SCOUTING AFFAIRS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 22, 9 November 1945, Page 5

SCOUTING AFFAIRS

DOMINION COMMISSIONER'S

VISIT

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

"It is natural for every young person to give expression to their own individual feeling's and •urges" said Chief Scout Commissioner Hector Christie Esq. to an interested audience of parents > scouters and scouts in the County Council Chambers last Tuesday evening. "This is a recognised fundamental of youth, and it is a'quesition of training that expression along desirable channels that is necessary to make for a better world and a more tolerant feeling between man and man. In Scouting we feel that we have just that instrument which is so urgently needed in the world today."

Commissioner Christie, who was ( greeted by His Worship the Mayor, ] spoke at some length on the aims 1 and objectives of the great move- J ment founded by Lord Baden Pow- j ell. He. went on to say that he had ( yet to learn of a scoutwho having once been given the beneiit of tram- ( ing had been a disgrace to himself or to the movement. He was not denying that there was not such an ! element in the scouting arnks but he repeated that he personally had ;yet to hear of it. In New Zealand > twenty thousand boys were now enlisted. They belonged to all walks of life and to all degrees of so- ; ciety and .yet they were given the uniformly manly training decreed by scouting. They were taught to not merely respect, but to actively promulgate tile brotherhood of mankind, and were brought out into the open air and given a chance to appreciate God's handiwork in Nature itself. Speaking of the Maori youth of New Zealand > he said he realised that they were a, growing problem in and he assured his audience that Headquarters was keenly alive to tlie acute position which had arisen in this respect. Ho 'knew that in the Pacific Islands, native Fijian ) llaratongan and Samoan scout troops operated successfully. In fact the average native boy as far as bushcraft was concerned became a better scout than the. European lad. They were naturally endowed in this respect. In India there were many Avonderl'ul native troops operating, Avith a high code of honour amongst the boys. There was no reason why scouting should not be introduced into New Zealand s growing population. In Ilotorua there AA'as once a successful troop at hakarewarewa. There were others in the. Bay of Plenty area and yet he knew the crying need for more of the scouting code to be introduced to the Maori peoples. .If any suggestions could be. made from the Bay of Plenty to oil'ering a modified especially suitable fot it would be Aerj 7 gladly received. It must not be thought ? hoAvever that the delinquent Maori youth in the hack country pa communities was the only youth problem in New Zealand. In the cities the Pakeha youth Avas recognised by the Government and administrative authorities as getting Avell out. of hand. Young boy.s and girls too were utterly irresponsible. Vandalism and destructiveness were, rife and it Avas recognised that youth delinquency was growing on a tremous scale. Youth movements such as scouting had an immense task ahead of them.

Speaking of the forthcoming European jamboree,. to be held in France in 1947 the Dominion Commissioner said that whilst there would undoubtedly be a substantial New Zealand contingent he was strongly averse to it developing into a world tour for rich men's sons. Every boy who went would be selected on his scouting status alone. He would have to be as near as possible the complete product of and to this end would have to apply himself in order to attain that, standard. Such boys would be assisted by subsidy and should be backed by their respective local associations, and scout districts. County Commissioner C. KingslevSmith > and District Commissioner Naden Mathews spoke thanking the Chief for his visit and in-

spiring address. A general adjournment was later made to the house oi' Mr and Mrs Mathews where a dainty and enjoyable supper was served.