The Chief Scout Talk

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 101, 31 May 1930, Page 11

The Chief Scout Talk

(By Lieut.-Gen Lord Robert Baden-Powell).

SCOUTS' TEXTS.

In a good many Scout and Guide club-rooms you will find on the walls wliat we call scout texts — big niottoes for decorating the walls and giving the Scouts sometliiug to rcmember and tliink about. "When the cat's awav the mice will play — the little rotters." That is oue of our texts. Be a nian and c.on't be a mouse . When your Scoutmaster or parent or master is away, don't take it is a time to neglect your svork and play the fool. It is your duty — as a Scout — to cai"ry on iust the saine whetlier your Scoutmaster is there to see you or not. Do your work because it is your work — not because someorre is watching you do it. Act like a man and a Scout, not like a mouse and a rotter. _ . Here is another saying which is lnuch used hy successful Scouts. It is really a saying which comes trom the West Coasfc of Africa, where the people, when they want to get hold of a

monkey, do not run after liim and grab at him, because he would dart'away up a tree and out of reach. They slowly edge nearer and nearer to him and tlien gently stroke and scratcli him till tliej' catch hold of him. Their way of describing it is to say, "Softlee, softlee catchee monkey." So when you are inclined to get impatient over some .iob that you are doing, and feel inchncd to rusli it because otherwise it seems so long and difficult, just remember — softlee, soft-

lee catchee monkey — "patieuce wins the day," and stick to it. A real Scout is always the most patient of meu. He does not worry it he cannot succeed all at once, but waits and works quietly and determinedly until he gets there in the end — in small things as well as ha big ones. Even in undoing a parcel, he will not pull and tear at the string. Hc will set to work quietly to untie the knots. The following is another useful motto for Scouts: "The Oak was once an Acorn." If ever you feel helpless ahout aehieving tfuccess in life from a small beginning, remember that even that great strong tree, the oak, began at first as . a little acorn lying on the ground. After he liad got his roots into the ground and started to grow. it must have seemed liopeless to liim ever to rise to be a great tree like those over him. He stuck to it. Winter and Summer, however, in gales as well as fine weather, and gradually grew into the great, fine tree that he is, giving out shade to people and food to animals, and thus a friend to all the world — like a Scout. "Don't stand with your hack to the sun." That's another useful thing to remember. livery Scout knows that when you examine footmarks on the ground you shoukl generally do so facing towards the sun. Have them between you and the light and you will see them all the better. But this text has a second and a bigger inKIt means that when there is any sunshine or brightness about, look out for it when you are in trouble or misfortune, and make the most of it. If you feel inclined to grumble at your lob because you have damaged your leg and can't play in a game of iFoothall, think of other poor cr'ipples who can never play at all. However down on your luck you may be, remember there is a bright lining to every cloud. There is always brightness somewhere if you only look out for it and don't deliberately tuni your back on it. True Scouts never wear a worried look. So, when you see a tenderfoot looking anxions or hored, you say to him : "Clieer up- You'll soon be dead !" When he has had this salutation once or twice he will begin to remember that it is his duty to keep a smile on, not only to lighten his own trouble. wliatever it may be, but also to make things brighter for other people ropnd him. I will tell you about some more Scout niottoes another time.