COMMISSIONER'S LETTER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 140, 30 June 1937, Page 9

COMMISSIONER'S LETTER

Dear Scouts.-— I expect you are all feeling aa I am feeling myself. How are we going to get on without "Little John?" He has been our happy and helpful advaser for so long, pushing us on to do our jobs better, and always there to help any troop or pack that wanted a hand, It seems hard to picture Hawke's Bay without him, and I can assure you that I, who have taken on his job, feel that it will be far from easy to follow after such an enthusigstic Country Commissioner. When "Little John" started Scouting somewhere about 1012 I was -a sraall boy, too small to be even a Woif Cub." I used to watch bim and diis little troop going off on Saturday. afternoons and JSundays. There were only sax or sevon of them, but in some ways I feel thoy did far more real scouting than we do to-day. To me there seemed to be dozens of week-end camps, afternoon rambles and wide games, both by day and also by night. Another thing I remember was that each scout hd his own little billy that each scout had his own little billy that of his uniform. Nowadays that sounds rather a rattly and funny idea, but it does show that they were real out-of-doors s,couts. They had their troop room, too of course. It was a two-room whare, that they had built themselves. One room was a workshop for - carpentering, and the other was a comfortable room with chairs and table, also of their own make, and a joMy library -too: Another activity that 1 have not seeu any other troop undertake was horse- • manship. They put up a jump n'etir their hut, over which would go, sometimes the horse, sometimes the scout, and oecasionally both! I was just going to start Cubbing with "Little John" when the war started, and * that ' put an end to that idea. -"Little John" went away with the firet contingent, but the troop still kept going till, one by one, the Fatrol Leader, becond, and all the senior scOuts, -as they grew old enough, followed their gcoutmaster to servo their .country. . "Little John's" first scout job attor the war was with the Havelock Troop, and then quite shortly afterwards- ho started the Puketapu Troop. He was still with that troop when he was appodnted Commissioner in charge of the New Zealand scouts to the World Jamboree at Arrowe Park, England. Shortly after he returned he was put in charge of Hawke's Bay. He has held that position ever since. As you all know, "Little John has been appointed Commissioner for Training for New Zealand— a very big job which will mean a lot of travolling about, and he felt that he could not do this job properly and look after Hawke's Bay as well. So, though he is uot our Commissioner any longer, we will still see quite a lot of him. I know he will always be very willing ho help us where he can, and we should bo happy of New -Zealand. * As youjr new Comrdissioner I hope to get round and see you all at work as soon as I can. Though it ds winter time I hope }ou are not doiug all your scouting indoors. There is plenty that can be donc outI gide as well. It is much more plelsant to do Scout 's Pace, for instanco, in eool weather than in the heat of summer, and just beeause you passed it in the Second Class test is no reaso.u for you not to lceep at it. Have yoii ever tried to do four miles in forty-eight niinutes, no more and no less? It's not as easy as it sounds.' — Cbeerio, and I hope to see you soon. "ROBIN KOOD."