PARADE OF BOY SCOUTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 3

PARADE OF BOY SCOUTS.

Originally intended to be held at the Scott statue, the parade of Boy Scout troops took place at the King Edward Barracks, the change of locale being necessitated owing to the wet weather. There was a good muster of Scouts and Bull Pups; on parade there were Scouts from as far afield as Belfast and New Brighton, and the Sea Scouts from Lyttelton. The parade was under Mr (i. Lancaster, Commissioner of the Central Canterbury Province. BrigadierGeneral A. W. Andrew, chairman of the Dominion Executive of the .New

Zealand Boy Scouts' Association, and Mr H. A. King, Commissioner for the North Hawke's Bay Province, were present. Scoutmaster and Provincial Secretary H. Froggatt marshalled the parade, and District Scoutmaster K. Dyer was in charge of the Bull Pups. The Scouts having been drawn up in parade order according to troops, the flag was unfurled, Bugler R. Eastwood and Drummer W. Barnett (Ist St. Michael's Troop) sounded the general salute, and the parade gave the Scout salute. The first verse of the National Anthem was sung, after which Commissioner Lancaster and General Andrew inspected the troops. General Andrew addressed the parade at tho conclusion of the inspection. It gave liim the very greatest pleasure, he said, to take part in such a gathering of Scouts, for he seemed to read in their young faces an attempt—he might say a determination—to revive in this twentieth century the spirit of chivalry by taking, as their guide in life, those laws which wero followed by the knights of old. In a happy, conversational style, General, Andrew spoke of Captain John Smith, the pioneer founder of the American colony of Virginia, who, General Andrew reminded his hearers, used to say a dozen times a day: "We were not born for ourselves, but for others"—a sentiment that the whole parade, at the speaker's request, repeated after him. He also narr.ited a story of Captain Fagan, one of his brother officers in India, who, whiln out shooting with another officer one dny, lost his life in attempting to rescue his Indian servant who had jumped into a lake to £et a duel; which Captain Fagan had shot. The Indian became entangled in the weed at the bottom of the lake and Captain Fagan, in attempting his rescue, also became hopelessly entangled. He saw his fellow-officer preparing to jump in to save him, but, though life was clear to him, Captain Fagan called out: "No, Tom; no, Tom, let me go." He chose to lose his own life rather than his mate should lose his. He rejoiced in the company of so many gallant, and unselfish, and unassuming, and loyal young gentlemen as he saw before him. They were present to honour their King and in honouring the King they were honouring themselves. His Majesty was the symbol of tho unity of the British Empire, an empire that was such an agency for good m the world, and it was because the King; was the link that bound tho Empire together that they desired to do niin honour. He wished to impress

upon them that if they lost their King, their Imperial monarch, the Brititn Empire would dissolve, fade away, and perish. If they were loyal to the King they would be loyal to their parents and to their employers and would do great good a 6 they advanced in years. (Applause.) Cheers were heartily given for General Andrew upon the call of S.M. Froggatt. The parade then gave an official welcome to Commissioner Lancaster, the Dominion Rally beinj; given by the Scouts and the powhiri—"welcome to the meeting of the little dogs"—being given by the Bull Pups. The parade was then dismissed anci spiral rallies were rone through warm up the boys. Following is the parade state, th;> total : St. Michael's (S.M. Froggatt) ... 31 New Brighton (S.M. Bishop) ... 30 St. Luke's (S.M. Birter) ... 29 Bull Pups (D.S.M. Dyer) ... 18 St. Mark's (S.M. Tooth) ... 16 St. Stephen's (S.M. Barter) ... 8 Balfast (S.M. Rev, H. N. Roberts) 6 East Bslt (S.M. Dyer) ... ... 6 Sydenham ... ... 5 St. Matthew's (S.M. Barter) ... 1 FULLER FIRE FLAG. i The competition for the Fuller Fire Flag—a flag presented by tlie Fuller Proprietary to commemorate the good work done by Canterbury Scouts at the Canterbury, Hall iire—was then held. Mr W. Juiiss was judge. Threu learns entered aad competed—two from tlie New B. troop aad one from tlie Sydenham, tioop. ihe holders, tlie -Sew liiithton troop, were suicesstul in retaining tile t;rouny, tue result being: New A team Ist, New Jirigutou B team 2nd. Details of tlie performances of the placed teams are as to.lowa: New B.ighton A team: Hose event: 23 1-oaec, penalty iiiec; time, 30 i-o sec, ( Respiration event: points. New Bngiitoii B team: iiose event, timo 31 l-oioc;. Respiration event, o points.