman's Valley. To these and all other troops that intend holding camps we say, "Good camping."

• The following are additional recommendations for the renewal of warrants:—Miss J. A. Withington, Cubmaster, 2nd Lower Hutt; Mr. E. F. McIntosh, Scoutmaster,.. St. Augustine's. Officers (if any) whose names have not appeared in this column recently as having been recommended for the renewal of warrants should immediately get in touch with their District Commissioner, as the completed lists are about to be forwarded to Dominion headquarters. Should any names be missed it will necessitate fresh applications lor warrants being made. On Saturday afternoon, in the presence of an exceptionally large attendance of visitors, the Raukawa Sea Rovers had their recently-purchased 'boat officially launched by Captain "Peterson, Wellington Harbourmaster. Mr. W. J. M. Aitken, chairman of the 'group committee, addressed the ■gathering, mentioning that the crew had practically paid'for the boat. The •Metropolitan Commissioner, Mr. H. V. Foster, also congratulated the crew on their fine efforts and on their boat, and said that he expected an exceptionally high standard from the Raukawa .Sea •Rover crew. After a few words of advice arid congratulation, Captain Peterson untied the bow of black and silver ribbon (the crew colours), and the boat slid into the water. Afternoon tea was served, and the visitors afterwards, had ■a trip in the boat. Included among those present were the Metropolitan Commissioner and Mrs. Foster, Colonel S. G. Sandle (Staff Commissioner) and Mrs. Sandle, Captain Peterson, Mr. P. T. Smither, Captain McLeod, and numerous friends and supporters of the crew. A successful day was concluded with a social in the, evening. The Terrace and Ist Kelburn Rover crews held their last combined meeting for the year in the'lst Kelburn Den on Saturday night, the occasion being the second birthday of the Wellington North Rovers. The meeting took the ■form of a recreation evening and included a lively debate, after which, in ' summing up, Colonel Sandle led a very : interesting discussion on loyalty. ', The Ist Kelburn troop will hold its •last meeting for the year in the clubroom on Friday night at 8 o'clock. -Friends of the troop, are asked to attend this function. '

On Tuesday the metropolitan secretary had a visit from Mr. A. H. Wey•.tingh, a Rover Scout of the Ist Rio de Janeiro Baden Powell crew, who is passing through New Zealand this . week. Mr. Weytingh, who will be in • Wellington till Friday, gives this greeting: "I know little of New Zealand, but 'feel confident that here, as in all the world, the true Scouting spirit exists. May my brother Scouts and Scputers v realise the honour they have in belonging to such a worthy movement as. ours, which has as its paramount goal the building up of good and reliable citizens for the future, thus ensuring a world peace. Good Scouting, hunting, and may you always 'Rover to success.'" Mr. Weytingh is very in- . terested to meet New Zealand Scouters .during his short stay, and the secretary : will be pleased to put any'officers in - touch with him.

.'.; We have to hand today the' Christ■ mas camping number of the "Victorian Scout," and pass on to you what their Chief Commissioner has to say on the subject of Scouts and camping. "It is , right," he says, "in a time like this to .sit down and take stock of our own "individual troops. Are our boys get--ting. everything they should in the troop? To answer this we must turn to first principles and recollect just what Scouting set out to do. Foremost, and' standing head and shoulders above everything else, in Scouting is the out-of-doors. To teach a boy to love the open air, to become one with Nature, understanding, appreciating, and loving Nature in all her moods, means, of necessity, that- he must get next •to Nature, as close as he possibly can. This means camping for him. Scouting is camping, and any troop that is not going away camping is not Scouting. The; Scouter who lets the summer season pass without giving his boys this privilege of spending days and glorious ;nights out in the open is acting linfairly to the boy. "What a wealth of entertainment can be found there to him who seeks, and how. the hours flit past to the interested mind. It is like a new birth, and to us older ones a recapture of youthful ideals and longings. To the more imaginative, what an opportunity to try 'put what we have learnt during the year in our troop work. To practice pioneering, to explore, to give vent to our imaginations in all sorts of thrilling games, and at last, when the evening hours softly enfold us, to listen to thrilling tales of adventure, to sing songs of love and home, to lift our hearts in thankfulness of life's blessings to Him who gave all, and then quietly sink into the bosom of sleep. Yes, undoubtedly Scouting is camping, for through camping the very spirit of Scouting can be learnt and those traits of great men which we so admire, the characteristics of selfreliance, resourcefulness, initiative, and .unselfishness can be practised and developed. We should thank God for the summer season that makes all this possible to us and embrace the opportunity with open, amis." • All groups and Scouters in the Wellington South district are asked to note that correspondence for the south district' secretary (Mr. C. R. Harris) should be sent to the District Commissioner, Mr. P. Sadler (care Messrs. E. W. Pidgeon and Co.), until further notice. This will save delay and confusion, as Mr. Harris has changed his address,, and is not yet permanently settled.