COMMISSIONER'S LETTER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 158, 22 July 1937, Page 14

COMMISSIONER'S LETTER

EOBIN

HOOD,

Dear Scouts,— I have been reading in "The Scouter" this week about a troop of blind scouts dn Edinburgb. What stsikes oue most in reading about their activities is the complete absenee of regard. for safety first. by tho boys — not by the authorities, of course. The writer of the article saw these boys running races, playing footbail, siuewalkiug a horizontal pole and doing practically all the activities of sighted scouts. Their blind scoutmaster, Hamish Lockhead, deciares. "Safety first is iine for road users, but it didn't make the Empire. It won't make our blind schools, and it won't make our blind troops. ' ' So from the start these scouts know that they have to take risks up to a point so as not to be depeudent on others, and that they must scout like you and 1. And scout they dol In six out of the last seven years they have got in to the finals in their district competitione, wliich include camping. They also do well in the swimming galas, and dn both are judged by exactly the same standards as their sighted brothers. Every summer they go to camp. Lasl year they hiked 25 miles away with all their camping gear on a trek-cart in two days, returning in one. The year before they did 27 miles in two days and returned in one. How many of you chaps with two eyes feel like hiking 27 miles in one day, leaving the trekcart out of the bargain? 1 have not seen many of you doing it, and I have never done it myself. But next summer I hope to see more of you hiking to camp. It is great fun. Esk Troop did it two years ago, and there was general regret when this year timo would not permit it. But we are planndng to hike again this commg summer if all goes well. I have had a week of attending committee meetings, very dull business, but very impbftant. Both in Napier and in Hastings the cry was, "We must have a scout hall of our own." And so we must. We have all worked under diflieulties for a long time, and to our halls of our very own in Nanier and Hastings still sounds a dream of the future. But we must make it a reality. and every scout must pull his weight. Next time your court of honour meets 1 hope they will consider that your troop can do to help, and then get at it.—

Youre ever,