USES OF AN AXE

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

USES OF AN AXE

'-'BIG

SMOKE."

It is a peculiarity 'of boys that, wben given . an axe to use or merely hold, they promptly etaxt chopping at any odd ' bit .of timber that lies within range. Whatever'it may be, whether a live 'tree or some other useful thing, it suffers the same fate. It is one of thejobs of a scouter to try to get into the mihds of his boys that an axe is a tool that has great uses and that should be caref ully looked after and nsed, I can- safely say that , Scouts are getting this idea into their heads, and we certainly do not see the hacking of trees wherever Scouts camp. That result is largely due to the special training. that a Scout has tp have-in-the use and care-of an axe before he gets his fust-class badge. These chaps hava something to say if. they. see a newcomer, or Tenderfoofc, playing the fool with an axo. But you. Tendorfecfc and sccond-class Scouts, let oue telling;be cnoiigli. And surely, however new a chap may be. wo do expect you to have. some -thought as 1 to where you jam your exe. A tree with a chunk taken out" of it Iooks bad enough, but to-day at our Rissington eamping ground - 1 saw a pioce taken with an axe out of the- big bldck of timber that forms the. altar top in tho little chapel that we have built for on^ Scout sorvices when in' camp. You all

know what that little railed-off spot is for,-if you have eyes, and to go in and chop that. kind of thiug is beyond mere foolishness. Every Scout that I have seen take3 a real pride in making that place look nice, and there is a lot .of work put in there, so let ue see that the work of so many Scouts ls not spoilt by any thoughtless fellow. — Cheerio.