SCOUTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21180, 29 October 1938, Page 10

SCOUTING

A FINE GA.ZZ DOG AND BONE Did I ever tell you about some exciting adventures I once had with a dog? It was many years ago, when I lived in Sussex, and a valuable dog had run away from his home, and no one knew where he had got to. For many days he was absent and a reward was offered for his capture. His home was miles away from Ewhurst, where we lived, but somehow he had made his way to our neighbourhood, for he was seen running through our meadow and disappearing into the wood. That night, in the moonlight, he was seen silently gliding through our garden like a wolf. Several times during the week he was seen. We tried to hunt him with dogs, hoping he would make friends with them and follow them home—but it was no good. He would have none of them. So at last we devised a trap. We laid trails by dragging a lump of liver on a string from various directions up to our stable door in the hope that if he came across one of them he would scent good fool and would follow it up till he reached the stable.

Here we dropped tempting morsels just inside the door and finally we hung up a fine, meaty bone on a cord fastened by a slip knot to the top of the stall.

The cord held up a big, heavy weight which was attached by a running cord to the door in such a way that if the slip knot were pulled the weight would fall and would pull the door shut and hold it so.

The trap was set and to make sure the dog should not rush out before the door should close a big box was put in the way to check him. That night we lay awake in eager hope and before dawn I went out to the stables to see if by any chance the plan had worked.

By “Red Plume"

GATHERING OF SCOUTERS AND COMMISSIONERS

During the Labour week end scouters and commissioners from various parts of the South Island gathered at Tlmaru for the purpose of cementing old friendships, making new friends and to discuss and smooth out the hundred and one problems that confront the scouter throughout the year. We were indeed fortunate to have with us this year the Headquarters Commissioner, Mr J. R. Middleton, who was the life of the gathering. When we sometimes got off the rails or got too serious he would perhaps bring us up with a gentle jolt. Sessions commenced at 9 o’clock on Sunday morning, and, after a splendid “Scouts’ Own” we separated into groups. The cubmasters held their first session under the chairmanship of Mr Middleton in the rover “Den.”. The metropolitan commissioner from Christchurch, Mr F. Mclvor, dealt with scout work. We went to the various churches in the ev«ning and at eight o’clock Jamboree matters were discussed.

The investure of certain committee members under the recommendation of the commissioner for the district,the patrol system, the wearing of buttonhole badges by all scouts, the proper registration of all scout property, the value of group committees to the movement, old scouts’ associations, sea scouting were some of the many subjects tackled by the conference. It was decided to allow headquarters to arrange the details of the next South Island conference as it was felt that Tlmaru had done its part. The conference agreed that the venue for each annual gathering should, in future, be left in the hands of the Dominion Headquarters. An excellent message from the chief commissioner for New Zealand was read at noon on Labour Day before the close of the conference. The commissioner has suggested that all scouters should interest another man in the movement. Now could not the same be said of scouts and cubs!