SCOUT NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 179, 30 June 1937, Page 16

SCOUT NOTES

(By “Tenderfoot.”) Would it be as easy in our city to organise and get our Scouts together in ease of emergency ? Bead the following from Stunt-, then thiaik it over: “I take my lmt off to Boy Scouts.” That is what l iieard one morning recently as I travelled from nr** home station to London. The speaker was a friend of mine who is noted for legpulling. I waited for the facetious remark 1 expected to follow, as did my other friends in the compartment, but tor once my friend ' wasn’t joking. “Yes, L take off my hat to them for turning out so smartly in a time of emergency,” lie continued, and then told the whole story. A member of the local branch of the British Legion disappeared from his home. His relatives, becoming anxious, appealed to the Legion to kelp in a search for him. They came to my friend, who is an official of the local branch. He at once organised the search by rallying the members of the Legion. Inquiries at the police station drew a blank. They got in touch with other stations in the county, and the hospitals, but without result. My friend realised that many more helpers would he required if the search were to be carried out quickly and thoroughly, and he thought of the Boy .Scouts. After calling at three houses he was successful in locating a Scoutmaster. He was having his lunch, but left bis meal at once when lie heard the nature of the call, and promised to rally as many Scouts as he could. Within an hour scores of Scouts had rallied at the meeting-place, some on foot, others mounted on cycles, and some in cars. “It was wonderful the way those hoys turned up,” said my friend. “And they were as keen as mustard on the job.” Search parties were organised and the hunt lor the man was started in earnest. The cyclists and those in cars went off to the outlying districts. Eventually one of these picked up information in a village concerning a man who had been found badly injured in the road and had been taken to the county hospital. That seemed a clue worth following up. At the hospital they got a description of the injured man and it tallied with the description of the man they were seeking. In a very little while it was definitely established that he was the 111 a n.

West End Troop.—Having passed their Tenderfoot test Scouts Humphries, Stockdalc and New were invested at our last parade. As a. result ol the vacancies created by hoys absenting themselves from parade rapid promotion has come to Tommy Fletcher .who, following his passing of the Tenderfoot test, is now Patrol-Leader of Kiwi Patrol, with Boy Taharo as second. Other promotions led to Toni Speedy taking command of Hove Patrol, with George Trask replacing him as second. In the Peewhit Patrol John Penketh becomes second to Bon Warner. Boil Jackson has passed his Tenderfoot and been sworn in. Good progress has been made with handball practice and now all is in readiness for the competition at All Saints.’ All Saints’. —The meeting opened at 7 p.m. with a good attendance of Scouts with Scouter Gallis in command. Just prior to the inspection P.-L. Major was awarded his First Class Badge and Second Adcock his Cyclist Badge. A handball tourney followed the inspection, in which the team was selected to represent All Saints’ at the jumble sale. Work was carried oil in the corners and three hoys passed their Kimsgame test. Next .a concert practice. brief hut instructive, was indulged in, before a game of dodgeball, which brought the evening to a close at 9 p.m. Immediately after flag down and dismiss a. meeting of the court of honour was held. ,Ist P.N. (Central) Group).—There was only a. fair attendance at MoncViv’s parade, while both A.-S.-M. G. Barlow and Troop-Leader F. Perry were alisent. The troop is entering for the handball competition, and hopes tiiat the best team will win. The older memliers of the troop are working hard on Ist class badge work and we hope to see some result of this work in the near future. Patrol-Leader B. Barlow has been appointed troop scribe to handle reports for the Scout notes. Scout F. Caution has received his 3-year Cub service star, and we offer jiim congratulations. Next Monday will be spent as a handicraft evening and we trust everyone will turn up with something to make. Te Awe Awe. —P. Andrews has passed his Tenderfoot test. S. Brake lias also been successful in securing his 2nd clans Signalling qualification. We had n big muster at the last parade, showing 100 per cent, of pennies. Covering an area from Fitzhcrbert Avenue to” Victoria. Avenue and Ferguson Street to the river, the boys are preparing for a. big bottle drive. Every boy is”expected to help. St. Paul’s had a good parade last week, though there were absentees. Handball practice, signalling and concert work filled in the evening. Three boys will represent tlie troop a"t a concert to he held. All is now ready for the item. The Cubs, too, are very busy preparing their big surprise itenp