SCOUT RALLY

Evening Post, Issue 51, 2 March 1931, Page 7

SCOUT RALLY

IMPRESSIVE EVENT

A HUGE MUSTER

The Basin Reserve grandstand, and ©yen standing room, was fully, occupied on.' Saturday afternoon for ' the grand Scout rally! in honour of the Chief Scout and (Chief Guide, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. * Her Excellency Lady Bledisloo was present. Taken all in all, an enormous programme was presented in the time, as many things wero going on at once in differ- , ont parts of the ground. The view from . tho grandstand was excellent, but tho : flat nature of the ground, and the fact that thore were over 5000 Brownies, Cubs, Guides, and Seou/ts performing evolutions on it rather obscured tho . viow of those below. That was not the fault of the' Scouts or Guides, however, : arid the many different phases of Scout . life and practice presented must have given quite a new idea of the movement ,to many people who imagined -'■ that scouting was merely an amusing game. . ' . It was au inspiring scene. The idea of Scouting, to give a broad term to the multifarious aspects of a great / movement, is to encourage the very 'youngest children by giving them some- . .thing they can understand and enjoy , to do, and thus the chasing snakes, making believe they are wolf cubs, and all the pretty pastimes .with a meaning engaged in by tho little Brownies, amongst the younger girls and boys, merely, prepared them to gradually qualify for the more serious* '•'., forms of Scouting, which eventually' ■lead them to manhood and womanhood ■with ideals so firmly inculcated that they are second nature, and tho Scout principles last them through life. Entering through the eastern gate, the girls filed to the north, and tho : boys to the south: There is nothing of the mechanical precision of school of military evolutions about Scout movements, and tho parade of colours : that followed the breaking out of the flag from tho tall pole* which had afoot of height.for every year of the Chief Scout's age, consisted: in a smart diagonal doublo ■ from north and south by Guides" and Scouts' banner bearer* to form a bright crescent of colour before the platform of poles, where were seated the Chief Scout and Chief Guide. It was a novel and spectacular event, followed by a massed rush of troops in similar informal .manner. The Brownies' and Cubs' howls and the Scouts' haka were equally novel per- ; formanees. . ■ •'■.'.•.. MESSAGES RECEIVED. ;; \ Speaking to the, Cubs, the Chief Scout congratulated them- on such a large gathering, and read tho following, mes- ■- sages:—. '. ." ■■■ ■ '•■■' .■■'. ' .;' .' ■'■•'.•:-\''. From His Excollency the GovernorGeneral: "A hearty /welcome, to \ New Zealand. Boy- Scouts and Girl Guides are a great asset to this Dominion/in . prompting among its young popple those1 • qualities of enterprise, resourcefulness, self-denial, which so signally characterised its early pioneers, and without ; .'.< which no nation can maintain its ' vigour and prosperity, and no, indivi- ;. jdual complete happiness." ; Prom His Eoyal Highness the Prince '•■ of Wales: "My Dear Chief Scout,^I have had \tho good fortune to visit all the overseas Dominions in my time, and in each of them I have been glad to see the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides • on a promising foundation, and on very mueh> the same standard of efficiency -and spirit as their brothers and sisters / in tho Old Country. My hope is that in all- parts of. the. Empire they will go on developing, not only in numbers and Scbutcraf t, but also in that great spirit of. goodwill f-^tl; comradeship wtiich'l' saw so "prominentlyshbwnPby ? ■those'gallant fathers and elder" brO- " thers who fought side. by side in the Great War. In your tour of New Zealand I desire that you will give to the Scouts and Guides my cordial greetings and best wishes for good \camping." / ' "I am really glad to be here," saic the Chief Scout, "and also to find that we have with us some of .the Scouts and Guides from the stricken district of Hawkes Bay." ■ . A minute's silence was observed in honour of those who lost their lives in ythat district. > '• Paying a tribute to the work done by Scouts in Hawkes Bayy in rescuing people, assisting generally, Lord Baden-Powell, mentioned, an instance of Scout efficiency and service at Auckland, where an outbreak of fire 311 st prior to the big rally had enabled Scout service again to be recognised in keeping the crowd back, helping the firemen, etc. He urged them at all .times to be prepared to carry on the Scout traditions of service. '' . The Chief Guide showed her thought for her youthful audience, who had , been sitting very, still on the ground, by counting-twenty while they changed : . their position. Lady Baden-Powell read Hie following messages:— ■ : IProm'Hcr Royal Highness the Prin- ; coss Mary: "May I take this opportunity of: Bonding by tho Chief Guide my warmest'" greetings to the Guides and Brownies of New' Zealand. I; am always immensely glad to hear, news of Guiding in your country, and I know ■ that the movement has made splendid progress during. these last few years. It 13 - a very great pleasure to us in England to meet New Zealand Guides, and I hope that we may have the pleasure of welcoming many more. I hope that the future will .bring much happiness and success to you all." ', , From Her Excellency JLady Bledialoe: "As Dominion president I should like to testify to the,great value of the Girl Guide movement in Now Zealand in promoting the highest ideals of womanhood. You will, I hope,Jje impressed with the smartness, efficiency, and keenness of all assopiated' with it. They will, I know, give you a hearty welcome, and derive much encouragement from Jour presence among them." "I would like to say how tremendously pleased and proud I feel to see you," said the Chief Guide, "and how. pleased I am that so many of you have been able to come along, enabling us to have a look at you and you to have a look at me." Lady Baden-Powell, as at the Town Hall welcome, expressed her gratification at the high standard of Guiding in New Zealand. The Chief Scout and Chief Guide then inspected every troop from Brownies to Bover3, and the troops gaverdisplays, all of which interested the public. \ . The "march past' was the most amprossive event of the day. Commencing with the tiniest, it proceeded to marching music until the big array of Cubs and Scouts, Brownies and Guides, had all filed past their founders, dach troop of boys with its totem, raising hats and cheering as they went by. Marlborough, Nelson, Wanganui, Hawkes Bay, Horowhenua, Wellington, Tara- : naki, Wairarapa, Manawatu were . all represented from many towns in these \ provinces. The sunset call and -the lowering of the flag ended a memorable occasion. _ ' Silver crosses have been presented by the Chief Scout to Scouts David Corstorphino, Basil Crosby and Lymburn Cowan, for rescuing three, boys from drowning in the' Mangapapa River in December, 1939. ' The visiting Scouts were the guests of local troops. The handling of such a large body of visitors has been no small task, but it was carried out well. Tho traffic arrangements were somowhat unusual, and tho dispersal of the big crowd of visitors by steamer, rail, etc., took time, the Picton and Nelson steamers being jgighHK dttagW