BOY SCOUTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1924, Page 4

BOY SCOUTS.

(Contributed)

The 2nd Troop bad a good afternoon out-of-doors last Saturday. The paper chase ended in the capture of the Hares after about half an hour’s run, but the rest of the afternoon tens spent in various scout games in which stalking, taking over, tracking etc. all played a part. The 2nd Pack luui a few of their C’uhs camping at South Spit from Friday to Sunday and although cumbers were low a long weekend resulted in plenty of fun and some satisfactory work. Scout C. Richardson passed his tests for his First Star and the others made good progress in the same direction.

The Ist Pack has been busy recruiting lately and a fourth six has been formed. According to the latest figures tlie Ist and 2nd Packs are now cqu.il in numerical strength and there is keen rivalry as to which pack shall first complete to 21 hoys. The two packs expect to meet next Saturday on the football lie Id and a warm game is confidently expected. The Hoy Scouts Dominion Headquarters have decided that iL is not desirable to form a Local Association in Hokitika at present, hut that the respective Troop Committees should make themselves completely responsible for scouting in the district. It is therefore important that these Committees should he strengthened from outside as well as inside the ranks ol parents of Sunils and Cubs. The 2nd Troon Committee hold their quarterly general meeting on Thursday. duly did in the Scout Room next to the swimming hath, and extern! a cordial invitation to any ladies or gentlemen interested in the welfare of the future citizens of Hokitika to attend. The moot in" will stsirt ;it 8 p.in. and it is hoped that additional members for tlie Executive Committee will come forward. There tire two troops: of Scouts in the town—the Ist Troon being an old established institution, nearly back, I believe, to pre-war days, while the 2nd Troup is a young but sturdy infant oT a mere nine months. Each troop has a pack of Cubs (younger scouts) attached, the Ist and 2nd Packs having been started last spring. The troops ami packs at full strength will together be responsible for some !’() or RIP boys, and at the moment the whole of the work is in the hands of three adult scooters, one of whom will be leaving the town within a few weeks. Each troop IS probably a few under strength, so that St) is a fair estimate of the actual number of hoys training themselves at present as Scouts and (tins; and hearing in mind that this is a spare time occupation it will he seen how impossible it is to get really satisfying results without more help. As a

start, quite a lot of the work of organisation could ho handed to the Troop Committees, and lull support for these is surely lint ton much to expect.