"SILVER WOLF”

Evening Star, Issue 24296, 10 September 1942, Page 4

"SILVER WOLF”

SCOUT LEADERS DECORATED (Special.) WELLINGTON, September 10. This morning at Government House the Governor-General (Sir Cyril Newall), acting in his capacity as Dominion Chief Scout, presented to Mr Hector Christie (Dominion Chief Commissioner), Miss Nancy Wilson (Dominion Commissioner for Wolf Cubs), and to Mr J. K. H. Cooksey (Dominion Commissioner for Training) the Boy Scout Association’s Silver Wolf. A large and representative gathering witnessed the presentations. The Silver Wolf is an award for services of the most exceptional character, and is granted at the personal discretion of the Chief Scout of the British Empire, Lord Somers, and has only previously been' awarded on rare occasions. At the present; time there are no active members of the Scout movement in this Dominion holding this most coveted decoration. Apart from, gallantry awards, it is the most senior decoration which can be awarded to a member of the Boy Scout' movement. The decoration itself comprises a small silver wolf suspended from a yellow and green ribbon, worn as an order round the neck. In the olden days in the African tribes it was customary for the most outstanding warriors to have the title “ Wolf,” and where there were several such warriors a distinguishing prefix would be added, such as Lone Wolf, Grey Wolf, etc., and it is from this ancient African custom that the award of the Silver Wolf was derived.