OUR SCOUTS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12424, 19 April 1926, Page 11

OUR SCOUTS

CITY AND DISTRICT PERSONAL AND GENERAL NOTES BY “SCOUTER.” The commissioner desires to compliment all scouts and scouters, and to congratulate the district scoutmasters and rally committee on the very fine, well disciplined and effective scout display. It was very encouraging to see among the many interested spectators, the Hon. F. J. Rolieston, Minister for Defence, the Hon. R. F. Bollard, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister for Mines and Labour, General Young, G.O.C. New Zealand Military Forces, a number of Rotarians, also scout officials from America, Falkland Islands and Dunedin. It was a delight to receive a message from the Dominion Chief Scout, and to present to brother life scout the Hon. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., a scout badge. May this example lead many otjjer responsible citizens to encourage the boy scouts and the public to a better understanding of the great brotherhood principle underlying scout work demonstrated by question and answer extracted from our “Ipise.” “Do you see the wider possibilities that lie before the movement beyond the individual training of the boy, towards holding peace and goodwill in the world?” Answer: “Yes it call remove, differences and bring about 00-operation between all sections of society, in place of jealousies, and hostilities, political, religious, individual, industrial or military.” A bar with long service medal has been awarded to District Scoutmaster G. Bell, and a long service, medal to Scoutmaster F. K. MacKenzie, of Lower Hutt troop. I feel sure that all join with me in congratulating Messrs Bell and MacKenzie. May they spend many more years with us.

Chivalry—that is, the order of the Knights—was started soma 1500 years ago by King Arthur. They met sitting at a great round table. They had as their patron saint St. George. St. George is the patron saint for the boy scouts throughout the Empire. St. George’s Day, April 23rd, on that day all good scout's should wear tlis scout badge. Don’t forget. This year,_ let all sooutmosters relate to their _ trbopa the story of St. Georg© and his adventures. * • * •

Friday saw Khandallah troop once more on parade ill full strength. Mr Nelson, our district scoutmaster, Mr D. B. Reid, the Petone troop secretary, arid four assistant scoutmasters of that troop paid us an informal visit. During the evening our “wild animals” donned their costumes for a rehearsal for the rally. During this period the remainder of the troop, under Mr Robin, formed into classes and the usual scout training was carried out. It has been intimated that Mr Robin is to leave us in a very short time, to take up a position in the railwav workshops, at Newmarket, Auckland. We are sorry to lose “Doug” as he is a popular and Keen instructor, and we wish him success in his new surroundings. At the rally last Saturday an enjoyable time resulted when “our animals, paraded the field like sotae prehistoric menagerie, hut unfortunately they were just in the moulting season. and had to be taken hack into captivity owing to tho chilly mr. T w^ e pleased to see a muster of our Johnsonville brothers or parade, and at tho coming indoor display hope to have a goodly rtumbpr of our Ngmo brothers with. us. # I have received the following letter from Rear-Admiral B S. Thesiger, as n m.G. (Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyards), which should mter--6S “Thank-you bo very much Tor your letter and for sending me the newspaper with all your Scout news. It. is great to see whnt a real live association your seems to be. 1 glad to he able to greet the Marylehone Scouts when they came down here, so as to show them how much one appreciates the permanent link they have set up between their troop and the troop in your nice country. 1 was in New Zealand just 21 years ago, hut that was before scouting was invented. . , . “I fear my work in command or this dockyard takes up so much of my time that I cannot do as much active Scout work as I should have liked. That being so, I have passed your letter on to the secretary of the association, . and asked him to let you know the names of any scouts that are going to New Zealand from here. “Thanking you for'writing, and wishing your association every possible success.—Your sincerely (Sgd.) Bertram S. Thesiger. P.S.—I. of course, had the pleasure of meeting your Scouts at the jamboree in 1924, as I was in charge of the Stadium for those ten days.”

Last Thursday week a troop of 24 boys was formed at Seatoun., a strong troop committee being appointed. The Rev. Allen, an ex-scout, is th 3 first scoutmaster, with Mr Hepburn (Loftie) as assistant. Wliat about the 90 assistant-scout-masters in Wellington district. How many have sent in their names for the Wood badge or Akela badge, part 1, correspondence course; part 2 camp to follow in errly summer? Such a course will right away give you knowledge to pass on to your treops and qualify von to become scoutmasters. Look at the fine result of going up for the Wood badge, as shown by Scoutmaster Green. Of course, scoutmasters are also eligible to take on the course.

At the big rally the following were tho results of one or two races:—Tyre race, A. Blundell 1, D. Julian 2, both of Kilbirnie Troop; cubs’ walking race, Skilton (St. Thomas's pack) 1, Winter (Institute pack) 2, and M. Irons (St. Thomas’s) 3. Owing to a descriptive paragraph in this paper, with reference to the big rally, very little is mentioned in these notes. Kindly forward your notes to Scoutmaster O. Meachen, Ithaca, Thorndon quay, on or before Monday of each week.