General Baden-Powell.

White Ribbon, Volume 17, Issue 204, 18 June 1912, Page 7

General Baden-Powell.

Copy of letter sent to General Sir R. S. Haden-Powell by the New Zealand President : Sir, —On behalf of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand, I venture to ask that you will do ali in your power to establish the Scout Movement on a firmer footing in this country. As a union oi Women, having 133 branches, with a membership of 4000, the majority of whom are mothers, the Union highly appreciates the value of the Scout system, because oi its ideals of conduct, and for its all-round development.

It fully recognises the necessity oi every man being capable of taking his share n the defence of his country when need arises, and believes that the Scout’s training is particularly helpful in the direction of qualifying him for such responsibility.

For this I would suggest the substitution of the Scout move*

mint as it exists for the present Cadet system —that is, for boys under eighteen years of age. Asking your kind consideration of this matter, I am, on behalf of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand, Yours faithfully, F. COLE, President. P.S.—lf it should Ik* deemed impossible to substitute Scout training entirely for Cadet training, 1 think parents might at least have the option of deciding which of the two systems of training their sons should undergo. Reply received by Mrs. Cole from General Baden-Powell : Christchurch Club, Canterbury, N.Z. May 31. Dear Mrs. Cole, —I am very glad to hear your kind appreciation of the Scout movement in the cause of Temperance and good citizenship, and the suggestions which you make are very much on the lines of ideas which I hope may receive favourable consideration at the hands of the authorities, and I may hope to quote your letter to them in support of my views. very truly, ROBERT BADEX-POWELL.