The Boy Scouts.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 145998, 3 December 1917, Page 5

The Boy Scouts.

jKL. By Scoutmaster

Commissioner for Taranaki Province.— Major F. W. Sandford, V.D. How Plymouth District.—Commander, Mr. Alex. Milne; secretary, Scoutmaster F. W. Sandford, “Tainui, Vogeltown. New Plymouth. Stratford District.—Commander, Mr. N. B. Fletcher; secretary, Mr. A. D. Stanley. . . 2£err Plymouth Troop.-—Chief Scoutmaster, Mr. A. Milne; Scoutmasters, Messrs F. W. Sandford and Chas. Allen; Assistant Scoutmasters- Messrs. Iv. Milno (on service), B. Deare, I. Coleman, and A. Bailey. 81. Marv’s Troop.—Scoutmaster, Mr, C. List. Te Henui Troop.—Chief Scoutmaster, Bev. Mr. Favell. Bell Block Troop.—Scoutmaster Bev. A. H. Favell. Waftara Troop.—Scoutmaster N, D. Day. Eltham District.—Commander, Mr. G. H. Buckeridge; secretary, Mr. H. Northover. Eltham Troop.—Scoutmaster Ber. G. Dent. Hawera Troop.— Scoutmaster, Mr. Yearbury. Stratford Troops.—Scoutmaster, Mr. S. \V. Dyson; Assistant Scoutmasters, Messrs. N. Kivoll and W. Grubb.

NEW PLYMOUTH TROOP. All members are requested to roll up to-morrow (Tuesday) night at 7 p.m., when a general meeting will be hold at “iainui” bolore the ordinary work is gone on with. A very important proptiral will 'be laid before the meeting, which affects all the Scouts in New Plymouth. Members of St. Mary's Troop are cordially invited to the meeting. HAWBRA. This district is going strong under Mr. Yearbury. Six war badges are earned and certificates signed by the ladies in charge of the various patriotic works. The work of engrossing the certificates is evidently local and will form a very nice memento of the part taken by the recipient in war work.

STRATFORD. This troop are also out for scalps, viz., war badges. Two patrols of junior scouts are now enrolled. Scotttmastor Dyson and his merry men are having a gay time on their patriotic plot. CAMP. It is suggested that a combined camp and sports bo held at Inglewood some time in January. The Now Plymouth Scouts will trek out—just a nice easy day’s march. The following account of an English camp is by “White Fox”:— A-TENTING WE DID GO!

The other day we held a Woodcraft Instruction Camp for Scoutmasters, patrol-leaders, and seconds. We. pitched camp in one of the finest parks in England and lived a wiki, primitive life next to nature from Saturday to Tuesday morning. It was good. We had five or six teats—and a happy family of about thirty of ns. In case you might feel inclined to organise something of the same kind in your own district, I will give you an idea of what happened. IN CAMP. The object of this camp was, firstly, that we might all “get together” and get to know each other—secondly, that we might discuss at the Council Fire the vital problems of the day from a Scouting point of view, thereby cooperating and helping each other in the training of the future manhood of the race. Thirdly, it was to be a REST and a holiday from the “cares and troubles of this life” by which we are surrounded in our work-a-day existence.

The park in which we camped was open and wild—(not all railed in, with notices telling you to ‘‘keep off the grass”)—so that it was the very place for Scoutcraft. There were great tracts of forest-land, and sweeps of verdent greensward —the sort of place where you might expect to come upon Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The first thing we did, was to dig the latrines. I am sorry to say I have seen troops who pitched their tents and lit fires first!—but they were not “old hands” at the game and they “knew not what they did.” Next we pitched tents, and lit the cooking fires and the Council Fire—and in a woodcraft camp no cooking is allowed on the Council Fire. At 9 p.m. wo held a Council Fire Row-wow on tho “Psychology of Scouting-” . , rSunday morning we were up at < a.m. and turned out for bathing parade. We wore shorts—that’s all 1 This bathing parade was great sport. We trotted through the park in a follow-my-leador Tine till we came to the courtyard and stables of the house. In the centre of this yard was a hydrant and a hose-pipe. Here we stripped and I turned the hose on my companions.Ooooh—it was cold! Then, “to got their own back” they turned it on me! It was a fine morning “sioosh,” and it woke us all up ready lor the day’s work. We hold morning prayers, cooked breakfast, washed-up, rested. A Nature Hike was the next item on the programme, ami for this most of us wore very scantily clothed. Personally, 1 was wearing shorts and a singlet—that’s ail. Most of us wont barelegged and barefoot. I don’t believe in much clothing m camp—a-nd as there was no one about and we bad the park to ourselves, so to speak, it didn’t matter a brass button. It was good. There is a herd of deer m this park and we spent the morning stalking them—not very successfully, they wero “too jolly cute!” At 2.30 p.m. wc had a Pow-wow, for Scoutmasters only, uu “Lseful Books for Scoutmasters.” At 8 p.m. we lit the Council Fir", and at 8.15 I pow-wowed on “Tho Ethics of Scouting.” 9.3o—Evening prayers. 10 p.m— We turned in. 10.15—Lights out and silence* I

WAR-PAINT.

On Monday we held a stalking gam® . and a dispatch run in the park—the dispatch runner was captured dressed, as a baby-beech-tree I He had smothered himself in beech-sprays. But the ring of hidden Scouts spotted him waving his branches! But you ought to 1 have seen us doing Indian war-dances-round the Council Fire in the afternoon. We painted two of the boys in. war-paint, and the war-paint was “my own invention”—it was cocoa and condensed milk! They looked very fine. One had a snake on his breast andrings all down his arms. The other had a great Eagle Totem and a warhatchet and streaks and curls and. curves on his face! The pipe-major from our kilted troop ■ —“The Caledonians” —played weird skirls and squeals on his pipes while, we “smooched” and pranced round and. round, faster and faster. At 8.15 p.m. that night we hold a Pow-wow at the Council Fire on “The Future of Scouting” and after that wo had a sing-song, told yarns—they made* me tell about Suvla Bay and Salonika--—and then to our blankets. Next mornjng we struck camp—and., if they all enjoyed it as much as I didf —well . . . (They’re shouting for another already!).