BOY SCOUTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 718, 18 January 1910, Page 6

BOY SCOUTS.

I'. A NEW DEVELOPMENT. - TROUBLE rsr ENGLAND. ; ..'A', now development is pending with regard to • the control of the-Boy Scouts movement in. New Zealand. It will be remembered that at. the eleventh hour almost a clause was added to the Defence Bill of last session making provision for official. recognition of the Boy; Scouts by ompoweririg' the Minister for -Education,subjoct'to'the approval of.the local authorities,' to ; teka"over the. control, of tie movement The initial stop in that direction has taken the form of a conference which Major T. W. M'Donald (officer CMnmanding the . Public School Cadets)-has had with. Dr.. Makgill and Mr. H. N. M'Leod, who are both-promin-ently; connected' irith 'the. North .Island Division of the Now Zealand , Bdy Scouts; ' The results of that; conference have -not yot transpired. How far the Boy Scout movement—which derives its main stimulus from the intonate interest taken in it by the public,'and which is at present directly controlled by the citizens—will benefit under s a Dopartmental regime, is; a question upon which,, public opinion is divided. The laiiest file of the London "Military Mail"—of December 10 —brings news of a serious split in 1 the camp of; the leaders' of the movement in England, oyer, the question of control. A quite unusual Bifcuation has arisen in -the Boy 'Scout .movement . (state the "Mail"), headquarters having called"upon Sir i Francis 'Vane,' the '. Commissianer; for London of tho 'Boy Scouts,, to .resign. Sir -Erands ; absolutely : refuses to , resign his_ position, and ' his .action -is,..strongly supported' by, : iriany.: of '. the "secretaries of the . local: committees in.- London;, ■■ and the Scout Masters..'' Sir Francis; declares he will not go out'of , the movement, because if he, went it would in the. end do harm. Ho 'wished it to'be'understood "that those . who differ on tia question of government; are perfectly loyal.. . He-, explained, however,' that the ; movement is much too-big—there are now, 300,000 .boys' in it—to -be managed, as it .is, on autocratic lines, and 'his scheme, jvhich. has roceived" the approW of the workers, is for- constitutional;; government, : with. a councilrepresentative ; not only: of, the various districts, but also of eminent educational.' and other authorities, including, if possible, such ' well-known men as Sir Robert Morant . and Mr. Askland. Sir is Opposed l to; the tendency to have .too many military men. "The -people we desires to'-interest':' are .the pcoplo," he pointed out, "who are most evaTthmg is military. This is not a military irtovoment; it is a peace movem6nt,'i with ?a' military' substritum. The scheme is to give boys the ideal of knight, errantry aid;.unselfish ,adventure, 'and , dieam ;is that of univmal civil training in discipline and .all that makes for -the knightly , ideal -pf ' boyhood." itdeutenant-General Sir Kobert BadenPowell, the: Chief : , Soout, . told,-, tie secre%ies that' "the amount.of \ Sir Francises ciiine.' was .not. out these brilliant ideas, - but' in, not informing me. what he-was going to -do. : , For instance, with - regard to-- Ms suggestionthat; ; the boys might.go to.Prance.-. I never heard a : word of it until ,' I, heard from our War ' Office : and frohi;, the War, Office in France, who. want to know . what' we. are doing : by invading; iFra'nce- *'■ with V 6000 men."- ■», ■ ~ ■■■ ... -

• -In an'editorial review, of the-mtuaticm, the' ''Military Mail" ' says : r 'The unfortunate disagreement J between' Lien tenantGeneral Sir R. Badpn-Powoll and Sir Ifrancis Vane will, unless it is 'speedily settled/, do''untold . harm,' to] • the Boy Scout -nmement.' ; Sir Frbids -Vane 'delues > any' disloyalty. -to the Chief : Scout, bat' declares .• that tho movement, - which now inctudes some;, 300,000 iboys,' has be,coino; 'ranch' too >big. to be' / onautocratic lines/ Sir Prabcis,'• who 'is Commissioner for London: of, the Boy Scouts,- has, we learn, 'drawn..., up . 'a schooie for - constitutional government, with::a .council; representative notonly of -Abe ■ various v districts, .but; ulso '' of cpiinont educational and other" anthori- ' ties/_ • We''Kayo /here, of course, -the' elements of. a : quarrel; that; may go far ;to ■wreck, the .'entire 'movement,7or,: at any rate,, to split .it. up 1 -into' sections. We ;re.ad, with some•• surprise -Sir/.Pntncis 'I*ano s : contention -that the "Boy -Scout niovcment is not military/ it is, we are /a.pcace movement with a' military rabstotom-~Bot a : very Incid definition/ In our view every mihtary - movement is, £* should be, a- peace 1 movement. We *may ;beCTtirely-Tand- ■ traconsciously-—misrepre- , senting ...the. aims and ('ambitions of those who founded the Boy Scout movement, but oar theory of the movement : is/' and lus been, 'tt'at,;it. isvalmost'en.trrely: a military movement m the very best midtogbest '6fflße of the -ward."