SCOUTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 4

SCOUTING

(By D.S.M.) THE FOURTH SCOUT LAW “A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other Scout, no matter to what social class the other belongs.” Hero ill New Zealand we pride ourselves on our social code and would probably look upon this Law as not applicable. But one cannot shut one’s eyes to the fact that there are certainly grades. In France, wo are told, all men are equal, but I believe that that country has more class distinctions than any other country under the sun. Now the question comes—if we are to he brothers, can we maintain with comfort our separate planes? Absolutely no. That being so, upon what plane will we meet —must we come down or must we go upi? Boys, the carrying out of the Scout Promise and Law to the best of our ability will always carry us to a higher plane of citizenship and mutual goodwill. See to it, then, that you hold fast to the tradition of chivalry, and never lower the dignity of a Scout by ungentlemanly behaviour. We have our own class distinction to maintain—let it be the highest.

THE ORIGIN OF SCOUTING The origin of the Boy Scout Movement can best bo described in the words of General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, its originator, as found in the Fifth Annual Report of the Boy Scout Association. His statement is as follows : “It has been suggested to me that a few notes to show how the Boy Scout movement originated might be of interest. The idea of training boys in Scouting dates from 1884, when I applied it to recruits in my regiment, and, in revised form, from 1897, to young soldiers in the sth Dragoon Guards. I then found the good of developing man’s ‘character’ before putting upon him the routine training of drill at that time considered necessary for a soldier. When I came home in 1902, I found my hook, “Aids to Scouting,’ being used in schools (and by Boy Organisations, etc.) for teaching hoys. As this had been written for soldiers it was unsuitable for hoys, and in 1908, I re-wrote it (after an experimental hoys’ camp held in 1907). It was not then intended to have a separate organisation of Boy Scouts, but that the Boys’ Brigade, the Junior Y.M.C.A., the C.L.8., and the other recognised hoys’ organisations would utilise the idea. “However, such a large number of men and hoys outside these organisations took it-up that we were obliged to form a directorate to control it. This at first consisted of Major McLaren and myself, with Miss McDonald, as the entire headquarters staff, in a room given us !bv Mr Arthur Pearson, who generously helped us to a start. Lord Strathcona also gave us a donation of £SOO to put us on our feet.

“The Movement grew of itself, and assumed such proportions that in 1910 I gave rip the Army and took charge of it. The idea of the Scout uniform was taken from a sketch of my own dress in Kashmir in 1897—in every detail. The fluer-de-lis badge was that which I used for Scouts in the sth Dragoon Guards; it was taken from the sign of the North Point of the compass, as shown in maps as a guide to their orientation. The methods, aims and organisation of the" movement underwent close examination by the Privy Council in 1910, and a Royal Charter of Incorporation was granted to it (1912). His Majesty the King became its patron, and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales became the Chief Scout for Wales. And the leading men in religion, education, and affairs came on our Advisory Council. “We work in accord with other associations for hoys such as the Boys’ Brigade, Church Lads’ Brigade, Y.M.C.A. Junior Branch, and others., All of us are working to the same end. In the Scout movement we also aim to make our training complementary, outside the school walls, to the scholastic training within the school. We work, therefore, in touch with the education authorities.”

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