THE SCOUTS MOVEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 14004, 10 March 1909, Page 8

THE SCOUTS MOVEMENT.

[SrKCIAL TO THX STAR.]

CHRISTCHURCH, March. 9

Duriag the past week a large number of both Boy and Girl Scouts have been enrolled in and arouud Christchurch. As there is an impression among some of the Christchurch boys that the Girl Scout movement will injure the Boy Scout one, Major Cossgrove desires it to be distinctly understood that the Girl Peace Scouts of New Zealand are in no way to be considered as a branch of the Boy Scouts. The two are alike only as far as the " oath " and scout law are concerned; but these are only tho "Golden Rule" presented under a new name, and only slightly different from the charge given to every boy or girl who joins a juvenile temple. The work of the Girl Scouts is of a more refined nature. In addition to all tho moral lessons taught the boys, they are taught, for instance, how to take care of their own health, lifo-saving knowledge, ambulance work, home nursing, feeding and care of infants, so as to enable them to be prepared for anything that may occur in afterlife. They demand from boys and young men a good moral life, good habits, and clean talk; they discourage smoking, t!iinking, and ;ambhng among hoys and joung men. They an* taught everything that will be useful to them in tfter-life: to become observant, exact, thrifty, and handy, neat in person, honorable in behaviour, and courteous to all. The Girl Peace Scouts never go out with the Boy Scouts during their games and e>ercises; nor do they ei er practise the boys' scouting games among the grass aud scrub, nor <lo they go out at night. Their Held work is n combination of nature-study and observation lessons, taught in a most fascinating manner by their leaders and Scout mistresses. They learn, too, to track a bird or animal, so that they may learn its habits. In this way they come to love God's creatures, their minds are taken away from frivolous things, and they become the good, noble, and helpful' women that all good people admire. At a recent "»mp of Boy Scouts held at Dunedin the boys made a practice, of drinking in tea the health of the Canterbury Girl Scouts every day. One wet morning all sat down to* their porridge in anything but a merry mood. ''J'hev were cold ; the rain, dripping through their tents, ran flown their backs; the porridge was c nly half cooked, as the heavy rain had put out the tire; besides, it was half water and like soup. J: was hard to smile, and, as one boy said, they had to shiver to keep themselves warm. Presently one little chap, who had been trying with makebelieve relish to drink his plateful, got up and said: "Brother Scouts, I propose the health of the Canterbury Girl Scouts.'' Every boy sprang to bis feet, and the toast was drunk in porridge and concluded with three cheers. This little episode shows "how the Dunedin hoys view the movement, :V well as the manner in which a Boy bcout can surmount his trials. J " reporting to .Major Cossgrove, V A). , Aln;i>r Newton, officer commanding the Thames Battalion of Public School Cadet.;. says:_" Nine of our Bov Scouts were in camp, and one n:ght 1 took them out after planting three bags on a double-sentry beat of UUT u' a - var(ls - Tlnee Scouts tackled Bach flag, and despite the fact that the two sentries were warned that the flao-s were to be attacked, one Scout successfully got through and brought the flarr to Lieutenant-colonel Lovedav and me within an hour and a-half. The oth»r eight were captured. The successful Scout leader, Harold Adams, deserves great credit for breaking through absolutely unseen, and the colonel and I v. ere thoro ighly interested in his stow as ho told very unassumingly how he managed to creep up and, thanks to a tnentlly tree, remain hidden till th» ur suspecting sentries were well on their way to the other end of their beat " * lag-raiding and despatch-rur.ninc are very popular with the boys in "and a.ound Christchurch, and great fun is had on both sides.