THE PRESENT CRUSADE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 4, 28 September 1937, Page 14

THE PRESENT CRUSADE

The present crusade, like that of J212, is again the outcome of the enthusiasm of boys and of their spirit of advantiire m a great cause. That cause is the establishment of peace in tne world by peaceful means, which their fathers — like ' the Crusaders of old — have failed to achieve through armaments and leagues. The peaceful meanis are not those of weak-kneed protest, but of mutual goodwill brought about by personal understanding, through frank and wholehearted boyish friendships in a world wide Brotherhood, . . For this- reason we have in the Scout and Girl Guide movement- held many frequent "Crusades." Every/ four four . years . we hold an international jamboree at which boys from all countries como in their thousands to live together in camp and so get to know each other ' and form personal friendships. . Every year we see two or three smaller jamborees, that is'to say national eamps in oue country or another ; lu which Scouts from other countries are invited. And they come! For instance, during thia summer, sueh a national jamboree has been held in America at Washington. This . was attended by some 27,00U Scouts comiug not only from the Unite'd States, but from Canada, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, France and Great Britain. An encouraging point is that boys uant to come and pay their own expenses to do so. ' • . Even without special jamboreeg continual interchanges of visits • go on. Small groups of British Scouts make their way abroad every year to visit their brother Scouts in other countries. A more recent and important outcome has been that of Rover Moots, where the Kovers — that is, the Scouts of eighteen and over — from. all cou'htries, go into camp together and discuss matters which app'eal to them as c-iti-zene of their respective countries. Three years ago some 780 British Scout and Guide officers chartered ,a ship and visited five countries round the Baltic. They were received by their opposite numbers with the greatest cordiality and hospitality. So successful was the voyage that another was organised for the following year, when the cruise made as its objeetive the different Scout and Guide countries round the Mediterranean, and with equally inspiring results.