COAST-WATCHING COURSES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 3

COAST-WATCHING COURSES

ON BOARD THE DISCOVERY j I NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME j POPULAR Tremendous enthusiasm is being i > j shown in the Boy Scouts Coast-watch-ing Service for training boys for certain duties which they will be able to carry out in time of national emergency. Inland districts as well as those around the coast are taking up the 1 training. Coast-watching courses for Scoutmas- [ | ters were held on board the R.F.S. Dis-; | covery, moored alongside Victoria Em- j bankment just off Temple Steps, during | 1 the week-ends of. 4th and sth March. 1 \ and 18th and 19th March. It was only intended to hold one i week-end course on the Discovery, but so great was the demand from Scouters i | who wished to attend that another was ] arranged. Again accommodation was

! quickly filled and a still further course | is to be held at Lymington, Hants, on : 349th and 30th April. | Shipwrecks will be faked on imaginjai ‘y r °ugh seas, sinister craft will glide | aIon « l he water way, but watchers on | either side of the river will flash raes- ! sa g e s by torch to the Discovery which, i for the occasion, will add yet another | eposide to its adventurous career by I becoming a coastguard station. There j will be plenty of activity on the decks j throughout the night and day. and can- | didates are accepted for the course on ( the condition that thej' are prepared to ! be called out at night and in any weather. Some of the work being done J afloat Will be entirely at the candiI dales’ own risk. | The training will enable the Scoul- | masters to get a practical knowledge of ; the scheme before introducing it to the | boys of their troops, i All work being canned out on the j coast by Scouts will be done under the direction of the regular coastguards from their stations. The scheme ft being run in conjunction with lhe Board of Trade. Before any Troop can become affiliated to a coastguard station it must have at least four members holding the Scout Coast-Watchman's Badge.