SCOUT NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 17731, 4 August 1921, Page 8

SCOUT NOTES

[By Kiwi.]

All communications to be addressed to “ Kiwi," 1 Star ’ Office, before f/.SO f.m. Mondays.

A word to Patrol Leaders! We are now entering upon the springtime of another year. Soon these islands of ours will be decking themselves out in all the, beautiful springtime flowers and leaves. Now is the time for leaders to plan their summer activities out of doors. Get your boys out. Every healthy-minded boy (and all Scouts are that) revels in tho openair life. Woodcraft is really scouting in its first stages, and. as leaders, you must bo prepared to show your boys the wonderful lessons they can learn. The most important tiling is to get your boys out. Take them away from the town, over tho hills, fields, and into the bush. Help them to understand it all, and leacli them tho meaning of Nature's wonderful ways. The keynote of woodcraft is simplicity. Only by showing a boy how natural and beautiful is tho study will yon commence to teach him appreciation and self-re-liance. As a leader you will have to teach your chaps how to live in the open, general knowledge of the woods and lanes, .including bird and flower life, and such other things as will harden them and make them self-reliant. Tho subject is so romantic and absorbing that it cannot fail to attract youngsters, who all of them have an inborn love of the open air and adventure. The Stalkers’ Badge is one which, whilst extremely hard to get. will nevertheless give perhaps more pleasure in trying for than any other badge. Lying flat on tho stomach or crawling through grass inches high in order to get a snap of a rabbit or bird holds a fascination hard to heat. Woodcraft demands plenty of imagination, but it is the makebelieve of the thing that’s half the fascination. I do not mean dressing up like Red Indians, dancing .around a fire and uttering weird cries, spending hours reading up “Buffalo Bill” yarns to stage the next scene; but rather to those who find so much interest in the subject that they lose themselves in its pursuit. As leaders, do see that your boys long for games in the bush and' revel in creeping and crawling in the undergrowth, very soon now we will witness the dawn or rebirth of Nature, and no one can walk through the bush without admiring the fragile beauty of tho wood anemone, or the delicate foliage of the young silver birch. As Boy Scouts we must learn to love these signs and sounds. The call of the open-air life must awaken in us an answering call, and we must be thankful that onr eyes are opened to the glory of it all. The broad highway should thrill ns with the love of adventure, the soft green grass refresh us xvhen we are tired. So, therefore, leaders plan to get your boys out, train them in the open air, and be glad that we have such a wonderful world to live in.

The First Roslyn held its weekly parade on Friday night, a good muster being present. S.M. Garden and A.S.M. ■Smith inspected the patrols and awarded marks for the annual competition. Two or three of the boys should always make it a point to wear their uniforms, unless there are special reasons for not doing so. when they will be excused by the S.M. Besides marks being lost, a parade is often spoilt on account of some of the Scouts not feeling inclined to change into their correct dress. If it is worth while to attend, it is worth while to turn out in uniform if a lad has one. Members of the- BellBird and _ Hawk patrols who have not gained their second class badges were hard at work finishing off, in anticipation of being examined very shortly. The Robins were taken in hand by Mr Hay, ambulance instructor, who found them very keen to master first aid. The Bulldogs (Junior patrol) put in the evening with simple drill and exercises, with one or two games to keep the little chaps interested. Parade was dismissed,at 9 p.rn.

The muster of tho First and Second Mornington Troops, though nob up to standard, was nevertheless good, considering the wet night last Friday. Tho general work consisted of second class and tenderfoot. The patrol leaders took charge and utilised tho seconds and sec-ond-class Scouts in the work of instruction, thus everyone had a definite, job. Some of the instruction was given in the form, of a game, and much appreciated. A very handsome interpatrol challenge roll has been presented to the troop. This was hung upon tho wall and duly unveiled, the Senior Scoutmaster impressing upon all the need of esprit de corps in each boy to make bis own patrol the most efficient and to have the name of his leader and patrol) placed upon the roll. A very interesting and instructive court of honor was held by the n.c.o.s after parade, and the future is looking bright. The band bad a first-rate practice on Saturday night, and if they do as well at the district parade next Friday will very materially assist the marching. The troops meet at 6.25 this week, so as to be on the district parade ground at 6.45.

On Wednesday, July 27, 1921, when the Scoutmaster of the Ocean Beach Troop arrived he found all Scouts busily at work. Tho signallers, under Leaders N. Watt and A. M'Callnm, were working hard on the Morse and semaphore codes. In the back rooms tho troop leader was instructing second-class pupils in ambulance, the subjects dealt with including artificial respiration, fractures, fire, and .suffocation. After the troop had been working steadily at these branches of Scout work for an hour tho Scoutmaster took them in charge for a little physical and marching drill. It is intended to have a neatness competition at the next meeting. After dismissal library books were changed. Tho troop is entering four Rover Scouts in the Rover section of the shooting cc inpetitions, to be held in the Drill Hall on August 6, The Y.M.C.A. Scouts held- their weekly meeting on Monday, July 25. The patrol leaders took charge of their own patrols. The subjects dealt with included p'ontering, signalling, and- Scout signs. An interesting Scout story was real la Hie troop before the dismiss. The North Dunedin Troop, which meets on Monday evenings in the Dundas Street Hall, was last week instructed by (a) Scoutmaster Inglis in tenderfoot tests, and (b) by the Acting Assistant Scoutmaster in pioneering work. After work a- few games were indulged in before being dismissed.

Two important parades this week will be held. First a- district parade has been called for Friday evening, to assemble in Manse street at 6.45 p.m. Tickets will be sold to tho boys on parade. The troops will then march to Frederick street and back to the Octagon Theatre. The second parade is that of the shooting teams at iiie Kensington Drill Hall cm Saturday evening, at 6.50. when an exciting competition is expected. The First R.G.P.S. met in the lodge hall, Roslyn, last Friday for the weekly meeting. Physical drill with music took up the first'part of the evening, with ambulance and._ signalling for the second half, ending up the evening with two games. Commissioner Gumming and Mrs Beath visited the troop during the evening. It was decided to have no parade next Friday to enable the girls to see the picture of the Prince of Wales’s tour. Corporals Deveritlge and Henderson and Scouts Aldertnn, M’Cullough, Smith, Wilson, Hay, and Violet Stevenson passed for second-class badges.