BOY SCOUTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14353, 27 January 1911, Page 3

BOY SCOUTS.

Tho following Is no infcerootiag aocoimt of tho Soout movement in Australia by one who has just be on t'Uoi'O. —" X only bad tho privilege of vi&'.tmg one troop in this Statue, so J- C£m 0 much about the movement there; out from what 1 was told in New Jpoutli Wales the Boy Scouts <k>n t> get halt tho encouragement tliey get m New Zealand, Fox one tiling, tlio people who run it own a Sunday newspaper, and they tako a good lew troops out on Sundays. For that reason the churches seem to be antagonistic to the movement. Nevertheless there are some good troops in and about Sydney. I visited Arncliffe, tho crack troop, two days before-1 •came away, and it was the best 1 have ever had the privilege of watching. Trained by tho lire brigade captain, they went tlirough the firemen's work liko veterans, kiectnc bells rang, hoTses galloped out and were harnessed in, the boys took their , places on tho engine: they ran. out nose, climbed scaling ladders, and rescued insensible boys by means of firei man's carry and the chaifknot. The I fireman's carrv of firemen in New South Wales and Victoria is different from | the one shown in the St. John ' First > Aid to the Injured.' The Australian method allows both hands free as the [ hoy descends the ladder, etc. . Ino same troop gave a. fine exhibition of wrestling, boxing, singlesticks, ■ signalliner, «tc. Another troop visited was tiie' Leichardt No. 2, a new trpop, under the command of Divisional Scoutmaster Biddies. On a Thursday night I visited tlio Y.M.C.A. troop and a fino lot of boys they are. r Major Tatum, a Wellington citizen, | has advised Colonel Cosgrov© that ho j -will, wifcli the permission, ! offer a gold medal for the mast i "Scoutly" act, or act of sclf-abnega-i tion performed by a boy Scout during i tho year 1910, the Dominion Executive ito be the judges. Ho lias also offered ! one gold medal and two s;lver medals j for the same object, for the year 1911. iHe requests Colonel Cosgrovo to design a suitable medal, and this tlio latter has done. The medals are miniature Scoutmaster's badges, i.e., the ileur de lys, surrounded by two fern loaves. The tips of the ferns are joined by a narrow bar, and through this there is a ring for the black and yellow ribbon of the "silver wolf." On the obverse are the words, "For Chivalry, 1911." Tliis has been approved by the Major, and the medals are now ready, Oamaru scouts ore not wanting in . resourcefulness: —The Waiareka troop having no place in which to meet, got together a number of oornsacks, ripped them up, and made a large tont by securing them together. A kindhearted gentleman, approving their independence, Jias now put them, in the way of a large and comfortable tent, which forms the headquarters some dis« tance out of town. Here the boys meet of an evening find lay plane of attack and defence against their rival troop, which has its headquarters in a large oblong hole in the hillside, which, has been cleverly covered in and tho walls serimmed and papered, as its headquarters. These boys are very keen, and allow no obstacles to mar their enjoyment. Scouts in Auckland arc doing good work. Recently they turned out in force to search for an old lady who had wandered away and was lost. Mr Sprogc, brother-in-law of the lady now deceased—presented four of the scoutmasters with a cheque for £2O to mark his apnreciation of their valuable services. They informed Mr Spragg that while they recognised his motive ia presenting the cheque, they and their boys would prefer the amount to be handed over to the Schaffer Benevolent Fund.