Boy Scoots and Cubs

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 205, 13 August 1927, Page 10

Boy Scoots and Cubs

(By “PATHFINDER.”)

“WELCOME TO THE SCOUTS. ’ — — — •Sf" ■ - — Can you hear the bugle call? Can you hear the drum? Can you hear the tramp tramp, tramp, As the marchers come? Can you hear the distant chimes And the nearer shouts, As their comrades voices raise, ‘‘Welcome to the Scouts.” Trim, in level, lines they pass Boys of Britain's breed; Straight and steady, strong and true Friends in every need. 2nd HASTINGS Y.M.C.A. TROOP. N. Cohen and J. Simpson having left, the following new appointments nave been made Second G. Drummond and Scout A. Hastic to Patrol Leader and Second of the Otters; Second E. Ballantyne and Scout E. Wright to Patrol Leader and Sec.ond of the Moreporks. Last Saturday the usual troop meeting was changed to a rehearsal for the concert and boys went through tIA? programme in fine style. A full report of the concert held last evening will be available for nest week. DEVELOPMENT IN NAPIER. Something in the nature of a surprise has first io be recorded the formation of the second new troop in Napier within about five weeks. This time the troop is also in connection with a church, the Napier Congrega tional. Last Monday evening, exScoutmaster Mcßride, form Fort Aliuriri was in attendance and some .13 boys put in an appearance and were formed up into two patrols with the youngest boys being kept separate as a Wolf Cub Pack. The new Scouts are full of enthusiasm and to them “Pathfinder” expresses the very best wishes for a happy and successful future as members of the great Scout Brotherhood. The Saint Augustine’s Troop had quite a big evening last Saturday, when eight more recruits were invested. The District Commissioner, Rev H. B. Hughes, first gave the bo.ys a short talk on the meaning of the two stars on the Scout badge, and of the three fingers held up in the Scout salute. After further urging them to master everything as they went along he put to the Tenderfoots the usual questions which being satisfactorily answered, ho gave to each the left hand of Scout fellowship and put them “on their honour” to keep the solemn promise they had made. Assistant Commissioner, Mr W. D. Johns, was also present and reminded the boys that the badges they had that night received were honourable because worn by two million Scouts throughout the world. He urged the Scouts to make a practice of wearing the badge every day; it was a passport to good friendships wherever one went as he had found during his travels about the North Island. Cheers were then given for the visiting Commissioners, who having retired the boys spent the rest of the evening in hearty games and other scouting exercises. It should be mentioned that this troop has a particularly smart appearance and is led by a very keen and capable Scoutmaster, so that it gives promise of giving a good account of itself in the future when inter-troop competitions commence.

During this week two committee meetings wero held at the Napier Y.M.C.A. with a view to launching new troop committees. The boys at the Y.M. are ready and a meeting was to be called in Napier South to got a committee going there. Altogether the prospect in Napier is bright. Two new troops already and thme in view!

WOLF CUB FIRST STAR TESTS, The first thing every Cub should do on entering his den or clubroom is to salute the flag; the next thing is to pay attention to what the Old Wolf has to tell him, says, “Cubmaster” in the Poverty Bay “Herald.” The law is: (1) A Cub gives into the Old Wolf, as you all know that the Old Wolves have lived longer and they know more about what is to be done; (2) the Cub does not give into himself—that is, he s not to be selfish or mean, but to help hs other fellows as much as he can. Next comes the promise. This is what all the Cubs havo to learn: “I promise on my honour to do my host to be loyal and do my duty to God and the King, and to keep the law of the Wolf Cub pack and to do a good turn at least to somebody every day.” After you have learned this you go a step further and learn something about the Union Jack. Knots and their uses; A reef knot is used for tying up parcels, and it is also used in first-aid work. A sheetbend is used for tying two dry ropes of different thickness together and is als used for tying the corner of sails down. A fisherman’s knot is ased for tying lines of the same thickness together, and also for mending nets. The last two knots are the sheepshank, which is used for shortening ropes, and the clove nitch, which is much used in Scout work as it will stand a good strain and does not slip. The compass: The compas is made up of a number of different points. There are the four cardinal points N., S., E., -and W. Then there are the half cardinal points, N.E:, S.E., S.W., and N.W. There are 16 other points called intermediate. If you want to find the north look at the sun at midday, and the north will be in front of you. The east will be to the right, the west to the left, and the south behind you. A Cub must be able to skip 30 times backwards, balance three books on his head while walking 30 paces, hop round a figure-of-eight course leap frog over another boy of the same size, turn a somersault, tell the time correctly, and be able to throw and catch a ball thrown from a distance of 15ft with either or both hands four times out of six. BIG CAMP IN SWEDEN. From .an English cable dated June 9, we learn that the greatest event in the history of Swedish Boy Scout activity was to lake place from July 8 to 19, when about 4000 Boy Scouts from all parts of Europe were to unite in the international jubilee camp at Saltsjoebaden, near Stockholm. Preparations for this event were going on for a whole year. The camp, covering an area of more than three square kilometres, was to be most elaborn. with a numuer ui large buildings including dining halls a large kitchen with electrical cooking ranges, a special telephone centre, radio Apparatus with large amplifiers a special post office ami a bank, a Red Cross hospital with thirty beds and a staff oj' doctors and nurses. Electric light was to be installed throughout the camp. An entire flotilla of boats, including two steamers, 10 large motor boats and a considerable number of motor-launches were hired for the occasion. Besides, special trains were to run between Stockholm and the camp. General Baden-Powell was expected to attend the camp, and Sweden’s Scout Chief, Major Ebbo Lieberath, expected most happy results from this unique international fraternity meeting between the youth of so many nations. FLAG FROM “VICTORY” FOR BOY SCOUTS. Au historic Naval Union Jack of great interest has been presented by Mr G. 'Eyre Evans to the Welsh Boy Scouts Council at Brecon. The flag, which was foremrly the property of’ Mr Eyre Evan’s grandfather, Commander G. Eyro Powell, K.N., flew at half-mast on board H.AI.S. La Virginie on the announcement of the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. When Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned at St. Helena the flag flew continuously on the Heron. It was also flown on the Heron when the vessel returned to England, bring the news of Napoleon’s death. When Commander G. Eyre Powell was later transferred to the Victory, Nelson’s famous flagship, the flag was flown on that illus trious relic of the nation’s past. The flag, in .addition to having been flown at half-mast for Lord Nelson, has a'so been hoisted as a similar mark of respect for General Sir Thomas Picton, the Duke of Wellington, and Their Majesties George 111., George IV., William IV., Victoria and Edward VII. It is now in the keeping of the Welsh Scouts Headquarters at Brecon, and will be retained “ For the Jack to be saluted at morning prayers at future, Wctsu camps of Boy Scouts and Welsh Troops.”