THE BOY SCOUTS

Southland Times, Issue 20496, 26 May 1928, Page 8

THE BOY SCOUTS

GENERAL ANDREW AT GORE. EXPLANATION OF MOVEMENT. A meeting of those interested in the Boy Scout movement at Gore was held in the Soldiers’ Club rooms on Thursday evening, the object of the meeting being to meet General A. W. Andrew, Chief Commissioner of Boy Scouts in New Zealand, who at present is on a tour of Southland in connection with the movement. Mr W. D. Shelton occupied the chair, and after introducing General Andrew to those present, he apologised for the absence of Messrs E. C. Smith, R. Domigan and R. L. Gifford. General Andrew stated that it gave him great pleasure to come to Gore and to see the movement being started on such sound lines. He then detailed his own connection with the movement. After a strenuous military career in Asia and Africa, he came to New Zealand in search of home life. At Christchurch he became impressed with the importance of the Scout movement and offered to take it in hand in an honorary capacity. The Scout movement was first started in England 21 years ago, and at the present moment has a roll number of 2,00,000 boys in various parts of the world. New Zealand has played a prominent part in the movement. The executive in Christchurch was the first to recognise that what is good for boys is also good for girls, and the first Girl Scouts movement in the world was started at Christchurch 20 years ago. The movement is now called the Girl Guides. Australia followed suit, then Japan, and this movement is now also world-wide. The Scout movement has always held an extraordinary attraction for boys which no other youth work has ever offered. The Scout movement recognises the wild force in a boy’s nature, and instead of suppressing it leads it in the right direction. The general idea is to build up character. The Scouts’ motto is, “I’ll do my best,” and every time a Scout salutes he repeats this motto. The motto is impressed upon the boys all the time. The next thing in importance is self-reliance. The boys are taught to earn rather than beg. General Andrew then instanced a troop of Scouts at Hastings which had gone into camp, the boys having done everything for themselves. They had made their own cart, made the packs with which it was loaded, hauled it themselves, made a bridge to cross a stream, made their own huts and mattresses, were doing their own cocking, and generally were running the whole show themselves. One troop in Taranaki was building its own hall, and over 30 troops throughout New Zealand had made their own furniture. This training got them into the habit of self-reliance which eventually made men of them. The third motto of the Boy Scout was to make himself and helpful to other people, and the whole of the second-class test had this obpect in view. To illustrate the value of the training, General Andrew stated that it was on record at headquarters that 44 lives had been saved in New Zealand by the knowledge of first aid treatment (including the resuscitation of the apparently drowned) learned by the Scouts. Regarding organization, headquarters followed the principle of decentralization as far as possible. The Troops Committee was in direct charge and took full control. Headquarters, however, controls the issue of warrants to Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters, and also the issue of badges to the Scouts. The greatest difficulty in the Scout movement is the provision of officers. Formerly any man could get together a dozen or 20 boys and start a Scout troop, but this practice was stopped three or four years ago by the Dominion Council, and now no Scout troop can be started without a local Citizen’s Committee, which must recommend the Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters. Oneman shows had been proved time after time to be no good. As far as possible officers are to be promoted from the ranks of (he Scouts, as responsibility is another important aspect of character training General Andrew concluded a very interesting and instructive address by detailing the various trials and troubles the movement had passed through in New Zealand; but in spite of all difficulties the movement was still growing by leaps and bounds. A hearty vote of thanks to General Andrew for his address was carried by acclamation on the motion of Mr James Boyne, senr, and Mr A. H. W. Aitken.