DOMINION BOY SCOUTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 787, 18 August 1916, Page 5

DOMINION BOY SCOUTS.

NOTES ON THE MOVEMENT. [Contributed.] The Christchureh troops are all doing excellent work, and there seems to be a healthy spirit of rivalry among them now which apparently did not always exist. The following is a list of the town troops, and of their scoutmasters: —New Brighton Troop, Mr Bishop; Cashmere Hills, Mr Owen; Sprcydon, Mr Woods; Sydenham, Messrs Cairns Bros.; Linwood, Mr Roberts and assistant; Oxford Terrace; Mr Beck and assistant; St. Michael's Juniors, Mr Parsons; St. Michael's Seniors, new master nominated; Avonside, Mr D. Brown (late of Oama.ru); Mori vale, Kevs. Haggitt and Stychc; Fendalton, Mr Clark; Bieearton, Mr Osborne. It is reported that a troop lias been formed at Woolston, but Headquarters have not yet been advised. The Chief Commissioner will endeavour to form troops at Papanui and St. Albans shortly, and the District Commander (Sir Cecil Moon) will be glad to hear from civilians or returned soldiers, who are willing to help on this movement. The civilians would in this way be doing their bit, and the returned men a bit more, if they would now come forward and assist in the training of 1000 or more boys in the city, all of whom are as keen as mustard to do something worth while. Although the Boy Scouts is not a military organisation, it emphasises a thorough training in discipline. In order to ensure that kind of training, Colonel Cossgrove and his executive demand that the scoutmaster set an example of obedience to Headquarters Orders and to fulfil their promise of loyalty to their constitution, rules, and regulations. In some instances scoutmasters have failed to recognise their duty in this respect, and feel aggrieved because their commissions are cancelled, but discipline must be maintained if the movement is to survive. Under the head o£ "Loyalty" in the scoutmaster's training course of lectures just to hand, Mr H. Geoffrey Elwes (editor of the "Headquarters Gazette") says:—We find a good deal about loyalty in the Scout's promise and Scout law. We have to explain and teach this to the boys. Probably we can teach it best by practising it in the many relationships which we have with the local association, commissioners, and Headquarters. If we are to work successfully as officers of a great national organisation, we must have a spirit of "give and take." The man who will be a "law unto himself" is law-breaker, not a scoutmaster, but the man who has the common sense and self control to obey, even if he docs not always agree, is the man who is fit to command. Be loyal then, my friends, to your senior officers and to your associations if you expect your boys to be loyal to you. A troop of the Salvation Army LifeSaving Scouts was formed last week at Sydenham. Captain Carter, the Dominion organiser, reported to the Chief Commissioner that some 400 boys were now enrolled in the Life-Saving Scouts in this Dominion, and that he had no difficulty in finding good Scout leaders. Owing to the fact that, the Army had not been able to get their equipment from Home ere this, they received permission to wear the khaki shirt of the Boy Scouts, but this is only a temporary arrangement. Their own uniform, equipment, and badges are now arriving, and they will be issued to their troops at once. There will then be no confusion in the public mind as to which organisation they belong.