BOY SCOUTS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1925, Page 2

BOY SCOUTS

(Contributed), As the normal .strength of Boy Scouts and Wolf Cut's in Hokitika is ninety-six (there arc a few vacant places at present) and most of these hoys keep one- or two parents and an indefinite quantity of brothers and sisters. uncles and aunts and other camp followers who are more or less interested in their exploits, and as scouts have been ill existence otf and on, since pre-war days and there must be a number of adults with scouting memories. not to mention the ladies and gentlemen of the two troop committees and other good friends, 1 am Imping Scouting is of sufficient interest to the community to warrant a lew lines of explanation as to why April 23rd. is a festival not only to Knglislimeit. but to our co-patriots who have already bad their lliug cm March Ist. and 17th. and November ,’ltJtb. as well as on the. New Year i e;pec livc Iv. As representative of Military Scouting but. more especially for bis example of trite c hivalrv, St. George has Icon definitely recognised as the Matron of the Scout Movement from tbe very first. And this quite apart from his connection with Engllslt tradition.

.Strangely enough, the celebration of St. (iearg<”,s Day is the greatest outward link between the Boy Scouts oi all races. liven the .scout, badge is not universal to all nations. In Frame, for example, tne tlcur cle Ivs has a political significance and to avoid confusion a different emblem is adopted. It has now beeme the custom on this dale to exchange greetings with scouts in other parts of the world and even troop; of non-( hristiaus ill various parts of Asia have not disdained to take their part in calling to mind a. hemic example ol the past. It is just their spirit of daring chivalry which lias made pos-ible a new international point of view. At (V-pciihagcn. lastAugust. French and Herman young men. Scout; passionately loyal to their respective lands, were able to camp together and confer with courtesy and mutual respect, and to part with the realisation that faith to Fatherland or Motherland need imt invoice hatred, insolence or distrust to Brotherhood.

Me scouts of Hokitika are conscious enough of out* shortcomings. As the Wolf Cub Howl puts it we’ll do cm best. And the knowledge that in every part of the inhabited earth, others are reaching out to the same ideals should be a licit).

The Seoul Law gives us tbe sometimes overwhelming task of ‘'smiling amt whistling tinder all difficulties.” On this St. George's Day the. following note from the “Cape ArgiU" seems worthy of a place in cur thoughts a.s wo scouts call to mind again our Scout La wfi:

“Lot- me recall one Iragranl memory, it concerns a boy eleven years-old, who (•ante to ns sttfi’ering from a cruel form of cancer. Day and night he sttlforod excruciating pain, and yet never a murmur or sob escaped his lips. He used to smile when the pain was bad. and whistle "hen it be ante almost.- unbearable. Rome of the happiest hours of my life wore* spent by that boy’s deatb-bed. He was a scout, and loved to bear stories of adventure. MV told him c.f Scott, cl Jack Cornwell, of Garibaldi. He would listen intently and his eyes would shine with a new and strange light. One day he asked: “M'ii! there be Scouts in Heaven?’’ Me knew the end was near, and he knew it 100. Just before be died he said. “I i hall not have any more pain now, shall 11” So he went out. There was a smile on his face. He bad met the Great, Adventure. That child was the bravest diet- [ have known.