SEA SCOUTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 19 April 1912, Page 1

SEA SCOUTS.

A NEW MOVEMENT,

. £ English- newspapers tell us that the latest recruit to the Boy Scout movement is Admiral Lord. Charles Beresfcrd 1 , \vh/t> has accepted the post of "Chief Scout" 'of tlie, Sea- Scout branch "of" "CHe force. This department !is now new, but until it was, recognised recently it yid not enjoy the popularity, it de* served. One* wonders whether it was i«cynicism of. by accident". that . t£':jobtriitft opened its comment on the branch 'by first describing its uniform. The- Scouts may , either wear the ordinary costume or a blue serge costume and' bluejacket's cap, with blue woollen stockings—made long enough to turn -up over the knees when in., boats —-and waterproofs, or oilskins and sou'-weeters. Each scout must, •be aible to ; swim, to manage a boat, and. be familiar with four methods of sayijijs life in the water. Special badges, aora to be granted for-boatmen, swimjners. rescuers, watchmen, pilots, and sea fishermen.. To be a watchman, for instance, > boy must know every rock -and shoal within the five-fathom line, on _ a fourmile stretch 'of - coast near his' head" quarters. He "must know the rise and fall of the tides, the set of currents at „ aJ.I times of the tide, danger " -soots _lb •bathers and the Dest landing places for boats, the lighthouses, beacona. storm signals, coastguard stations, lifeboats, rocket apparatus, and so forth. Lord. Charles Beresford recommends that each patrol of Sea Scouts shall have con-' trol of a stretch of coast, and wherever possible hut. and signalling staff shall be erected in the centre of the beat, and shall btk provided! with a. telescope, 'a. large scale Admiralty chart of tne locality, and a copy of the mercantile* signalling code. Already in England the scheme bids fair to run equal with the land, division, one country alone, Somerset, having 15 patrols. Tnis business seems to be the first organised attempt to meet the desire, which, according to tradition, burns in . the breast of each lad, to be a pirate or at leas£ ,p, naval officer. In a sea-girt land Uk© New Zealand it should prove intensely popular, and no doubt some day when Scouts parade we shall see blue uniforms amongst the khaki. •