SCOUT NEWS

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 18 (Supplement)

SCOUT NEWS

By “Silver Wolf"

MESSAGE FROM SCOUT COMMISSIONER The following- special message has been received from the Waikato District Commissioner of Scouts. Mr S. N. Zirnan:— “The success of the Scouting movement during 193 S has been due to the loyalty and self-sacrifice of all the Scouters. I know the boys appreciate what the Scouters have done Tor them, ana I hope the parents do also. During the troubled times through which we have been passing the world is better for a movement such as Scouting, which gives the boys healthy, userul activity, nut only full of fun, hut also inculcating lessons of manliness, dutv and brotherly love of all mankind. Every good Scout is doing his share to bring more happiness into a troubled world. I wish you all a good holiday and a bright, happy and prosperous New Year. S. N. ZIMA.N (H.A.T.H.1.) Christmas, 1935, is past, but I hope that the spirit shown in the last few- weeks will carrv right through to Christmas, 1939. That “Good Turn Every Day” is not very difficult if we set our minds to it. “ilamutana” takes this opportunity of wishing all Scouters, Rovers, Scouts, Cubs, and all who go to make our movement tlie success that it is, Smooth Trails, Good Camping, and all that they may wish themselves for the year 1939. Cheerio: See you in 1940. “HAMUTANA.”

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

‘Adventure on, for from the littlest clue Has come whatever man ever knew. The next to lighten all men may be YOU.'

CUB'S GOOD TURN I’ll probably get into “hot water” for letting this out. hut it was too good to let go by. The Cubs of Hamilton and Frankton collected a lovely lot of toys in their spare time and sent them up to the Sunshine Ward. Unfortunately, regulations ; Turbid those under 1«! years or age rrom ; visiting this ward, so their gifts were given out by the nurses. ** However we , reel sure that they gladdened the hearts ( ,r the little recipients just the same. Good j work, Cubs; keep it up. ; HOW YOU CAN GO WRONG WHEN ESTIMATING DISTANCES | You are bound to make terrific errors in estimation of distance unless you allow givf-n here will be extremely useful to * °The distance of objects is usually overestimated in the following eases: When one is kneeling or lying: when the object is in the shade; when looking over a valley or undulating ground: in avenues or long streets; when the background and tiie object are of the same colour: in Hit from ground; when the object is onl\ partiallv visible. Underestimation P usual y the fault m these conditions: Wlier the suu is behind the observer; in cleai

atmosphere (for Instance, a sunny day after a heavy shower) ; when looking" upwards or downwards; when, as in the case of an isolated monument or church, the object is large compared with its surroundings; when the background and object are of different colours; when looking over water or a deep chasm. Personal Measurements A pioneer or backwoodsman doesn’t carry a foot-rule about with him, but he has ways and means of measuring. For instance, he knows his exact personal measurements. Below is a table of the average man’s measure: Nail joint of forefinger, 1 in; span of thumb and forefinger, Bin; span of thumb and little finger, 9in; wrist to elbow, loin (this also gives the length of your foot) ; elbow to tip of finger (called “cubit”), ITin; middle of kneecap to ground. I Sin; extend arms, from fingertip to finger-tip is called a fathom and nearly equals your height; pulse beats about 7 5 times a minute (each beat is a little quicker than a second). ■ Pace: A pace is about 2£ft: about 1-0 paces equal 100yds; fast walking paces are shorter than when you are going slow; fast walking, you walk a mile in 16min, or nearly lour miles an hour. Check up on your own personal measurements and make a record of them for you.- use in emergencies. (By permission of the Editor of The scout.) RUAPEHU REVELS These notes would have been sent in la-t week if it hadn’t been for my new hat. For eight years my old one has been through ali sorts of weather and adventures, gradually becoming mure and more floppy In the brim through pushing, head down, through titreo and bush, using it as a pillow, fanning innumerable fires, and pretty nearly everything a really smart Seoui would not do to his headgear. It had literally been through fire and water. I remember when it was blown into the breakers at Piha. but the Tasman, after turning it over once or twice for inspection, threw it back at my feet—evidently it wasn’t good enough for flotsam and jetsam. Anyway the pressure of public opinion became too strong and 1 discarded it and I became the possessor of a perfect lv new one with a brim that goes back <tra ght like a circular saw no matter how you* may ill-treat it. But 1 sprained my ankle all through the thing, and it happened thus: We had managed to get up to the ;r I( iw and were getting along llm- at the <k -ing -nine when Bev and I decided to up still ruriher in order to make sure whether w«> were really on the glacier or 11.11 \t tei climbing about half an hour with our -kis on our shoulders we found lh.it \\e had finally reached the foot of the main glacier, and then we decided t<i cttiuc down again on the ski- this time. As we e 1l u!d •j' -o ‘i» a straight l.ne and t ie grade wa- ~.ecp. we decided we would run down a short way. then fall over before reaching too high a speed, then stall again. This plan worked all right unti. my hut. the strap of which 1 had fastened under my chin, blew back and made itsell into a good windbrake. I lost my balance and had iu -it down, and by tin t.me I had recovered my senses 1 wa: - o r at a tei-riiu . ace. or >u it seemed

and -when I decided to stop I evidently tost the formula and—but enough has been said. Now if I had been wearing my old hat, the brim would have caused no sistance and I would not have had a good excuse for not turning up to write notes (which job we men or action thoroughly detest). However, you readers will be wondering what all this is about, so I will proceed. During one or the rare periods when I was pleased with my troop 1 promised that some day I would take them to National Park. Evidently their idea of “some day” is a lot different from mine, for on Friday, December 16, we boarded the 5.5 5 train from Frankton. along with our primuses, ropes, tents, boots, etc., etc., bound for Ruapehu, to Ilnd out if there was snow fit enough for ski-ing at this time of the year. To the sceptics we will say that we round miles of the stuff, the only snag being that it was a loivg, long way up. We met on the train the fellow who should be called Public Nuisance No. 1, who seems to store all his wit and release it at midnight on the Main Trunk Express when everybody is trying to snatch rorty winks. When we eventually disembarked at National Park station along with the aforementioned gear out of the nice warm carriage Into the cold, cold rain, things did not seem too promising. You see, we had intended to pitch camp on the motor camping ground at the Chateau that night. The service car driver, moreover, told us that the weather had been like this for six weeks, and although he did not actually say it. he sounded as ir he thought it would continue for another six. We therefore came to the conclusion that discretion is the best part of valour and dispensed with our tents for the week end, sleeping in one of the huts at the Chateau on Friday night, or Saturday morning, to be more exact, ami the Sait Hut for the remaining two. After breakfast on Saturday (which 1 had brought to me in bed) we took ourselves to tin* equipment room and were lilted out with waterproof coats and ski hoots: tin* latter we immediately tested in the nearest drain to see if they really did not leak: We ha I brought my old bike with us. intending to cast all our gear upon it an I haul it like a trek cart up the mountain, but after getting about a dozen yards up the road everything collapsed and we had to rariv our gear on our backs and take only the foodstuffs and cooking gear on the bike. (To be continued..; ’WARE FIRES j Scouts will be lighting fires in various warning. Whenever you make a fire ; out hi the open, always remove the turf i replaced before you leave th<* site. From experience it has been found, best to remove a fairly large area or turf where your lire is going to l»e, especialß in the case of a standing camp or severs day.-’ duration, because the ground arnuiit fire heroines scorched and blackened Replace all turf with care, stamping i down, and if possible water it before you ' leave. 1 When you are hiking and have made a lire for the purpose of cooking a meal, be careful to see that it is out before yuu move on. If ever you have to leave a lire for any length of time, make quite sure that it is sale. serious Pres orteii result from carelessness.