Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28th., 1935. SCOUT MOVEMENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 February 1935, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28th., 1935. SCOUT MOVEMENT.

I than usually distinguished i visitors to rhe West Coast, toi day, are Lord and Lady BadenPowell. who. with their two daughters. are motoring from Christchurch to .the Smith Westland Glaciers. While he may look back upon a tine military career, Lord-Baden-Powell is host known as the foiindor, in IBOR, of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, organisations which have since steadily increased ‘in strength, fulfilling in great, measure the object of their | founder, the promotion of good • citizenship in the rising generat ion. 11 may safely be said that the) veteran Chief Scout's stimulating association with the organisation; of purposeful youth which he| brought into being, and which has been assisted to thrive by his per- 1

son al magnetism and enthusiasm —both qualities imparted to his assistant leaders—have helped to keep him young. The results achieved must be extremely gratifying to the Chief Scout, just as they are to many parents, and to Scouts themselves.

' At the outset, the chief aim was to encourage boys to be healthy and clean-living, and to revel in association in the freedom of their boyhood; to inculcate, also, a love of Nature and the out-of-doors, with the health-giving opportunities it affords, plus an appreciation of unselfishness, organisation, and benevolent discipline, which assist in the fulfilment of the ideal sought. The result has been the making of many more good citizens than otherwise we would have possessed. It must be remembered, moreover, that the Scout movement is not confined to the British Empire. About fifty countries have more than two million Boy Scouts, and the movement constitutes a great potential factor for establishing international amity and peace. That important, aspect was duly stressed at the recent “jamboree” at Melbourne, and the Chief Scout impressed on the representatives of many nations the importance of making “real friends, not acquaintances.” Love of one’s country is not incompatible with cordial friendly feelings for the people of other countries. Scout “jamborees,” which must assist towards a unification of ideals sought by a world organisation, by reason of the comradeship established between the Scouts of many lands, cannot help but assist towards a world brotherhood, as well as making for good citizenship, in each country. The Boy Scout movement —and the Girl Guides’ movement is assisting—is not only helping individual youth, but is forging new bonds of humanity. The community as a whole should give it every encouragement, as there is no doubt that those who are giving their time and energy towards the .furtherance' of the Scouts’ and Guides’ movement are deserving of credit and support.

“Founder’s Day,” is held on the nearest Sunday to tho birthday of the Chief Scout and his ivife—the head and founder of the Girl Guides’ moA’ement, —and this ivas celebrated on Sunday last, two days after the dual birthday. The main object of the day is to recall the purpose and ideals of the movement, and Wellington had the honour, on this occasion, of having present -Lord and Lady BadenPowell. Despite the fact that the Chief Scout is now seventy-eight years of ago, his vitality is remarkable, and, although he had a serious illness last'-year, he recovered sufficiently to attend the great “jamboree” at Melbourne. It is hoped that his tour of New Zealand will be of benefit to his health, as, there is no doubt, it will be to the welfare of the Scout movement in the Dominion, while it may also lead to a revival on the West Coast.