BOY SCOUTS' CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2895, 6 October 1916, Page 7

BOY SCOUTS' CONTROL

a sput in rar CAMP $W0 VERSIONS OF THE TROUBLE / i* 'A. change, has taken place, in the ad-' (bunistratiqn of tho Wellington Boy 'Soout Association. A statement cs'ilaining the position and some of .tho' causes of tho change ; has been written jatthe raquost of 22 Scout, officers who •met at the Kelbura Cluh Room, and has {been forwarded to ys for publication, i tjThis statemont, which is signed by A. ?T. -Tresize (Commissioner), B. V. Joyce '(District.: Commissioner), and 0. 0. .Clark (Scoutmaster), on behalf of the JS3 Scout officers mentioned, reads as follows:—' ... •.■•■..■ ■ .

j': "Eor.Bomo time past the Wellington iScoutmasters' Association has .been at frarianco with tho headquarters of the ■■Scout movement in Ohnstchurch. The became acuto when the Christbody refused'to comply with our (requests for .a'--.complete and properly[andited- balance-sheet of moneys rotteived • and controlled, by .them. A ■special general meeting of all Soout ■'officers of the four Wellington districts iWas convened to. discuss .the situation. 'Almost every troop was v represented, knd the Commissioner, Mr. B. S. Bald-Lira,-presided. Correspondenco from liheauquarters .was read, and it. was re!&olved finally to sever our connection [with. headquarters as constituted 'in iChristchurch, and to ionn a new. association, te ho Imownas the Wellington lißoy Scout Association. To. this- end, ('all Scout officers from tho Commissioner jjdownwards have sent in their resignations to headquarters, and have.enrollicd. themselves in .the .new main' objects bt -which are:•

j : "The organising and training of tho jSconts on lines laid down by General !Sir - ■-:■ Robert .'.';■■■ Badon-Powoll -in MSooutin'g for Boys,' controlling the JBcout ■ movement .within its • distriots, land supplying Scouts with badges, etc., a reasonable price. -. T '-'The new association etarts off- with ';J7OO Scouts and 30 Scout officers", fncludj'ing four district commissioners. . Its !xulea provide for tho formation, of ; an iclectivo counoil. to control :tho associaUion. The difficulties in starting the new association are not as» great as anight bo anticipated; r -' v ' j "Uniform.—The Wellington -Scouts 'have always, worn blue serge kniokers finstead of the khaki drill laid down in ithe Christchurch regulations, ■"■ These and :tho ■■ absence' of staves, will 'servo to. distinguish, tho -'Wellington .Bcdute'from -.thoso- of 'tho'Christchurch "organisation. .-■ - . '■' ■' •. .■'•■''" ■' ■ '

. training of Scouts fra's always been-in the hands, of the Scout Masters, who : have J-eceived no assistance in the past from Headquarters in Christchurch. '.-"■"••' '.-■ "Badges.—Arrangements aro in hand 'for providing Buitablo 'badges to Scout's jet & very much lower cost than is at 'jiresont,charged. ',-; --■ :.:;: - ■'

? "Financo.-flt has-been our custom Sn the past to supply -Headquarters " ftrith moneys for patrol levies, moneys ('for badges, application forms, copies <jf rules, etc., while in return wb have deceived no financial assistanco from them whatsoever. The Christchurch Headquarters havo received from Wellington £266 os. 4d.—according to [their accounts—for organising tho toovement, but,up to the present we 3iave not derived any 'benefit from' it. , oho Wellington Council is investigating Jtno possibilities of getting this money ' a-cturned to us. -.■■■•.-'■•■ .".-....-"

. "At a meeting hold at the Y.M.O.A. .'ion October 4, -, Lieutenant Cossgrovb fI3:A.A,.G; :._(pri>.vincial '. r ;. who iivas-^present,:.'in -'umfornv, ihroatened the' ' Wellington '■ Sco'utmasters' that if> they :--withdre\v"from tile jneeting (which they ..had-: stated they intended doing if < the aforesaid balancofehoetwas not forthcoming, and badges Supplied at cost price to the boys, thus doing away with any profit that- has previously gone'/: .to- 'headquarters, Christchurch) the ; military • authorities and the-Government would not recogpiso them or allow them to hold cbminissions under the association'. Lieu-itoiianfc-Cossgrove assured us that ho spoke with the authority of military Leadqnarters. This throat-did not, .•however, _ hold us to the meeting, as the Wellington,Scoutmasters"Association- has declared that it will not support Lieutenant Cossgrovo until ah audited balance-sheet'for funds raised" in iWellington and banded'over' to headquarters, Christchurch, is accbuhte'd for.

Wel Scout-officers have a groat deal t>f work ahead of us, and wo trust that wo shall receive the' hearty v co-opera-*ion of all parents of the Scouts and ,tuo sympathy: of the general "publio in parrying out a, work which we ; believe to-be. ur the best interest of the WeluiiKton:Boy. Scouts." • . •-'-'■- : '---- <"■•- The Official Version; 1 ' ■* '^l e , re «, aaotoer <.version:■ of' the trouble. The facts of the : case, to the official head/in .Wellington ot thei Dominion Boy Scouts, Mr. William Allan, who.has-been-interviewed *re as follow:— - ' The Dominion Boy-Scout Association, incorporated by Royal Charter, has ,its>New. Zealand headquarters in- Christ.churcb and independent and sole control of all Boy Scouts in tho Dominion The Wellington Scoutmasters' (Association, which, according to the tules and regulations, consist of local bcoutmasters formed to meet periodically for mutual help and advice,- and ,to draft programmes.-(from which to 1 iwork), bas been, at variance with headquarters, but as : was- explained to their late Commissioner in August last, 1 and •to the Drntnet Commanders, at a meeting held three .weeks'ago, thealleged grievances had no--foundation, being based on a misconception of tho facts buffiqei it to state that- of the • four District Commanders in-'this! province three of them, with their Scoutmasters" and troops, have not only .expressed IthemseJves loyal to the Dominion 1 Boy Scouts' Association, but havo definitely disassociated themselves -from thoso headed by tho self-constituted Commie■moner of the• Province. :-Every" effort has been,.made:by .the executive appointed by headquarters, Christchurch, to enlighten thoso.wlio considered they had a grievance, andwhilothe majority ficted in tho truo Scout spirit, some onicers Who. havo had charge of a Bmall' tainonty of■ troops held out tho threat Ithat they would secede and form a feoparate organisation. An.impasse immediately resulted, and thoy accordingly withdrew.. The present position is that the D.B.S.A. in Wellington con-fcists-of-the Hutt Valley troops, commanded by District Commander Mason, whde tho City proper has been divided into, two commands under District Commanders,E. J. .Colley. and A. Macdonald. Of tho 700 boys in the province soma threo troops only aro,-affected. The local executive have already received offers from several 'well-qualified gentlemen to carry on the work of the troops under tho control of the late Scoutmasters. • Finance. < 'As, regards' the finance, the headquarters have issued " a balance-sheet which has been duly audited, and is'in the hands of District Commanders. •The sum mentioned as having been collected in Wellington (£260 os. 4d.) was collected by tlie Dominion Finanoial Organiser, and the local Scouts had no part in the collection whatever. It is for tho purpose;.of."organising, work, and is duly accounted for in tho bal-ance-sheet. If any threat was made Jhis was ÜBed by those who stated that ;' Sinless the stipulations they, made wero

acceded to .they would leave the room, which threat they ultimately carried into effect. Mr. Allan exceedingly regrets tho aotion thus taken, as it imposes a serious injustioo upon tho boys affected,", if tho seceding party remain thoir Scoutmasters, as it will deprive them of many privileges which they appreciate ;