BE PREPARED

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 166, 15 August 1929, Page 8

BE PREPARED

HAWKE'S BAY BOY SCOLT ASiSOCIATIOX. AXXUAL MEKTJNG HELD. The annual niceting of tlie Hawke's Baj- Boy Scoul Association was held in the Trocadeio Tea Rocnis la>t evening. when a gixal attondance was prc.sided over by jlr J. H. Ediuundson. Tlie eoiiiniissioner, the Rev. H. B. Huglies, gavo a voiy roniproliensive review oi tlie work accomplished during the year. The uiovement, he said, was never so fiounsliing as at the present time. Xew troups had been estahlslied at Eriniley and Taradale and were po-ogressmg well. Among the outstancling cceiits oi ihe year was the [jenny-a-day selieme. which had been liistruniental in sending a goodly share of tlie Hawke's Bay Boys to the hig jamborte in Englatnl. The establisiuuent oi a Scout headquarters in -Messrs Areh. Clarks' Buildings, which were opened to tlie .Scoul. s hy tlie geneix>sity oi 51 r ( . O. .Morse, was also mentioned as a grcat step towards a permaneut lieadquaters lor tlie boys. During the vear two distriet 8c out - master.-. oue lor Napier and oue for Hastings, had heen appointed and j these apiioirit nients would do much to- ! wards consolidating tlie work already done. Woll' Cub packs showed a great increase during tlie year and this was verv important as it was from these that the future Scouts would be drawn. The commissioner eulogised ^ the works oi" the Hawke's Bav Scoutmastcrs' Association, which had been a tower of strength, and had necomplishcd a greal deal towards better organi.sation among tlie troops, and more unilorm staiidanls of work. Tlie doparture of the Rcv. C. E. Hyde was made tlie suhjcct of special mention b.v the commissioner, who saicl tliat thci jlov. Hyde had lieen a veritable 'giant- in the amount of work he had done for Scouting in tlie distriet. He had heen secretnry of the Scoutmasters' Association. the Scout Association, and tlie .lamboree Committee. as well as conducting his own troop. Tlie r.hief difficultips tliat had been faced were those of ohtaining men as Scoutinasters and the acquirement of suitahle meeting jilaces. However. most- of those trouhles were now being overcome, and with the return of the j amboree boys there should be less diffieulty in respect to the former. Xothwithstanding, New Zealand is tlie best officered country in tlie world, the commissioner said. The total strength of the distriet w-as now 390 of all ranks. Badge work was being well maintained hy the various troops, and in this respect additional examiners, and a badge seeretary had heen appointed. Altogether the Scout movement in the distriet was showing a healtby growth , concluded Mr Hughes, and he wished to heartily thank all those who had helped him to attain the results outlined above. As for the future of Scouting, he was sure that it would eoutiiiue to progress as it liad done in the past. The election of officers resultecl as follows : — Patron, Mr J. Yigor Brown ; 'nresident, Mr P. Ashcroft: vice-presklents, Messrs W. E. Barnard, L. S. IMcClnrg, P. W. Peters. AY. L. Foster, K. McLeay, X. Kettle, Colonel Hislop, A. R. C'nllen, G. Husheer. ,1. H. Absolum, 6. Baker, P'ottcr OI ark, T. Mason. Chambers,' .J . O. Bryant. J. H. Edmundson, F. J. Johnston, H. R. French, G. Roach, G. F. Roaeli, O. H. Bisson, connnittee, E. H. T. Dunn, A- E. Bedford, J- A. L. Hav. A. B. Hurst, .1 . M. Geddis, W. D. Johns. F. O. Maynard, T. H. Ringland. J. Young, E. Dutton, and all chairmeu of trooj[) committees; lion. secretarv, Mr F. E. R. Long : trustees. i\Iessrs A. B. Hurst and A. E. Bedlord. The eliairmaii said that in view of the approaching doparture of the comliitssioiier from ihe distriet, it would be necessar.v to appoint a new commissioner or to appoint an actingcommissioner until sueli time as a permanent ehoice could he made. After some disoussion the latter course was deeided upon, and Dlr W. D. Johns was appointed acting-commissioner. At the conelusion of the general business Mr Johns, on helialf of the members of the association, Scoutmasters and Scouts, presented the commissioner with a handsome travelling rug and a set of cutlerv. In malcing the preseniation, Mr Johns spoke of the great amount of work the recipient liad dono for the cause of Scouting in the distriet, and expressed tlie coruial ruod wislies oi all for his sucoess in his new sphere of activity at Te Aroha. Mr Hughes, who was taken completelv hy surprise, responded suitably thanking the donors for their handsome gifts. "For H's a. Jolly Good Fellow,'' was heartily sung and three rousing clieers were given for the departing genileman.