SCOUT MOVEMENT MAKES PROGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18448, 26 April 1928, Page 8

SCOUT MOVEMENT MAKES PROGRESS.

COMMISSIONER REPORTS ON NORTHERN TOUR.

That he was greatly impressed with the rapid progress of the Boy Scout movement in all districts of the Dominion was the opinion expressed by Brigadier-General A. W. Andrew, Chief Commissioner of the Boy Scout movement in New Zealand, who has recently made an official tour through the North Island.

General Andrew said that he had just spent five or six weeks in the North Island, and at the conclusion he wa« able to state that the Scout movement was on a better footing now than it had been for years Public interest was growing steadily. Five years ago it would have been difficult to find a citizen who took an active interest in the work, but. with one or two exceptions, the Chief Commissioner, who is also the Dominion president, found that everywhere people were interesting themselves in the movement. During his tour, he met and addressed between 3000 and 4000 adults who were either on committees controlling the administration of troops or were acting as instructors and examiners in technical subjects. Confirmation of the growing public interest in the movement was given at well attended meetings at Gore, Little River, Ratanui, Winton and Pembroke. At all these places, resolutions had been passed favouring the formation of Scout troops. The discipline and turn-out of the troops in the North Island had been excellent, said General Andrew. Great advance had been made in making these troops more self-reliant than they had been during the last three or four years. He considered self-reliance to be one of the most important points in character training. As evidence of this, he said that there was hardly a troop in the country which did not earn a reasonable proportion of the cost of its existence. Some troops made their own furniture, others their own trek-carts, and others their own camp equipage and tents. Three troops at Rissington, while in camp, had made a bridge in order to cross a stream Wire cable had been fixed up for hauling kits from the top of the hank. They had built their own huts, had done their own cooking and had constructed mattresses from twine and manuka scrub.

After character training. General Andrew held that the more self-reliant the Scouts were, the better and more reliable citizens they would make. Responsibility was another point in character training, and headquarters were now insisting on promotion of the boys themselves to be officers. Officers would thus be recruited from the ranks of the Scouts instead of from outsiders. Boys of fourteen and fifteen were thus given responsibility, which would go a long way to making men of them. Both parents and the boy* greatly appreciated this recognition of their services, which had been too long delayed. General Andrew concluded by praising the great improvement that had been made everywhere. The Scout movement provided a working programme for boys. There were about 10.500 Boy Scouts in New Zealand, and this number was steadily increasing each week. There was about a similar number of Girl Guides in the Dominion. Sea Scouts. Captain S. Ilall, R.N., retired, reports as follows on the Sea Scout companies recently inspected for the award of Earl Jellicoe's Trident:— “ Since my last visit, there has beep, a marked increase in the total numjser of Sea Scouts, new companies having been formed in Wellington and Auckland. In Wellington there are now four well manned companies, and Sir Alfred Robin informs me that he lias no difficulty in filling the positions of masters and mates with retired officers and men from the Royal Navy and the mercantile marine. In Auckland it appears very difficult to get suitable masters and mates.

“ No doubt the enthusiastic energy shown by the Commissioner at Wellington in starting new companies, and his frequent visits to them, are a great incentive to the masters and the boy*, and are certainly reflected in all the companies I had the pleasure of seeing there. The general efficiency of the companies has improved since lasi year, and I have raised the standard of knowledge necessary to get the maximum number of marks in all subjects.

"It was very noticeable how swimming has improved. It is an exception now to find a non-swimmer, while a large percentage have badges and a fair number rescuers. Most of the companies are better manned than when I last saw them, but there is still room for improvement. The Scout spirit remains excellent everywhere. The masters and mates are to be congratulated for the manner in which their companies turn out. all being well dressed and smart on parade. In most of the companies I found that not enough attention has been given to signalling. I would suggest to the masters that signalling instruction be carried out on the lines laid down in the "Sea Scout Handbook." and that a knowledge of the flags of the international code and the more important national ensigns would b« most useful and very interesting. SCALE OF MARKS. *d

Marching 10 Q c 0 T* o i ~o Boat work 1* 0 0 0 Signalling 10 7 7 7 1 niform and lorn out 10 in 0 10 Strength s in fc 9 Knot? and rplirirtg 10 • 0 0 Scout, promise 10 10 10 10 Scout law 10 10 0 0 Scout spirit 10 10 10 10 Standard of train M»g 10 10 10 8 or 92 90 90