“THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE PRIZE.”

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1925, Page 4

“THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE PRIZE.”

HBIZK Iv'SA Y, I!)- I. lie Krimcth hill AlrCren. of Hossall School.; ‘■The Value of the Hoy Seoul .Movement ns n Factor in the Development of the limpin'.” (.'rent Britain ni rjuir<•.l most of her Colonies by either conf|iipst, treaties, ; olon isit t ion. or ilisi overy. In some i uses, such ns India, the liritons arc in the minority, and yet the country is anil lilts been well ruled, mid. except for ocrasiomtlile disturhances. it also seems well contented. In other Colonies, where ihe while lie ii are in the majority, or where the population is evenly divided, the people Heath the light, yoke imposed on them by Creat Britain. I'ew of these ('ninnies are more than three hundred years old: in laet. they are only just beginning to develop and expand. Will'll they were first roloti-i.-ed. the eoioni'-ts bad personal tmwith li. > llomehind. In their hard strn;:;ele with the lories ol Nature and the inhabitants of the country or nmtinent. these men developed a stern, hardy charaeier: yet. throughout their vii issitinlas and struggles. "home'’ meant to them. Ilritnin. When they were sufficiently prosperous, visits lor pleasure w -re exchanged. ami I In' Colony wa - bought very near to the Moth or Country. After two or three ecu ."rations, however, tin. colonists thought less of their ancestors’ home, and inure of their own. The euuntry they had it.lonised l.eeann* more peaeelul ami prosperous, and the Colony l.eeame the .• hi>■ f eentre of l heir interests. It also ranie al.i.nt that the eolmnsts gradually acquired the physical properties ami elia raei.erisl ies of the iidiabitanls of tlie country. and. alter a few generations, each Colony had a cumparatively ilis.t inet ive raee of inhahitants, with interests quite dillerent from men of mini her Colony. When this .stage has l.een reached, the most critical period of a Colony’s development has to he passed. lie. Colony feels the puNc ol nalionalily heatim.; within itself: if was at such a stage that the Colony now called lln I'nited States of America hrnke away I rum us. It is not lor us to discuss the rights and wrongs of each party hilt it would stilliee if we say that the nip! lire 1 mild have l.een avoided il each pariy had mil lieeu sn haughty and unyielding. I'.'acli Colony must reach this period ol exuheraii! e, of seu.-i I iveness. ami licit peri.- ! n,'i ds a si roue hand |t : mitr'd or some oilier means .a' assuagement. Thu ~ alter several centuries. I lie British Kmpire has lieeu Inrun ed: eomp'isi'd of Colonics seailere.l all ever the globe : some won lc. tail means, other- won by foul. vet :d' .uning to make 1111 the greatest Kiepin thill the world has yet seen. A for ciguer is naturally .surprised at the thought of this mighty Knipir". rmiipns.'d of tyues so alien lo one another, mid yet with such loyaltv In one another. and lie a.-ks himself how it can lie so. Ihe explanation is not a simple one. and niihmly can I idly explain I lie se.'ining paradox that a l.rown. llliedllcated native of Borneo and a hloinle. learned. i nil ivated Canadian should lietli he pro'.nl of belonging to an Kmpire. It. may he inexplicable, vet a solution (an I Tered. ’! he v hole -y si le. rests oil the Ims oi 1 I'ieil.; klip I'.'PW li the II Ui. Ils. ieim llted by hi mil. a ml! longue. mid the imiiii' "Briton." and above all. I lie veuerm mu and alle gin me to our S'livereieu. Vet d we refer to hi-tory, every empire has eninihle I ■ lowly, or suddenly i nllapseil -that of Alex. Hiller, the 'lartar. the Turki.-11. I lie Unman. I !:e S'ani-h. have.dl laded in'.i ihe dim in i• I ol antiquity. and are . illy a ■■■-■■,! in paint a 'a lor adorn a i ale. We ask -selves. " Will ours last.'" 'i in- answer will mu he given li'iring i;:ir lifeiime. for we have seen during ihe late war the great proof ol the unite. ilie eoinpli'le devotion of the l''mpir.' lo it“elf. Net iidluonecs ai" at work, worming ih'-ir wav into ihe lahrie of Ihe Km-

j (liiv. SnV.illg -cells o! discontent . Illll- ' >.I• i 1 i:11. uit !i tin* red flan find trail j i• i secret societies and innml degrade • J i imi. j- ill s! 1111 ai i i:*i| il sell in In 11. ■ Env I j.i ii■. It-- Kuril-.- lias uni l.ccii rival, i Vet, as linn' goes mi. il may iimivnsr. | The ( dlniiii'-; may Ic>ri;<• t. tlmii' nld alj legiuine. the In iil I- 111 a l Isold ilia fill - , pile irm In' I *ll -I"!, and the remedy to ! |.|-i• Vi■ 11 1 this has tu he soiighl. Il can I only hi- done liy training ill" younger I gmi nat inn. teaching, il. guiding it. proj 11 •;•! iiiy il. and thi- is the lash lhal ilia ! Boy Scout 111 i ■ 1111 ■> i • is i• i; (h-a \ i >ll l'i 111 jln ful ii I. It began during tlm hirst icn years oh the tiu-ntifl.li century, and ii;- leader is Sir Hubert ll ailan- I'ouell. |h- it was who i i in ailed this idea ol trainin'.:; the hoys id the Empire. At first his el. lari irise was a modc-t one. iI a < nlined liimself m (neat llritain: Init Winn its ilii’ili iiaa 'Ulead: hoys were all raetad. and. ninv they had Kune Sannts, mil hiiiy; could tear ihem IVniii their allegiance. Within twenty years this movement

has grown from a <:inip 'd snina tel bovs tn an immense organisation will its tentacles spreading not only al over the Empire. Init also all over iln World. It is in the Empire. however that its illllueliee is greatest. The ideals laid down by the lendci of the inovenieiit aim at raisin;; ; heelthv and intelligent member ol tin Empire. There are three siih's to tin. movement, the menial, the moral ant: the physical. 'I tie hoy’s outlook is lirmnlened : the whole world ol nature and of -l ienee are his to explore: teachers are ready lo help him. Mis lira in is taught to lie acute, accurate, and flee from any taint. Ilis i liaraetvr i' also looked alter; the ideals which every hov ol a clean and healthy mind should strive alter are shown him, he receives instruction on the moral as well as the mental side ol the ipovonu*n t. Perhaps the side of the moieieent which appeals most tn the nvera.ee hoy is the physical, and this is as it should lie. Murine the last war we were aide to compare the different types its represented liv the soldiers of dillerent

nations. The Australians, Indians. South Africans, and Canadians were all melt of tine physique, used to hardship and well lifted to hard warfare. I lie first British troops were also of line physique. Init as the war went on the j Stock yielded men who were less al.le to hear fatigue. j Mere, again, the great utility of the I Hov Seoul movement is demonstrated. I Picked athletes are not catered for. All { types are taken together. Tests are I made to discover the progress of each Scout, and as time goes on Urn health ut cm Ii improves. Hoys I rein sniokehegmued riiies see the green fields, i-nniji !..-ne:ith ilie star spnngleil tieav-I Jens, a ml breathe the fresh, untainted aii- of i| e country. Thus, the physi- j quo of the average man is hoiug raised to that every T? fit on will he able to take his part if ever the Empire is called upon again to undergo another te»t like that of the Brent War. ! Besides the product ion of a healthy. I intelligent, and moral member ot the ; British Empire, the Boy Eeuiit ninvotiient aims at yet greater things. It realises the necessity to take hoys when thov are young and pliable, anil then train them in sue!', a way thatthey will he free from the selhsh. egotistic aims of youth. -

Th'ns the youths of the numerous t parts of the Kmpire all work under the t same code, they all have the same ] ideals, they feel themselves real mein- i hers of a universal brotherhood—that \ of the British Kmpire. This brother- 1 hood is something real and tangible to ( them, and it is made so by the nppor- < tuniiies for intercourse and comparison i a Horded by exchange ol visits and also f hv that great institution, the .111111- < hiirci'. Here it is that the Scout is in ( his clement : there wo have the British Kmpire perxoililiod 111 the shape ol pick- < ed troops of Scouts from every Colony. Australia. India. South Africa. Cold Coast. Kenya Colony. Canada. Borneo. ] and main- others meet, not in a babel , oi tongue-, hut 111 a pleasant harmon- , ions intercourse and rivalry. There is none of that class hatred so opposite to the true ideal of the Scout. ; ( la-:- is done away with when Scouts meet. Dressed in one common uniform in which the only mark of distinction is a number ol badges lor special merit, the public schoolboy and the guttersnipe meet on an equal looting, du-t a at the Duke of York’s (amp. where all classes meet, .-o at the .'Jamboree; there the real Kmpire i.- seen, keen, all'll. inii.'iiM'ly patriotic, yet at the same time not ofleiisively so; they represent all that i- best in ns. They are the fiii'ees conjured up by the wizard. Ikideu-l’uwell. to support the Kmpire against the hidden attacks ol Cmnniuiij <m ~|- Bolshevism, or whatever name its true purpose is hidden under. Thus, at that time, when each Cul,nv icels temporarily thal il should ea-t oil' ihe yoke of Brilain when ties with the Mother Country have been !oo><‘(l 1 1 s' tjilos til' lin)i;i t I’tut ic • 'owrn--11!<* 11;um1 iK'jilert <>i if' 1 ’ Knipiro llii’ii it i- th;u ilit* true* v.iluo »>l ili<‘ Hoy Seoul niovi'inom would U( v Mppivcisitud if such 11 state Ilf a Hairs were reached ; hut if Ihe movement had been really on foot anmligst the hoys ol Ihe Colony, such a tiling could never hap p,.|i. Till' enemies of the limpin' have ivalised that. and appreciating Cm wi'dom of lie' met hud first inveided by liadeli-Bowell. Coinmllnisi ie schools have been i list iI il lei 1 with Coinmunistie teachers, where children are taught all that is vile, where their minds arc tainted. Ihe'ir ideas subverted, where tj.ev call he brought up in such a way that they will result in becoming true disciples of the "Bed King.” They are taught to revere the emblem ol Bolshevism and to destlise the 1 111011 .lack and the King; to revel in disorder and to despise peace and a well-governed country. It is these whom the Boy Seoul movement will destroy and Stamp out. or else cleanse and receive. It is only hv appealing to the youth of the Colonies, both male and lemnle. that the Umpire can he held togelhel and a true sympathy established between tlm Colonies that go to make it up. Thi.- the Boy Seoul movement • locs, niul in <loin;j; so. it is currying mil :m immi'iis- work. I'-vorv . v, ‘ :ir ll> iuliut-iioo iucrrusfs. mul. ns il (!»:<*> so. it„,ro oood Hi nt*, I .on" may it pmsperl Anil when at lasi its work liareaped its reward anil the Kmpire i> unilie I. may its si.here ever ill.■reuse ■until d emhraees the whole world.