Boy Scouts and Cubs

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 19 November 1927, Page 15

Boy Scouts and Cubs

By

“Pathfinder”

THE CAMP FIRE. Did you ever watch the camp fire, When the wood has fallen low, And the ashes start to whiten Round the embers’ crimson glow; With the night sounds all around you Making silence doubly sweet, And a full moon high above you That the spell may be complete? Tell me, were you ever nearer To the land of heart’s desire. Than when you sat there thinking, With your feet before the fire? Perhaps the most impressive feature of a Scout camp is the evening camp fire. At this time, the highest spirit of comradeship prevails, bringing more to the fore that “a Scout is a brother to every other Scout, and a friend to all.” Only those who have experienced this happy close to a day’s programme in camp can fully realise the joy of it all. One can always recall the evening around the camp fire, when the dusk has fallen, and the flames throw red lights and shadows on the faces of those around you:; the songs, the yells, the stories, and, at the close, the simple, reverent prayer—all these leave a lasting impression on your heart and mind; a fund of happy memories, lasting a life-time. -The “SCOUT.” CLIVE TROQP. During the last few months, under the able control of our Sub. and his assistants, our Troop has been progressing favourably. Although we are a comparatively small Troop, we are becoming firmly established in Clive. The Scouts are learning to splice ropes, make nets, ropes and do much other useful work. Our one advantage over city Troops is that we are so conveniently situated that we are able to hold moonlight parades without any disturbance whatever. Much fun is derived from these parades, and I can assure you that they are most thoroughly appreciated by the Scouts. These we hold quite frequently, as I firmly believe it creates a keener sense of Scouting in the boys.

A large gathering of Scouts and parents was held on Guy Fawkes night at Whakatu, where the Scouts celebrated the sth of November with much enthusiasm. Boys provided their own fireworks. After an enjoyable evening, the boys were treated with a light refreshment kindly provided by the Chairman of Scout Committee, Mr. W. Tucker, at his residence. The boys then dispersed, fully satisfied with a good evening’s enjoyment. CUB PACK. Mention must be made of the Wolf Cub Pack, which is well on its way to success. There are now twelve Cubs in the Pack. The secretary reported I that the . subscriptions are gradually I rising. PAKI PAKI TROOP. S.M. R. Bateman has handed in his resignation to the Troop Committee, as he cannot give the movement the time necessary now that the busy season is on him. His committee fully appreciate the fine spirit shown when he stepped in and took charge of the troop when they were without a leader, and on behalf of all Scooters we would say, “ Thanks, Mr Bateman.” Mr. J. Dawson, who has been through every stage of the game in the Home Country, has taken over the troop. HASTINGS Y.M.CA. CUB PACK. The Cubs are right on the job these days, preparing for “Parents' Day,” on November 26th, when there will be an exhibition of Cub work and play, and also presentation of badges. Afternoon tea is to be provided, and the boys are looking to see a crowd of grown-ups come along and get the “cubby” feeling. D. Brodie has been made a sixer and D. Hursthouse, Senior Sixer. CAMPING GROUND. The committee appointed to investigate the proposed scheme to establish a permanent camping ground at Roy's Hill, for the use. of Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and kindred assocatiions, has held several meetings in Hastings. Last w'eek, after conferring with Scout Masters and Troop Committees, when the matter was fully discussed, it was decided to hold the proposal over in the meantime. Now then, you Scouters, if you really want these facilities you’ll have to get together and raise your voices or this splendid opportunity may be lost. THE CHIEF SCOUT YARNS. ißy Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Bt.) When boys are getting big they generally want to show off and impress other boys with their “manliness”— or at least what they think is manliness. It generally begins with smoking. ’They think it fine to smoke, so they suck and puff at cigarettes, partly because they are cheap, and partly because a pipe would make them sick. The reason why half of them do it is because they are little cowards, and are afraid of being laughed at by the other boys if they don’t do it. They think themselves tremendous heroes, while in reality they are little asses. Then they like to use swear words, because they think this makes them appear tremendously ferocious and big. Also they think it the height of manliness to tell smutty stories and to talk dirt. But these things don’t say much for the boy who does them. He generally curls up and hides them directly a man is present. He produces them only for swanking in the presence of other boys. This shows that he is not really very proud of his accomplishments, and the boy who has a sense of honour in him knows at once that such things are against his conscience-law and he will have nothing tn do with them. This often pats hint in a difficult position when among boys who «£«

showing off, as they will be ready to jeer at him; hut if he has honour and pluck—in a word, if he is a true Scout—he will brave it out, and, as a result, he will come out the only real man of the party. Then the probability will be that, though they do not show it at the moment, some of the others will see that he is right and that they are wrong, and will pluck up courage themselves and follow his example in being clean and straight. If, by his conduct, a Scout can in this way save one fellow, he will at any rate have done something in the world.

You may think there is no harm in a little joking of a risky kind, or in the occasional secret smoking of a cigarette, although you allow it may be silly. But if you look into it. and especially when you have, later on, seen results such as I have seen come of it, you will at once understand that there is great harm—great danger in it. It is the beginning; and the beginning of anything is very often the important point. If you talk or listen to what is wrong you get to think about what is wrong, and very soon you get to doing what is wrong. By doing things which you would not care to do before your father or mother, you are becoming a bit of a sneak. You do these things scretly; you are not straight. A fellow who is not straight at starting is pretty sure to go on being crooked for the rest of his career. Be a man! Keep off these dangers. THE ROY’S HILL. WHAT’S HAPPENER? Tho proposal to establish a Scout Camp on a 27-acre lease of land at Hoy's Hill, on th e banks of the Ngaruroro, for some reason or another seems to bo hanging fire. The idea which was developed to a practical stage by Messrs W. J. Howe and F. Ferrin, who secured the lease of the ground from the Hawke’s Bay Rivers' Board at a pepper corn rental, for the- use of Scouts, Guides and kindred bodies, was taken up with enthusiasm, but tho work of putting this excellent scheme into operation seems to have come to some unexplained halt.

They do these things differently in the United States, where they throw themselves whole-heartedly into any movement caculated to benefit their communities as demonstrated by the following extract from an American paper.

• ‘ A deed to 10,000 acres in Sullivan County, to bo mane inio a Boy Scout Camp, has just been handed to Justice James C. Cropsey of the New York State Supreme Court, chairman of the Camp Site Committee of the ’Boy Scout Foundation here, on behalf of the Boy Scouts organisation. The land cost approximately 400,'J00 dollars. It will be one of the largest, if not the largest. Boy Scout camp in the world. Indeed, there will be 62 camps or 32 more than tho present requirements of tho organisation in this State, according to Justice Cropsey. “The territory is densely wooded, abounds in lakes and streams and its maximum elevation is 1300 feet, providing, according to engineers who investigated it, ideal locations for camp sites, and one that could be used as a model for other cities in planning their camps. “A new feature of the camp,’’ said Justice Cropsey, “is that it will function all the year round. No longer will New York boys have to wait until summer to get away from the congestion of the city, but may enjoy themselves out in the open and around the roaring fireplaces in tha log cabins which will dot the camp. “Work on the new camp will start immediately. We are contemplating the expenditure of 300,000 dollars for mess halls, sanitation and water systems and the clearing of ground for tents and athletic fields. We expect to have everything in readiness when the exodus of youth to camp begins next summer.”

PERCIVAL L. J. DAVIES.— The eminent elocutionist and entertainer of note in the elocutionary and vocal art, also director of the Australian repertory players, will be giving an elocutionary recital in the Municipal Theatre at an early date, and also opening an elocutionary studio in the Cosy de Luxe Picture Theatre on Thursday, November 24 th, and is

prepared to receive a limited number of single and class students during his brief slay in Hastings. He will be in attendance at the studio on Thsurday, November 24th from 10 to 12 noon 1.30 p.in. to 4.30 and 7.30 to 8.30. An early interview is necessary. Further details appear in the advertising columns.