SCOUT NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 14

SCOUT NOTES

(By "Scouter.")

{ Many troops will be thinking about 'scamping at Eastertime. This Easter camp is one of -the best of the. year. The nights are getting longer, and the days -■shorter, giving more time at the camp fire. Many of us, although we may be experienced campers, are still apt to make mistakes. There are lots of. little things that go to make camping good and easy, and these are usually the ones we miss. v The simpler you live in camp the better you will be, but at the same time you must take care and watch the simple rules. _ Many campers are knocked out by drinking bad water. You may be thirsty, but it always pays to wait until you can1 '"boil" some water and let it cool, sooner than drink water that may not be good and which will give you some form of intestinal infection, which means going home. If you cannot wait for the boiled water, take a.piece of stick, or a piece, of grassland chew that, but don't chew lollies or anything sweet. Avoid sitting down; on damp or wet ground. Squat, or sit on your hat, or, if possible without fear of trouble, someone else's hat. If you get wet. through, get all your clothe* off as soon as possible and wring ■ them as dry as you" can. If you can change-to dry clothing do so, but if you can't, built a roaring fire, keep yourself warm, and dry out your clothes. One tip here, always carry matches in a waterproof container. You may go all through a camp without wanting them; on the other hand you may want them the very first day.

. There are a ,good number o£ "dontV in camping. See to these: Don't take chances with fire in the bush. See that your camp fire is "out" before you leave. Don't look at the water when crossing a creek on a log; keep your eyes on the log; test the bark before you step. Don't try to ford a swift flowing creek or stream or river unless you know exactly what the water is like immediately below your ford. Don't camp under trees that show dead wood; a large piece might hit your 'napper' when it falls. Don't camp in hollows or in a dry river bed; it may come on to rain heavily or there might even be a cloudburst, and your hollow may become a lake and your dry river bed a roaring torrent. Don't make camp on the low bank of a creek or river. The creek may rise and you will have to break camp sooner than you intended. Don't try .to live on tinned foods in camp: try and cook some decent meals; what have you got that Cook's Badge for? Don't be a dirty -camper; bits of food thrown about may be out of your sight, but the flies see them; burn or bury the bits and certainly bury those tin cans if you have any. Don'f try to do without a bath because you are camping; it is quite easy to carry a large sponge. Don't go into camp without a small medical kit; you don't want much, but it may be useful .Now &r a few "DoV Scoop out a trench in the ground and make your bed in that. If you have not got a sleeping bag, put some sort of weatherproof material between the earth and your bed. Dig a trench round your tent before rain comes; it is much easier and certainly pleasanter, and much better than/ being floated out on your bed. Take an extra yiair of shoes or boots with you; they are good for, a change whether you get one pair wet or.not.

Do remember the old rule -,ior keeping warm m camp. As many blankets under you as over you is the good old rule If you ) get lost, which no Scout should 'do, ? n t [° TZet y°u have a whistle. Three sharp blasts, then a pause, then two sharp blasts, should be understood by any Scout that someone is in difficulty. A few more entries can be taken for the campcraft and the woodcraft competition. Next Monday's first post is closing date, and also for the regatta. Roll up; we can do with some more. The campcraft examiners are all keen and want to see plenty patrols there. A few months ago a car drove up to Roland House and out of it stepped its owner—a well-known London Scouter calling professionally to advise on building repairs. The car stood unattended at our gate, the door giving access to the driving wheel, unlocked as the law requires. Half an hour later I came down the steps with my visitor and found every pocket of the car rifled, maps, compasses, roadbook, and the rest all gone! I was disconcerted. A visitor robbed on the doorstep of Roland House! Looking along the narrow roadway I saw a Scout, a youngster of about thirteen, whose only playground is Steprfey Green. "Hi, Joe. Seen anyone mucking about with this car?" He came up at the double and took 'in1 the situation. "What's bin stolen—is it a. sort of red book with a window in front? I see young Alf with a thing like that." He was 'off like a streak (knowing young Aif's lurking places) and within five minutes comes back with bits of the booty in his hands and a triumphant look in his eyes. "That's a good bit of work, young 'un," said my visitor, putting his hand in his trousers pocket" to do the -usual. "That's all right, sir, I don't want any money, sir," . , . and lie jolly well wouldn't take it. During the nest day or two the boy enjoyed himself thoroughly tracking down and recovering nearly every bit of the spoilbut pressed to take some "recognition" his only concession was "I collect foreign stamps if you've got .any." Returning to Roland House a few days after the incident, I found Joe skylarking in the alley at an hour when every boy Scout ought to be in bed. "What are you doing out at this hour of the, night?" he was amused at the question., but explained quite naturally, "You see, there's firteen of. us at horns and we only got two rooms an' I sleep in the front room an' it's no good going to bed till everyone else is in—so I generally stop up till about 12." By all the medical rules he ought 'to have looked a wreck, but in honest- fact he 6eemed fit enough on it. But with that picture of "home" for background I recalled tho tip refused. Pretty wonderful. We found a way to help a bit. Fixed up with some uniform that arrived from nowhere, Joe accepted an invitation to go to camp with a troop outside East London that wanted a "guest." I've got happy reports of that fortnight.—The Warden.

"Brenting," as set out by the Chief in the "Scouter," opens up a delightful vista of possible adventure and joyous service. It seems a pity to grab such a piece of gossamer and brutally pin it down on the fixing board like .a. butterfly, but Rovers are, taking it big and large, a hard-hearted tribe and a Rover Editor even, outstandingly so.

Shorn of all fripperies, to "Brent" is to take along with, you a passable portable "show" which can be given where needed and for which any moneys collected go to the particular cause the "brenties" are for the moment serving. . This raises one or two. snags. First then, the "passable" show. I think we cannot do better than to study the type of show eiven by the Arts League of Service. These good folk travel the country with a car and carry everything in the way of light curtains for settings,' properties, and costumes, with them.- They have a printed programme giving some two dozen items, one act plays, folk songs in costume, song solos, mimes; and seeing they have ladies in the cast Mime dances also. Wherever they stop arrangements have been made in advance for a .garden, or village hall, or a big room in some house, wherein they can perform. They rig up their setting and give "a selection from the printed repertoire programme, and there it is. To make the show "passable" requires considerable art and practice, "Married to a Mermaid, at the bottom of the Deep Blue Sea" cannot be just sung with gusto, but must be dressed simply and effectively and performed. with verve and drollery. It