THE GREAT JAMBOREE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 233, 2 November 1929, Page 6

THE GREAT JAMBOREE

COMMISSIOXRR COOKSEY INTERY1EWED, WORLD BROTHERHOOD OF SERYICE. Interesting impressious of the great jamboree at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead, wero given to the London representative of the Evening Post in an interview hy Commissioner J. R. H. Cooksey, of Puketa'pu, Hawke's Bav, who was in coiumand of the Kew Zealand contiiigent for oue of the grcate-st Si-qnting events in history and who incideptally was the guest of Lord .Badeii-Powell after the jamboree, at' his country lionm. "Beforq loaving Kew Zealand," said Cominissjoner Cooksev,- speaking of bis experiences and impressions, "I realised tbat tbe jamboree -was going to be something big. but tbe real" bigness of it all did not grip me iintil I found myself part of it. One suddenly lelt oneself inspired and enwrapped bv a something never felt before — a spirit of unity, self-sacrifice, service, and cheerfulness. "There were 110 strangers or foreigners — only in name. Something was ereated that would not end with the closing of the camps. Men and boys suddenly found themselves with one eommon aim. and that to live at ihe top of the Scouting spirit. Even the visiting pubTic caught tlie spirit. Not a 'gronse' did I li'ea.r in sp'it© of the discomfort and the mud, and, like the friendsliips which we made in it, it stack. PUBLIC IMPRESSED. "The organisation," continued Commissioner Coqksey, "was wonderful. YYe were not given a great number of. vules and- regulations, but we had a daily 'poav wow' with our c-amp chief, who explained what he wanted and why, and left us.to do our hest. This everyone did, and each sbouklered his individual responsibility and lielped his -niate, and things got done and to time. "Emergencies were met hy volunteers aud overcome cheerfully. I cannot say too mucli for the Rovers. This branch of Scouting must be deyeloped in Kew Zealand. They relieved tlie police, actecl as guides, markers, and in anv capaeity demanded of them. Overtime without food in the rain was looked upon as a matter of course. Cheerfulness and civility were their eatehwords. "The weather was not what it might have been, certainly. bnt I think that it drove home to the phblic what tlie word Scouting re'ally meant. I)ne would naturally expect to find' boys cheerful cainping in fine" weather, but here they were muddy and often wet through ' cheerfully carrving on as if it was just what they expected. THE MARCH PAST. "Ko one could liave seen the march past witliout wonder and perliaps a lnmp in the throat. One might well have asked 'Why were those thousands there What had brought them there?' Then you saw that one man standing at the saluting point, giving the .three-finger salute as each oontingent passed. How one envied him. How proud we all felt to be sharing this great thing which he had ereated, and be able to return that salute. Truly i"G was a 'miracle of the mud.*" "It was wonderful to see tliis simple English gentleman ridiug_ from camp to camp in the rain amidst cheering youngisters, vyho would dearly liave liked to flock in thousands round him, yet refrained from doing so because they knew it would impede their beloved eliief, whose upraised Land brought them to silence whil.e madly cheering. Often he was accompanied by a Guider, clad in guih hoots, floundering through the mud to visit some foreign or overseas camp. This was Ladv Baden-Powell, who had a smile and a cheerful word for everyone. "Then came the last day. I confess to a lnmp in my throat as I saw the tents disappearing aud little knots of Scouts sittirtg swapping last souvenirs with their mates. I know many of tlie ho.vs felt as I did. But it was only the camp that had broken up. Something lias heen built that will never break up." A FRE3H VISION. Commissioner Cooksey went "on vo speak' of ' liis experiences at Gilweli lJaik. "Here, again," he said, "one came in contac-t with that enfolding something. It was everywhere — in the trees, stones, and m)re sq in the men. Jt was an earnestness and atmosphere of high ideal, without any priggisnness or seif-glorification — just service ' and self-saerifice, and something that saw the good in every thing/ The camp chief was quiet, unassuming, and selfeffacing, fall of kindness and understanding, hnt not to be trifled with. Few men, I think, could spend a forfcnight here without feeling _ better for it. If they 'had any belief in Scouting before enteriug, here they liave it turned to firm conviction, and they resolve to go into it wholeheartedly. • "I am glad fifteen of 11s Kew Zealanders went through. for I arn sure we have all got a fresh vision of Scouting. Let us hope we sliall be able to bring the Gilwcll spirit into Scouting in Kew Zealand." O11 the vovage out to Australia on tlie Orient liner, Orford, tlie Scouts were fellow passengers of tlie M.O.C'. cricket team.