SCOUT NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 22473, 8 November 1934, Page 9

SCOUT NOTES

(By Pathfinder.)

Two local cubmasters lately had. a very enjoyable time by combining Scouting with a fortnight’s touring holiday. They travelled on motor cycles to Ashburton, where they visited the First St. Stephen’s Cub Pack twice and the newly-formed Second Pack once. New games and ideas were picked up, as is usually the case when other districts are visited. From here they went on to Christchurch. There they visited Dominion Headquarters and the Christchurch Metropolitan Headquarters, where the General Secretary and Commissioner Montgomery wanted to hear all about the movement in Southland. The fourth birthday party of a very progressive group, St. Saviour’s, Sydenham, was attended, where the main item was a big tea for the cubs and Scouts followed, after an interval, by the annual meeting of parents and displays by the cubs and scouts. During the cub item the visiting cubmaster presented the boys with their service and proficiency stars. On the way home the twelfth birthday celebrations of the Highfield Group, Timaru, were joined, along with a party of two cubmasters, one scoutmaster and eight scouts from Ashburton. The week-end consisted of the Saturday afternoon at sports and games, then a tea for the scouts and cubs, followed by a dance for the senior scouts and visitors. On Sunday the celebrations ended with a parade at St. John’s Church, Highfield, when the members of the group and visitors made up a* total of 50. The Highfield Group has its own den, two-storeyed, and very well-decorated in scout and cub style, standing on aquarter acre section, their own property, too. Makarewa Group.

Last Saturday evening the second birthday party of this group was held in the Makarewa Hall. A good number of supporters and friends of the group were entertained by games and concert items during the evening. Commissioner Dorman and a party of Scouters from town were present. Religious Policy.

This has received the approval of the heads of all the leading denominations in England:— (1) It is expected that every member of the Movement should belong to some religious denomination and attend its services. ■ (2) Where a Group is composed of

members of one particular form of religion it is hoped that the Group Scoutmaster will arrange such denominational religious observances and instructions as he, in consultation with its chaplain or other religious authority, may consider best. (3): Where a Group consists of members of various religions, they should be encouraged to attend the service of their own denomination, and Group Church Parades should not be held. In camp any form of daily prayer and of weekly Divine Service should be of

the simplest character, attendance being voluntary. Supplementary to and idt in substitution for the religious observances referred to above, Groups often arrange for a gathering known as a “Scouts’ Own” for the worship of God, and to promote fuller realization of the Scout Law and Promise. The First Scout Camp. It was in 1908 that the Chief Scout, after having held a trial camp at Brownsea Island, in Dorsetshire, dur-

ing the previous summer, laid his offering of “Scouting for Boys” at the feet of the Church and those bodies interested in the training of the charac- . ter of the world’s boys. Originally, he had intended it to be used by existing organizations, such as Brigades and Boys’ Clubs, but so greatly did it appeal to boys who were not members of any existing organization that they, the boys themselves, forced on the Chief the necessity for a separate movement to guide his new inspiration.

The Aim of Scouting. The aim of the Scout Movement is to develop healthy souls, bodies and minds, the threefold Trinity of Man’s Nature, and thus to turn boys into efficient, happy citizens for here and hereafter. “Through Scouting, the veriest hooligan can be brought to higher thoughts, and coupled with a Scout’s obligation to do at least one good turn a day, there lies the basis of duty to God and to one’s neighbour,” on which the padre can build a real living Faith.

m The Rev. J. M. Elliot, vicar of Si Michael’s, Westcliff, England, says “I say nothing to a man swearing when he barks his shins, misses a putt, or fails to pick up his moorings.” Bui the vicar strongly attacks men wh( use bad language in their ordinarj conversations.