NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18230, 14 November 1924, Page 17

NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT.

SCOUT RALLY AND PONY EVENTS. Thousands gathered in the glaro of electric flood-lights and the blare of bands at the Show Grounds last night, and made the night entertainment a big success. Everybody seemed in a happy mood, and for three hours citizens and country folk had their taste of Canterbury's one and only "night carnival." Side-show alley was transformed into a miniature "white way" where showmen and hoop-la experts, "boneless wonders," and acrobats tried to deafen each other with vocal and instrumental bellowing. Merry-go-rounds wero picked out in coloured lights, and many stalls made fine shows. On. the oval, which was lined by big crowds, the Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs gave grand demonstrations of tent-pitching, bridgemaking, and other useful arts and equestrian artists, male and female, rodo i in all manner of races. The Scouts and Cubs, well over three hundred of them, assembled in Victoria square at C o'clock and marched to the Show Grounds. The Salvation Army Scout Band, IS strong, led the way, and the New Brighton troop and band followed. The various units and their strengths were as follow: New Brighton 48, Lyttelton Sea Scouts 15, St. Matthew's Troop 18, East Belt 14, St. Mark's (Opawa), St. Michael's -and Woolston 32, Linwood 14, Sumner Sea Scouts 11, Edgeware road 22; Cubs, Opawa 7, Lyttelton 8, Linwood 12, East Belt 13. Addington 17, New Brighton 8, and Woolston IS; total, 321. Tho jamboree started at 7 o'clock with spirited rallies and hakas, the Dominion war-cry and an African "jungle cry" being most effective. Tho Wolf Cubs then gavo a display which included exhibitions of jungle dances, with weird names culled, it is alloged, from Kipling's "Jungle Book." Tho climax was a "grand howl!" Tentpitching, bridge-building, fire-fighting, and life-saving, signalling, and master-at-arms works were all included in tho lengthy programme given by the Scouta proper. The ambulance work was supervised by Dr. T. Beveridge Davis, an honorary examiner. The Scouts were in charge of District Scoutmaster F. Olds, and tho Cubs were under District CubMaster Dyer. Commissioner G. Lancaster and Messrs H. E, Gott, C. H. Clibborn, and G. W. Bishop, xnombers of the executive of the local Scouts' Association, wero present. The two boys who havo returned from a visit j to Wembley Exhibition —Patrol-Leader Hyde and Scout Marsh—took part. Tho pony trots and races were both well worth watching. The Gretna Green race, a "double-banking" event, proved to bo most exciting. There wa? no lack of competitors of all ages, and they entered into the events with zest. The equestrian cacnts resulted as follows: 'Handicap pony tiofc, ponies 14 hands and under, to bo ridden by boys and girls under 16 years of age:—J. Marshall's AIL Black 1,11. M. Morten's Trixie 2; A. H. Holmes's Bobbie 3. Go-as-you-please pony event, ponies 12 hands' and Tinder, to bo ridden by boya and girls 13 years and under:—< 3-. Storcr'e Dolly 1; P. Kearney's Toby 2; "W. Harris's Blo&s 3. Musical chairs:—K. G. Davidson 1. Children's musical chairs:—Mies Morton 1; Miss Mins. Harris 2. _ , "Victoria Cross race:—G. Grigg 1; A. Grigg " Gretna. Green raco—A. Grigs 1; W. Harris " Children's Victoria Cross race:—A. Holmes 1; Marvis Saunders 2. Bonding race:—K, Hadfield 1. Final flat race:—K. Hadfield 1.