THE BOY SCOUTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 90, 15 April 1912, Page 6

THE BOY SCOUTS.

A FOUR DAYS’ OUTING TO NEW PLYMOUTH. SOME SPLENDID TRAINING. The local Boy Scouts concluded on Saturday a four days’ outing, during which they marched from Inglewood to New Plymouth, and from there back to Stratford. The hoys carried with them a blanket, haversack, overcoat, etc., amounting to a weight of about twenty or thirty pounds per Scout. To show how well they marched, it need only be mentioned that they did the fifteen miles from Inglewood to Stratford on Saturday morning in Ghrs. 40min., including about two hours for halts. Offers of assistance on the way by drivers of vehicles were politely but firmly refused, the boys being anxious to see what they really could do, when pushed to ,it. The following is a short account of their trip : The boys were unfortunate at the start in« having wot weather, which delayed their trip so much that they had to start out on Wednesday morning last by train for Inglewood, where they immediately set out for New Plymouth, via the Junction Road. The first halt was made at Egmont Village, the local store undergoing an unprecedented raid. Dinner was prepared at the Meeting of the Waters, every hoy having started out with complete provisions for a day’s march. Shortly after the journey had been recommenced, they were met by Mr Sandford, who had come out from New Plymouth, and who chriililcted them to a camp erected on his property at Yoglotown, which hal been used during' ” the Easter holidays by some New Plymouth Scouts. Some of the ‘hoys then went into New Plymouth to get the necessary provisions for'the next day. Returning somewhat late,, difficulty was experienced in cooking tea at the camp fire after dark had fallen, but all ended well. It speaks' well for the excellent training Lie hoys must have been in, that some' sot'out for the pictures, and returned to wake up the remainder at an hour approaching eleven o’clock. ■ Reveille was sounded at eleven o’clock next morning, and Patrol-Leader Campbell and Scout Hudson distinguished themselves in preparing an excellent breakfast, while the other hoys were marched away to cut wood for the day’s fires. After breakfast the greater numbeD of' the .Scouts paid a visit in charge of their Scoutmaster to the oilwells at Moturoa, where they were conducted round the works by the engineer in charge, ’ and received a great deal of valuable instruction. The party then broke up, each hoy being allowed to spend the rest of the day till tea time as he pleased. The confined quarters of flic camp did not prevent everybody putting in an excellent night’s rest, and all were ready and thoroughly fit for the march home when the morning came.

The trek was recommenced at 10 o’clock, the Scouts setting out by a different route from that which they arrived at Vogletown. A somewhat amusing scene was to be witnessed early on the march, when the plirty, endeavouring to take a short cut, found that the only means of crossing a creek was via the pipe .which supplies New Plymouth with its water supply. It was only a nine-inch pipe, and there was a drop of twentyfive feet for the hoy that missed his footing along its length of forty feet, but it is on record that none of the boys suffered from nerves, and the crossing was made quite as a matter of course. At a spot some two mile; from Egmont Village, while the party was" resting, the occupants of a neighbouring farm brought out a bucketful of apples. This was only one of the very kind actions that the troop experienced ou their marches. A halt was made at Egmont Village for diu-

At Inglewood, owing to the kindness of the local Scou.master and his troop, tents were already erected and a sovoury “hunters’ stew” was being prepared. A fatigue party immediately sot out to cut raupo in a neighbouring swamp, tin’s being found to make hotter bedding than cither hay or straw. Soon after darkness came one the camp was raided by a large party of Inglewood Scouts, who, owing partly to their superior skill and partly to the fatigue of the Stratford hoys, were comparatively successful in entering. The freemasonry of Scout craft was amply demonstrated during the course of the evening, when vari-

ous Scant games and sports were in-

dulged in, the visitors leaving at 10 o’clock after all had spent a most enjoyable evening. The night proved to lie rather a cold one, and few wore sorry to feel The warm rays of the sun once more. At six o’clock a start was made with breakfast, the Scoutmaster being said to have distinguishod himself in making some dumplings out of the remains of the hunters’ stew. The troop were on the road again at 8.35, and marched almost without a break to Tariki. The local storekeeper very generously and thoughtfully “turned on” hot cocoa and biscuits, which were, needless to say, much appreciated. A flout half a mile from Alidhirst another halt was made, this time for dinner. Time the troops made their final “dash for the Pole.” In this case the Pole proved to be the Stratford Post Office, which was reached at 2.55 p.m., the party being dismissed after one of the most pleasant outings on record.