WITH THE BOY SCOUTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 6

WITH THE BOY SCOUTS

Two interesting visitors at present in Auckland are Mr. A. V. Windsor, District Commissioner for Torres Straits, and Mr. G. S. White, of the Canadian Highlander, Scoutmaster of the 96th Montreal Troop. Last Monday afternoon, accompanied by Commissioner Boswell, they called at the Wigwam and gave an outline of Scouting in their parts of the world. Mr. Windsor stated that Scouting in Torres Straits commenced at Badu Island three and a-half years ago with a troop of 17 boys. There are now six troops of Scouts, one Cub Pack and a Rover Crew, and also four Girl Guide companies, all Torres Straits Islanders. In Badu there are over a hundred Rovers, Scouts .and Cubs, while the other troops average between thirty and forty boys.

The Torres Straits Islanders are closely allied to the Papuans and do not resemble the blacks on the mainland. The official uniform is not worn, but the Scouts are clad in khaki shirts, red lava-lavas and brightly coloured ties, vivid shades appealing to them and forming a pleasing contrast with their dark skins. There is little discipline in the boys’ homes, and Scouting is therefore proving of great value in their moral training. On Badu Island the boys have a Scout den, 50 by 30 feet and made completely of grass. Scout Samat, of Badu, recently won the gilt cross for life-saving, and was presented by Sir John Goodwin, Governor of Queensland, when he was visiting the island. Mir. Windsor is an old Auckland Scout. He was associated with the Alberta Troop, which disbanded several years ago. Mr. White has charge of a community troop, in a suburb of Montreal, and it is known as the 96th Montreal Troop. There are also Girl Guides, Brownies and Wolf Cubs, and a strong committee. Montreal has 120 troops, with about

4,000 Scouts, while the Girl Guides are equally strong. One of the big features is the permanent camp at Laurentian, 50 miles from Montreal, and covering about 350 acres. The land includes woods, a lake two miles long, permanent buildings with reading-room, library, dining hall, electric light and water supply, and a fleet of 25 boats for use on the lake. The camp is open during the whole of the summer holidays, and troops may remain for the complete period if they so wish. It is now nearly eighteen years since it was established, and there has never yet been a serious accident. The Montreal Scouts have their own shops where uniforms and all Scouting gear may be procured. They also conduct Christmas toy shops and canvass the district collecting all the old toys that are available. These are remodelled, the Guides undertaking to dress the dolls, and the work goes on for two months before Christmas. The object is to distribute 1,000 parcels among poor children, and children of new settlers, and the boys and girls throw themselves wholeheartedly into the work. In Canada there are now 75,000 Scouts (including Cubs and Rovers) as against 16,000 in 1914, with the main headquarters at Ottawa. The Canadians are deeply interested in the movement, and the troops are never lacking in financial assistance. District Headquarters reports that all Christmas camps were carried out successfully in spite of the rain. The St. Heliers Cubs chose Ostend, Waiheke, as their site, and went into camp in charge of Cubmaster R. Watson.