WITH THE SCOUTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18896, 11 January 1927, Page 6

WITH THE SCOUTS.

THE PRINCE AND "THE

ROVERS."

THE DUKE AND "THE WOLVES."

(rKOM OCTS OWK COMESPOXSXKT.) LONDON, November 30. The Prince of Wales-honoured some 400 C London Hover Stouts by paying an . informal visit to their half-yearly •''social''-' at the Central Hall, Westminster. 'The Prince was accompanied bv Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellieoe,' Lord Hampton, aud Captain Allen, his assistant private secretary, and on his arrival was received by the assembled Bovers. with their sonorous cry: Rah! Rah! Bah! Prince, Prince. Prince, L'j>, Up, Up, Up, London. J.orei Jellieoe had as great ;i reception as the Prince, whom he welcomed as a "brother Rover." He said the Rover movement was one of the most important bvnnclicH of the Scout movement, and was going ahead with leaps and bounds, it was a movement which was for the great good of tho country and the Empire. (Cheers.) It was a movement, for giving service to others, and their own Hover Commissioner was as good an example of scrrice for others as he knew of. Once a Scout. The Prince of Wales said: "Brother Bovers, I must first apologise for coming in plain clothes. (Laughter.) I have never been to one of these gatherings before, but I am very glad to have been able to come round to one to-night. You seem to have succeeded in combining business and pleasure very well indeed. (Laughter.) The existence of the Rovers has often been a great consolation to mc. I see thousands of Boy Scouts during the year, and I always take a good look at them and think what a pity it is that they trow up and get too big to bo Scouts any longer. Then I am consoled when T think.of the Bovers, and the saying, 'Once a Scout always a Scout'; for a Hover is really nothing but a Scout who won't grow up—(cheers and laughter)—and who means to carry on till the end of his days all ho learned an a Scout, plus that little bit more which comes to all of us get old and* maybe, wiser. (Cheers.) You London Bovers have-splendid opportunities of putting into practice.your motto of 'Service to others,' and I know you do not neglect them. I think the splen-did-increase in your numbers proves that you enjoy your job, and so make others want to join. I wish you the best of luck, and thank you all' very much for tho kind welcome you have given us to-night." (Cheers.) A cablegram from Chief Scout Lieut.'General Sir tt. Baden-Powell, who is in South Africa, was read, and received with a great demonstration of pleasure: '-Best wishes successful, evening with Chief Scout of Wales. You. lucky beggars.'-- Baden-Powell.''

A Presentation. "The Prince, having been offered a rote of thanks for his presence, on.the proposal of Earl Jellicoe, was presented by the Commissioner with a_ silver matchbox as a souvenir of his visit, and with a-, match struck upon this he lit a cigar&W, aftd »6 removed, -tha g!> on smoking. The. musical programme was then continued with great spirit to the end, the Prince joining in the singing of "Jerusalem," "S«lf, the Least Thing." Lord Jellicoo (County Commissioner for Loudon of the Boy Scouts' Association) was present at the dinner'of the Commissioners of the Association, which was presided over by Hampton, D.5.0., .the Chief Commissioner. .Lord Jellicoe, "is the greatest movement the world has- ever seen." Important as many other movements might be, they had nothing like the importance of the Scout movement. It aimed at teaching the "future generat:6ns of the Empire the duties of citizenship, and making our . youth fit themselves to be good citizens by making the best of the, physical strength that life had given them. It' taught our lads thnt self was the least thing to be considered when they were contemplating any particular action. As the Chief Scout had pointed out, one of the greatest curses of the present day was the selfishness of people. "One of the greatest dangers the Empire lias to face, to my mind, is that people do not think when they are saying or doing anything of the-effect of their words or their actions on other people, and especially those abroad." Extension of Movement. ' "Lord Hampton- said that the year 1926 had been second to none in its importance to the Scout movement. It had been a wonderful year if only for j one thing, and that was the greatly increased interest which the public schools throughput the country were showing in the movement. A lead had i been set by Eton, where the boys had gone to the headmaster and suggested to him that it would be an excellent thing if thoy could hate proper train-j ing classes for the senior boys, more or less from the point of view of those who .were going to be the assistant Scoutmasters of the future, They had also suggested that certificates should be granted similar, to the certificates in the Officers' Training Corps. Sir Montagu Burrows had accepted the F&sfc of Commissioner for Disabled Scouts, and that if the Scout movement had done nothing else, it would have been well worth while starting scouting for blind and crippled boys. Presentation of '' Silver Wolf.'' The Duke of York, wearing the uniform of the Boy Scout?, on Saturday afternoon attended a "palaver" of Wolf Cub workers, representing the Junior section of the. Scouts movement, in the London Rifle Brigade Drill Hall. He watched, also, an entertainment which was given by boys and girls. The Duke of York was received by Lord Hampton, Lord Jellicoe. Mr X. 8., Power (Chief Wolf Cub Commisand Mr J. W. T. Walsh (Cub Commissioner for London). The ■ large gathering in tho hall included representatives of the movement from all parts of England, and t'rom India, Burma, Natal, Australia, and St. Lucia. On the platform, the DuLe of York was surrounded by a parts of Wolf Cubs, who greeted him with their shrill liowJ. He was afterwards presented by Lord Hampton with-the decoration known as: the''""Silver Wolf," which is the highest honour that can he obtained in the Scout 'movement.

Lord Hampton. after referring to the encouragement which King Edward gave to the 'Boy-Scout movement- in its earlier-days,' arid''o the interest which was taken in. it by Queen "Aiesandr:v.,,tbo King and- Queen, and other members of the Eoynl Family, said that the occasion "vould he the last time the Duke of York would attend a Bov Srout gstherins: before he and the Duchess left for Australia •riiJ'-Nen;Zealand. - ' Tie. Boy -Scouts

wished iliem success and happiness in ' their extended tour. (Cheers.) The Duke of York, ,in reply, said: "I am very glad indeed to come among you this afternoon, and I thank you very much for the welcome yon have given me. I would like specially to thank the Chief Scout for havine: invested me with the 'silver wolf.' I hope thait when I ro to Australia and New Zealand next year to have an opportunity of seeing, the Scouts in those two far-away Dominions. I am sure that you would like to-give thefn your best- wishes when I sec ■ tlieui. (Cheers.)