CHIEF SCOUT’S TRIBUTE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1931, Page 2

CHIEF SCOUT’S TRIBUTE

AN EXAMPLE FOR. YOUTH OF

COUNTRY

AUCKLAND, February 20

His aspirations to develop in the youth of the world the team spirit, which was so strikingly illustrated in New Zealand on the occasion of the recent earthquake, was described by Lord Baden-Powell in his response to tile civic welcome in the Town Hall this afternoon. The Chief Scout paid a tribute to the courage of New Zealanders, and said that no other colonials equalled them in that respect. Lord Baden-Powell said it seemed only yesterday that he was in Auckland last. He thought that by now the people had ‘•found him out.” (Laughter). He appreciated the welcome because it went farther than appreciation of his work—it went out to the boys and the girls and the men and the women who were behind the Scout movement, and it gave them encouragement to know that the citzens were in sympathy with the movement. He assured his hearers that he was in daily contact with Auckland when at Home, because thir. ty years ago the people of the city presented him with a beautiful writing table, before which be sat almost every day of bis life,

"SHADOW OVER THE LAND.” He and Lady Baden-Powell came to New Zealand and saw everything looking beautiful, but they realised that tliere was a shadow over the land, They felt deep sympathy with their fellow subjects of this country. At the same time, lie believed that New Zealand, being a young country, was in the end going to he of tremendous help to the nation. There was a big consolation about that. When the people looked hack after the few months of sorrow, it would lie realised throguhout the world what a nation the Empire had coming up in the Dominion—a nation of splendid men and women who could face trials in a way that lie did not believe any other country could do. The spirit shown in time of adversity meant that in New Zealand there was a virile nation which would make its name among the nations of the world. Tn the Scouts, they had lost some of their young hoys, but they had gone to a happier land, and the Scouts would try to emulate that, spirit and splendid example that had been shown by the people of the Dominion. They would try to produce the same character in the boys and girls of to-morrow, and try to make a nation that was going to he really n nation among the nations of the world, and a great jewel in the Empire,

INTERNATIONAL DROTHKBHOOD

Lord Rsultm-Powell said that ho knew New Zealanders under trying circumstances—all classes of colonials had served with hi nl — a nd for pluck and courage they had no equal, He had great hope for tile gefipt move, ment in New Zealand. The spirit that was among thp people now was going to help, Its ndvnnee was the only hope for peace in Europe, There were bitter feelings mill extant, and they were growing. In some cases, countries which felt that they had not been treated justly in the last war were only waiting for another war to win back what they considered their rights, There was a will to make treaties and bring about disarmament, but he believed that those measures to preserve peace were absolutely futile til] the spirit of the people wishing for peace was built up, and that was what the Scout movement was aiming at with the next generation. Lord Baden-Powe|l repeated that he had tremendoufi admiration for the way the people of New Zealand rose to the occasion to assist those in the stricken areas. A fine spirit of team work was shown. Jealousies which had existed seemed to have died down, and everyone had worked together in wonderful fashion. That was the spirit that the Scout movement hoped to inculcate into the boys and girls.