SCOUT NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 108, 9 May 1934, Page 10

SCOUT NEWS

Conducted weekly !n the interest of Scouting m the district, and to acquaint the public with the work which beoutina embraces. All contributions should be in the hands of “Lone Wolf,” care 217 Avenue, at the latest Saturday morning of each week.

By

“Lone Wolf.

’ It must be as interesting as it is instruetive to readers generally to note ( that services to the Boy Scout move- , nient do not pass unrecognised, even though those who render the services do not, of course, seek the limelight. It is pleasing to be able to record the fact that two of the leading figures in the movement in New Zealand have been included in the St. George’s Day honours issued by the Chief Scout and by the Dominion Chief Scout, and this should enourage some of those local chaps outside tue movement to join in and “pull their weight.” New Zealanders Honoured. Dominion headquarters of the Boy Scout Movement. Christchurch, announces that the following St. George’s Day awards have been made by Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell, Chief Scout, Imperial Headquarters, London;— To Mr. J. K. Kirk, M.8.E., J.P., Wellington. chairman of the New Zealand Boy Scout Council, the Honorary Silver Wolf. By His Excellency the Governor General of New Zealand (the chief Scout for New Zealand): — To Major C. T. Tatum, of Manakau, New Zealand, the Honorary Medal of Merit. Born and educated at Dunedin. Mr. J J. K. Kirk, who has been awarded the highest Scout honour, is a barrister i practising in Wellington, where he is | [director of several companies, includ-. I ing the Australian Provincial Assur- I I auce Association, Ltd. He has been I Mayor of Naseby and Mayor of GisI borne, deputy-chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board, member of the I Lioyal Commission on Education in 1 1912 a member of the Council of Edu- ■ ration, and a delegate to Imperial Cou--1 ferences on Education in London. He ‘ served in France as an officer of the I New Zealand Expeditionary Force, behng subsequently appointed its first Director of Education, and besides Great War and territorial service medals, he holds the Order of the British Empire and the Montcnegran Order of Danilo I. He is a former president of the Gisborne branch of the Navy League, and for more than 20 years has been a corresponding secretary of the Boyal Empire Society, by I the council of which body, in its diaI mond jubilee year, he was presented with a handsome piece of solid silver plate. He is a Justice of the Peace, u member of the Wellington Philosophical Society, and interests himself in tire protection of native birds and the preservation of New Zealand’s unique forest, being a member of the executive and a life member of the Native Bird Protection Society. During the last eight years he has been chairman continuously of the Dominion Boy Scout Council, and most active throughout New Zealand and in the interests of Scouting, being himself a Rover Scout He has visited England frequently on behalf of the movement. and as he travels extensively, is regarded as a liaison officer. His representations to headquarters iu London have always been successful, and the interpretations there of Scout law and regulations favourable to New Zealand have been of immense value to the New Zealand organisation. Major C* T. I’atum, Manakau, was appointed a member of the Dominion Boy Scout Council 21 years ago. During this long period he has energetically assisted the cause of Scouting in the Dominion, taking a special interest in the Sea. Scout branch. Melbourne Jamboree. ••Lone Wolf” is pleased to be able to publish a letter from “Interested,” j particularly acceptable since it comes : from one of the general public who is ;in no way connected with the movement. It is hoped that the remarks oi ••Interested” will be appreciated by all. The announcement that local Headquarters are prepared to assist some who may be able to make the trij". to Melbourne is indeed good news. AU who may be able to see their way cleai to go should communicate with the Metropolitan Commissioner immedi

■ • Interested’s” Letter. The following is the letter forwarded hv “Interested” to “Lone Wolf”; “It has come to my notice, per medium of a young nephew of mine, ihat Wanganui is going to suffer from a lack of representation at the Jamboree to be held in Melbourne during the period of LheVictorian Centenary. “Surely you Scouts are going to see that this is not so. Our fair little town has been in the past, able to pull its weight iu any competition in the Dominion, and I sincerely trust that it will not be made to appear insignificant, through lack of a little enterprise on •be part of the powers that be. It is up to us all, really, to soe that we are well and worthily represented in Melbourne. ••But this aspect of the matter is decidedly the smaller one. The larger if?, of course, the tremendous educational value to the boys themselves. I had the good fortune, when a youth, to visit Canada with the New Zealand Cadets and no one but those who have had such an opportunity can know of what immense benefit it is to a boy.

The sights he sees, the personalities with whom he comes in contact, the little privileges accorded to him as his country’s representative, and last, but not least, the contact with boys of another country and clime, all help to make the event one that will live forever in his memory. This experience cannot be expressed in terms of money, and it is sad to realise that our quota will have to be measured in terms of this necessity. “I am writing to you, as I think that you are in a position to represent the matter to your executive, and also to push, through the columns of t'he paper made available to you, this most worthy cause. Armed with my own experience. I do most earnestly exhort you to do the utmost that lies within you. to see that no boy who can go is left behind. ”

Anzac Day at Maxwell. I On Anzac Day a representative party, comprising Metropolitan Cubmaster W. Gaze, Group Scoutmster 8. | Edinger, Cubmaster J. Dowling, A. S. ! M. Allen Dale. Rover J. Wishart and Rover M Willis journeyed to Maxwell and attended the Anzac Memorial Service there. The party paraded with the Maxwell Group and were very pleased with the turn-out and smart appearance of the local Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and Cubs. The Guides under Miss Edna Siddall numbered live, the Cubs under Mrs. Morrison totalled .13, and Scoutmaster lan Smith bad 14 Scouts on parade. The Guides, Cubs and Scouts marched to the Anzac Memorial and deposited beautiful wreaths as a tribute to those who had fallen in service of their country. The parade then moved to the Maxwell Town Hall,, where the service was held. The hall was packed to its utmost capacity and about 20 people had to be accommodated in the adjoining room. Rev. John Paterson M.A., conducted the service and a most inspiring address was given by Capt. L. J. B. Chapple. After the service the Wanganui party were entertained at afternoon tea by Mrs Morrison. Lady Cubmaster, and Mr. Siddall (group chairman), and their kindly action was much appreci- ! ated. I Melbourne Jamboree. I The expense entailed for each SrSut ’from New Zealand attending the Mel- ' bourne Jamboree is expected to be ! about £25. It is beyond the resources of the local association to find the full amount to send Scouts from this district, and any boys going will be expeced to find a substantial portion of the amount necessary. Boys wishing to attend must apply in writing to the Metropolitan Commissioner. Mr. 11. Christie, Ridgway Street, Wanganui, by May 25 stating the amount they are prepared to contribute towards their expenses. Jamboree Camp Site. Elaborate preparations are beingmade at the Jamboree camp site at Frankston. Amongst a great variety of features which are engaging the attention of the organisers is the planning of an arena to accommodate 25,000 Scouts. This great arena will be surrounded by grandstands and alongside ' will be a huge marshalling ground ■ where pageants, displays and other ' “stunts” will be assembled before ! entering the arena. The layout for the ’ camp provides for live sub-camps, ! namely, head office camp, supply camp ’ j and hostel. Electric mains will be run ” through the camp to provide adequate lighting. A huge Scout shop will be s there to supply all Scouting equipment, ! and in a shopping area covering several • acres many other articles may be puri chased Acres of vegetables will be planted to provide the camp supplies. ■ Orchardists and poultry farmers in the ’ vicinity are arranging adequate stocks. 5 All meat will be brought to the camp ’ on hoof, killed, inspected, and cut up ’ under the quartermaster’s supervision. 1 The Frankston shire council is co ■ r operating in a splendid manner, and ' the movement is greatly indebted to

this public-spirited body for the very generous help it is giving. Observation. Do Scouts use their eyes? Observation is a matter of concentration, and only a few people get so used to accurate study of what goes on round them that it becomes a habit. How many of us, for instance, really notice a horse that passes us on the road? Anyone uould say, what colour it was, but how many could say that it had one white foot" a divided mane, was iu good condition, and so on? That is real observation, and it is not too easy, unless it is the result of practice. Here’s another instance. Give the average boy —man either for that matter —a job of ticket writing and Die chances are that some of the letters will be wrongly formed. There will probably be a dot over the “higher case” letter “I,” or the heavy parts of the letter “M’ will be wrongly placed. It seems incredible that people who have been reading print practically all their lives should be so ignorant of the for-

mation of the letters of the alphabet. But there it is. Scouts can train them selves to really see what they are looking at. Not only will this become a pleasant ente'rtaiament, but in the long run it will increase the value of a young man iu any walk of life. Thanks for Help. Mr. H. W. Hogg, the Assistant Provincial Commissioner of the Punjab Boy Scouts, has received a letter from Mr. S. K. Kirpalani, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kurukshetra Eclipse Fair, thanking the Punjab Boy Scouts for the magnificent mass good turn they performed at the fair. In it he says:— •* No one realises better than 1 do that the remarkable success of our arrangements was in a very great measure due to the efforts of the Boy Scouts—nay, I will go further and say that without the assistance of the Boy Scouts it would have been impossible to conduct the fair arrangements as efficiently and smoothly as was fortunately the case now.

“There was not a single branch of fair arrangements iu which the Punjab Boy Scouts did not play an intimate and prominent part. While in the case of certain activities like those of the Public Health Department, they rendered valuable assistance to the departmental staff, in the case of other activities such as providing a Drowning Patrol and running a most efficient Enquiry Bureau they had to rely entirely on their own resources. “We established some records of which the Punjab Boy Scouts may well be proud. In an assemblage of four lakhs of pilgrims (a lakh—100,000) drawn from every nook and corner of this vast peninsula, to register only three cases of cholera —and this I attriute to the vigilance maintained by the Health Brigade furnished by the Boy Scouts —to have only three cases of drowning, two being almost cases of

suicide —the Drowning Patrol was exclusively provided by the Punjab Boy Scouts —and to restore over three thousand lost women and children apart from assisting many thousands of pilgrims to find safe lodging places, are achievements which must command the admiration of the world.” Nine “Red Hot” Points. Nine pertinent questions were put by Sir Percy Everett, Home Commissioner of the Boy Scouts’ Association, at a conference at Stafford of Scout workers from all parts of Staffordshire. He had, he said, been discussing with the Chief Scout some of the troubles, difficulties and dangers which were always with them, and they had formulated a number of penetrating questions bearing on the matter. As these were “red hot” from the Chief Scout, and covered a good many points which he felt they should bear in mind, he would mention them. They were:—

Are wc in as close touch as we ought to be with the parents of our Scouts and Cubs? Do we try to interest them iu the doings of our packs and troops; do we get them to help us as examiners, instructors, members of the Group Committee, and in other ways? Do our local associations function properly?

Are we narrow-minded in our outlook; do we keep to ourselves too much; and do we sometimes forget that there are plenty of people willing to help us if we only give them a chance?

Do we fully realise that Scouting is a game and not a school, and that, being a game we must not only test our success by how much our Scouts and Cubs know, but by how much they enjoy their life in the troop or pack? Do we realise that Scouting is lirst and foremost an outdoor game, and that every effort should be made, even in the winter, to arrange outdoor activities? Does camping occupy a sufficiently prominent place in the year’s programme of the troop, remembering that in a week’s camp we can find out more about the character and qualities of each individual boy than in six months’ training in the clubroom and that in camp is the best possible place to bring before the boys the glory of nature and the reality of God? Do wc realise that the technical side of Scout training—signalling, bridgebuilding, etc. —is a means to an end, not the end itself, which is character training? • Do we keep fully to the forefront the I picturesque side of Scouting? Do we realise that since the war we | are living in an age entirely different from that before? The Time Test. A Scoutmaster once ran a short competition to discover who could most nearly estimate two minutes. To his surprise the winner was only three seconds out, and the S.M. inquired how he had managed to reckon the time so closely. He had kept a linger on his pulse and counted the beats. Knowing bis pulse would beat about 74 times a minute he had simply counted 148 beats and then raised his hand to show he thought the time was up. And he won! Try this out on your patrol. Running to Schedule. One good hiking game some West Country Scouts were discovered playing was “Transport.” This was really Scouts Pace with a story round it. Five patrols had formed themselves into “ ’Bus Services,” each service linking up two villages, each about two miles apart Each member of the patrol was a ’bus, and had to keep to a proper time schedule with recognised stopping places, and for every half a minute under or over the correct time a point was deducted. Thus a fast coach would have to cover the journey in 20 minutes, or the down one in 25 minutes, a slow one in half an hour. Each patrol was a 'bus company or team, and the winners had lost, only two points; which showed they were pretty efficient at Scouts Pace. Tackling the Tight Lid.

Difficulty is often experienced in opening small round blacking and ointment tins where a special opener is not provided. The opening is easily accomplished by placing the tin edge upwards upon the floor, putting, your, foot on the top. and with slight pressure rolling the tin forwards. The lid will then roll off. This Week’s Tragedy. Little pig In the street — Motor-car —