SCOUT NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21640, 8 February 1934, Page 3

SCOUT NOTES

[By Guky Woi.r.l

A seaman's knowledge is as essential to good Sea Scouting to-day as ever it was. The ships have changed, no doubt, and the wireless conveys an almost instant knowledge ol many things out of sight which could not be known of in old days. ’The seas, the .winds, tho tides, tho difficulties of pilotage are yet with us, and the fighting machine, or ship of to-day, still needs men to handle it. Modem guns, torpedoes, engines, electrical and hydraulic gear need mechanicians to handle them, and no seaman’s knowledge (except sea legs and absence ol sea-sickness) is wanted at that work; but the command of the ship and the handling of her gear are, as they were of yore, seamen’s work, but must bo done three limes taster, and therefore tho Scout has one-third tlie time to think. Though a Sea Scout may usefully know something about everything, it by no means iollows that an expert in any or several branches of mechanics will ho of the slightest use as a Sea Scout, unless he is also a seaman, and it is certain that to be a high-class man in any or several of. the scientific branches leaves no sufficient time to become also a true sailor. Thus Scouts should become sailors first and experts when they find the time. By the word “ sailor ” is not meant dressed as a sailor or the attributes of a marine. What is meant is tho sound knowledge of all that can be learnt about ships and seamanship, boats and watermanship, seas, tides, charts, pilotage, look-out work on the coast, saving life, Hag signalling, and Morse and semaphore. If the Sea Scout learns this as a boy his higher knowledge will tumble into its proper place. . A Sea. Scout is simply a Scout who takes up the work connected with the sea and rivers and adds to such seamanship and watermanship all the varied Scout knowledge and backwoodsman’s craft that is learnt as a land Scout and which will improve in learning. They work on well-thought-out principles, sound high principles of honour, chivalry, unquestioned instant obedience to all above them, selfcommand, and unflinching command of all below them. Those are the principles necessary to the safebeing of every craft afloat from a sailing boat up to a battleship. If you arc sailing in a boat and tho cox’n orders you to “let go the halliards,” and yon hesitate and say “ What for, that squall won’t come to us,” but the next minute the boat is hit by the squall, yon all tumble to leeward, somebody on top of you, you are unable to let go the halliard,'and tho coil is now all foul, tho boat fills up, and . . . it is all your fault tor not instantly obeyiilg your superior’s orders. That one moment of neglect may have drowned half the boat’s crew, and oven if no accident had happened yon would have set a bad example. Always obey first and argue after, if you darel Another point under those governing principles, in -order to bo able to instantly obey yon must learn all you can about seamanship and watermanship, for one order often covers several minor acts, and there is no time for thinking out or asking. A sailor doesn’t think, he acts at once, because he knows what to do. Then ,to command you must go on learning all you can, for when yon are promoted to “ coxswain ” of the boat it should be your aim and pride that you never give an order that yon could not carry nut yourself. With the admirable opportunities afforded round Dunedin initios branch of Scouting it should not be long before a nucleus of Sea Scouts can be built up here to feed the many troops where boys are asking to be allowed to become Sea Scouts. Many bovs will be disappointed in this respect if thev do not learn to swim well. This is tho first requirement of a Scout who wishes to pursue his Scouting adventures by water. There are no Cubs in this section, as they are too young.

The results of the Cup competition running in these notes . will be announced in two weeks’ time.. Sconters and Scouts wishing .to sit for their camper badge examination are requested to assemble at the St. Glair terminus on Saturday, at 2.13 p.m. Anv further communications are to be made to Commissioner W. D. Pirrctt.