Boy Scouts and Cubs

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 October 1927, Page 12

Boy Scouts and Cubs

(By

“PATHFINDER.”)

THE NEW WORLD. This old world is ever new, Always some one learns to do Something never done before. Youth is at an open door Leading into field’s wherein There is much for him to win. What is of the past is old History is a tale that’s told, But the histories still to be None can tell and none can see. Every morning seems to bring Into life some wondrous thing. This old world is ever now, Dreams are always coming true, Some to-morrow holds a joy Now unthought of, for a boy. At the door of life he stands With the future in his hands. What is done, is nothing to What the mind of man shall ffb, Countless splendors wait their day. Countless books unwritten stay. One shall do, ere night is o’er, Something never done before. —By Edgar A. Guest. HASTINGS Y.M.C.A. No. 2 TROOP. Tho Hastings Y'.M.C.A. No. 2 troop held very successful meeting on Saturday evening, September 24, when an hour was given up t u a de-| bate, “Is Scouting Worth While.’s’ The speakers for were, C. A. Elplnck, lan Ne wrick and M. Hull, who made out a very good case for Scouting. Alex. Habile, G. Drummond, W. Finn ton and Bill Rickets spoke for the negative, but were up against too strong a case. N. Rummpry was to have championed the case for the affirmatives but met with an injury to his leg whilst helping out with the Cub Pack in the afternoon.. When the points were totalled up those for showed 33 and against S.M. Dutton then addressed the boys and left no doubt in their minds as to bene fits of scouting. The chairman of tho committee, Mr Ralph Paynter and one or two committeemen were present, and felt pleased with the way the debate was handled. A most instructive evening was concluded with Pound Night. PAKI PAKI SCOUTS. The Pahl Paki Troop is still flourishing. Tho boys now travel to Hastings and hold their weekly meetings at tho Y.M.C.A. there. With the better facilities for training thus afforded it is expected that the troop will soon reach a high state of efficiency. SIGNALLING. The whole secret of teaching signalling is to stress the romance, the interesting side of it. Once your boys become fired with this, you will find them apt pupils. But you must always avoid the prosy side of tho subject.. Games involving signalling are excellent both for practice and for demonstrating the use of the art.—From the Scouters’ Gazette, N.S.W. A HIGHLANDER’S PRAYER. In far off America, at Denver the great city that is a’milo high 'that is, a mile sea level, there exists a wonderful organisation somewhat resembling the Boy Scout Movement. It differs in regard to uniform and some other matters, but its aim is the same, to help boys to become good men. Its motto, or a phrase to be seen on much of its literature is: “Builders of Better Boyhood.” The boys aro called “Highlanders,” and the following is a prayer for the boys’ repetition: “O God, my Father and my Friend, teach me to be a true Highlander al Christian gentleman; help me to thi'nk pure thoughts that I may lit a clean man; help me to keep my body pure, that I ma use it to serve Thee; help me to be truthful, that my tongue may sing Thy praise; help me to be honest, that I may win the confidence of men; help me to build a Chrisitan character, that I may be worthy of those who love me; teach me to respect all women as I do my mother; make my life one of service, and when I am tempted ,may I cit humbly at the foot of the Cross, and look up to Thee for strength. Amen.” OF GROUTEBB. (By Sam Cook, Boy Scouts’ Asssociation Sydney, N.S.W.) Anyway, what is a “gruuter” and what does “grouting” mean? The expressions were very frequently heard amongst the Scouts ot the New South Wales contingent in Great Britain during the I.Jamboree. It was easy to supply au explanation in other colloquial phrases. A grouter is a “go-getter.” Got that? Yes, and he is more than that: he is a go-getter with more or leas selfish motives. More still, he is a go-getter that adopts more vigorous more thrusting methods of attaining his ends than other go-getters. In short, to use another Australianism, the translation of which, I feel sure, is obvious, he is an “urger” par excellence. Most troops have one or more of his species. In fact, in Australian troops I fear that he sometimes rather predominates, hot so much numerically as in clamour. For your true grouter naturally makes his presence felt and heard. Just think for a moment, Mr Scouter. You will probably find that some member of your troop lias, by some process of more or less peaceful penetration, Secured a great many of the plums on the tree. When it rains (and when doesn’t it in Enghind?) he occupies the only dry sput

in the tent. When the Koodoo tor lunch is heard it is he who gets, a little more than most. When there is work to be done he manages to avoid it.

Why? Because he is a grouter and is grouting for himself as instinct commands. Grouting has nod doubt been with us down tho ages, but we owe its present and virile revival a great deal to tho late war, when the lamentable pastime of deciving .he quartermaster-sergeant, together with other similarly deceitful practices, were indulged in ad lib and even ad nauseum on all sides.

It is vain to put bBth feet down with a flrm hand and say ‘ ‘ This must cease! ” For curing a grouter is harder than any labour ever attempted by Hercules. He was born to grout (.unseen, if possible, but it doen’t really matter), and grout he always will.

But tho tiling to do is to divert his grouting from himself into other and more useful channels. What were all the energetic figures in history? Almost without exception they grouted unceasingly. But herein lies the difference. For whereas they grouted for their country or their church, the ingrowing merely shifts for himsell', seeking to better his temporal stat* at the expense of his spiritual wellbeing. Lot us therefore not sock to cheek the grouter in his eai,*cr, for his grout ,ngs are inevitable, but rather let us encourage him to expend his energies in a more worthy direction. So will wo acquire, in the place of a selfish grouter an energetic worker in the cause of good.

For verily “Thin partitions do their bounds divide.”