BACK FROM THE ARCTIC

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 7

BACK FROM THE ARCTIC

BOYS’ EXPLORING CLUB.

LESSON IN SELF-RELIANCE.

(N.Z. Herald Correspondent.)

London, Sept. 16. The eight public schoolboys who spent a month inside the Arctic Circle have returned much pleased with their experience. They tramped through the Finnish forests, living in tents. ‘‘lt has not been a picnic,” said one of the boys, “but we have had a jolly good time, living on rye bread, blueberries, smoked reindeer and dried fruit. Smoked reindeer is excellent. We are all physically fit and much harder than we would have been if we had spent the holiday loafing at the seaside. It was jolly fine sleeping out round the big camp fire. When we were on the march we carried all our belongings — tents, provisions, everything.” ■Surgeon-Commander Murray Levick, who was with Scott’s last expedition, said that in starting the Public School Boy s’ Exploring Club he was anxious to afford ah opportunity for selected boys to spend the holidays in the wilds and to learn: how to fend for themselves. “We have made an excellent start,” he said. .“Next year’s party will be larger and .we shall go further into the Arctic Circle. I believe boys need hardening and I am hopeful that the club will turn out youths of whom .the. nation is in need-self-reliant, sturdy and resourceful. “We went to Oulu, 450 miles north of Helsingfors,.by train and then 230 miles by motor-car into the wildest, part of Finnish Lapland. We made our main camp in the virgin forest 250 miles from Tflwy. The weather • was not good, -but as I wanted to. test the boys for fatigue, I was not sorry the going was heavy.”