WOOLSTON SCOUTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 932, 30 November 1933, Page 15

WOOLSTON SCOUTS.

Oldest N.Z. Troop Celebrates Birthday. The Woolston Scout Troop has the honour of being the oldest troop in New Zealand with a continuous record. It is twenty-five years since the troop was organised the Rev 7 W. H. Orbell, and during that time it has had its lean periods, but it has managed to struggle on, until last night, at the birthday celebrations, it was almost forty strong. The party consisted of a concert by the Scouts and Wolf Cubs, after which the birthday cake was cut and distributed and supper was served. The concert was a great credit to the leader, F. S. Melbuish. It was arranged by the boys themselves, without any outside help, and an interesting display of signalling and first aid work, combined with singing and other items by the Cubs, was presented. The candles on the birthday cake were lit by Mr Orbell, who was vicar of St John’s Church when the Scout troop was formed. Mr J. Rennie, New Zealand’s first King Scout, a former member of the St John’s Troop, cut the cake. Mr Orbell congratulated the troop on its large membership. He had started the troop, the first in New Zealand, in April, 1908. Mr Rennie had been presented with the round cords, of the King Scout, the first in New Zealand, by the Mayor in 1909, so that the troop had great traditions to keep up. Mr Rennie, Mr J. R. Douglas, who w r as Dominion Quartermaster for many years, District Scoutmaster F. W. Feaver, District Cubmaster J. Partridge and District Scoutmaster K. Dyer congratulated the troop. Mr W. C. Cooper, secretary of the Scout Committee, appealed for more interest on the part of the parents. The Rev F. A. Tooley, vicar of St John’s and the first Rover Scout in Christchurch, presided.