SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1938, Page 20

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Keego.")

"It is not a tale of years that tells the whole ■-■••- Of Man's success or failure, but the soul He brings to them, the songs he sings to them, The steadfast gaze he fixes on the . goal." —John Oxenham. Rex Rafter, late Scout of St. Mary of the Angels' troop, and Rover Squire, the Ist Vincentian crew, lias been called to the higher service. After many months of suffering, bravely borne, he has found rest and peace. The deepest sympathy is extended to those near and dear to him in the loss they have sustained. Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Mary of the Angels' Church on Monday,: and many Scouts and officers were present to pay their - last tribute to this fine Sccut. Many who were present at the Catholic Centennial camp at Auckland this year will .remember the courage, cheerfulness, and willingness to serve in any way he could shown by Rex Rafter in spite of the serious disability he was suffering through the loss of a leg. Since then, in hospital, he has amazed all who came in contact with him by his consistent cheerfulness. In almost continual pain and discomfort, as his illness increased its hold on him, he did riot lose that spirit of happiness and confidence. We mourn the loss of one who showed such bright promise, but we thank God for the example he set us of courage in suffering and of cheerfulness wheji all seemed dark. Rex Rafter takes his place in the Roll of Honour of those who have played the game and lived the Scout Promise and Law. First Class Tests. The next First Class Badge tests will be held on Saturday, weather permitting. Officers have been notified of place and time. Metropolitan Rover Council. The monthly meeting of the Wellington Metropolitan Rover Council will be held at Metropolitan headquarters on Monday at 8 p.m. First Kelburn Pack. The Ist Kelburn pack has been fortunate in having fine weather for its last few meetings, and a fair proportion of the games and work has been done in the Botanical Gardens instead of inside. The Cubs are very keen, and by the time their Christmas "break-up" arrives there will be a decided -increase in the number of two-stars. Last Saturday twenty of the pack spent a very enjoyable afternoon down South Karori. The boys enjoyed cooking sausages, etc., for their lunch, and later an energetic "Spy hunt" led them up and down hills and through streams in which they dallied to paddle. A lolly scramble preceded the tramp home. The boys sang all the way to the tram terminus. . A School in Hungary. Some Boy Scouts in Hungary made a remarkable discovery during one of their excursions. ■..-As; a result, children of one of the poorest villages will benefit. Feeling that they wanted to know more' about their country, Scouts from Kaposyar, a town in the southern part of the country, went on an exploring expedition along the banks of the Drave, enjoying fresh scenes and at the same time taking note of the different villages through which they passed. On arriving at the little village of Bakhaza, which consists of about 100 very poor houses, they were astonished to find that there was no school building. They saw about forty children huddled together in a one-room hut, which did duty as a school, without benches or desks, and with the floor hard earth. The visitors immediately decided to do something to remedy matters. On arriving home they aroused interest among thenfellow Scouts and throughout the entire district entertainments, collections, and other activities were undertaken to enable a school building to be presented to Bakhaza. It will be the first Hungarian school to be erected entirely as a result of the good will and effort of Boy Scouts. Cub Game. About a dozen to fifteen slips of paper are required for each six. On each slip write statements such asi "Clean your teeth", "Do not clean your teeth," "Sleep with your window open," "Breathe through your mouth." Make some obviously wrong and others doubtful.. The Cubs stand in their sixes as for a relay game. At one end of the room in front of each six, chalk two squares on the floor, mark one "right" and the other "wrong." The Cubs then run up in turn, pick up _ a slip and place it in the square in which they think it should go. They continue to run until all the slips have been placed face downwards in the squares. The Cubmaster and assistants should then judge each six's result and explain any slips that have been wrongly placed. It should be made clear to the Cubs that it is not a race, but a matter of placing the questions correctly in the squares. The chapter on cleanliness for the First Star test (in the Wolf Cub's handbook) should be read for ideas as to making out the questions. "Unrolled." On visiting the parents of a fairlynew recruit it was learnt that one week he had run all the way home in some excitement and announced that he was going to be investigated. This was bad enough, but the following week all that he could say on his arrival home, again breathless, was that he had been unrolled. Idea for a Scout Game. Each Scout writes his name on a slip of paper. The slips are folded and exchanged with those of another patrol, and each Scout draws one. Unobtrusively each Scout studies his "draw," while engaged in the activities of the meeting. At the end of fifteen minutes the patrols go off to separate rooms or corners, where each Scout writes a brief description of the "lost boy" he studied. Reports are read aloud, and the troop endeavours to identify the boy described. A good observation and fun game. Wellington Rover Ball. The Wellington Rover Council combined to run a ball in the Makoia Hall last Thursday evening. This was, without a doubt, most successful and the committee responsible spared no effort to make the evening go with a swing. Music was supplied by Bennies' Bonny Band Boys and a very tasty supper was served in the adjoining room. After supper those present were supplied with streamers, balloons (which were all punctured within two minutes), and squeakers. Hearty singing of the National Anthem concluded a very enjoyable evening.