BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21266, 21 February 1931, Page 8

BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT.

AN INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD. NEARING THE 3,000,000 MARK, (Special to Daily Times.) , AUCKLAND, February 20. His aspirations to in the youth of the world the team spirit which was so strikingly illustrated in New Zealand on the occasion of the recent, earthquake were described by Lord Baden-Powell in his response to the civic welcome in the Town Hall this afternoon. The Chief Scout paid a tribute to the courage of New Zealanders, and said that no other colonials equalled them in that respect. He and Lady Baden-Powell came to New Zealand and saw everything looking beautiful, but they realised that there was,a shadow over the land. They felt deep sympathy with their fellow-subjects of this country. Atr the same time, he believed that New Zealand, being a young country, was, in the end, going to be of tremendous help to tho nation. When people looked back, after a few months of sorrow, it would he realised throughout the world the, Empire had growing up in the Dominion ! a nation of splendid men and women who could face trials in a way that he did not believe any other country could do. Lord Baden-Powell said he knew New Zealanders under trying circumstances. All classes of colonials had served with him, and for pluck and courage and reliability none was better than the New Zealander. He would say more—that none could come up to them in courage. He had great hope for the Scout movement in New Zealand, as the spirit that was among the people now was going to help its advance. Although the Dominion was removed from the centres of trouble in Europe it still had a voice in the affairs of the world, and in the future-it would have a greater voice. In the' Scout movement they had a great international brotherhood, and they were aiming higher, now that they had 2,900,000 members. The number ‘ of scouts was not to be compared with the numbers who were available, and they intended to work on a much larger scale in the future. He hoped the people of New Zealand would do what they could to back up the movement, which was engendering a spirit that was essential if peace throughout the world was to be maintained. In Europe there were bitter feelings still extant, and they were growing. In some cases, countries which felt they had not been treated justly in the last war were only waiting for another war to win back what they considered their rights. There was a will to make treaties *° j r i. ng a b°ut disarmament, but he believed that those measures to preserve peace were absolutely futile till the spirit ot the people wishing for peace was built up, and that was what the Scout movement was aiming at with the next generation.