SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Issue 60, 11 March 1936, Page 20

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Sahi.")

Greatness and goodness are not neans, but ends.—Coleridge.

The annual patrol campcraft competition will be held over Easter at Butterfly Creek, and Scouters are reminded that entries must be in by March 28, The camp chief is Mr. C. D. Clark,'ll Wilford Street, Lower Hutt, to whom all proposals for "filling up" patrols should be submitted. Extra copies of the conditions and entry forms may be obtained from Metropolitan Headquarters. Scouters who attended the Metropolitan training courses last year, and wish to take the Scout Gilwell course, should make application without delay through their district commissioners. The. course, under the leadership of Deputy Camp Chief C. L. S. Green, will occupy a series of weekends, commencing on March 21 and terminating at Easter, and will be held at "Wirihana," Lowry Bay. Next Sunday the Catholic Scouters will try a new idea in Scout gatherings —-a picnic at Maidstone Park—at which Cubs and Scouts, parents and group committee members will have an opportunity of getting to know each other. A cordial invitation is extended to all in the Scout movement to be present. A warm welcome and enjoyable day are assured.

" A Dominion Rover moot is to be held in Christchurch at Easter. Forms of application have been -sent to all Rover leaders. Crews that have not already: done so are asked t« intimate -—verbally or otherwise—to the Metropolitan office whether any of their members can attend.

The Hutt and Petorie districts held a successful Scout rally and garden fete at Mrs. V. Riddiford's, Woburn Road, last Saturday. Ideal weather, beautiful surroundings, and a friendly atmosphere combined to make an enjoyable afternoon. The function was. opened by his Excellency the Gover-nor-General, after which various troops demonstrated Scout activities on the lawn, while in an- adjoining paddock the heavier type of activity was shown. The demonstrations were of a practical nature. Those who were privileged to see a certain well-known visiting Commissioner (not a light-weight) take a ride in the breeches buoy will testify to the efficiency of the Sea Scouts who worked it, and those who watched another troop open up their Maori oven and produce potatoes baked in their jackets and a large joint of meat felt quite hungry. Among those present were the Dominion Chief Commissioner (Dr. C. Fenwick), the Deputy Dominion Chief Commissioner (Colonel F. B. Creswell), the Metropolitan Commit sioner for Wellington (Mr. H. V.. Foster), the Metropolitan Commissioner for Christchurch (Major J. W. Crampton), Commissioner J. E. F. Vogel, the Dominion headquarters Staff Commissioner (Major Furby), the Wellington Metropolitan Staff Commissioner (Colonel S. G. Sandle). District Commissioner D. Boyle (North), District Commissioner P. T. Smither (Central), the Rev. G. V. Gerard and Mr. C. L.^S. Green (deputy camp chiefs), and Assistant District Commissioner H. Donkin (Central). > . Preliminary advice has been received of the Australian Boy Scout Corroboree, celebrating South Australia s Centenary. Scouts and Scouters contemplating the trip will be interested in the following details:—"The Corroibojee will commence on December 26 and close on January 4. It will be held at National Park, ten miles from Adelaide, in the heart of Mount Lofty Ranges. The site is described as a perfect camping ground, amidst glorious old gums and bush,.less than a mile from the railway, and road transport excellent. The scenery is gorgeous, and it is grand hiking country. There is a splendid fresh-water swimming pool near the camp. The camp charge is £2 for each Scouter and Scout, and there will be special excursion fares. Scouts entering the camp must be not less than thirteen years of age, with at least second-class badge, proved in camping, and certified in good health. Where required visitors will be,buleted with private persons at Adelaide before and after the Corroboree." The following, by "Gilrhode," appeared in the last issue of "WoodSmoke," Southern Rhodesia's official Scout paper:—"For some time past I have been wanting to say something on the subject of discipline as it affects us in Scouting, but it is not an easy matter to deal with on paper and.in. a limited space. Nevertheless, this brief reference may be found helpful to Scouters in getting a clearer idea of the right interpretation of discipline as applicable to Scouting, and the manner of its application. "Let me say right away that discipline is as essential for us and our groups as it is for any other organisation or undertaking, and further, it is a mistake to imagine that Scouting has a monopoly of some special form of- it not available to other bodies. It has been pointed out by others that we are often too glib with our terms and mottoes, without really understanding them, and the phrase "discipline from within" is not the least of them. "There can be no strength of character without discipline, and as the formation and development,of character is one of our most important functions it is necessary that we should fully appreciate the value of discipline, study its application, and see ( that it is practised in our groups. • ' . . "The Chief's interpretation of discipline is given in 'Scouting for Boys, and reads: 'By discipline I mean patient obedience to authority, and to other dictates of duty. 1 'We, as a movement, are very prone to refer to military 'discipline as 'discipline from without,' and to condemn it accordingly, but we must remember that it is covered by the first part of the Chief's definition, 'patient obedience to authority, and is moreover, undoubtedly the stepping stone to 'discipline from within,* which can be well compared to the 'other dictates of duty' referred to by the Chief. My point here is that there should exist a proper balance between these two forms of discipline, for they are complementary to each other. "Without proper discipline, our work ; must become ragged and haphazard. This has been admirably illustrated by likening human energy to water, which can only do useful work when confined and guided in some channel and not allowed to flood all over the countryside. "If we give the matter any real thought, we must realise that the undisciplined being is not the free man he imagines himself to be. He is the slave of his own lower nature and selfishness; the inner soul cannot rise to its rightful placeJ»t the top. Have you ever pondered these lines by w.tu. Henley:— .. . : .

•It matters not how.strait the 83%.. How charged with punishments the scroll, • I am master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

■ "We must have order in our work if it is to be purposeful and forceful; our activities must be properly directed in channels towards definite objectives and not be permitted to spread aimlessly and uselessly in every direction, to be lost and wasted. From the lowest to the highest we must recpgj nise authority, rendering willing and cheerful obedience. A leaky water pipe is not only a nuisance—it s a dis"Th'ese principles must be instilled gradually-into the boys through the three stages of our training, Cub, Scout, and Rover, so that the ultimate result may be a man in control of himself, practising a discipline which has become part of his nature, and directing his life on a basis of service."