GOVERNOR AND SCOUTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19282, 22 March 1926, Page 11

GOVERNOR AND SCOUTS.

RALLY OF AUCKLAND TROOPS.

INSPECTION BY CHIEF SCOUT.

GRAND DISPLAY AT EPSOM. NEED FOR LARGER MEMBERSHIP. Four hundred boy scouts and two hundred wolf cubs occupied the arena at the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association's showgrounds at Epsom for two hours on Saturday afternoon, when a grand rally was held and the troops were inspected by tho Governor-General, Sir t 'harles Fergusson, who is Dominion Chief Scout. Twenty-one troops were 'represented and they made a brave showing as with colours living they moved into position to receive the Chief Scout in horse-shoe formation.

Punctually at 3 o'clock the GovernorGeneral, accompanied by Captain Wentworth, entered the horse-shoe and the Ponsonby Boys' Band struck up the National Anthem. Then the scouts had an opportunity to give voice to their suppressed feelings of excitement by means of the rocket yell, in which they portrayed most realistically the sizzling ascent of a rocket and its bursting and gave exclamations of delight at the multicoloured lights unloosed. A haka of welcome followed, the translation of the Maori words being:—"He is a chief! Yes, he is more than a chief; he is a taniwha," (i.e., tho greatest of them all). Sir Charles smiled his appreciation of this full-throated and enthusiastic welcome.

The ceremonial march of the troop colours to the inner circle was followed by a rally of scouts, yelling their patrol calls, to their chief. The King's Scouts were then inspected by His Excellency. Spectacular March Past. The spectacular feature of the afternoon was the march past. With their troop colours and Union Jacks streaming in the breeze, the four hundred boys presented a most impressive spectacle as in turn they came abreast of the saluting base, trooped the colours and went on their way to form a tinge wheel of marching scouts. The march past was led by the Calliope Sea Scouts, the first sea scout troop formed in New Zealand, and then followed the other troops in order of formation. The public, of whom there was a, very fair attendance, cheered the boys on the completion of a well-executed movement.

The Governor-General next inspected the troops. He made no cursory survey, but displayed the keenest interest in the strength and progress of each troop. Here and there he tarried to place an encouraging hand upon the shoulder of a youthful patrol-leader or some blushing midget in the The troops then made a spiral rally and gave the " Be Prepared" greeting to the Chief Scout as he ross to address them.

" Auckland scouts, I do" not often get a chance to have a word with you," said His Excellency. " This is the biggest lot of you I have seen so far in Auckland, and it is so far satisfactory that there are 400 of you here. But that will not satisfy me for another year, and before I leave New Zealand I want to see 4000 scouts m Auckland. _ (Applause). I told the King Scouts that there was only one fault 1 had to find with Uiem and that was that there are too few of them. I have the same complaint about the rest of you. 1 here are too few first-class and too few " S SCOU^S * n P ro P or tion to your

It was no use covering their arms with badges, sa.d the Governor-General, if thev omitted those tests which would make them second-class and then first-class scouts./ Badges were a secondary consideration. It was intended that they should first qualify as proper scouts and they must pass the tests. After that thev could plaster their arms with badges as much as they liked. Scouting was a game, but it was a serious game and the tests devised were the very things that were most important. Biggest Family of Boys.

'Does it occur to,, you that you are part of the biggest family of boys that has ever existed?" asked the GovernorGeneral There were over 1,000,000 scouts in the Empire, and quite another 1.000,000 had been scouts in the past. The movement was started only 17 years ago and it had made wonderful progress. The Empire was held together by the bond of common brotherhood and he appealed to the scouts to uphold the same ideal, to be worthy of the great band of scouts all over the world. They had promised on a scout's honour to be loyal to God, their King and country and themselves, to be helpful to others at. all timeis and to obey the scout law. If they broke that promise they were letting down the name of scout all over the world and that was a very solemn thing. He emphasised the point that the pledge of loyalty was the most important of all their promises. The wolf cubs or junior scouts then surrounded the Chief Scout. They gave their grand howl and then performed the Vagheera dance, in which they depicted the black panther's method of stalking prey. Afterwards His Excellency spoke a few appropriate words to them. Value of Scout- Training.

A practical insight into the value of scout training in many directions was given by the troops. In various parts of the grounds individual troops gave different demonstrations, all of which were keenly followed by the visitors. The displays were given simultaneously as follow: —Grey Lynn, laying-out scout camp: St. Mary's, bridge building: St. Albsn's Cubs, ambulance work; Heme Bay, lariat spinning and tower and patrol fire-lighting;' Leys Institute, pyramid; St. Alban's. tent pitching: St. Barnabas', bridge building with stones; Calliope Sea Scouts, rocket life-saving; Gordon, quarter-staff. The Chief Scout inspected every display and showed a interest in all be saw. Commissioner J. D. Campbell was in charge of the parade. He was one of the original scouts of the Parnell Pioneers, and has held every rank in the Scout Association. He commanded the recent jamboree camp at Dunedin. and is one of the three scout officers in the world to hold the honorary silver wolf and the honorary medal of merit, the two highest decorations open to a scout officer. He leaves New Zealand on March 28 to return to the Cook Islands. District. Scoutmaster E. B. B. Boswell assisted Commissioner Campbell.