SCOUTS' DISPUTE.

Hutt News, Volume 9, Issue 16, 25 September 1935, Page 5

SCOUTS' DISPUTE.

COMMISSIONER CRITICISED. SEPARATE AREA FOR HUTT • VALLEY. A decision that the old district committee should secure of the Hutt Valley and bays the status of a country district with Mr. A, J. Gearing as distrkt commissioner was made at a meeiing in Lower Hutt lust week of scouters and group delegates in tho area. The decision was the sequel to friction between tho metropolitan commissioner, Mr H, V. Poster, who wishes ,to divide the Hutt Valley and bays on the ground that the area is too large for one body, and tho Bay tieout Group Committees' Association, which is opposed to the idea. Although the meeting did not'uecome healed in any way there was sonic trenchant critcism of Mr Poster. The chairman of the group committees' association, Mr A. J. Gearing, sa.d the association was keen that scou:,iu t should not go back any further, ana u wanted to chock the retrograde step. "We can work as a commute up to a certain point, but we realise we cannot get very far unless we have scouiers behind us," he said. Ho advised the gathering not to be hot-headed, but to think carefully and come to a unanimous decision. At this stage there eould be no half-measures and tne association might as well go out of business if the scouts were not behind it. "It is a serious step we are taking, but I have to make a statement, reluctantly, that ithe group committees' association has no confidence in the metropolitan commissioner," Mr Gearing said. Continuing, he stated that the commissioner had advised the Dominion headquarters that a certain resolution had been passed, when it fact it had not. Also the commissioner had stated that Mr Gearing had been won over Ly the malcontents and that he had had to ask for his resignation. A,t that time, said Mr Gearing, he had not been asked to resign. .Circular Sent Out. Mr I?. Kelson,, ex-district commissioner, read a circular sent out by Uk commissioner which scouters were asivc., to sign; it was as follows: —

"Kecognising that us a warranted officer of the Boy Scouts' Association I am bound by my scout promise l'o obey the scout Jaw iu its entirety, ana that it is my duly to comply with the rules of the association as in force iu this Dominion, 1 willingly and unreservedly give this assurance of my loyalty and support to all duly constituted superior authority in the scout movement. 1 agree to refrain from lending my or support (whether active or implied) to any irregular, subversive, or unauthorised body, agitatipn affecting fjw boy; »C(?U& [TO'roVJ By a kfcg BeOjUtfera machines. 'The ing the Group Committees' Association was for the welfare of scouting in the district, and there was nothing to prevent it, said Mr kelson. For a person to try to set scouters at loggerheaflu with the association was a perfectly iniquitous thing to do. Further progress under the commissioner was impossible. (Hear, hear.) Mr Nelson then moved the resolution to secure the status of a country district with Mr Gearing as district commissioner.. It was seconded by Mr C. MeAlister, and carried unanimously. "Chief \Would Be Astounded." Mr If. E. Browne said that during his 25, years' experience as a scouter, and in ,the two or three hundred books he had read, he had never seen anything suggesting that a scouter should be servile to a metropolitan commissioner. "Our chief, Lord Baden Powell, would be astounded if he saw a thing like that circular sent, to scouters," he said, Mr A. M. Keid said the commissioner had rung him and said he (Mr Keid) should nut be intimidated fcy Mr Nelson or Mr Browne, and asked him to be loyal to him. Vet the commissioner then sent tliat declaration which must bo regarded as intimidation. Apparently Hie commissioner was not very consistent. Mr Ifeid moved a further motion of absolute confidence in .the Group Committees' Association. This also was carried unanimously. "Mow we are apparently united in the district. I would have been very suprised if we were not," said Mr Gearing. At thai stage Mr Boyle, commit sioner, Wellington, who did not exercise any vote, said the metropolitan commissioner was in charge of the district, and it was no use kicking against coastitutcd authority. Tlio Catholic UoO/ in Petonu and tho Hutt were going t. stick by constituted authority. M» .Boyle said lie regretted the dissension Mr Browne asked if Mr Boyle wa prepared to follow a metropolitan com missioner after what had just been n vealed. Mr Boyle: If headquarters at Christchurch think that, lie should be cleared out. Toward (lie end of I lie meeting Mr Nelson declared that the reason why the association had no confidence in the commissioner was because it considered lie did not understand one single word 0 l'the spirit of scouting.