Scouts News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 142, 17 June 1936, Page 10

Scouts News

(By

"Tuakana."

Conducted weekly n the interest of Scouting in the district, and tu acquaint the public with the work which bcout« mg embraces. All contributions should be in the bands of “luakana’’ c/o A. F. A. Woollams, Ridgeway Street, at the latest Monday morning.

There's a dearth tfi local news this week, ami the writer womd be correct in asserting that the rvasc-n lor this is the failure ot troops and their leaders to send along reports of progress. Now, it’s the winter seasc-n when all have a little spare tune, and it would be appreciated if arrangemosits were maue lor reports to come in regularly. Let’s tell the world wnat we're doing. White Stripe Men. Already one troG-p has got busy on the tests for the i'alhliuders Badge so cut this test out, study it and ask your B.M. to set you on the road to gaining this badge. One important point to remember is that in Wanganui the area to be covered is ‘‘one mile” all round your home ur clubroom. Test 1. —Have an intimate persG-ual knowledge, as a result of his own exploring and investigation, of the locality round his H.Q s ur his home, especially in regard to public buildings, the provision of public services, m regard to lire, truiispoit, communications, etc., and the residences of doctors, responsible public eliicials and (in country only; well known people, rights-of-way, footpaths, playing fields, and other public property. And that’s that! Get busy on the job because- at our next meeting tests will be set c-ut for this lot. Talking about tests reminds me of that weight estimation last time. You can rest easy over the results as they will not be used as final. They are only a practice, and there's mure to follow. The testing time will be near the end of the year but in time to ordor about 40 or 50 First Class Badges. Are you going to get one? First Wanganui City Rovers. A full attendance is asked lor on June 24, when a Rover Squire will be invested. Lei us give his a go-ud welcome. Tins month murks the drawing to a cluse of another year pf Rovermg. The fifth annual ball is to be held and invitations are. being sent uul to all on our lists. The annual meeting will be held on July 15, in the Rover Den, when the annual election of officers will lake place. Buck up your group and see if we can get a JOO per cent, increase in membership in the near I'u ture. Jungle Wisdom. Did you know that— To tie a reef knot you must put the right-hand rope over the left-hand one, and then the left-hand une over the right! The first star is your right eye, and the second your left? Always put your first star o’u the right of the badge m your cap. There is no sky like a rc-ol above us, but only endless space? The blue is the air reflecting the blue part of the sun’s light. You should always tie your knots with rope and not with string when •you arc learning them? There are buildings in New York, America, more than forty storys high, some of them with as many as 10,<>oo people working in them? The only good way of teaching anyone to tell the time is by making a model clock-face with movable hands? Tenderfoot Programme. 1. Opening ceremony 2 minutes. 2. —Bubs and attendance u minutes. 3. —Salute 10 minutes. 4. —Law 15 minutes. J. —Game 10 minutes. G—Union Jack 20 minutes. 7. —Yells 10 minutes. 8. —Knots 15 minutes. 9. —Questions (plan next meeting) 12 minutes. 10. —Closing ceremony 3 minutes. Not Always What They Seem. It does not always do to be guided entirely by the headlines in the newspaper and to think that after reading them you have grasped the whole or the news. In the Weekly News Bulletin ot the Boy Scouts for October 18 1 read the startling heading:— “Boy Scout Beals his Mother at Cooking.” The young brute’ 1 had never heard of a place called Cooking, though I knew Cookham, nor could 1 find Cooking when 1 looked it up in an atlas; so 1 went on with my reading and found that the paragraph under that headline described how a Boy Scout had won a prize lor cooking in which his mo-tner was also competing. Those “Ivory Castles’’! Everyone should clean his teeth at least twice a day—in the morning aud in the evening. It is best to clean the teeth in tepid water, for cold water strikes the nerves, and camses neuralgia. Clean the back of the feeth as well as the front. This is often neglected, yet it is very necessary. Always rinse the mouth after each meal. At the least sign of decay, visit a dentist. If you don’t you will suffer great pain from toothache. Spend a little extra time in clean ing your teeth at night. Unless the crevices are thoroughly clean before going to bed, the matter in them will commense to decay and so effect your teeth. See that the toothbrush is not too hard, lor it is liabl-e to injure the , gums. A soft one cleans the teeth just as well. A spoonful of borax in half a tumblerful of water is an excellent mouthwash for use the last thing at night. Money for Fretworkers. Have you ever thought of earning a little pocket-money by making bridges for stringed instruments? First get one or two bridges—ukulele, . banjo, violin, and so on—from a music shop, and trace the designs on to any odd, but hard pieces of wood you have.

I Cut out the designs, smooth and poll ish the wood, and then sell them to your friends or at bazaars for a penny or twopence each. This is an excellent way of using up those odd pieces of wood which are always left over from fretwork articles. A “Finger'’ lor a Flag. The sticks of signalling Hags have a nasty Habit of poking through the ends of the flags; this can easily be stopped by cutting off a linger of an old glove and. securing it to the end of the stick. There is one warning, however —be careful whose gloves you use! ■When the Spade Breaks. it is not uncommon for a garden spade with its handle broken to- be flung ou the rubbish heap as useless. By driving t)he broken handle and about half of the blade info the ground however, and pressing the earth firmly round ii, an excellent garden beotscraper may be made. In bad weather your boots are cer tain to become clogged with mud while working in the garden, and a scraper similar to the one described here will be found of great benefit. Hunt the Stalkers. The first thing is to choose a Cub. He is blind-folded and placed in the centre of the room, or glade, or wood, wherever you may be playing the game. The other Cubs walk a certain distance away from him and go down on hands and knees. The Cubmaster now blows a whistle, and these Cubs commence to crawl in towards the lone Cub. Suppose you are this Cub. Keep your ears open, for it is up to you to listen for those creeping in. As soon as you hear the approach of someone, try to find, by sound the direction. And when you find this out, point in that direction. If you’re right and your linger is pointing to a Cub, he becomes “dead,” and stops. He is out of the game. In the meantime someone may be creeping up from another direction. You must keep on “killing” the enemy until all are dead. If you “kill” them all, you win the game. What they have to do is crawl in and place their hat near you without you hearing them; and the Cub who places his hat nearest is winner if he isn’t ’ ‘ killed. ” This is a splendid game, and full of excitement. Ask your Cuibmaster to try it next time you all meet. THE SONG OF THE WOLF CUBS. (To the lune of i( Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are inarching.”) l/i a clearing in a wood on a bright and starry night ' When the moon is shining brightly over all, The Old Wolf there you’ll note. With his grey and shaggy coat, Barking out the sharp and wellknow u jungle call: Pack Pack! Pack! Akcla’s calling, See the Wolf Cubs how they come; Helter-skelter from their lair, I To the Old Wolf standing there, I It ’s the call that must be answered at the run. ! What knowledge to impart, or warning strict to give? I The Cubs care not, that call they I must obey, ’Tis the wild creatures’ law. When they hear the jungle call, To the Council Rock and Circle, dash away. Pack! Pack! Pack! etc. There are other happy bands, the boy Wolf Cu'bs well know 7 , Who follow this same jungle call of old; And with true and earnest zest Each one to do his best Nobly gives the answer to Akela bold : Pack! Pack! Pack! Akcla’s calling, See the Wolf Cubs how they come; Helter-skelter from their lair To the Old Wolf standing there. ’Tis the call that must be answered al the run. A. H. COTTON. Dodging the Pirate. One Cub, who is a pirate, is blindfolded and, sticking a knife or some other object in the ground in front of him, he squats down. The knife is a valuable treasure over which the pirate is keeping guard when he falls asleep. The pirate should be seated in a circle about six yards in diameter. The other players should be lurking at least 12 yards away from the treasure ready to creep u,p and make away with it. This they must try to do, creeping up very softly and trying to get the knife out of the circle without being discovered. Whenever the pirate hears a movement he points to .the spot from which he thinks the sound has come. If he points at a Cub he has to return to his starting-point and try again.