BOY SCOUTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1150, 10 June 1911, Page 7

BOY SCOUTS.

AN INTERESTING MEETING.

A long room at St. John's School was crowded last evening, when tho Kelburne Boy Scouts held their annual meeting. Mr. AV. Gray, Boy Scout Commissioner, presided, and those present included a number of parents and friends of scouts.

The annual report, which was read by Mr. Lawson, roaster of the troop, stated that the number of the troop had risen during the year from 25 to 49. Seventeen of those who were members at the beginning of the year were still members, and enthusiasm characterised the whole'troop. The report also referred to the outings on the hills, and the visits to the swimming baths and instruction there. The work of the troop also included marksmanship, telegraphy, first-aid, and bridgebuilding. The report also referred to the scout law, including the doing of good turns. The co-operation of parents in different ways was desired. The balancesheet showed u deficiency, of ,£4 13s. 7d. The District Commander, Mr. H. N. M'Leod, congratulated Mr. Lawson on the success of the troop, as' shown by the number of badges won by the scouts. He was sure that the lessons learnt by them in the troop would be remembered by them all their lives. lie appealed to parents to become emissaries of the scout movement. Every serious-minded boy was benefited by being a scout. He was taught to honour God and to obey the King, to do good turns to ethers, and to keep tho scout law, which included obedience to parents and employers, friendship for other scouts, and helpfulness to everyone, and to smile and whistle under all circumstances. The Dominion Chief Scout was a disinterested enthusiast and a highly skilled organiser, and he should be congratulated on the increase of membership from nothing to 10,000 in three years. It had been feared that the new military training scheme would interfere with the boy scouts, but an arrangement had been made for the formation of bov scout cadet corps, and tho scouts were expected to join those corps. They would not need to ■ give much more time for scouting and cadet work than they now gave to scouting, especially as the regular training of the cadets included some scout work.

Mr. G. S. Hill, president of tho local branch of the Royal Life-Saving Society, presented the awards for life-saving. Proficiency certificates were handed to Masters Frank Rutherford, Alastair Gray, and Maxwell Gray, and a bronze .medallion•; to . Master Frank Rutherford — the first'local boy scout to-win that distinction.

The chairman said the Boy Scout movement appealed to liini because it presented educative influences right in the lino of the instincts of a growing boy. A great many of ■ these instincts were not met in the school, the church, nor the home in our complex civilisation. The movement struck tlie positive note; it called boys out and taught them to do things, whereas the discipline of the home and school neces=arily included more of restraint. Yet the scout was also taught to obey—not for the sake of repression, but for the sake of some further healthy activity. It drew the boys away from such insidious influences as those of j-'onio places of amusement lo healthy action 011 the hills, in the bush, or at the swimming. baths. ) They camo home tired, hungry, and, it must admitted, often dirtv, for the movement did not pamper them. It. deserved the support and .sympathy of ail parents. The various badges won during the year were then presented by the chairman. Sir. J. G. AY. Aitken said he sympathised strongly with the boy scout movement, and was sure it would do a. great deal of good, but lie would like lo know if nipl't meetings could not be avoided. He thought boy 5 and girls should not bo called out at all. Scoulnmctcr Latvson said lie would like to do without evening "lasses, but had found it was not possible, if the desired training in first aid, etc., were to be given. Ho thought lie saw his way, however, lo reduce the number of meetings this winter. The scoutmaster and assistant-scoutmas-ter (Air. Rawnsley) were accorded a hearty vote of thanks li.v the meeting, and lustily cheered by the scouts.

An exhibition of bridge-building was then given outside the building by the troop.