CHIEF SCOUT IS HONOURED

Southland Times, Issue 24368, 24 February 1941, Page 4

CHIEF SCOUT IS HONOURED

MEMORIAL SERVICE IN CITY TRIBUTE TO GREAT CAREER An impressive tribute to the memory of the Chief Scout, Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell, the founder and beloved chief of the Boy Scout movement throughout the world, was paid yesterday when, in Invercargill, the most southerly troops in the organization participated in an inspiring memorial service. The service, which was held in St. John’s Anglican Church was conducted by Archdeacon J. A. Lush, assisted by the Rev. C. J. Tocker, senior chaplain to the Southland Boy Scouts’ Association, who gave the address. Yesterday would have been the Chief Scout’s eighty-fourth birthday. Before the memorial service, the parade, of about 600, consisting of Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Wolf Cubs, Girl Guides, Brownies, Boys’ Brigade and South African War veterans, was led by the Southland Battalion Band along Dee street to the South African War Memorial at the corner of Dee and Tay streets. Here the parade formed into a horse-shoe formation facing the memorial. In the centre were the colour parties of scouts and guides carrying the various troop flags and immediately in front was a Boy Scout, the bearer of a wreath from the scouts of the district, escorted by a Sea Scout and a Wolf Cub. The wreath was in the shape of the Boy Scout badge, the three points of which represented the three sections of the scout promise. The inscription on the card read: “In memory of our Chief, Baden Powell of Mafeking.” After placing the wreath on the memorial a bugler sounded the “Last Post.” This was followed by another bugler sounding the Reveille from the east side of the memorial. During the ceremony the South African war veterans formed a guard of honour. After the ceremony at the memorial, the parade proceeded to St. John’s Church, where scout and guide standard bearers knelt and handed their respective flags to Archdeacon Lush. There was a large attendance at this service.

In his address Mr Tocker said that they were gathered in memory of and affection to a great comrade—a comrade of all girls and boys in the world. The late founder had been a great public servant and also a great writer and there were few better books to read than those by Baden Powell. Most of the guides and scouts and other young people knew Baden Powell as the founder of the scout movement and its head. They felt something of his personality reaching across the world to touch their own. The scout movement had been and still was a great movement. There was no other movement on the same lines quite like it to capture the heart of boys and girls and there was no other movement that had been so universal in its appeal. The movement was British in origin, but it was by no means a British organization. It was not restricted to the British Empire, but had spread throughout the whole world. “I do not know,” said Mr Tocker, “another movement which has spread itself so universally for the sound training of life and high ideals.” BRILLIANT CAREER Baden Powell, said the speaker, would always be remembered for the founding of the great movement and for the inspiration infused into it. He had retired from his brilliant career as a soldier before he gave his life and strength in return to bring to boys and girls of the world all he had learned during his life; and behind the scout movement lay a lifetime of active soldiering. He had spent most of his life on active service and had served in several wars. Probably one of his greatest feats was the defence of Mafeking in the Boer War and in this struggle he had suffered many hardships. “The man who defended Mafeking and who founded the scout movement must have been a man,” said Mr Tocker, “not an official merely, or a toy soldier, but a true man.” Baden Powell, said the speaker, had also been very versatile. Fie could lay his hands to many of the arts with success. All his abilities and everything he did he considered a training for life. His outstanding maxim had been “Be Prepared,” and it was his idea to prepare for any occasion that life might thrust upon him. Baden Powell had disciplined his own personality and he had trained men to think and had trained their own individuality. He also had trained men to find their own happiness in giving themselves to the service of others.

“Baden Powell hated pretence,’’ said Mr Tocker. “Tilings had to be real. If he was here today I am sure he would want to know whether or not you were a real scout. Are you acting in pretence, are you a sham, or a toy scout. Are you a real scout?” After the reading of the Lesson by a scout, the scouts, under the Metropolitan Commissioner, Mr G. E. T. Dorman, repeated the scout promise and the guides under the leadership of the Provincial Commissioner, Mrs M. W. MacDonald, repeated the guide promise. The service was drawn up by the Boy Scout and Girl Guide New Zealand Headquarters and was the official service to be held throughout New Zealand yesterday. Similar services were also held in Mataura, Queenstown, Bluff, Otautau and other country districts. SERVICE AT BLUFF A memorial service in honour of the late Chief Scout, Lord Baden-Powell, was held at Bluff yesterday. The local Girl Guides, under Captain H. W. Newman and Lieutenant G. Wishart together with the Te Ara-a Kura Sea Scouts, in charge of Scouter J. H. Nicol, marched from the drill hall to the town hall where the service was conducted by the Rev. C. N. Luker. The Mayor of Bluff, Mr J. Cameron, delivered an address. After the service the parade marched to the Soldiers’ Memorial on which a wreath was placed. SERVICE CONDUCTED AT WESTPORT (United Press Association) WESTPORT, February 23. A service commemorating the great work of Lord Baden-Powell was held in the Anglican Church today. There was a large attendance. The service was taken by the Rev. S. Corney, assisted by the Rev. H. Willianson. MEMORIAL SERVICE AT WELLINGTON (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 23. Some 2000 Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in uniform attended a national memorial service at the Wellington Town Hall this afternoon to the late World Chief Scout, Lord BadenPowell. The Bishop of Wellington, the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barlie Holland, officiated. The Dominion .Chief Scout, the Gover-nor-General Sir Cyril Newall, Lady Newall, the Prime Minister, the Rt.

Hon. P. Fraser, and Mrs Fraser were present. The service was preceded by a procession of Scouts and Guides carrying their banners. The Governor-General and Lady Newall were welcomed and accompanied to their places by the Mayor, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, and the Mayoress.