New Zealand Cadets.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 August 1910, Page 4

New Zealand Cadets.

AND JipY SCOUTS. SOME INTERESTING FACTS. The Commandant of the New /enland Junior Cadets has presented an interesting report to the .Minister oi Education I'or the year ended March 31st. In the course of this lie points out that, during the yeai 1909, "the head teachers of all tne bo.vs and mixed schools (public and private) in the dominion, numbering 2231, were asked to supply particulars re the numbers of boys of :atlet ago at their respective schools, anc. to make recommendations' re officers, etc. From the returns received so far there are in the cadot bra noli 419 cadet units and 19,24icadets, and in the scout branch tibe.it are 594 patrols and 5054 scouts, r iw a grand total of cadets and scoiits of 24,300, an increase of 9G14 on last year's numbers. These scouts !r.v. no connection with the Hoy Soon U Organisation: they comprise patrol? formed at the small schools whort it would be difficult to work cade, detachments. "T understand that the controlling authority of t.he Boy Scout Organisation is recommending its units t<> come under the control of this c.epartment, in accordance with tlk regulations for JUNIOR CADETS relating to boy scouts. "Owing to my taking commanc. late in 1909, and in consequence oi the vast amount of reorganisation which f found to be necessary in conso(|uenco of my having takei. over the entire control of the administration, I was only able to inspect a small number of units the vear. "Wherever 1 went I found the officers, non-commissioned officers and cadets enthusiastic in tilieir ivc rk and anxious to learn, but without the necessary means at their disposal. The one outstanding request everywheio was for instruction. To place teaohers without any military experience in command of units, and expert them to learn their work from bonks, so as to enable them to tram and command their cadets, is settin;. them a difficult task. On the ofne. hand, as there are so many unit scattered all over the dominion AX ENORMOUS STAFF of instructors would be required tt enable each unit to be visited at anything like reasonable intervals, an.. the travelling-expenses and allowances would be very heavy. "It is recognised* therefore, tkn the only feasible way of properh traininig the cadets is by so training the officers that they will in turn bi able to act as instructors of thai commands. The appointment ol . sufficient staff of peripatetic ,'nstr io tors for all the units would involv» considerable expense. "To meet this difficulty provision was made in the regulations for flu formation of a Cadet Officers' Training Unit at each of the training col leges in the Dominion, by means o. whicih all the male students at thesi colleges can be so trained as to 1 them to take tip positions as cade officers at the schools to which t 1 i may subsequently bo appointed. I am glad to record that Cadet Ofhcers' Training Units have already been formed at Auckland and Wellington, and it is expected that the other centires wall soon follow. "As there are, and <will for maio years be, a large number of cadet officers who will not pass throng], these colleges, it is intended to holu officers' training-camps annually ai Auckland, Meliliington, Christchurch. Nelson, and Dunedin, fo<r about a week's duration, and in conjunction ■with the Cadet Officer's Train - hl Units."