SCOUT NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 7

SCOUT NOTES

(By “Tenderfoot.”) There are always complaints that it is difficult to interest parents in Scouting. They like to think. that Jack is being made a promising citizen, with love of country awakened, and made to be useful in a hundred different way's; but how many are there who will themselves lend a hand? One writer thinks it is because they find Scout gatherings dull—plenty to interest maybe, the boys, but little for adults who in these busy days cannot afford to waste time. He suggests that fathers who can do things should be asked to help. Experience, he says, has taught him that a lot of support can be got from fathers whose job is carpentry, plumbing or electrical work. Many would readily impart their knowledge to the boys were they asked to do so. It is an idea perhaps many have not considered. It serves a dual purpose—parents become interested in the troop and they serve it in a profitable manner. It is worth trying. It is a wonder more Scouts do not make use of “Scout’s Pace” in everyday life, says P. Haydn Dimmock. He adds: It is a comfortable method of getting over the ground. It seems that once they have passed the required test for the second-class badge, they most promptly forget all about it. Tile test requires that you cover a mile in 12 minutes at Scouts’ pace, which is alternate running and walking. Maybe you can do it in less than 12 minutes. Have you timed yourself several times to see how long it takes on an average? It is a useful guide also for measuring distance. Regarding the above, at an annual competition in England, a Scout was asked by his Scoutmaster why lie was four minutes late on his Scout’s pace. “Well,” he replied, “I generally do alternate walking and running from one lamp-post to another, but there i weren’t any lamp-posts,” and not being very good at judging distances, he was four minutes late. Practise your Scout pace; it is good fun and good exercise, and helpful in many ways. A new and profitable pastime is fast becoming popular amongst Scouts in England. It is known as “Gaiking.” The word evolves from the words game and hiking, a part of each. It means that when parties go hiking they have games. Hiking can he a dull tiling —it all depends on the type of tlie hikers. Hence to liven things up and make the outing more jnteresting and enjoyable, games at intervals are introduced. For " instance, the Scoutmaster issues an order to each Scout in the party: “When you arrive at (place named) your Scoutmaster will expect you immediately to prepare for a chariot race. Each patrol must enter a ‘chariot’ complete with ‘driver’ and two ‘horses.’ Chariots should be prepared as per illustration (draw what is required) using Scout staffs.” Such outings are growing in favour every week, and, once begun. Scoutmasters will find hundreds of. ways to make tile events attractive I and enjoyable. Perhaps we shall soon hear of “Gaiking” in the Manawatu area.

BE PREPARED. When schoolboys were playing an impromptu game of cricket at Wyke Regis, near Weymouth, a master who was passing caught sight of the “ball” and asked to see it. It was a bomb. One of the boys had found it in a field near the school, and thought it was an old door knob. TROOP NOTES.

All Saints’ Troop.—The weekly meeting opened at 7.5 p.m. with a good attendance. After inspection had concluded, each boy’s handicraft for the Labour Day rally was inspected. A very good response was shown and if this continues we should win the Brittain Shield. This was followed by a practice of the Dominion liaka in preparation for the visit of Commissioner Cooksey next Friday. Next was played a game of pulling down socks in the dark. Work in the corners was carried out, during which period five boys passed their Kim’s game test. The evening was concluded with two games of dodgeball before flag-down and Court of Honour.