SCOUT NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 21271, 18 December 1930, Page 9

SCOUT NOTES

(By-

“Pathfinder.”)

Local scouts are asked to parade at Queen’s Park on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 14, on the occasion of the presentation of the address of welcome to their. Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe. This applies to both cubs and scouts. Their Excellencies will arrive at Queen’s Park at 2.45 p.m. Major McHugh has consented to act as marshal. Will scoutmasters arrange with their troops accordingly and refer to Major McHugh for any details required. Full uniform with staves. St. Paul’s troop has sent in a splendid requisition for badges, including 8 second class, 1 first class, 1 King’s scout, 0 woodwork, 16 ambulance, 31 service stars and 10 sundries. This is a fine example, and the badges will be presented at the scout meeting on Monday next. Will parents come along please. Good news from Otautau where Scouter Lea, of Winton, has been visiting lately. The troop, which declared a mortatorium a little while back until more enthusiasm could be worked up, has now taken a new lease of life. Twenty-one boys assemble'! last week and under Mr Low, with Mr Hill as assistant, they should make a fine troop. Possibly also a cub pack will be started. The Commissioner, Mr Hall-,Jones, will take out a small party from Invercargill on Friday 19th inst to confer with the committee and others concerned. Well done Otautau! It is very gratifying indeed that our country boys will be able to secure the advantages of the Scout movement. Winton has long been a stronghold, this year Ohai, Riverton and Otautau have been launched or re-started, and when we get Nightcaps and Bluff under way we can be reasonably satisfied. Progress. Our progress for the year may be summarized <is follows: Development of all town troops, with increase of officers, inauguration of cub packs, and concentration on training for second class and other badges. Increase of interest among parents and citizens, substantial assistance to individual troops; securing camping ground at Oreti Sands; parades on all suitable occasions; combined camp at Rakauhauka; regular newspaper notes and radio broadcasting. Inauguration of Rover pack; increase in total number of scouts and scouters from 167 to 236; proper functioning of scouter s club with regular and interesting fortnightly meetings; training of all troops in fire brigade work at the fire station with excellent practical results. Visits to country districts leading to increase of active country troops from 1 to 4. The Oreti Beach Association has donatetr £5 to be applied Io the sinking of a permanent well at the camping ground. Many thanks for this contribution. A donation of books to the Scouters Club has been received from Mrs F. J. Hatch, to whom many thanks. Captain Haig, who accompanied Mr Oscar Garden to Invercargill, expressed great interest in the model aeroplanes which are being built by a number of scouts. Ho states that great interest in model aeroplanes is being shown in Melbourne anti nothing is better to familiarize boys with the practice and theory of flying. No doubt a very large percentage of our scouts will be flying in the future and we must .ensure that aeroplane modelling is taken up enthusiastically in all troops. Radio notes are broadcasted on Thursday evenings at 7.30 p.m. SELOUS: A GREAT SCOUT. (Concluded.) That was the kind of man he was— always ready for an adventure. And yet he was, like a Scout, very quiet and modest about what he had done; he never boasted or talked about the feats he had performed.

When he could not go big game shooting he was just, as happy watching birds and noting their habits, collecting their eggs, and so on. He had a charming home at

Worplcsdon in Surrey where he had built a • museum to hold specimens of all the different kinds of animals he had hunted—and many a Boyscout has in the past spent a happy day there looking at the wonderful great beasts of the jungle. When the Great War came in 1914 Selous could not stay idly at home; although he was 63 years of age he “joined up” and was soon at the front in East Africa. Here, serving as an officer in the Royal Fusiliers, when all the officers with him were down with fever and sickness, this hardened veteran was as fit as a fiddle and doing grand work—and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for “conspicuous gallantry, resource, and 1 endurance.” On January 8, 1917, this splendid Scout fell—killed in action fighting for his country. A fitting end to an adventurous life ami the one that he would have asked for. He was one of the finest Scouts of our time.