SCOUT NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 151, 14 July 1937, Page 8

SCOUT NOTES

' COMMISSIONER'S LETTER Dear Seouts, — Last. week I wrote to you about the -King's wish that as many Scouts as possible would obtain the King's Scout badge in Coronation year. I have since been reading a des» cription of the Scout eelebrations of St. George's Day at Windsor Castle. Un that day one thousand King Scouts and life-savers marched passed the King, who had with him Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, Queen Ena of Spain, four ltoyal Princesses, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cliief Scout, and Chief Guide. A very impressive service was then held in St. George's Chapel, after* which th© Scouts hled through tlie 0ld Cliapel of the Knights of the Garter and out into the horseshoe cioistered courtyard at the fo.ot of the steps leading up to the westeru door. HLere they jvere addressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Scout. Space wiil not allow me to give you these addresses in full, but here is something to thinb about from each. The Arcnbishop of Canterbury said: "From, the point of view of one who hoids an oifice as ancient as that of the Kmg, and 1300 years older than th© Chief Scout' s (Laxxghter) I need not tell you how tremendonsly interested I have been in your movement ever since it was started. I have always stood at your Chiefs side with syinpathy and with help whenever it was m my power. "JNow, I want .to emphasise how great is your responsibility as members of a world wide movement. You aro not ordinary Scouts, you are King's Scouts, and 1 ask that as you go to your hoiues you will resolve to dedicate yourselves anew to inspiring others with the higliest ideals of your great movement." Tho Chief Scout said: "You are young knights of to-day, pledged in the service and devotion in duty to God and the King. You feliows have carried out the ideal of the example given in the history of St. George. "You have destroyed the dragon and have fought down. the temptation of idling at your work and have succeeded in your quest of becoming King's Scouts, while many of you are lifesavers. You have defeated the temptation of; safety first when danger threatened others, risking your own lives in the quest of helping others j you have followed truly the example of St. George. "You have a concrete example of devotion to God and duty to others in King George whose life is one of selfsacrifice and of serving to all his subjects. Follow the example of your King and you will never go wrong." One thousand King's Scouts and lifesavers — I wonder when we will auain that in New Zealand. The Scouts in Spain are doing good work. The Spanish Chief Scout, who Uves in Madrid, reports that they have all given their services to the hospitals, t.o help with the woundedj they are looking after children whose parents are unable to take care of them ; they have handed over tents and camping sites to the anthorities in various parts of Spain and have done everything in their power to put into practice their Scout promise to do their duty to their country and to help other people at all times. Good on them. Yours ever, "ROBIN HOOD."