SCOUT NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 96, 6 April 1934, Page 15

SCOUT NOTES

(By

“Friar Tuck”)

THE COMMISSIONER'S OUTLOOK. On the 25th. of this month Anzac Day will be with us again. This is a day set aside to the memory of those who gave their lives that we might walk about in freedom and hold up our heads as New Zealanders. War is a rotten thing and no sane or decent, man wants it, but forgetting those who made the great sacrifice will not in any way help to bring peace, nor docs the service of commemoration encourage militarism. T know it is hard for some of you who were not alive during the days of the war to realise what it all meant, and I trust Hint none of you will over know sui'li a. time, but you must nil know enough to be grateful and ns Scouts you must sei an example. There tore, I hope wo shall make a belter showing than we have done in the past. FIRST CLASS REPORTS T have rend several First Class reports lately. Thu maps have been excellent ami Hie general report good, but it is very disappointing to find that there is very little said about plants, trees, birds, and animals. Remember our training is woodcraft. Definite .instructions should be given in your orders to bring certain plants or observe certain birds. Another thing I notice, there were no sketches. You should be set a stretch of country to make a panoramic sketch of. As I said, the maps of the route nro excellent, but if you look at P. 0.11. you will see that it says “a route map of the journey is not. required.” I think the reason ,it was cut out was to give mure limo to study the flora and fauna of the country. However, I. am glad to sec some of you trying for First Class. ‘ ‘ Littlejohn. ’ ’ SCOUTERS’ MEETING. TJie monthly meeting of the Scouters will bo held as usual at Pukctapu on the second Wednesday in April (11th.). It is hoped to continue the Pow. Wows on Scout and Cub work. Each Scooter has to take his turn at giving Hie meeting some information on Scout problems, or bring forward a new idea for the Scouters to tear to bits. This time the talk will be given by one of the Cubmastere. A COOO TURN. Tho Chief is always asking us to make a (special effort to do an extra special good turn at Christmas time. Hero, then, is a good turn which is probably quite unique. Two Scouts, Marika and Isireli, of the Navuso Troop, Fiji, were returning from their work on a farm near Navuso

late in the afternoon, and as they were close to the river they noticed an animal in the water. They could not say how long it had been there, but it was completely done and had ceased to struggle. One boy dived m and managed to get the animal’s head above water, while the other got a rope, and between them they managed to drag the animal, a bullock, on to the beach. At this moment another boy—not a Scout—appeared on the scene and they got him io help them. They tugged and pulled untjl they had the animal with its head slightly down hill and then applied pressure to the sides of the animal and were able to expel a lot of water from its lungs. They continued this form of artificial respiration and had the surprise of their lives when the animal started to breathe again. They kept up their rescue work and got the animal on to its feet and drove it back to its owner, who wanted to repay them, hut they, in true Scout fashion, refused to lake any reward.

'lhe Governor of Fiji and the Chief Scout asked lor all the details, so this account was given by the District Cominissimicr of Fiji, who says bo is quite satisfied that the boys performed the work, but adds that bullocks in Fiji do not grow the same size ns they do in England ESK TROOP NEWS. While Robin Hood took the patrol leaders and seconds on a hike to Tutira, the rem'ainder of the troop had a day's Scouting on Good Friday. The following notice was pinned on the notice board:— Police Headquarters The Scouts of Esk Troop.— In regard to the letter herewith signed John McNab, wo consider the letter to bo sent under a now de plume and that John McNab is not one man, but several working together. You are to keep a close look out on the places mentioned and report to us on capturing the offonder(s). Make sure the man is the man you want; it is useless to arrest a man for being on the premises if you arc not sure of his intent. You will therefore have to make your arrest after the goods have been stolen. Yours faithfully, W. G. 11. Smithers, Senior sergeant. With this was a strangely written letter: “Our Don’’ 29/3/34. To Those Who Guard France House. Dear Sirs, To prove that the days of adventure, are not passed and that the man who can steal your stock is still alive, I, John McNab will, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 11.45 a.tn. on Good Friday (30th. Mar.): 1. Stca.l fruit from your orchard and place the stolon fruit on the front steps of France House. 2. Steal a cob of corn from the patch in front of France House and place the. stolen corn in tho dining room of France House. g, 3. Shoot a hen in your hen yard. To prevent the possibility of wounding a hen I will fire only a shot into the hen yard to prove that I have been there and will place a feather in the Scout room. Yours very faithfully, John McNab. Great excitement followed. The three McNabs, dressed in "Scippera” clothes, all much too big for them, eet off on their dare-devil errand, while the others were divided into three patrols to guard the threq places and keep in communication with one another. Owing to the leaders and seconds being away the new patrols did not work as well as they might, and one lot arrested a man without having any evidence that he was McNab. A second ■was arrested near the orchard, and such a place for such a strangely dressed man needed an explanation. While this was in progress the third man completed the three deeds and placed the stolen goods in the required places. The game was taken from a suggestion in the “Scouter” that the story of John Buchan’s book “John McNab” could insily bo altered to make a good wide game. .Esk certainly found it a change from the usual wide game, putting more of an adventure into the whole thing. In the afternoon two trails were laid of equal length, which eventually joined into one trail and ended in a bag of sweets. The Scouts were divided into two teams and set off on the two trails to race for the treasure. The rest of the afternoon was spent passing test. Next week we hope to have an account of the P.Ls’ and Seconds’ hike. They arrived home on Monday afternoon.