BOY SCOUTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17933, 2 November 1918, Page 6

BOY SCOUTS.

(Contributed.) On Tuesday, October 22, the Dunodin Y.M.C.A. Company, under Scoutmaster Nichols, formerly of Christchurch, and his assistant, was inspected by the* Chief Commissioner, accompanied by Sir Cecil Moon, Deputy-Com-missioner for Otago, a.nd the District Commander. There was a fair muster in their large hall, and they presented a clean, well set up and neatly uniformed company. After inspection, the boys gave demonstrations of first aid, signalling and knotting, and were then addressed by the Cflief. Ho emphasised the necessity for th© leader to take full control of their patrols, for leaders' conferences, and for the company or troop to be controlled by a Court of Honour. The » Scoutmaster should be the supervisor, the leaders doing the work, except when the patrols or troop were under the- control of an instructor in pome special subject. At the conclusion of his address, Mr Nichols called for cheers for the Commissioner and for Mrs Cossgrove. On Wednesday the Mornington Troop, under Sir Cecil Moon, ActingScoutmaster, was inspected in their commodious club-mom, kindly lent the troop by the Mornington Tramway Company. This fine troop disbanded for a time afoer their Scoutmaster went to the front, and Sir Cecil' revived it and has held it together pending the appointment of a-Scoutmaster The exhibition of first aid work under a sergeant was very creditable, end the lesson on knotting, under one of tho leaders, was weli given. The Chief Commissioner congratulated the troop upon having a gentleman of Sir Cecil's experience and attainments as their Scoutmaster, and hoped that they would do their best to benefit by his advice and instruction. He then showed the boys how to plajy the- game of ' : Sniper," as detailed in " The Story of a Bull Pup." As a test of quick hearing, this is a very useful and amusing game. The North Dunedin Company, 'under Scoutmaster King, was inspected on Thursday evening, in the Methodist Schoolroom. There was a fair muster of Boy Scouts and juniors. The former was under the control of a very smart sergeant, and the latter were under tho control of the Scoutmaster. This is a very promising company, and given more helpers, it should be a difficult ono to beat. The juniors did some excellent work. The boys did the bandaging of a finger very neatly. One drew and coloured the flags of St Georgo. St Andrew find St Patrick, while all seamed to know how to mako their knots. These boys have each a copy of their text-book, "The Story of a Bull Pup," hence their knowledge of their work. At the conclusion of tlie inspection the Chief addressed tho boys on tba lines of his address to the other troops, and then urged the parents who were present to form a Troop Committee to qasist the Scoutmaster. It was their duty to do this. Mr King was doing his best to make more of their sons. He was devoting all his spare time to that object, and it was not right that he should have to finance the troop as well. The District Commander also addressed tho boys shortly, and Mr King called for cheers for Colonel and Mrs Cossgrove, which were lustily given. „ On Friday evening the St Clair Presbyterian troop, under Scoutmaster the Rev Miller, and his assistant, Mr Twigg, was inspected. There was a poor muster, most of the troop being laid up with the prevailing Scolds. A little first aid work was done under an instructor, and a little physical drill by the juniors. The Chief expressed his regret at seeing the boys dressed in the uniform of the Salvation Army Life Saving Scouts. They > were tho only Boy Scouts in the South Island s.) dressed, and he hoped that they, would get into the regulation uniform as soon as possible. No Junior Scout should wear a Boy Scout hat. It was wiong to permit it, and if it were insisted on the older boys would leave the troop. It was this danger the Director of Education in New Zealand feared would result from the inauguration of the Junior Scout scheme. The St Clair boys are a fine stamp of lads, and all are keen to become efficient. The Rov Miller thanked the Chief Com- | missioner for his address to the boys, and said that the boys would he uniformed correctly at the beginning of the year. Cheers were then called for the visitors. On Saturday afternoon the Chief Commissioner and Mrs Cossgrove visited Ravensbourne, and the former inspected the troop under the Rev Gray and his Scoutmastei*. Owing to some misunderstanding only some dozen boys turned up. Th<"re was a muster of forty boys the previous evening, and the Scoutmaster, who has recently been transferred from the now defunct St Clair Congregational troop, is hopeful of making this troop into a first-class one. ■