SCOUT RALLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1942, Page 7

SCOUT RALLY

INTERESTING EVENTS

GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S

ADVICE

Some 1200 Boy Scouts and Cubs combined to forn. the Rally at the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon, There was a large attendance. Girl Guides attended but took no part in the displays. The Governor-Genera] (Sir Cyril Newall), the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), and the Mayor and Mayoress of Wellington were also present.

Others who.attended were Dr. Mar-si-odl Macdonal<i (president of the Wellington Boy Scouts' Association), Sir James Grose (Dominion president of the Boy Scouts' Association), Mr. H. Christie (Dominion Chief Commissioner), and Mr. P. T. Smither (County Commissioner for Wellington). A humorous running commentary on the Scout events, as well as some pertinent advice to occasional wayward ones, was given by the Dominion Tiaining Commissioner (Mr. J. R. H. Cooksey).

Expressing his pleasure at being able to meet the Scouts, who formed the largest Scout gathering he had seen since he came to New Zealand exactly, a year ago. the GovernorGenera] said that he had asked the people of New Zealand "and its schools tv do everything they could for the movement. scouts could do many things to help their country and the Empire, and to them and to the other beys arfd girls of New Zealanc1 the adults would have to hand over the keeping of all that they held dear. He knew how. well they were helping the emergency precautions services. They must remember that badges were not the end. They merely told other people what Scouts were able to do. Their knowledge must be applied to their everyday life. The purpose of their school training and of the Scout organisation was not to get them an easy job at high pay, but to enable

them to "give their "'services to their country. Happiness did not come from easy jobs, but from overcoming difficulties and from doing something for somebody else. VARIED PROGRAMME. Amongst the many events enjoyed by the spectators were the breaking of the flags, inspection of Scouts and Cubs by his Excellency, march past, grand howl by Cubs, grand rally by Scouts, and ceremonial parade and march by the Band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, under Flight Lieutenant Gladstone Hill (Drum Major Warrant Officer J. H. Hardwick). It was when the Scouts became active .in pioneering, fire-fighting, ambulance work with cycle ambulances, bridge building, first1-aid, signalling, and in other branches of their work that the afternoon became most interesting. Shortly after 4.15 p.m. the formation of a V, lowering the | flag, and "Taps" concluded the displays.