BOY SCOUTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1922, Page 4

BOY SCOUTS.

THE DOMINION MOVEMENT. FINANCIAL (HELP NEEDED. A well-attended meeting of those interested in the boy scouts movement was held at New Plymouth last night, visitors being present from Stratford and Inglewood. Mr. Percival Witherby, hon. organiser of the Dominion Boy Scouts Association, was present with the object of placing the financial position of the movement, which is in a serious position, before North Taranaki people interested in the movement. The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) presided. An interesting account of the origin and development of the movement was given by Mr. Witherby. The seeds of the movement, he said, were sown during the Mafeking siege in the Boor war, when a band of men, women and children were confronted with imminent danger from enemy fire, sickness and shortage of water. Half-way through the siege Col. Baden-Powell, as he then was, and a great lover of boys, taught the boys to do certain things, such as errands, and their cheerfulness inspired the garrison. These Mafeking boys were called the town scouts, and at the conclusion of the war were thanked by the Mayor for the valuable services they had rendered. Shortly afterwards it was decided to form a huge brotherhood of iboys led by men for the betterment of both. This association has generally prospered ever since. It succeeded because the boys were led by the right men: in the fw cases where it failed it was generally due to the fact that the right meh were not in the position of officers. Sometimes public interest in the district was not deeply stirred, whereas this was required to help the movement along. Then, with the best intentions in the world, denominational feeling was sometimes engendered. But generally if things went -wrong it was not the boys’ fault. Each Dominion conducted its own scout affairs. There were 10,000 scouts in New Zealand, while there were between 200,000 and 250,000 children. The aim was to have 50,000 scouts and 1000 scoutmasters. iSome said the movement smacked of militarism, but far from being associated or identified with, or under the jurisdiction of the military authorities, the association was entirely a separate organisation —nonpolitical, non-denominational and nonmilitary. Young men of 18 years of age, who had qualified as first class scouts, who had been certified by the provincial commissioner as being of good character, and who signed on to serve as officers in the boy scouts’ movement for a period of three years, were exempt from further military drill. The movement was a flue one and inculcated a splendid spirit in our youth. The question of finance was then referred to by the speaker, who said that headquarters had' practically no funds in hand at present. On going into the position it was seen that unless the mass of the people realised what was at stake funds would not be obtained. The press .practically throughout the whole Dominion bad given the gift of their space in helping the appeal for funds and acknowledging subscriptions. •Canvassing had also been done, and he asked that a committee be formed to help raise funds in New Plymouth. In answer to a question the speaker said that the whole position was that, if funds were not provided, it would be necessary to close down the scout work till the money was found. The meeting went indo committee on the question of finance, and after a lengthy disiussion it was decided that, in the opinion of the meeting, the scout movement should be carried on in this district.

It was decided to set up a committee, with power to add, to work in conjunction with the Inglewood, Strata ford and other district representatives to take such steps as are deemed desirable to give effect to the foregoing resolution. The following were appointed: Me? dames Roebuck and Gray, Revs. Beale and Elliott, Messrs. Milne, King, Stratford, Trueman, Duff, Scott, McGahey and Blackhall