BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1920, Page 2

BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT

' 7" A VALUABLE ASSET?‘ . .TO COUNTERACT. DISLOYALTY. ‘ EXTENSION ADVOCATED. (Special to the Star.) CI-IR.ISTCI*IUROI-I, Novefnber 11The importance of the ]§oy Scout movement and the possibilities of ItS expansion were discussed at to-day S sitting of the special general meeting of the Council of the Dominion Boy Scouts’ Association. ‘ . l\=lajor O’Toolo, ' (Southland) sand that it had been never more necessary to train. boys morally and physically than at present——(hear, lleal',‘——€nld so far, the Boy ‘Scout ymovement had dealt with only a small proportion of the boys, and they should aim at getting. every-boy of Scout ago into the movement. More active steps should be taken to push the movement, and he suggested that there should be one or two men of the stamp of smart clever, ' clean-living sergeant-majors appointed to .visit the troops and patrols in each Island. Picked patrols should be taken ilirough the Dominion to give the people some idea of what the movement really means. Mr. 1.. M. Isitt, M.P., said that there was a vicious element abroad that was undoubtedly militating against the growth of any deep so-.-zsc of citizenship and responsibility. It seemed to him that the extension of the Boy Scout movement was prevented only by financial considel'ations. If, instead of asking for 10s or 15s or 205 they had influential financial committees that would get the people to realise that in the Boy Scout movement they possessed one great hope of counteracting the vicious, and wide: spread element, the movement could be lifted to a much different position than it had at present. “I feel that it is imperatively neces~ sary that it should be do11e,” Ml‘. lsitt continued, “and the whole question appears to be one of finance.” Dr. Johnston (Nelson) emphasised the importance of the. training and ideals imparted to boys in their plastic years. They were coming, he said to a most anxious time in this country. There was ‘a section at me present movement who wanted to (fegrade anytliing military and wanted to stop any expense as far as the army was concerned. ln ten 01' fifteen years hence, unless this movement was curbed, New Zealand would be in the position it was before the recent war and might have to face as great a crisis. The Boy Scout movement could teach boys to be really loyal citizens with healthy ideals, boys who would put national ideals before their own selfish ends.

Mr. lsitt, in urging that a special committee that it was proposed to set up should go into the financial aspect of the movement, said that if £IO,OOO or £SOOO was wanted it could be got, and he would make one of those who would get it. From the few words he‘ had had with Ml‘. Massey he knew that the ‘Prime l\linistel' felt keenly the importance of the Boy Scout movement. “You have only to put your finzmcizml wzmts before the stamp of men I am thinking of and you will _.c,wt not one nound but one hundred pounds. It is a very, very important iuovenicnt.” - ' LATE COLONEL COSG-ROVE. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 11. There was discussion as to the form a memorial to the late Dominion Commnndeir (Colonel Cossgrove) should take, and it was decided to I'o-fer several Sllgg(‘Stit)llSl'.() the District Comin:iilr]v.~r< to report to the Executive Committee in one month's time. It was imzmimously I'<—\ssolved that the Covnl'nol'-General he requested on behalf of the Dominion Council to recommend to the Chief Scout and the Imperial Council the appointment of Chief Commander fol" New Zoaland.