SCOUT NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23810, 17 May 1939, Page 3

SCOUT NOTES

By Mystic Moon

HEADQUARTERS' NOTICES

A successful Rock Council was held last week in the Kensington Scout Hall. The 20 officers who attended received valuable instruction, and it was decided that another such meeting should be held in the North Dunedin Hall on June 13 at 8 p.m. The North Dunedin officers will be in charge. A training week-end will be held on June 24 and June 25 at Purakanui. This week-end will be run on the same lines as the one held last year. The cost will be about ss. Officers intending to avail themselves of this train ing course should hand in their names at headquarters and enable a programme to be drawn up. The officers' social will be held in St. Joseph's Hall, Rattray street, on May 23, at 8 p.m. Only by a good attendance will this evening be a success.

The dates decided upon for the hobbies exhibition are August 4 and 5 Entries will close on July 14. The community sing which was to have been held by the Kensington Group has now been cancelled, as Mr R. McKenzie is unable to be present. It has been decided to hold a district camp at the Labour week-end at Tahuna Park. A rehearsal of the stunts to be presented by this district at the jamboree will take place at the camp. Those Scouters who have failed to hand in the proceeds of the sale of their swimming tickets are requested to do so at once. The Jamobree It is time everyone was thinking about the jamboree. Entries are not being made quickly enough. Dominion headquarters reports that Dunedin so far is the worst centre in New Zealand for entries. Scouts are reauested to hurry up with entries. Country groups who require forms should write in to headquarters and let the secretary know how many forms they require. GROUP REPORTS Te Rahiri Troop A good number of Scouts attended, despite the holidays. A few knot relays were held before work, and the patrols proved even. Signalling, pioneering, and ambulance were then carried on and also badge work. A three-year service star was presented to T.L. Phillips, while singles were presented to P.L. Vercoe, P.L. Marshall, and K. Marshall. P.L. Marshall was given his hat badge. The troop broke off with the Scout Promise, and a court of honour followed. Ocean Beach Rovers There was an attendance of 12 at the Ocean Beach Rovers' meeting last Wednesday night. After flag-break. W. Swanson took two teams for stretcher work. ' One of the members of the committee. Mr Todd, was an interested spectator. When the business of the crew had been settled and arrangements made for the forthcoming visit of the Mornington Crew hand " Soccer " and flag-down brought the evening to a close. Wesley Troop Fifteen Scouts paraded for inspec-' tion on May 8. A new game followed inspection and flag-break. A new patrol was formed under the leadership of W. Taylor, the name decided upon being the Kingfishers. J. Martin assumed command of the Owls. A visitor for the evening was A. Mclndoe a Sea Scout from Invercargill.

dth Dunedin Mohican Troop The evening was started off with a vigorous game of dodge-ball, which gave everybody a rousing start. While the Scouter took the tenderfoot boys for instruction, P.L. Hall carried on with the rest on first aid work. P.L. Aitken also took the mouth organ boys for instruction. The troop then formed a horseshoe, and D. Christensen was presented with his tenderfoot. Several games were olaved. Wesley Cup Pack There were not many present owing to the term holidays. Chil collected subscriptions, and Akela inspected the boys. Work followed, two of the sixers taking a boy each for second star work. Chil supervising them. Akela took first star and Kalera tenderpad work. Song practice was taken by Chil. the evening concluding with the Grand Howl and Lord's Prayer. 37th Dunedin Troop After flag-break last Friday evening, a warming game of "Simon Says'* was played. The Scouts then gathered round the Are and carried out some splicing practice, after which inspection was held. After Tahora had given the troop a first aid talk, the patrols went to their patrol corners. It was while the patrol leaders were instructing their patrols in tenderfoot and second-class work that Metropolitan Commissioner Wing and District Scouters Mclndoe and Beauchamp arrived to take .the metropolitan inspection. After the troop had been inspected by the commissioner, the district Scouters singled out some boys to test them on the badges they held, while the remainder of the troop played a game of signal advance. The troop then formed up in a horseshot, and after Commissioner Wing had presented P.L. Cuthbertson with his third-year service star notices were read out. and the lowering of the flag signified the closing of the meeting. OVERSEAS NEWS Lead in Moral Rearmament A great lead in moral rearmament was given by Boy Scouts throughout England on St. Goorge's Day, a special effort being made to" make the day an important one to Scouts. The day's activities reached their climax with a broadcast address by Lord Somers, the Deputy Chief Scout, and a reaffirmation of the Scout promise by the Chief Scout, Lord Baden-Powell. It is this which gave the day its special appeal and significance, for the Scout promise, which is primarily a promise of service and duty, is just the lead which a sadly floundering world needs to help it regain its happiness and sanity. It is, too. a promise which can be subscribed to tjv almost any person, irrespective of class or creed. Indeed, it has been proved to be the only moral law which has ever been found acceptable to all races and beliefs, and some 4.500,000 Scouts and Guides throughout the world subscribe to it. During the war thousands of soldiers who found they were "up against it" because they had no religious beliefs signed the Scout promise. The Scout promise is: " I promise, on my honour, that I will do my best to do my duty to God and the King, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Scout law." All through the country Scouts and old Scouts co-operated to make a success of the day's activities. Every group gathered in a public place and listened to the reaffirmation of the promise by the chief, this being followed by one of their own. This proved a most splendid and telling gesture for moral regeneration, and did not fail to make a deep and lasting I impression on all those who witnessed lit.