THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

West Coast Times, 19 April 1911, Page 3

THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

POSITION OF BOY SCOUTS,

MUST SERVE AS TERRITORIALS

INTERESTING STATEMENT BY THE COMMANDANT.

[PEK PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.]

. CHRISTCHURCH, April, 18. Major-General Godley, Goneral commanding tho New Zealand Forces, states that there seems to be an impression in some quarters that training in the Boy Scents or Boy Scent Cadets can take tho place of training in the Senior Cadets. This impression is erroneous, and should be removed by all concerned with tho Boy Scout organisation. Tho position ho explains, is that in order to assist the Boy Scout movement, the Defence Act has sanctioned tho incorporation of Boq Scouts’ units in the organisation of tho Senior Cadets which, may bo called Boy Scout Cadets, and tho military authorities are accordingly prepared to accept in the Senior Cadets companies or smaller .units of Boy Scouts. By law, every youth between tho ages of 14 and 18 must become a Senior Cadet. Having become a Senior Cadet, there is then Ho objection on the part of tho military authorities to his also being a Boy Scout, should he so desire. In fact, General Godley and the military author ities are thoroughly in sympathy with the Boy Scout movement, and Goneral Godley is Vice-President of the Boy Scouts in tho Dominion, but it is to be distinctly understood that every boy between 14 and 18 must be a senior cadet and that in the case of those who are Boy Scouts, he must bo a senior cadet first, and a Boy .-Scout or Boy Scout Cadet afterwards. There also seems to be a further'misapprehension that is not necessary for boys now belonging to tho Boy , Scouts or Boy Scout Cadets to register themselves as Senior Cadets. This is wrong. Every boy between the ages of 14 and 18, whether a Boy Scout or not, has, by law, to fill in the registration and post it to the nearest Area SergeantMajor, in accordance with the military training notice lately issued, from conditions of which, boy scouts are no more exempt than any other class of the community. As regards the training of Boy Scouts in, the Senior Cadet Organisation, in which they will be incorporated as Boy , Scouts Cadets, they will, in the first instance, have to perform the drills, etc., as laid down by law and regulation for all senior cadets—‘i.e.) all .youths having done that, they then will be free to do any special Boy Scout work that they please. As a_ matter of fact, a good deal of the Senior Cadets’ training will bo on the same lines as that now done by the Boy Scouts; and, as has been explained, the Boy Scouts will be given facilities for doing their senior cadet trailing in, units composed entirely of Boy Scouts, and the military authorities will be glad to receive from the head of tho Boy Scout Movement any proposals .for tho formation of Boy Scout companies, or smaller units.

It is hoped that, in order to help the military authorities, and avoid a great rush at the last moment-, all youths between 14 and 18 belong to the Boy Scouts will procure regulation forms, from the Post Office, fill them in, and send them to the nearest Area ScrgtMajor as soon as possible. Colonel Cossgrove, New Zealand Chief Scout, has read the foregoing, and he states that he quite understands and agrees with the position. In an article published in the “Lyttelton ‘Times, some little time ago, he said;—“ The decision of a Boy Scout to first become a bay scout, misleading, as any Boy Scouts and Boy Scout Cadets between the ages of 14 and 18 are by law included in the Senior cadets.” COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE.

CAPETOWN, April 16.—Lord Methuen, in, addressing the boy scouts at Johannesburg, advocated a compulsory cadet system; He welcomed Mr Steyne’s speech at Vrede, .emphasising the need of a Burgher force.