BOY SCOUTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2923, 23 March 1910, Page 36

BOY SCOUTS.

In Scouts' camps the tents are not pitched in iines and streets, as in military camps, but are dotted about, 50 or 100 yards apart or more, in a big circle round the Scoutmaster's tent, which, with the mess marquee, if there is one, -is generally in the centre. Water supply: If there is a spring or stream the best part of it must strictly be kept clear and clean for drinking water. Further down stream a place may be appointed for bathing, washing clothes, and so on. The greatest care is always taken by Scouts to keep their drinking water clean, otherwise they are likely to get sickness among them. All water has a large number of tiny animals floating about on it too 6mall to be seen -without the help of a microscope. Some of them are poisonous, some are not; you can't tell -whether--the poisonous ones are there, so the safest way is to kill then* all before you drink any water; and the -way to kill" them is to boil the water and -let it cool again before drinking it. Kitchens: The cooking fire is made to leeward, or down wind of the camp, so that the smoke- and sparks from the fire don't blow into the tents. Old Scouts always take special care to keep the kitchen particularly clean, as if scraps are left lying about, flies collect and smells arise which are very likely to slightly poison the food while it is beine got readv for a meal, and this brings sickness to the Scouts. Dig n small pit a couple of feet deep near the kitchen and throw all refuse that won't burn into this, and fill the pit with earth every night.- Payment: Another point to remember is that when you use a farmer's ground vou ought to reoav him for the use of it. If vou do not do this with money you can do it in other wavs. You can and ought to do odd iobs that are useful to him. "Vou can mend his fences or sates, or herd his cows, cut thistles, or dig up weeds, and so on. You should always b° doing l good turns both to the farmer and to the peonlp livine - near your camp, so thit thev wi l ' be slad to hure you there. Note to Parents.—C!a.irmin,o--out is th* crrent ix>int ir "scoutine 1 " which apnea's to the hov. and i* th° opportunity in which to tech him *el-f-r*h'a,ri<v> and resourcefulness, brides giyinsr him and develonment. Man-*- parents "'ho have never hod experience of wuwn life themselves 'ook uixm it with rmsg-ivmpv and possibly likely ro be too and ri*ky tor their boys • but when thov «"* their return well set, i'iv) and toll o f health and happiness outwardly, and morally improved in the «vintg r*t practical ms.nlrness and eon"> ,, adeshir> t.he*- cannot fail to appreciate the good which comes from such an outing.