SCOUT CAMPSITE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 11, 28 March 1947, Page 5

SCOUT CAMPSITE

ROTOMA SAND-SPIT AREA MISUNDERSTANDING CLEARED The strong exception taken by the Whakatane County Council at the attitude of the County Scout Commissioner (Mr C. Kingsley-Smith) as contained in his critical letter last February with regard to the cutting a

of a roadway through the sandspit at Lake Rotoma, was again the subject of further deliberations at the meeting of the Council last Tuesday, when in response to a recommendation of the Works Committee the Commissioner expressed regret for the misunderstanding which had led to the feeling voiced in his letter, and undertook to make the true position known in Scouting circles.

Letters from Mr C. R. J. Relf, owner of the adjoining camp-site, now to be known as the ‘Elim Camp Trust’ were also before the meeting.

Cr Butler as chairman of the Works Committee, said that whilst all Councillors were in sympathy with the Scout Movement they took great exception to the allegations contained in the letter, which insinuated that the council had deliberately set out to discomfort the local Scout authorities. Such a thing had not been done, and the council had merely opened a dedicated roadway along the newly surveyed peg-line which it had every right to do.

Crs Leslie, Luxton, McGougan and McCracken also spoke in a similar vein contending that the Scout claim had been made on entirely false premises.

The County Commissioner stated that as the Act had authorised, his movement had honestly thought that the roadway had been closed and the whole of the spit made over to the Association. The reaction naturally had been bitter when the roadway had been cut through it. However it now transpired that the surveyed roadway had not been closed and that the assumption in this connection was wrong. He therefore had no hesitation in apologising to the council for the allegations made and would take the necessary steps to see that they were corrected.

The chairman accepted the statement, thanked the Commissioner and said that the matter was now closed.