BOY SCOUTS AS IMMIGRANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18752, 4 January 1923, Page 6

BOY SCOUTS AS IMMIGRANTS

SIR ALFRED PICKFORD’S VISIT. CHIEF SCOUT’S DEPUTY. From Opr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 24. Some time ago the Boy Scouts’ organisations of Australia, invited Sir Robert BadenPowell to visit the commonwealth in 1923. Next year, however, the Chief Scout is due to make a tour of Canada, and has consequently to the Australian authorities. In replying to the Australian authorities, he asked whether they could accept Sir Alfred Pickford as a deputy. At headquarters in London the various departments of the association are under the charge of commissioners—voluntary workers acting as Sir Robert Baden-Powell’s staff. Sir Alfred Pickford. who haa spent many years in India, is Commissioner for Overseas Scouts and Immigration. A very warm invitation was extended to him from Australia. He is leaving by the Macedonia from Marseilles on December 1, and expects to be in Melbourne to lake part in the ‘'Corroboree" from January 4 to 16. After spending some time in Australia ho will go on to New Zealand. Sir Alfred was careful to impress upon me that his visit was nothing in the nature of an inspection. He will place himself entirely in the hands of the Scout authorities in Australia end Now Zealand, and carry out whatever programme they desire. His object will be to develop a sympathy between the Scouts at homo and those in the dominions. He goes out expecting to learn rather than to teach. On the other hand, he has a very definite object to accomplish in the matter of immigration. The association is very closely in touch with the Overseas Settlement Department in this country, and in due course they will be sending large numbers of boys out to Canada, Australia, and possibly to New Zealand. The intention is to work as much as possible in co-operation with the Boy Scouts’ organisations in the dominions. Sir Alfred Pickford hopes to be able to make arrangements with these organisations to receive the young immigrants and to watch over their interests in their now homes, and he will discuss the matter fully with those in charge of the Scout movement throughout both the commonwealth and New Zealand. This is not altogether a new idea, for pre vious to the war Mr Burnhardt Ashton established a farm in the south of England and introduced Canadian methods in order to give boys a chance of learning something of the conditions of the country they eventually settled in. Mr Ashton is helping in the present scheme, but it is not. intended ij give the Scouts any special training befoie they proceed overseas. It may bo ndvisabG, however, to arrange for some such system of training when the lads arrive in the dominions.