SCOUT NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 21095, 29 May 1930, Page 4

SCOUT NOTES

(By

Pathfinder.)

[This. column will be published regularly in the Southland Times on Thursday. Scouts are requested to'cut out these notes and insert in a scrap book for future reference.] The 1929 figure for scouts in New Zealand is JO,BOS. In 1923 the figure was 5,272, so that our figures have increased 100 per cent, in six years. >■ What will be the figure for 1930? Numbers are important, but efficiency is more important still. It is far better to have a small well-trained troop than a large one indifferently trained and inefficient.

Scouts have the privilege of wearing the uniform, and of belonging to an organization of about two million boys throughout the world. In return we ask each boy to make himself an efficient scout, to know his work, pass his tests and earn his badges. All scouts should know: 1. The Boy Scouts’ Association is a body incorporated by Royal Charter. 2. The Patron is his Majesty the King. 3. The President is the Duke of Connaught. 4. The Chief Scout is Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell (pronounce as if written “Bar-den-Pole”). > 5. The Patron of the New Zealand section is his Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral, Lord Bledisloe. 6. The Dominion Chief Commissioner is Colonel Fenwick, of Christchurch. 7. The Chief Scout will be visiting New Zealand in February-March of next year. On account of his health and advanced years he' will be able to visit the four chief centres only. We hope a strong party will travel from here to greet him in Dunedin.

8. The District Commissioner for Southland is Mr Hall-Jones.

A WORD. TO PARENTS AND OTHERS. You have a son, a grandson, or a nephew. If these notes have not already caught your eye, he will very likely have cut these notes out of the paper and shown them to you. Are not the above notes of considerable interest to him, and you?

Your boy is say 8 years or upwards. Is he going to make a success of life? Will he be trustworthy, straight, cheerful, thrifty? At an early date I shall recount how the scout movement will help him in these matters.- In the meantime, and to remove any possible misconceptions I would point out: 1. The scout movement is non-military. No scoutmaster is permitted to wear any military equipment. 2. The scout movement is non-political, and permits no class distinction.

3. The scout movement is non-sectarian and its policy has received the approval of the heads of ALL leading religious denominations.

Next week: The aims and working policy of the association. The Scout Camping Ground.

Through the courtesy of the City Council a camping ground of five acres near Oreti Sands has been allotted to the Boy Scouts. The site is - half a mile beyond, and directly in line with the bridge over the Oreti River. After crossing-the bridge go some little distance along the Oreti Sands road, turn off to the right along a wheel track, which leads to the; camping ground. A rally of all Invercargill Scouts will be held at the camp site on Tuesday, June 3, the King’s Birthday, subject to fine weather...

Transport will be available at the corner of Clyde and Tweed streets at 9.30 a.m. Scouts .should assemble there (or elsewhere if so arranged with scoutmasters) and bring food for the day, also a spade or some other tool if possible. Trees, shrubs, etc., will be planted.

Parents and friends are invited to visit the camp in the afternoon.