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THE OUTLOOK

I spent a most interesting week, starting with Durham on Whit

Saturday and Sunday, then, going to the South of Scotland and

finishing up with Ayrshire. It is some time since I did my first

round of these Counties, and it was interesting comparing

conditions then and now. Probably the most noticeable thing was

the smart turnout of the Scouts, and the great improvement in their

camping. I don’t say that it was perfect, but there were very few

cases indeed where it was not up to a very reasonable standard. I

cannot, however, understand how a Troop can leave unmistakable

signs of cows in the kitchen. We haven’t yet reached the stage

when scorching of turf by the fire is always avoided through too

sparing removal of the sods and too little confinement of the fire,

but I am glad to see more altar fires in use and dishes and hands

much cleaner. But of thrift in the use of firewood there was far too

little sign; in fact, in a number of cases shortage were caused for

some Troops by about three weeks’ supply in one kitchen for a

week-end camp. Firewood is one of our most expensive items on

all our camp sites, and Scouts must learn to use it carefully. With

the price of coal rising as it has done there will be far greater

demand for firewood by the public, and we shall find increasing

difficulty in buying supplies.

To change the subject, Rally programmes show far more

imagination and rehearsal. In consequence not only are they better

value for the public but are far more enjoyed by the boys

themselves. In fact, Scouts have reached the high standards

achieved by the Cubs who, in the past have, I am afraid, often

stolen the show. On my last round pioneering enterprises were very

humdrum and gave the impression that they were more in the line

of academic exercises than of practical value. Now, man-size

timber is being used and the products really work with a full-sized

man. Three in particular I remember - first, an aerial runway across

a wide river; second, the bicycle raft from the second volume of

Pioneering Projects I don’t say that it is a proposition for overseas

tours, but it worked, even against the stream, and the

manoeuvrability was amply sufficient to turn completely round in

quite a small circle - and finally, a model pit cage by the Scouts of a

mining district, with ramps both on the ground floor and at the top

level for egress, a wholly admirable construction designed and built

by the Scouts. There are still dull items, but there was far greater

appreciation of the possibilities.

Camp Fires, too, were a big improvement. Song sheets issued in

advance, for rehearsal and learning the words, have not only

improved the quality of the songs sung but the quality of the

singing too. But there are one or two points still needing attention. I

know that it is difficult to refuse the Cubs an invitation to the Camp

Fire, but we have got to recognise (a) that most of them ought to be

in their beds by that time; (b) that, their songs are different from the

Scouts’; and (c) that they just can’t sit still however hard they try,

so that before you know what is happening they are talking and

throwing things at each other and fighting.

By THE CHIEF SCOUT

Let me repeat again, they are not to blame. The Cub who can sit

still for an hour is either a miracle or a corpse, he could not be a

Cub!

So, very reluctantly, no Cubs. The enjoyment of the others is

spoiled when they are present. Secondly, we generally start with far

too close a circle. You can pull them in but you can’t push them

out. The tendency is anyway to edge in, so let’s start a bit wider. A

Camp fire with many thousands present is a very different thing

from the little family circle of the Troop. Thirdly, an imaginative

opening can ensure the proper atmosphere. There are many

different ways, but the thrusting of a torch deep into the heart of the

fire does have a thrill about it which arouses expectations. That

those expectations shall not be disappointed is the job of the Camp

Fire Leader. Fourthly, when are we going to see asbestos suits

supplied by the Scout Shop? I am generally placed on the leeward

side of the fire and spend three-quarters of an hour or so getting

kippered and then have to talk with watering eyes and a throat in no

condition to make myself heard. This is, of course, an exaggeration,

but sometimes it comes near enough to the facts, and, of course,

when the centre falls in there is an eruption of sparks sufficient to

start the countryside alight all around. The removal of the turf and

the confinement of the fire to which I have referred earlier are as

important at a Camp Fire as in a camp kitchen. Some fires, too, look

as if they would be burning in the middle of next week. There is

generally a huge pile of spare firewood nearby to make sure that it

will. Build a fire to last about an hour, and, in case you have

miscalculated, just have half a dozen or so short logs ready to put

on in an emergency, but let the embers glow and the grey ash fade.

It is much more effective.

A very noticeable fact is that Scouters in all sections are much

younger, although many of the stalwarts are still carrying on, and

long may they do so. They are handing on responsibilities to the

younger ones, gradually teaching them to take their places, and long

may they do that too: as a consequence the enthusiasm of the

younger Scouters is being maintained, but there are still too few

Badges, and there are still too many Leaping Wolves who have

been two or three years in the Troop without getting their Second

Class. There are still too many new Troops being started before the

Patrol Leaders have reached Second Class themselves. That is why

“The Patrol System doesn’t work”! Patrol Leaders can’t teach what

they do not know themselves, and they haven’t a chance of getting

on and keeping ahead of their Patrols.

It is evident everywhere that the Training Teams have done a

magnificent job, and consequently standards all round are at a much

higher level, and, again consequently, the public interest and

support are greater than I saw on the last occasion. A Public

Meeting at Coatbridge, whose Provost is an active G.S.M., was an

example. Sixteen of their Scouts received the Royal Certificate, and

they were a real credit to the Movement. One young Scout, too,

from Uddingston, received the Cornwell Badge in the presence of

his parents and the Group.

Confined to a wheel-chair he goes to camp and takes part, in so far

as his disabilities allow, in every Group activity, and his

Scoutmaster told me that he had never once heard him complain - a

real Cornwell Scout.

The thousand Queen’s Scouts at Gilwell were again a magnificent

lot, although again there were a few very young ones among them.

A delightful feature was the number of letters we received thanking

us for the happy weekend they had had. But even among them road

discipline might have been better. There were cases of three and

four walking abreast and only moving out of the way when a car

hooted at them. And even they were far from immaculate on the

question of litter. Of course I am not pretending that it was like

Hampstead Heath on a Bank Holiday, but they did leave more

behind them than 600 P.L.s from Hampshire the week-end before,

and early services on the Sunday morning by no means reached 100

per cent, showing that we still have a bit to go even with our

Queen’s Scouts. I was sorry I had to leave them, but I had a long-

standing engagement in the middle of the Cairagorms at 10.15 next

morning, to take part in a Memorial Service at the Cairn erected by

Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre three years ago. There were

over fifty of our Old Boys present - another tribute to the worth of

Scouting which had given them the opportunity to develop those

qualities of responsibility, of courage and of service which have

stood them in good stead in their civilian life.

ROWALLAN

H.R.H. THE DUKE OF

EDINBURGH’S AWARD

H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh has approved the introduction of a

series of tests, to be known as “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award,”

in order, as the official statement says, “to meet the increasing

need, under modern conditions, to provide incentives and

opportunities for young people to achieve a balanced development

of their character and in preparation for citizenship.” This is, of

course, what the Scout Movement and other youth organisations

have been trying to do for many years, and one of the main aims of

he scheme is to attract those who leave school at 15 and do not

come under the influence of organisations which already make

similar provision.

In order that the scheme may be tested before it is extended to

those who are not attached to any organisation, a limited

experiment is being tried with some of the organisations for boys. It

is hoped that it may be extended to girls later on.

Some fourteen organisations such as the Brigades, the Clubs, the

A.T.C. and the A.C.F. have agreed to undertake the experiment,

which may last as long as three to five years. A few Local

Education Authorities may be asked to experiment with a few of

their schools.

The tests are being graded in three series, called the First, Second

and Third Series. The First Series, which will be a preliminary test

meriting a commendation, will be open to boys from fourteen

upwards. The Second Series is open to boys of 15 upwards, and

will earn a Certificate and a Star. The Third Series (which will not

be attempted during the first experimental period) will also earn a

Certificate and a Star.

In each series there are four sections and a boy must pass the test

each section in order to earn the award.

The sections are:

A. Rescue and Public Service Training.

B. Expedition.

C. Pursuits.

D. Fitness.

Brigadier Sir John Hunt, the leader of the conquering expedition to

Everest, has retired from the Army in order to give his full time to

the initiation of the scheme. No better man could have been chosen.

We have had discussions with him, in order to see whether it was

practicable for the Scout Movement to take part in the first experi-

ments, and no one could have been kinder.

He agreed at the outset that Scouts had been doing these things all

the time, and that our participation must be subject to two clear

conditions:-

(i) That the instruction and examination for the tests must be done

within the Scout Troop;

(ii) That the successive stages of the Award must be within the

framework of our proficiency badge system, and must lead up to the

Queen’s Scout Badge as the culmination of the Scout’s effort.

We put up a detailed scheme to him, but as discussions proceeded

it became evident that we should all be involved in a good deal of

additional work.

In Scouts of Tomorrow the Committee of the Council has recently

expressed its concern at the burden of work already falling upon all

ranks in the Movement, and has promised to consider whether there

are any ways in which the burden can be lightened. In any case, our

work will be increased from now until the 1957 celebrations are

over, and the Committee therefore felt strongly that we ought to be

excused from taking part in the first experiments. Sir John fully

appreciates our reasons for making this request, and mentions the

point that the scheme would not really be experimental in our case,

as it is very largely based on Scout methods.

Another advantage of deferring our participation is that the Com-

mittee of the Council has already decided to make a thorough

revision of the whole Proficiency Badge conditions in 1958. If in

the course of that revision we can consider what alterations in the

tests for the Award have proved necessary as the result of the first

experiment, it will be a great help in deciding whether we shall be

able to come in later.

The position is, then, that during the first experimental period, the

Scout Movement will not be taking part, but may well come in

later. In the meantime, Scouters will be able to answer any enquiries

by their Scouts who may hear of the Award by saying that the

experiment is intended to see how far organisations which have not

hitherto included such methods can successfully do so, and that we

already have a series of graded tests of our own, covering roughly

the same ground and leading up to the Queen’s Scout Badge, which

will always rank as a senior award to that of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The experiment will be on a limited scale, and as a rule the

organisations which participate will select certain areas in which to

work it. It may well happen that some of them will ask for help and

advice from Commissioners and Group Scouters, particularly in

connection with the Expedition tests. We are sure that, subject to

the time factor, such help will be willingly given and will be greatly

appreciated.

In a few cases, the experiment may be tried in schools. It would be

a pity, we feel, if Scouts were diverted from their progressive Scout

Training, leading up to the Queen’s Scout Badge, in order to partici-

pate. Commissioners who hear of the likelihood of an experiment

being tried in their area would be well advised to. get into touch

with the Director of Education. We shall be glad to be informed as

to the areas in which such experiments are being tried in schools,

and to Imow what arrangements have been made as regards Scout

members of such schools.

A. W. HURLL

Chief Executive Commissioner.

IDEAS AND THINGS - VI

Apart from last month’s account of our Senior Scouts’ Broadland

Cruise, the articles in this series have dealt with District events for

either Cubs, Scouts or Senior Scouts,

and I can imagine the man

who does the real work, the man with a Troop to run, asking where

he comes in. This final outburst answers his question. The

following stunt can be used for a Saturday afternoon, but as used

originally it filled in an afternoon at a Whitsuntide camp.

To start with the Seniors had presented themselves at the Store

Tent asking for ropes, timber and blocks, and stating an intention to

erect an aerial runway over the river. Actually it was not much of a

river, although it enjoyed that illustrious title. In any case it was too

big to be referred to as a stream, and fortunately for the Seniors’

purpose one bank was rather higher than the other. There was also a

tree on the far, or lower, bank, just where it was wanted. The

materials asked for were handed out, and results awaited. In actual

fact it turned out to be rather a good specimen of runway, although

the tightening up device, based loosely on the Spanish Windlass

system, was somewhat unorthodox. But it worked.

The site was one upon which we had camped many times, but had

left it alone for a year or two. Reverting to the site for the camp

under discussion we found so many other Troops there that we did

not know whether we were on someone’s District site, or if we had

landed at a small Jamboree by mistake. On the day the runway was

built every Troop present held a “Visitors’ Day,” and two Cub

Packs came along as well. All the Scouts camping, the visiting

Cubs, and at least one parent tried out the runway, and it still

worked. Having established the efficiency of the thing, we will get

back to the stunt which, if you remember, was the original idea.

Right. To start with the Troop did not know anything about it.

They were expecting an afternoon with nothing to do but entertain

visitors, and do more or less as they pleased. One P.L. was briefed,

and away he went with his Patrol. No one else thought anything

about it. The Ravens had apparently gone for wood, and not one

observant lad noticed that they took semaphore flags with them.

The wood was on the far side of the river from the camp, and on

considerably higher ground. The nearest bridge across the river was

about 200 yards away in the next field. Having set the stage, on

with the drama.

After an interval, a member of the Raven Patrol was seen to be

doing things with semaphore flags. No Scouters or Seniors were

apparently around, and a P.L. with nothing better to do at the time

sent an answer and received a brief message that John had fallen

out of a tree, first aid gear was required, and a hot drink was called

for. The P.L. promptly found a Scouter who, when the message was

reported to him, merely told him to do something about it. At this

point the lads began to get the idea that it was a put up job.

However, they did get on with it. One Patrol got a fire going.

(Mention must be made of the fact that all Patrols had been told to

let their fires out.) This Patrol appointed themselves the reception

committee, and started to prepare the hot drink asked for. The

remaining Patrol took first aid kit and blankets to the scene of the

accident, via the runway of course. Upon arrival injuries were

pointed out and dealt with, and a stretcher was made using poles

from the wood.

The patient was carried to the river bank, where a great deal of

time was spent attaching the stretcher to the runway. A line

attached to the stretcher was thrown across the river, and the

(uphill) journey of the patient across the river commenced. By this

time all the other Troops, Cub Packs, parents and the lot were

lining the bank for free entertainment. Fortunately the stretcher

arrived without mishap.

Now what has happened? To the critical Scouter or Senior Scout

very little. Very little indeed. But who cares. To the lads a lot had

happened. In the first place the whole thing was unexpected.

In the second place getting a stretcher with a real live patient in it

over a genuine river was something they had never thought of

doing. And thirdly they learned that a good many things they had

laboured over had real practical use.

And how about the Senior Scouts? Well, it was main runway.

But to this there is a tailpiece. Earlier in the day one of the Troops

in the field, let us say a Troop from the town of “X,” borrowed the

runway, without so much as by your leave or may I? Shortly

afterwards a photographer from a newspaper published in a city

which served both our District and the town of “X” turned up. What

our Seniors said when a photograph of their runway appeared in the

newspaper bearing a caption to the effect that it had been erected by

Scouts from “X,” is nobody’s business.

Well there we are. Half a dozen articles all ringing the changes on

the idea of going from Point “A” to Point “B.” I hope they will be

of use to someone. And before anyone draws attention to the fact

that the last spasm dealt with boating, I’ll say right now that on a

yacht also you just go from Point ‘‘A’’ to Point ‘‘B,’’ but the Point

“B” arrived at is not always the one you had in mind when leaving

Point “A.” Which all adds to the fun.

And for a final digression. If you were a D.C. who had just sat

through a Group Show which was obviously not worth the money,

no matter how little was charged, would you tell the Scouter

responsible your real views, or would you risk letting him inffict the

same punishment the following year? No, I’m not asking this for

any personal reason, I’m just bringing it up because there are some

pretty ropey Group Shows about. Not that yours comes under that

heading of course..

Which brings us to the end of the first series of Ideas and Things.

If you found anything of use you might let me know. Someday we

might be together again, and until then Good Luck - and try not to

think about resigning more than twice in any one year.

D. L. N.

J.I.M.

On the opposite page you see a very fine drawing of Sutton Park

by David Bracken, whose sketches are well-known to members of

the Movement, and I hope you will take the opportunity of having a

close look at his map, for besides being delightful in itself, it gives

you a very fair indication of the types of activity which will ‘be

taking place in the various parts of the Park in just twelve months

from now. It seems hard to realise that between 8,000 and 9,000

members of the Movement in this country will be packing their

rucsacs in twelve months’ time to come to camp in the Park, and

many thousands of others will be doing the same thing to move into

private camp sites in the Midlands area. Yet it is only twelve

months and during that time we shall all be going camping this

year, we shall be doing our usual Christmas good turns and running

the Group Show as well as taking part early next year m

commemorative Services around B.-P.’s birthday, in fact the next

twelve months are going to be filled with a great many Scouting

activities of one kind or another and if we are not careful the

Jamboree itself will be on us before we are properly prepared.

I do not know whether any Troop took the trouble to make up a

map of the world with the countries marked on it who were sending

participants, but I hope some of you did and used it to good effect

to encourage Scouts to take an interest in this great event. I am now

going to suggest that you make a copy of the map of Sutton Park to

hang up in the Troop Headquarters, using it as a basis for

observation tests, and other types of quiz.

I am not suggesting this merely because I think you need any

more activities for your Troop programme, but because I really do

think it is essential for British Scouts to become “Sutton Park

conscious.” I am sure it is time every Scout home in the country

was talking about the Jamboree and making its plans in connection

with visiting it.

I have met one or two Scouters in the last month who have

booked camp sites in the Midlands area either through the Midland

Counties 1957 Camping Advisory Committee or by getting into

direct touch with land-owners. I was surprised to find that all of

them are anticipating visiting the Jamboree each day during their

camp, and whilst I would not wish to dissuade them, I do think

Scouters need to consider whether this is the best possible way of

spending their time at summer camp of 1957 since visiting a

Jamboree is bound to be a tiring occupation even to youthful and

energetic members of the Movement, besides which it would be a

pity to waste the opportunity of seeing something of some

delightful country which exists in the near vicinity. I would say

visit Sutton Park as often as reasonable butdo not do so at the

expense of everything else so that the memories of summer camp

1957 are of tiring coach trips to and fro coupled with, long hours

rushing about Sutton Park.

It has also been encouraging to learn of the numbers of Districts

who are planning visits by train and by coach and they will be glad

to know that the Park will be open to visitors from 12 noon each

day from 1st to 12th August 1957 and visitors will be expected to

leave by 10 p.m. There is just one matter over which I would

earnestly ask all organisers of visits to take especial care. You will

remember that last month I wrote of the tremendous help that

British Railways were giving us. It is a matter of some concern to

me that we do not embarrass them by making their job more

complicated than it need be and I would ask that anyone who is

thinking of organising a train-load does let us know so that any

enquiries from British Railways Headquarters to us about these

things can be dealt with quickly. Another consideration is that we

can also help by telling you whether the day you are thinking about

is already over-booked by visiting parties.

KEN STEVENS, Organising Commissioner.

OUR DISTRICT

By A.D.C,

I found Hankin looking a shade gloomy when I called round on

him the other evening, and asked him what was wrong.

“I’ve had two bits of bad news today,” he said. “Percy is coming

to summer camp, and Sandy isn’t.” For reasons known only to

myself, I started guiltily at the mention of Percy.

“It isn’t like you, Hankin,” I said, “to be sorry that any boy is

going to summer camp, and Percy has always struck me as a

particularly well-behaved little boy. Just the sort, too, that I would

have expected you to take a delight in helping, with a father out of

work and an invalid mother.”

“If the fatherwas out of work through bad luck,” said Hankin, “or

the mother a genuine invalid, I’d be glad to help, but I’ve known the

family for years, and the whole lot of them are just natural-born

cadgers. I had Percy’s elder brother Herbert in the Troop, and every

year his mother used to come to me with a hard-luck story just

before summer camp, and talk me into letting the boy go at a

reduced price. Then when we got to camp I always found that

Herbert had much more spending-money than anybody else, and

that his mouth was always sticky from iced lollies. His mother used

to let out, too, that he’d been subsidised, and the Scouts who had

worked hard for their camp-money didn’t like it at all.”

I coughed. “Have you subsidised Percy this year?” I asked.

Hankin grunted.

“Only to the extent of eight bob,” he said. “When she called on

me I was determined to stand firm, but she has a really wonderful

gift of the gab, and so in the end I said I’d find eight bob if Percy

would earn the rest. He’s not a good influence at camp, because

though he behaves well, there’s something slimy and sneaky about

him, and I hoped the idea of working would put him off, but he

brought all the money round tonight.”

With deep humiliation I confessed that Percy’s mother had called

on me and wrung my heart with such a tale of woe that I had given

her his camp-money, except for eight bob which she said he had

earned.

“Sandy isn’t coming,” said Hankin, “because his old grannie at

Multerton wants him to go and stay with her. Rather a blow,

because he’s my most useful P.L.” I had some dealings with Sandy

last year when he was demoted for smoking in camp, and left the

Troop for a while, and started to go downhill, and then came back

after a motor-smash that gave him time, in hospital, to think.

Hankin has a soft spot for him because his father is always in and

out of gaol, and only an extra-decent mother enables Sandy to keep

the place he won at the grammar school.

So when I left Hankin I called round on Sandy with a book I had

promised to lend him. He was out, but his mother was in.

“I’m sorry Sandy can’t go to camp next month,” I said. “Mr.

Hankin relies on him a lot, I know, but of course if his old

grandmother is keen to have him... She smiled rather grimly.

“She’s not keen to have him at all,” she said, “and Sandy is always

miserable there, because they make remarks about his father, and

seem to think Sandy will take after him. He only decided to go there

because I had a chance to take a fairly cheap holiday at the seaside

with the younger children, and Sandy knew I couldn’t quite manage

the money, so he drew out the cash he’d put into the camp fund and

handed it over. He pretended to Mr. Hankin he was keen to go and

stay with his grandmother because he was afraid Mr. Hankin would

find the money himself, if he knew the position, and Sandy is

proud.”

It is all wrong that Percy should be going to camp and that Sandy

should not, and it would be so easy to find some way of helping

Sandy, by inventing jobs for him to do, and paying him, but for

once I am not going to shove my oar in.

His Scouting means a great deal to Sandy, and that summer camp

would have been a little bit of Heaven to him, but the sacrifice he is

willing to make, just because he is so good a Scout, seems too fine a

thing to spoil.

DEAR EDITOR

“P.O.R.” and all that

DEAR EDITOR,

Every Scouter needs some time in which to sit back in an

armchair and think about his Group, Troop, or Pack.

I think this is equally true about the Association as a whole. As

a Movement we have (like Topsy) “just growed”; from the acorn

of Brownsea to the tree, or should I say wood, of today. But

rarely in that time have we had time to sit back, look at the

Movement as a whole, and consider whether a comprehensive

redesign, rather than odd tinkerings, varied by occasional

somewhat drastic surgery, is needed. I know the Commission on

Post War Scouting was to have done this, but they produced their

findings during the difficult war period and immediately after,

and they were not in a position to foresee, for example, the

benefits and the potential dangers of the welfare state.

Next year should come another revision of P.O.R., (“Policy,

Organisation and Rules”). I suggest that before we begin this we

should carefully rethink, in the light of 1956, or, rather, 1958, our

policy, organisation and rules (without the inverted commas or

capital letters). The principles B.-P. laid down in 1908 are just as

valid today as they were nearly fifty years ago, when you and I,

Sir, were as near to the prams we had then recently vacated as we

are now, according I gather to David Lumgair’s younger Rovers,

to our bathchairs. But the application of those principles needs to

be made in the light of the conditions of today. And in such a

“mental retooling” we may well find that we have retained things

we no longer need, and, in particular, have made our organisation

unnecessarily complex.

I am not suggesting that S. for B. needs rewriting, though it is

instructive to compare the 1908 edition with the latest one. But I

do suggest that P.O.R. needs a much more drastic revision than it

has ever been given. And I do suggest that I.H.Q., as well as

Local Associations, ought to think much more carefuDy about

programmes and timings. Once upon a time the Scout year ended

in September. Then it was changed to March, as giving a truer

picture of the real strength of the Movement. But since then has

come Bob-a-job, and now the poor L.A. secretariat in a large

District has census, Bob-a-job, St. George’s Day, Bob-a-job pay-

in, annual meeting, and annual reports, plus generally a rush of

County and District events all at the same time of the year. Nor is

it necessarily a good answer to say “get more secretaries”; for

that not entirely useless animal (if may so classify ourselves with

all humility) does not breed with anything like the fecundity of

the civil servant, who, in the opinion of G.S.M.s at census time,

he is supposed to resemble!

So far as P.O.R. is concerned why do we need at the end of the

rules relating to each rank a rule “A - wears uniform as in rule -

and badges as in rule -”? Why do we need a separate rule for

each Proficiency badge? Why cannot we have a simple rule that

“members of the Movement wear uniform and badges as

tabulated in Appendix X.” And why cannot the details of

Proficiency badge tests be relegated to another appendix. And a

very great deal of consolidation could be done with the rules

relating to Scouters and Scouts. There are a great many more

“whys” I could put if I were not afraid that the printer’s fount, or

more probably your patience, might become exhausted.

So, as a final suggestion Sir, please can I.H.Q. appoint, not a

coinmittee, but a group of people, including some of the ordinary

folk like G.S.M.s and L.A. Secretaries and Treasurers, to do

some rethinking before any revising of P.O.R. takes place, and

before next year’s flood of forms engulfs the L.A. Secretariat.

W. T. THURBON

The Latest Amendments

DEAR EDITOR,

Well, flay me with an obsolete fiagstick! When my lads told me

on Tuesday, 19th, about Signalling being dropped from the Tests

I was franidy disbelieving. Requests for immediate issue of four

Second Class Badges were countered with - “When I have seen it

officially in black and white - etc.”

Advising me that I would find it in my Scouts in the morning,

they allowed me 24 hours to digest it before they presented

themselves to “Re-test Tenderfoot.” Bang goes my night off.

It seems that the speed with which the lads received this news

makes such slow methods as signalling entirely unnecessary.

Having had my “digestion day,” I am prompted to ask (a) How

are Scouts to communicate in open country, short of Walkie-

Talkie or Telepathy? (b) Given that the ‘Signaller’ Badge is

retained will it not look even harder now that the foundations for

it, previously laid by Two Star and Second Class Tests have been

removed?

The idea of Scouts qualifying for and wearing two Senior

Badges does not appeal to me. Surely this can lead to Cubs going

in for Scout Badges and to Scouts specialising in order to gain

Senior Badges after having gained the Scout equivalent. Surely

this will be to the detriment of boys who could widen their scope

by taking up another Badge subject.

I foresee a Scout trying hard for a Senior Badge which could

normally be just a little beyond him and letting other things pass,

maybe even parts of First Class. This could have been a happier

amendment if it had specified that a Scout, under 15, could gain

and wear two Senior Badges “provided he is First Class.”

K. McNALLY,

G.S.M., 9th Horley,

“have a go”

DEAR EDITOR,

The amendments in the Basic Tests for Scouts prompt me ‘to

write in protest, partly on account of the nature of them and

partly because of the way in which they have been made. I have

been a Scouter for thirty years and may be suspected of being a

sticker for the old ways, but I am ready for changes when there is

a good reason for them and if they are likely to make for

progress.

In this case, however, although we are often exhorted by the

powers that be to make more use of Scouting for Boys, we are

now required to cut out of the Basic Tests two items on which

stress is laid in that book, namely Exercises and Signalling, and

which undoubtedly develop bodily fitness, self-control and

mental concentration.

Also I am sorry for the abrupt way in which these amendments

have been made without any opportunity for ordinary Scouters to

discuss them. They are referred to in the recent pamphlet Scouts

of Tomorrow as temporary alterations. Surely it would have been

wiser to postpone such alterations until th whole revision of tests

has been considered with chance of discussion?

There is a strong flavour about this kind of procedure ofTheirs

not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.”

At least we might be told the reason why.

It has caused me disquiet during the last year or so to hear

increasing criticism of Headquarters admit the many Scouters

with whom I am in touch, and I am bound to admit that not a

little of it is justified. This is a case in point which throws a strain

on our loyalty.

H. H. A. SANDS,

Archdeacon of Southwark,

G.S.M., 61st North Lambeth.

DEAR EDITOR,

In order to prevent leakages, signalling, health exercises and

highway code have gone by the board.

Enough of these half measures: let us ensure that not a single

boy leaves the Movement because of any of the other difficult

tests. (They must be hard, for we see that competent lay persons

may be enlisted to cope with the intricacies of Second Class.)

Let us go the whole hog and make the basic qualifications as

follows:

Tenderfoot. - The boy must have put his head round the door of

Troop Headquarters.

Second Class. - The boy must have spent a whole evening with

the Troop.

First Class. - The boy must have promised to attend another

Troop meeting.

Queen’s Scout. - The boy must have attended Troop meetings

fairly regularly (to be interpreted liberally) for three months. This

is open only to boys over 15, though babes in arms may qualify if

the Scouter (or some lay person if the Scouter has no nous)

certifies that the boy will no longer cry for his mother.

Proficiency badges. - We are deep in thought about these. Too

many poor little chaps are throwing tantrums and toddling out of

the Movement because some big horrid Scouter has thwarted

their ego. Our further suggestions may take some time as we are

trying to cope with a Troop of about 50, none of whom has so far

shown any sign of leaking away. Whether they will be able to

stand much more featherbedding we cannot say.

A. T. MINSHAW and E. F. COOPER, S.M. and A.S.M.,

5th Southchurch.

DEAR EDITOR,

I have no doubt that the latest amendments will draw down on

you a deluge of letters, and I have, therefore, no wish to add to

the possible volume, but may I very briefly make a few remarks

and suggestions based on my own practical experience as a

Scouter? I have to confess that I am glad to see the signalling test

go. Its practical value is now so limited that it has long been

difficult to raise much interest in it as a test. On the other hand, it

seems a pity to reduce the number of tests by two. Neither the

First nor Second Class Badges is really difficult to obtain and

there seems a tendency now to make them too easy. Finally, with

regard to Public Service, it does not seem quite in accordance

with the spirit of Scouting to delete these words from the First

Class, especially nowadays.

As purely negative criticism is rather useless, may I make the

following suggestions?

Second Class. - For Signalling:

Draw up a list of personal requirements for camp. Demonstrate

how to pack these articles correctly in a rucsac or kit-bag. Carry a

verbal message for 1/4 mile and deliver it correctly. (Numbers to

be included in the message.)

First Class. - For Signalling:

Pitch and strike a tent (about 8 ft. by 7 ft.) with one other Scout,

using all necessary pegs.

Cook a piece of meat out-of-doors, and make tea and cocoa

satisfactorily.

As alternatives:

Second Class. - Ru1es of health. Demonstrate how to ventilate a

tent correctly, the necessity for cleanliness in camp and rules

concerning use of latrines.

First Class. - Demonstrate how to ride a bicycle correctly and

know the Highway Code relating to pedestrians and cyclists.

Demonstrate that he knows how to maintain proper care of the

machine.

Several of the above tests occur in other badges but they cover

things that every good Scout should know and do - but heavens!

there are still too few who can!

A. W. FLORANCE,

G.S.M., 15th Epping Forest South.

DEAR EDITOR,

I fancy that many Scouters will have read with real dismay of

the decision, against which evidently there is no appeal, to

abolish signalling from Second Class and First Class tests. Many

more, like myself, Will have even stronger views on the matter,

and will feel that the sudden removal of this test from practical

Scouting is a quite deplorable blunder, first because of the action

itself, then because of the way in which the action was taken, and

also because of the time chosen for taking it.

Why cut signalling out of Scouting at all? Who has not found it

useful in Scouting activities - especially at camp and in wide

games? Was the winking message at night, from tower or tree,

not part and parcel of the fun, and, if you like, the romance, of

Scouting? Was the test not a training in concentration and

quickness of eye, even if, after it was mastered, it was put into a

kind of reserve - like many other tests still with us? Was it not in

wide games a useful alternative to the sending of messages by

band, a slow and laborious process not always suited to the

terrain?

As regards the way in which this has been done, one cannot

help feeling a faint surprise that in a matter of such importance

no attempt whatever has been made to find out the views of

Scouters on the subject. I know it is not necessary to do so, but it

could easily have been accomplished within two months - just as

Scouters are at present being asked for their views on the age of

admission of Cubs to Troops and so on. The matter of signalling

was much more vital to the Movement than this other; but no

such reasonable - some will be tempted to say courteous - action

was taken.

As for the time chosen to abolish Signalling - it is common

knowledge that it is hoped to have a great increase of First and

Second Class Scouts next year - the “Jubilee Year.” The

signalling test stood in the way of this - it was a test to which the

boy had to apply himself; it was a test which he either knew or

did not know; some boys “couldn’t pass it,” and left because they

“couldn’t pass it.” All this was true. But was this a good reason

for taking the test out? To make Scouting easier for everybody

including the slacker? Easier to get the Second and First Class

Badge, as it now certainly is? I have some boys who will now

have their Second Class badge next week, but is that good for

them? I feel most strongly that it is not.

There will certainly be a tremendous increase in the number of

First and Second Class badges won next year; and the public will

doubtless be greatly impressed; but Scouters in charge of Troops

will know that such increases represent a decline in Scouting

standards, not an improvement, long hoped-for; and are the result

of a policy that is making things easy for the not-so-keen and the

downright slack. This may not be the intention, and I don’t

suppose it is for a moment; but with no proper alternative test

provided this will certainly be part of the result.

Four years ago a Second in our Troop came along, on ten

Monday nights in succession, to pass his First Class Morse. He

failed nine times. He passed on the tenth. Was it not worth it? Is

it surprising that he is now doing very well in the job he has

chosen as his life’s work? And further, although he left the Troop

two years ago, Scouts in it still remember and speak of the way in

which he persisted, week after week, and refused to be beaten. I

cannot help thinking that this test was of great value in tangible

and intangible ways to Scout and Trcop and, therefore, on all

counts I deeply regret its passing.

GEORGE G. CAMPBELL,

G.S.M., 107th Edinburgh.

DEAR EDITOR,

I was amazed and even shocked to read of the proposed amend-

ments, particularly in respect of Basic Tests. It would be

interesting to know where the Investigating Committee gleaned

the information hich has prompted these alterations. They

certainly did not consult he rank and file of the Movement. My

Pack seem to enjoy signalling, although I suppose one might say

it was a little out of date.

In these days of such dreadful numbers of Road Accidents I

think he deletion of the Second Star Highway Code test is

nothing short of adness especially as schools in particular are

going “all out” with Safety First, and I for one shall continue

with this Test.

The same applies to the Public Service section of First Class.

Why shouldn’t a Scout know how to report an accident, how to

control traffic and be tested on it? A typical remark from the

Seniors in our Group was “Crikey! how much easier are they

going to make it?”

What with the new Rover plan and now these new rules, it is

becoming increasingly obvious that we no longer ‘belong to a

Democratic Movement, but are ruled by a group of misguided

gentlemen who apparently think they know how to run Scouting

better than did B.-P.

Are we going to pander to those who want an easy way to their

Queen’s Scout or set a high standard of intelligence and stick to

it?

Please excuse the tone of this letter but I felt I must air my

views.

PETER R. FARRANDS,

C.M., 82nd Leicesters.

DEAR EDITOR,

I have just read with great surprise and amazement, the altera-

tions of the Cub Tests. Whilst I agree with Signalling being

somewhat obsolete, I fail to see why “toe touching and knee

bending” exercises and Second Star Highway Code have been

deleted.

Surely Highway Code should be repassed again and again, for I

consider this to be a vitally important test for every Cub to pass

at a very high standard. Without a good knowledge of the

Highway Code a Cub might very well be a menace the road,

particularly when on a bicycle.

If any Cub exercises are to be deleted I would consider that the

somersault should go first for this is the one that boys have most

difficulty with. If done properly the “toe touching and knee

bending” exercises can be of the utmost value.

It will be interesting to know what other Cub Scouters mid Cub

Instructors feel on these points.

PATRICIA M. WEBB,

A.C.M. 2nd Ewell (Rainsters) and Act.C.M. 1st Ben Rhydding.

DEAR EDITOR,

The Committee of the Council have seen fit to remove the only

Star Test that makes any mental demands from the boy of nine to

eleven years old, Signalling. The rest of the Star Tests, I admit,

are little~more than general knowledge to boys of this age, and

by removing signalling, we have lost one of the “attractions” in

our shop window. What other Star Test offers the same scope for

“stickability” or the same sense of achievement on passing?

The Committee also in their wisdom have seen fit to ignore the

necessity of Cubs who cycle knowing the appropriate sections of

the Highway Code. I know that this test is covered by the

“Cyclist Badge” but, as such, is only regarded as optional

training as distinct from the basic training of the Star Tests.

May I submit the suggestion that the industry and keenness of

those Cubs who have learned their signalling be recognised by

the award of a “Signaller’s” Proficiency Badge. Also after

reading the articles by P. B. Nevill, “My Scouting Story,” I am

tempted to suggest that the “Scouts of Tomorrow,” need not

Scouters and Instructors, but Nursemaids. I was under the

impression that I had joined an Association that had something to

offer the youth of today.

WIKKIAM R. MARTIN,

C.M., 5th Chelmsford (St. Andrews).

DEAR EDITOR,

The reaction of the 1st Arundel Troop on hearing of the deletion

of signalling from Cub and Scout Tests was: “Oh! - surely we

can carry on with signalling.” it is surprising how this subject,

when handled in the right way, interests, a lad and appeals to his

sense of adventure. Take him into the country with flags and

telescopes or helios, leaven with a few other activities and he will

always come back for more. We have spent many happy hours in

this fashion, one which has always seemed to us to be part of real

Scouting. Are we to abandon a subject because it entails the

application of a little work and knowledge?

Other than the fun and training in observation that can be gained

there is the use to the community of thousands of people with a

knowledge of communication work. Scouting provided many

such people during the last two wars.

It is unfortunate that signalling will seemingly soon be a thing

of the past in the Movement.

R. P. SWAFFIELD,

A.S.M., 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel’s Own).

DEAR EDITOR,

Now that the Second and First Class tests have been revised

(“Scouts of Tomorrow?”) we find that Signalling and Public

Service are no longer “musts,” and it has prompted me to suggest

that to qualify for these badges a Scout has to submit a piece of

embroidery or arrange a vase of flowers. This would ensure that

there would be no shortage of “First Class” (?) Scouts.

In desperation, “CREEPMG PARALYSIS,”

S.M., 1st Rastrick Scouts.

Second Best

DEAR EDITOR,

It is unfortunate for Scouting that so many boys come into the

Movement without a proper sense of values. If this were not so,

they would not tolerate the unimaginative, repetitive programmes

which are offered by a significant proportion of Scouters, and the

resultant mass exodus of boys would force the gnilty persons to

alter their ways. The tragedy is that the Scouters are usually well

satisfied with the situation. They admit that their Troop has its

faults, but which one hasn’t? they ask. The majority believe in

Wood Badge Training - for others, and all of them have heard of

THE SCOUTER. Some even read it. They are usually kindly,

well-meaning men who are content to let things go on in their

own accustomed way, as long as nothing serious happens. To

enumerate the dangers of this attitude of mind would necessitate

writing a book. I want to focus attention on one fault which often

comes to my notice. Too many Scouters do not adequately

prepare their Scouts for the First Class Journey.

A boy I know has just gone to Whitsun camp where he will do

his First Class Journey. He has never been hiking before. The

boy was quite surprised when I suggested that he should take into

consideration the weight of his kit. He had, however, been told

how to write a log - you put m everything of interest. Items of

interest can usually be obtained from village policemen, whose

signatures should also be acquired. My young friend knows that

he will have to ask the Owner of his camp site to sign his log: the

signature though is as proof that he camped, not that he left a tidy

site. After teaching him how to find north using the watch - sun

method, I was not at all surprised to find that he did not know of

the Patrol Book on the journey.

We must not allow this sort of thing to continue. The case I

have quoted is not an isolated one. The remedy lies with the

Scouters - prevention with District Commissioners. I would

suggest that if District Commissioners met the boys they set

journeys for, they could ensure that all boys were fitted to

attempt the journey and at the same time provide themselves with

an opportunity to know every First Class Scout in their district.

G. B. JEFFERY,

Borough Road College Scout Club.

MY SCOUTING STORY -VII

By P.B. NEVIL

Just before Christmas, 1917, I received a letter from B.-P. asking

if I would allow my name to go forward for election to the

Council of the Boy Scouts’ Association. This was a great honour

for East London and all the Scouters who had helped in the work

of laying the foundations on which Roland House was to grow.

In January 1918 I was elected, the youngest member of the

Council, which distinction I held for a number of years.

I was already in close touch with Col. de Burgh, the first

Commissioner for Senior Scouts, for I was very interested in the

numerous problems which faced us in connection with this new

branch of the Movement. It was not long before he asked me if I

would become his assistant in his department. This I agreed to

do, but as soon as my appointment was announced London raised

an objection, as there was a feeling abroad that no one holding a

warrant in the London set-up should also hold a position at I.H.Q.

I at once told Col. de Burgh that I was not concerned whether I

held a warrant or not, and that I was quite prepared to do all I

could to help him without any official title, and -so the

appointment was cancelled.

The problem of retaining the Senior Scout in the Movement had

exercised the minds of Scouters from the earliest days as is

evidenced by the correspondence which appeared in the H.Q.

Gazette from time to time.

The conference that was held at the time of the Birmingham

Exhibition discussed the question of Senior Scouts, and later in

the year it was decided to start the Scouts Friendly Society, with

the direct object of being the means of retaining the Senior Scout

within the Scout Brotherhood. The Society was registered in the

early part of 1914. The subject of Senior Scouts was again

discussed at the Manchester conference, held at Easter 1914,

when it was further emphasised that the Scouts Friendly Society

was to be the means of solving the problem of retaining the

interest of the Seniors.

B.-P.’s interest in the Society is shown by a memorandum in his

own handwriting, in their possession, outlining the scheme.

Added to the official side of the Friendly Society was to be a

social side through the formation of camps with the Scout ideals

as a basis. The outbreak of war later in the year came just as the

Society was beginning to get on to its feet, and it never had a

chance to expand in the way intended.

The war directed attention to Senior Scouts in various ways. So

few Scoutmasters were left, that Patrol Leaders had to carry on if

their Troops were to be continued. Then B.-P. thought up the idea

of the Scouts Defence Corps, often referred to as the “Red

Feather Brigade” from the red feather which was worn by

members in their hats. This was to give Senior Scouts some

preliminary military training prior to their joining the forces.

B.-P. evidently felt that the problem of the Seniors was not yet

solved for he produced the scheme which was discussed at the

first Commissioners’ Conference at Matlock. In June 1917 the

new scheme was issued by I.H.Q. and Colonel Ulick de Burgh

was appointed the first Commissioner for Senior Scouts.

This scheme provided for Patrols to be formed in connection

with Troops or as separate Troops under a local Association. B.-

P. made a special point of the fact that the promotion of the older

Scouts would stimulate promotion amongst younger Scouts,

which he stated was often very slow where the older boys stay on

as Patrol Leaders.

They were to wear Scout uniform with a special shoulder-badge

and hat-badge. The former was red with the letters “S.S.”

embroidered in blue. Badge subjects were listed under four

headings: (1) Naval and Mercantile Marine; (2) Military; (3)

Agricultural; (4) Industrial, Professional and Commercial. An

arm-band of a different colour for each subject could be worn if

the Scout came up to a required standard.

If a Scoutmaster wished to form a Patrol he had to apply to

I.H.Q. for a form of Nominal Roil. Colonel de Burgh scrutinised

these most carefully and would never pass any Scouts who did

not come up to the age, and other standards which were imposed.

By the beginning of 1918 Scouters were returning invalided out

of the Services and other men were coming forward, so the need

for the Patrol Leaders Training Troop became less urgent and so

we were discussing at Roland House the next move. Most of the

Scouts left in the Training Troop were unattached and so it was

decided to form them into a Senior Scout Troop. So the 31st

Stepney Troop of Seniors was registered in February 1918, with

myself as Scoutmaster. The first Patrol chose the name of “The

Bears,” and when later a second Patrol was formed we had Black

and Brown Bears.

At this time there was a wave of the Woodcraft cult running

through the Movement, and it was quite common to find both

Scouts and Scoutmasters being given a Woodcraft name. I had

adopted the name of “Big Bear” after the badge of Richard

Neville, Earl of Warwick - the Bear and Ragged Staff - which

was used by some members of my family as their crest. So it can

be seen how the Bears came by their name.

One of the first things that Colonel de Burgh asked me to do

was to explore the situation in connection with badges for Senior

Scouts. B.-P. wanted the badge to be a stepping-stone to help a

Scout in his career. It seemed to us that to do this satisfactorily

the tests should be set by or at least approved by the various

trades and occupations, so I set about preparing a list of these.

B.-P. wrote to me urging speed as he had been talking to the

War Office and the education authorities and he considered it of

the greatest importance that we should put our scheme of training

for Senior Scouts before than without delay.

But the more I delved into this the longer my list became and

the more hopeless it appeared that we could ever get a scheme of

this sort to work, and so eventually it was agreed to drop it.

Looking back I think that the real difficulty was the uncertainty

over the age-group we were trying to cater for. We started with

the idea that advanced badges would be welcomed by Senior

Scouts and we were undoubtedly right here but as the age

gradually advanced from 15 to 17 the emphasis was changed, for

the attitude of the young man to the wearing of badges was a

different matter.

The advancing of the lower age limit for Senior Scouts is not

easy to account for, but one factor which must have had a direct

influence on this was the great desire on the part of a large

number of Scout people to have somewhere in the Movement

where we could absorb the many old Scouts when they came out

of the forces.

1918 was to be a very busy year for Scouting. On January 5th

East London organised at the Great Assembly Hall in the Mile

End Road the premiere of the Scout Film Be Prepared. The

Commissioner for London, Sir Alfred Codrington, took the chair,

and during the proceedings presented the second Cornwell Scout

Badge earned in London to Senior Patrol Leader W. Hickson, an

East London Scout, and now the Rev. W. Hickson, Assistant

County Commissioner for Essex.

Although the war was not over, far-sighted people were

preparing for the difficult times which were anticipated would

follow the conclusion of hostilities.

B.-P. had led the way in Scouting in reorganising the work of

I.H.Q. Fourteen new members were elected in January to the

Council. All of us were, I think, “working Commissioners” as we

were referred to. A number of new departments were set up at

I.H.Q. and new Commissioners put in charge of these. These

were to be responsible for the work of their Departments, and to

have full executive powers, except inso far as changes in

principle or policy or expenditure of money was involved.

Changes of policy had to be referred to the Committee of the

Council and regular reports prepared each month for circulation.

Money could only be spent if estimates had been put in and had

received approval. The staff were to remain under the Secretary,

notwithstanding the split up into separate departments.

In explaining the new scheme in THE SCOUTER, B.-P. said,

“You can’t run a live burning movement with a committee, any

more than you can run it in water-tight compartments, but it is

another melter if you put each branch of it under the hand of a

keen, experienced Scout, with the several heads working together

as a team in the game.” This scheme of organisation has

remained virtually the same right down to the present time.

Looking through the list of names of the new members

appointed at this time I find to my dismay that I am the only one

Early in the year I.H.Q. were asked if Scouts could help with

the weeding of the flax fields, and East London was asked if they

could undertake this. Flax had not been grown in this country

before but it was much needed for the manufacture of various

military equipment and of the material used in those days to

cover aeroplane wings. Mr. Kirkwood, who was my Assistant

Commissioner in Stepney, came to my assistance and undertook

the organisation of the venture. Scouts to the number of three

hundred volunteered for the work and nine camps were arranged

in the neighbourhood of Peterborough. Willesden helped us out

with one of the camps.

The work was evidently done to the satisfaction of everyone as

we were asked if four thousand Scouts could go down to help

with the harvest, not only in Lincolnshire but in other parts of the

country as well. This was a bigger job than we could manage in

East London so, with Mr. Kirkwood still acting as Organiser for

the Lincolnshire area, I.H.Q. were asked for help, and soon there

were enough Scouts volunteering from all over the country. East

London undertook one of the camps. I arranged two visits by B.-

P. when he, and on the second visit Lady Baden-Powell as well,

went the round of the camps and saw the Scouts at work in the

fields. The flax had to be pulled up by the roots so as to get the

longest possible fibre, it was hard work but the Scouts did it very

well.

During the Easter holidays the Bears camped at Betchworth

Fort. We found the concrete floor somewhat hard in spite of

some straw, and on the Saturday we hiked down off the North

Downs to Little Mynthurst Farm where B.-P. was then living.

The buildings were delightfully old-world - two cottages knocked

into one with a fine old barn, in which B.-P. had set out all his

trophies collected from all parts of the world. He spent some time

in showing the Scouts round, and they were thrilled with the tales

he told. It was a memorable weekend.

Later in the year I spent a week-end at Little Mynthurst. It was

always a great experience staying with the Chief and Lady B.-P.

For one thing you could always be sure that you would be kept

busy! If you wanted to have a quiet chat with him, the plan was

to get up at 5.30 a.m., for at that time it would be his custom to

go out for a walk with his dogs; if you missed this there was not

much opportunity during the day.

After breakfast he would retire to his study to deal with his

correspondence and the hundred-and-one things he always had

on hand, while the visitors would be set to work in the garden. At

lunch B.-P. would appear probably with a number of papers, and

quite likely you would find one or more of these in your hands,

these you would be requested to peruse and let him have your

opinion thereon at tea-time. B.-P. had a wonderful knack of

getting other people to work for him. You felt it an honour that

he should ask you to help, and consequently you did your very

best. This is one of the reasons, I am sure, why he accomplished

so much during his life.

Later in June, B.-P. asked me to have lunch with him at the

Scout Club to meet some of the leading men of the Y.M.C.A. to

discuss various points in developments they were contemplating.

I cannot now remember why he should have asked me to this

meeting as I had had no connection with this organisation up to

this time, other than any war-time work for them.

I was throwing all my energies into the new Senior Scout

Scheme, and was in correspondence with Bristol, Manchester and

Birmingham urging them to give serious consideration to the

establishment of Senior Scouts. This was partly due to the

problem which arose over Army Cadets and Scouts.

In a number of places Cadet Officers were being reported in the

Press as saying that the Boy Scouts Association were fully in

agreement in working with the Cadets by passing on their boys

over 15 to them. I approached General Sir Robert Scallon, who

was in charge of Cadets at the War Office, and was at that time

also a member of our Council. I found that he was in entire

sympathy with the suggestion that there should be no recruiting

by the Cadets of members of other Youth Organisations, and in

due course a circular went out from the War Office to this effect.

All the three cities mentioned above soon got busy and I went to

conferences in each place to explain the S.S. scheme. At the one

called by the S.E. Lancashire County at Manchester I found

myself on the same platform as Hadyn Dimmock. It was the first

time I had. heard him speak, and I felt very proud of my old

Scout. At this time also, I persuaded the London Scout Council to

call a conference on the same subject, and this was held in June.

B.-P. promised to be present at this but at the last moment he

asked to be allowed to cry off as he had another very important

engagement he felt he should undertake. It fell to me therefore to

expound the new plan. The conference passed two resolutions to

submit to I.H.Q.

1. “That the Senior Scouts scheme should for the moment be

confined to the consideration of the retention of older boys who

are already Scouts.”

This was carried.

2. “That Senior Scouts should have the option of wearing

breeches instead of shorts.”

This was lost by an overwhelming majority.

(To be continued)

ROVER ROUNDABOUT

With quite a lot of news from all around I feel that here is at

least something for you in the attempt to get your young men

keen to go for Rovering in a big way. Your chaps are not too

keen on this Badge business ? - so what, so long as they learn to

realise that other folk need a helping hand. Why not take a leaf

out of the book of the Richmond and Barnes Rovers. Ever since

the early 1920’s they have gone along to the Star and Garter

Home for Disabled Soldiers, Sailors and Ainnen and done what

they could to brighten up their lives, taking them out, helping

with feeding at special occasions, and just talking to them. One

of my own Crews go over once a month on the same job.

On the other hand Glasgow Rovers undertook to make six

canoes for the Y.H.A. so that they could run a Canoe Cruise. A

lot was learned from the making, it was time well spent and, what

is more, in their case they got a canoe for their trouble. And

while you work together the young man learns to live, understand

and appreciate his fellows: work and talk can go on together.

Glasgow have been doing well lately. One Crew has two lady

Instructors, who keep them on their toes whilst they learn the art

of fencing! The church hall wasn’t large enough so they have

moved into a school for this side of their Rovering - an idea for

many. The school people are most co-operative, and how many

Crews who stick to the Den are very limited in their programme

for that reason? Another way of widening one’s outlook. Ever

had a chat to a school caretaker and learnt a new angle on

education? If the poor chap ever finds time, get him to talk to

your Crew on “his job.”

The 31st Croydon sent me their Annual Report, a very

interesting document. Early in the year their leader had to “tear

them off a strip” because they came late, lacked uniform and

interest and possessed a very scruffy den. Backed in a large

degree by the younger members, they were able to tell of

assistance at Venturer Badge Courses, Camping competitions,

help on a camp site. On their own account, they had Alpine

practice during the winter on Box Hill (known as little

Switzerland) before doing the real thing. They boast nine new

members (six from Seniors, two from outside Scouting and one

ex Scout), three fellows back from National Service and three

newly-invested Rovers who, after a night hike as their initial test,

arrived at the camp site for the ceremony after tramping thirty

miles, owing to the miscalculation of their A.R.S.L. who set the

Wretched course. (Badges for Rover Leaders! !)

Yes, they back up if the show is active. Good Rovering will be

the fruits of those who use the right fertiliser (my roses respond

in the same way).

What about the Handicapped fellows - we had some of them at

the Cenotaph Pilgrimage this year, a whole Crew from St.

David’s Epileptic Hospital, run by a fellow from the Wood Green

area in London. I’m glad to see him mentioned in their District

News Sheet. What a lot these handicapped types get from, very

often, one man’s efforts. They feel part of a normal active show.

Thank you, Brother Rovers, who under great difficulties help the

less fortunate fellow along the road of life with a feeling of

belonging.

London “Yellow Plumer” sent me a marvellous programme of a

day run for the polio folk called “Polio Project.” Several Groups

took part and the Scout and Guide Associations shared the work

and organisation. Two marquees were used for the refreshments

and the decorations came from the Guide folks’ gardens. They

ran sports, with no lack of chair pushers, memorial trees were

planted and the whole was topped up by our old friend Jack Beet,

who ran the Camp Fire programme in a marquee, as the cold

evening made it a little uncomfortable for the folk in chairs. Five

and a half hours of real enjoyment, put into operation in the first

place by a Rover who found that once the idea was broached

there were more people willing to help than he had ever

bargained for. Incidentally, London Rovers made a grant for the

prizes given for the sports events.

A very comprehensive programme comes from Coulsdon,

Surrey, covering April to September, with an interesting item

billed as “somebody’s holiday report.” (We once listened to one

in the Crew from a member who had been to his first holiday

camp - most enlightening.) These lads do a lot of work

maintaining their Group H.Q. and the new plan is going to be

difficult for them. They even wrote rude notes on the bottom of

the programme sheet, but I feel sure that they will make it work

in time. I’ve been amazed to hear how many “yellow perils” are

being fitted in on jobs that were crying out to be done. How

about letting me know how your Crew are getting down to the

new plan? It will help and encourage many to know of its

progress.

2nd Hove “Crew’s News” write up the R.S. I form. This is still

not used as much as it might be. Give the fellows going into the

Services the chance to use it; in many cases it can be of great

help. They mention also that part of the County news letter is to

have a Rover Section.. This can be very useful where Crews are

small and to be kept in touch that way helps a lot, especially in

the training of a few fellows where time, distance and education

make attendance at District Crew Meetings more than difficult.

Although some of our Commonwealth brothers travel up to 200

miles for a Crew Meeting, on our small island travel is much

easier - bar a place I know in Suffolk, where the bus goes into

town on Tuesdays at 2.30, otherwise you push a bike or walk.

But this is where a good Rover Leader will rise to the occasion

and if Rovering has meant so much to you, you will see the

young man gets his chance.

They certainly took theirs in Leeds. Their news letter tells of the

Crew going to listen to the London Symphony Orchestra when it

visited their city. See that your programme is planned to utilise

any chance like this, but don’t make it too tight, so that when the

odd chance and you can take every advantage of it.

Well, now, Rovering wants help. Whatever your job in Scouting

see that the young man doesn’t suffer: because unless we all

make an extra effort to be patient and understanding we are going

to have a “sticky wicket” for our batting. I have just come back

from talking to a Crew I knew three years or so ago. They took in

six Seniors to their ranks tonight and still left about twenty in the

Senior Troop and all potential Crew members. So make sure your

programme ticks and never lose sight of the fact that a job of

work for the Crew is the surest way of publicising its desirability

to the younger brother. Yes, give them the “privilege” of

partaking in an effort which helps a body of less fortunate folk,

the Group, the Move-meat and in the ultimate end themselves.

Make the most of the outdoor season. It’s generally all too

short. How about a line on your project training - moans not

reported?

JACK SKILLEN.

The Rover’s World

14. - “WHERE EVERY

PROSPECT PLEASES...”

Do you want a job of work done? Have you a camp-site to level

or merely clear up? Do you want an exhibition

policed? You have! You do! Then I wonder if I may recommend

the Welikade Rovers. Mind you, it will take them a little time to

get here: they have to come from Ceylon and they are

handicapped Rovers; but what a grand job they will do for you

when they get here!

Do you want an idea for a week-end hike? You do! What about

120 miles of thick jungle, leopard, cobra and wild elephant

thrown in? A trifle too much of a good thing, you think? Pah! I

know of a Crew of Handicapped Rovers who have done it. Yes,

you guessed right, Welikade again.

Did I say “handicapped”? Yes, I did. Perhaps, however, this is

the moment when I should explain that the Welikade Rovers are

handicapped in a rather special way. Their handicap is barbed-

wire, high walls and double-locked doors. They are convicts.

That, of course, you will, say, explains everything. When one is

doing hard labour anyway, one might as well do the chores of a

corroboree as any other joyless grind, and even a wild elephant is

a pleasant change from a gimlet-eyed warder. You are probably

right; but have you thought of the other side of the picture? Have

you thought of the man with several years still to serve, who

stands at the open gate of a camp and sees the road dwindling

away into the distance, knowing that tomorrow he will be back

behind bars; of the temptation to mingle with the crowd milling

round an exhibition or to merge quietly mto the jungle and

disappear? Think of the number of times that such thoughts must

have entered the heads of the members of this Crew during the

thirty-odd years of its existence. What do you suppose has, for

thirty years, restrained every single one of them from giving way

to temptation? Loyalty? Innate honour? A new-found self-

respect? I would not care to say, but that record stands and it is a

proud one.

Fair enough, I hear you say, but what of the end-product? Does

Scouting, with the freedom and consequent responsibilities.

merely lighten the drear life of prison, or does it justify itself in

the only way it properly can, by the regeneration of its subjects? I

am no prison statistician but I doubt if any other group of

convicts anywhere in the world can approach Welikade’s record:

that over the whole history of the Crew only one of its members

has returned with a second conviction.

THIRTY miles from the frowning walls of Welikade, at

Watupitiwala, another remarkable experiment is being carried on.

In a pleasant house, just out of sight of the barbed-wire of the

Borstal Institute, twenty or so selected members of that

institution live in a self-governing community, barred from

escape only by their Scout Promise and ruled only by the Scout

Law, as interpreted by their own Court of Honour. This is in

many ways a more remarkable adventure than Welikade. The

prison Rovers are released and trusted occasionally, the Borstal

boys are trusted all the time. The prison Rovers may be in prison

for serious crimes (you do not get two years plus for leaving your

car without lights even in a modern society), but mostly are first

offenders who have gone to prison simply becatise their one

isolated crime was a serious one. Borstal boys, on the other hand,

may have committed no very serious crime, but they are

essentially people for whom probation for first offences had

already failed. Paradoxically, therefore, the convicts may be

more trustworthy individuals than the “schoolboys.”

It is not surprising then to learn that their escape record is not as

good as Welikade’s; nor is the regenerating effect so universal:

cases have occurred of youths who have had to be transferred to

the regular department behind the barbed-wire. Nevertheless,

when all such cases are taken into account, the fact remains that

the enthusiastic and enlightened governors and warders who have

sponsored this experiment are first and foremost prison officials

and they would not take these risks if they were not confident

that they were producing results.

In two cases at any rate they can point to striking results: I

wonder if there is any parallel anywhere in the world for Her

Majesty enrolling on her list of Queen’s Scouts two resident

members of one of her Borstals? They are both now out in the

world and respectable members of society. It is no new thing for

the Handicapped Section of our Movement to give us a sharp

lesson, but I shall think of these two the next time anyone

explains to me the special and quite exceptional reasons why no

one in his Troop is more than Second Class.

Let us get the matter into perspective. In the February

SCOUTER Old Hankin of “Our District” gave us a salutary

reminder that our pride in the “bad-hats” that we have reformed

must not blind us to the fact that our basic work lies with the

ordinary, decent, law-abiding fellow. So it is also in Ceylon. I

should like to tell you of the copy-book Scouting of the

Udupiddy School Troop, present holders of the island Merit Flag;

of the social service work being done by a Crew and a school

Group in Anuradhapura; of the lovely and original Scout huts at

Christian College, Kotte, and Richmond School, Galle; of the

wonderful suspension bridge built at the Southern Corroboree by

Rahula College from Matara; of presenting Queen’s Scout

parchments on the Dharmaraja mountain eyric as the sun set over

the hills of Kandy and the lights of the town twinkled a thousand

feet below; of a certain home-made tent belonging to a Troop of

Tamil labourers on an up-country tea-estate; of the little village

Troop at Harangala, so lost in hills and jungle that the road

stopped with complete finality half a mile from the village. Even

in the more orthodox field of Handicapped Scouting, I could tell

of a Grand Howl by deaf and dumb Wolf Cubs which nearly had

me in tears.

Nevertheless, I went to Ceylon to see what her Scouts could

teach us, to see what her Scouts had developed that might be

called original and pioneering. In all that saw and learnt in a tour

that embraced seven-eighths of the Scouts of the island, nothing

was more striking than this new aspect of Handicapped Scouting:

so astounding has been its success that one wonders why such an

experiment can have gone on for thirty years without being better

known and more widely imitated.

C. F. HALE, D.C.C., N. Yorks.

FROM 25 B.P. ROAD

History was made on June 13th when the Postmaster-General

announced in the House of Commons that there will be special

postage stamps to commemorate our Jubilee Jamboree next year

and that they will be issued in the denominations of 2½d., 4d.,

and 1s. 3d. This is the first time that the Government of the

United Kingdom has authorised a Scout stamp. Special issues are

rare in this country as is confirmed by the fact that there have

been only twelve special issues in the history of British postage

stamps. This is a splendid tribute to our Movement and an honour

which will give great encouragement and satisfaction to

everyone. A few week-ends ago the District Commissioner for

Stowmarket arranged an unusual but highly successful week-end

Course for the P.L.s of his District. The theme of the Course was

“Your Town.” The first session on the Saturday was given by the

Superintendent of the Police who spoke about the work of the

Police and told the P.L.s something of crime detection.

He was followed by the Press and a reporter from the local

newspaper described how a newspaper is produced. After this

talk, the P.L.s were allocated newspaper jobs as reporters, sub-

editors and so on and were told to produce a newspaper. A useful

publication resulted.

On the Sunday morning, after early services, the Course

reported to the Urban District Council Offices where the Chair-

man and members of the Council welcomed the Scouts. The

Chairman gave a short talk on the work of the Council and then

put the Scouts into the various Committees - the Housing Com-

mittee, Parks Committee, etc. The Committees met and discussed

prepared agenda. The Scouts were regarded as Councillors and

encouraged to speak their minds; one item: “An application from

the Swimming Club to hold a swimming gala on Sunday

evening,” produced very interesting comments from the Scout

Councillors. The Council clerks took shorthand notes of all that

was said and decided upon.

The Scouts then returned to the Council Chamber to listen to

talks from the Surveyor and the Clerk. During this time the office

staff worked at high pressure and duplicated the i7eports of the

Committees. When this was done, each Scout received a notice,

together with the usual agenda and reports, to attend an Extra-

ordinary Meeting of the Council. During this full Council Meet-

ing, the Scouts were once again encouraged to speak and to make

propositions and amendments in the correct way. So ended a

most interesting and instructive morning.

The final item of the Course was a visit to the Railway Station

where the Station Master gave a talk on British Railways,

followed by the inspection of a signal box together with a

practical talk by the signalman.

The week-end was voted a huge success by all who took part

and it was certainly first-class training in citizenship. Some of

you may have heard of the Third British National Conference on

Social Work which is to be held in Edinburgh during August,

1957. The theme will be “Children and Young People” and it is

apparent from the “Guide to Studies” which has been published

that Scouters would have a great deal to contribute to the

questions which are to be discussed. Obviously most Scouters

will be otherwise engaged during the period of the Conference

but- any who have the opportunity of joining one of the

preliminary study groups which are being formed up and down

the country would find themselves able to give valuable help and

advice as well as broadening their own experience. Anyone who

is interested may obtain further particulars from the Relationships

Secretary at I.H.Q.

Some First Star Cubs were gathered together for instruction N

in first aid and the Scouter enquired if anyone knew anything

about bums and scalds.

CUB: “Did you say Bums and Scalds?”

SCOUTER: “Yes.”

CUB: “Oh yes; they’re the funny American people on

television!”

A. W. HURLL,

Chief Executive Commissioner.

THE GILWELL LETTER

Gilwell has held its second Cub Open Day, and what a day it

proved to be. The number attending was almost exactly identical

with the number of Scouts attending the 8th World Jamboree,

being somewhere between ten and eleven thousand. I think there

is little doubt that the Cubs had a wonderful time and, now that

we have lost the tiredness from our legs and shoulders, the staff

consider the whole affair was well justified.

There was nearly five hundred Packs, some coming from very

far a field, and it was a great tribute to the enthusiasm of the

Cubmasters who made the arrangements to bring them. One

hundred and fifty motor coaches brought the Cubs and upon

arrival they consumed 13,000 bottles of assorted soft drinks. We

have not yet been able to count the quantity of other things which

vanished into the mysteries of their interiors!

For me the whole enterprise proved worth while when two Cubs

came to me at the end and very nicely said “Thank you,” adding

“Can we really aim and camp here when we are Scouts?”

When, two years ago, we ventured on this Cub Day the two

reasons I did so were: -

1. To give Cubs an opportunity of seeing a great many other

Cubs and to give them some sense of the size of the Movement to

which they belong.

2. To let Cubs see Gilwell in the belief that it would help some

of them to stay on in Scouting and make them want to come back

here to camp.

The only saddening feature of the whole day was the amount of

litter scattered. We expected some, but we did not expect quite so

much. Perhaps next year the Akelas who come will have a quiet

word with their Packs about this very important aspect of their

training.

It was something of a miracle, .I thought, that the same Pack

which won the Cricket Competition in 1955 won it again in 1956,

the survivors of a hundred entrants. As they come from Essex the

future for Essex cricket must be brighter than it has been in my

lifetime.

I think you can take it that from the end of this month onwards

we shall have no more places available on Wood Badge Courses

at Gilwell this year. There may be a few cancellations, but it

looks as though the “House Full” notice will definitely be up.

JOHN THURMAN

Camp Chief

The 30th Annual Gilwell Reunion will be held over the week-

end of Saturday and Sunday, September 1st and 2nd, 1956.

The general arrangements will be as usual, namely:-

I. The Reunion is open to all members of the Movement who

have qualified for the Cub, Scout, or Rover Wood Badge.

2. Scouters are expected to camp, making full provision fo

themselves. -

3. Bread, milk, and groceries are obtainable from the

Providore. Bread and milk must be ordered in advance:

groceries may be ordered in advance.

4. Tea will be available at a charge of 1s. 6d. per head per day.

Previous orders will be greatly appreciated.

5. Camp Fire items from Counties will be welcomed an

notification appreciated.

6. The Chief Scout hopes to be present at the Reunion.

7. In addition to the normal programme, which we hope will

e as enjoyable as ever, we have arranged for Square Dancing

to take place after Camp Fire on the Saturday night.

Members of the 1st Gilwell Park Group are reminded tha

annual subscriptions are due and will be gratefully received.

LUCK OF THE MONTH

By THE EDITOR

May l9th. - Gilwell at Whitsun: Gilwell in May-time, Gilwell at

its best. Behind the house the flowering shrubs and rarer trees

which were given by the 100th Cub Wood Badge Course were

flourishing, especially the metasequoia - that strange tree thought

to be extinct for thousands of years and then discovered in China

in 1944 - which is as fine as any in the land. All these rose out of

the bluest skies of forget-me-nots. The trees of Essex Chase,

which were given by the Scouts of Essex and include the two

other metasequoia of Gilwell, are now growing into young tree-

hood and adding beauty to the scene.

The Gilwell Rovers and Auxs. have in the weeks since Easter

built a fine new Warden’s Hut at right angles to the Providore, in

perfect keeping with its surroundings.

May 23rd. - Young friend C, now an A.S.M., had his Troop in

camp last week-end and was faced early on the Saturday morning

with a Scout with quite a chunk of flesh out of his leg which he’d

caught innocently enough on a jutting tree. Prompt action ended

with an ambulance to hospital some miles away and eighteen

stitches. But an ambulance was not available for the return

Journey. The only way to get the Scout back to camp was a taxi.

Wondering ruefully about his limited funds, C located one and

they returned the three miles to the camp, where the driver said:

“This one’s on the house” and refused to take a penny.

We’re surrounded by good friends: which is one reason we

might sometimes recall for being true to ourselves, to the pattern

of our training and to the purpose of our Movement. And trying

to get away from our own parochial and personal desires.

May 29th. - The heading across the column on the front page of

my morning newspaper said “No rain in sight.” It has poured all

day.

May 30th. - Our lovely days in Canada came back vividly to me

today as I read the log book of one of the Scouts - Eric Wilson -

who had been in the London Contingent: a charming log, and

intelligent, decorated with nice funny little coloured drawings as

well as photographs and mementos, it left no doubt at all about

that boy’s happiness last summer. Eric has also lent me

photographs (prepared for projection) which were equally

nostalgic in their effect.

June 4th. - Leslie Wolters sends me this from Camps wad

Climbs in Arctic Norway, by Thomas Weir: “Luckily there had

been time to spare in the morning before leaving, and we had

boiled a pot of water into which we put dried soup, carrots, and

turnips, wrapping it up in my sleeping bag before departure. It

was now perfectly cooked and required only five minutes on the

stove to put us right with the world. This improvised hay box

method of cookery deserves to be better known. Such things as

rice and porridge can be cooked to perfection, this way.”

June 5th. - Printing costs now go up twenty per cent above last

December’s. What a life! Think kindly of your Editor’s difficul-

ties next time you don’t bother to reply to any requests or can’t

trouble to see whether the boys in your Troop or District read

The Scout - or disagree with something he has printed!

June 7th. - Interested to see that in tribute to the outstanding

leadership given to the Movement by Canada’s Deputy Chief

Scout, the Montreal Region has named its new Wolf Cub

campsite after Mr. Jackson Dodds. The site is a beautiful one on

the shores of Lac Cloutier in the Laurentians.

June l2th. - Lnterested to know that Nottingham Area Branch of

the B.-P. Guild have given an avenue of seventy-two lime trees

to the Nottingham City Scouts at their Walesby Forest Camp

Site: a generous and intelligent gift.

June 13th. - A sentence in a Scout fete programme which ran:

“No one.. .can fail to be impressed by the spirit of lifeless service

which is instilled into all its members.” Perhaps not quite what

was intended.

June 14th. - Among the many wreaths that came to the funeral

of Tony Murphy, the little Cub who was mauled by the lion,

came one from the R.A.F.

LUCK OF THE MONTH; SWAN WITH CYGNEST

Group commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Graham with these

words: “In sympathy and proud recognition of a little gentleman

who in adversity displayed courage and fortitude of the highest

order” - words all Cubs and Scouts might hope they would be

worthy of.

June l5th. - From a letter from Peter Woods, an officer of the

Leprosy Service in West Africa: “At a gathering of young Rovers

and older Senior Scouts, I was faced by a chap whose eyes were

fixed upon me, his chin supported by his palm. I felt that here

was one whose interests were not parochial, who perhaps felt that

I was opening a window on a new sphere of thought. He asked

the first two questions of the evening. Question one: ‘Is that your

car outside?’ Question two: “Ow does a bloke like me get into

your racket?”’

June l8th. - In a current catalogue for autograph-collectors B.-

P.’s is listed at 5s.

June 2lst. - How right I was! To my query “to what extent do

British boys make their own kit and like doing it,” I had just three

replies! - all in the negative. The places of honour are Gateshead

(A. T. Winder), Harrow (F. H. Cruse) and New York (H. P.

Keller). Three admirable quotations respectively:

“In my experience, British boys do not make their own

equipment; they prefer to purchase good-quality commercially-

produced articles. On the other hand, I know of many boys who

have deliberately taken spare-time jobs for the express purpose of

obtaining the wherewithal to buy their Scout equipment, and

possibly this is self-reliance of a different, though not necessarily

inferior, order.”

“In this, as” so many other of our problems, we are battling

against the whole present system. A home-made rucsac can never

be anything like so elegant as the shop bought article, and mass

production and trade unionism drive us to stick to our own

individual last. We are baffling against principalities and powers.

No satisfaction is felt nowadays at owning an article made by

oneself when it does not look so chromium plated, cellulose

finished and jet propelled. Many years ago I made my own tent,

proofing it with soap and alum (what a mess!) and my brother

made a rucsac, complete with cane frame, but neither could have

been called elegant and both gave place to the shop bought article

as soon as funds would allow. (Oh dear, now I am saying we

were as bad as the boys of today. That can’t be. I must change the

subject.)” ...

“You don’t distinguish here [i.e. New York] between those who

make their own tents and those who buy them. You distinguish

between those who sleep in tents and those who sleep in cabins

(summer time). Maybe one Troop Leader feels like being tough

and applying the present craze about ‘Do-it-U-rself’ in his Troop.

He then probably would go out and buy the official Boy Scout

‘Do-it-U-rself-tent-building-kit’) and build a tent according to the

enclosed prescription. He would pay £10 for the kit, but for the

prepared tent he would have to pay say £10 6s. 6d.! - This is like

a S.M. here I know who taught ‘flint and steel’ and went to

camp.., without matches but with a big box full of equipment

needed for flint and steel fire making. So, let’s consent on the

lazy habit of buying tents, but making the more frequent use of

them.”

Thanks, pals - all three of you!

REX HAZLEWOOD.

JUNGLE DAYS - XI

“THE STRENGTH OF THE TROOP IS

THE PACK”

This year I had the great joy of three months’ leave in Malaya -

two months of which were in Province Wellesley, where I had

lived for twelve years before going to Borneo. So I found myself

back again with the 7th Butterworth, a Group I have known since

1940 and whose Pack I had used as a guinea-pig for all sorts of

experiments while I was H.Q. Commissioner for Cubs for the

Federation of Malaya. I had used Malay, Tamil and Chinese

Cubs from that Pack when starting new vernacular Packs - I

don’t know how I could have done the job if it hadn’t been for

the 7th Butterworth! The spirit of the Group has always been the

best, and that is as true in 1955 as in 1940. The secret is in the

Pack, which has kept to the traditions of the Group for fifteen

years. The Group is singularly lucky in that the G.S.M. started

his service as a Scouter as A.C.M. in the Group fifteen years ago

and now combines his work as G.S.M. with that of A.D.C. Cubs.

He has seen to it that all through the years the Group has had a

good Pack, and the boys have gone up progressively through Boy

Scout and Senior Scout Troops and been jolly good Scouts all

through. During my three months in Malaya I was continually

meeting young men whom I had known as Cubs in the 7th - I

stayed for the whole of my two months in Butter-worth with one;

another I met in Kuala Lumpur, the federal capital. I was in

uniform as a member of the Training Team running a Wood

Badge Course at Castle Camp, and he hailed me with delight.

“Hello, Ko!” he said, “Do you remember me? I am Tikus!” (“The

Mouse” - a name I gave him in 1940 because he was the smallest

Cub - a tradition the Pack have kept up). At the great Agri-

Horticultural Show I met another young Malay, who bad been a

Cub in the same Pack at the same time, and is now a lecturer at

the Agricultural College. Others are now Schoolmasters at St.

Mark’s, their old school in Butterworth. All spoke with great

affection of their time in the Pack us “the old days.” And their

post-war successors, those nice kids I had such a great time with

from 1947 until I left Malaya for Borneo in 1951, are now Senior

Scouts on their way to Queen’s Scout - the Sixers are now the

P.L.s and one of my regular helpers then is now the very efficient

Troop Leader. It was “going home” to be back with the 7th

Butterworth (one of the boys said on my arrival “When did you

come home, si ?”). It is a Group I would be proud to take anyone

to see. And truly “the strength of the Troop is the Pack.”

Tough Camp.

My letter in the June, 1955, SCOUTER about the Dayak boys

of Cub age and under; who can venture out alone in a prau on a

great swirling river, and who come to school with a great

clanking sword (a duku to be exact) by way of a penknife, and

who are capable of single-handed cooking a meal for ten people,

aroused a lot of interested comment amongst my Scouter friends

while I was in Malaya, and I determined to try an experiment

with Cubs there. So Iran an experimental camp for fifteen Sixers

and Seconds, six being English boys from the R.A.F. camp at

Butterworth (the extremely English name of this small Malayan

town is due to the fact that it was named after a Governor of

Penang, in which settlement it is situated; the Malays call it

“Bagan”) and nine being Malay, Chinese or Tamil Cubs from the

7th Butterworth. This made three Sixes of five, with a Scout (ex

Cub) as a “guardian angel” to each Six. Servicemen’s sons in

Malaya too rarely get a chance of mixing with local boys; this

was a chance not to be missed.

I am afraid I ignored all the rules of a traditional Cub camp (of

which I have run dozens - my last in Penang being for 120

Sixers) and treated the boys as if they were Dayaks of that age

(and therefore completely capable of looking after themselves). I

had no other Old Wolves (I can imagine cries of horror from

English Cubmasters) and the Cubs did everything themselves.

They pitched their own tents and cooked for themselves, one Six

at a time, under the eye of their guardian Scouts.

As I expected, everything went off swimmingly; it was a jolly

good camp. We could only spare a long week-end as it was term-

time, and on the Saturday the whole Pack hiked up Penang HiIl -

2,300 feet of fairly stiff going, in the tropical heat (but again the

sort of thing a Dayak boy would take in his stride). The Cubs

entered into the spirit of the thing and thoroughly enjoyed

themselves - the camp just ran itself!

“A good thing to have done!”

I think those Cubs who climbed Penang Hill with me that day

would have made the same comment as their big brothers of the

Rover Crew (all ex Cubs, of course, being 7th Butterworth) made

after their first experience of caving. During the Rover Camp at

Sungei Patani in Kedak in 1948 I took the Crew through the great

cave which runs through Elephant Hill. Now as spelaeologists (or

whatever they call themselves) know, the floor of a cave is not

like a ballroom - it is more like a mountain range. Our paraffin

torches gave a puddle of light about five feet in diameter -

beyond which was blackness and possibly a forty-foot drop. By

the time we got half-way through some of the Rovers were

asking when we would be turning back, but we insisted on going

right through. When at last we had reached the end and we were

out in the warmth of the sunlight they sank down on the ground

with a. sigh of relief and said “That was a nice thing to have

done!” I now look back on twenty years as a warranted Scouter,

fifteen of which have been with the Cub Section. There have

been times of exasperation - times when I have wondered if we

would get through with what we had taken on - but now looking

back at it all, and thinking of those big fellows I started on their

Scout life fifteen years ago, I say “It was a good thing to have

done!”

The T-Shirt.

I am always behind with Scout news - the October

“SCOUTER” has just come, and I was interested in the

correspondence on the subject of summer uniform for Cubs. If

ever I were to run a Pack in England again I would adopt the

uniform Packs in the Far East wear - a sort of cloth “T-shirt” with

a round neck and two buttons, made in blue or khaki cloth.

Smart, cool and quite easy to wash.

Two Far Eastern Cub Rounds.

“Rlkki” Melville Smith has kindly sent me a copy of the little

book of Cub songs she collected - I hope to teach some to our

brats here. Here are two we sing:

(1) Malay round (tune and meaning “Gaily sings the donkey”)

Keldai menyani, pada pegi han, Tidak beri makan, begini kata

keldai, “Ee ho, ne ho, se ho, echo, ee hay!”

(“k” at the end of a Malay Dayak work is the glottal stop and is

not pronounced. English example: “Bo’ ‘le”).

(2) Sea Dayek round (tune: A Boat, a boat, haste to the ferry).

Batak’ batak! lalu bekayoh.

Kitai mansang enggau rindu.

“Regup! Regup!” munyi sungayoh.

Meaning: Get on with it! And paddle!

We will go on our way joyfully.

“Regup! Regup” says the paddle.

We often sing the latter when paddling our prau.

The Chief pnd the Cubs.

I took a party of Malay and Dayak Cubs over to Simanggang to

meet Lord Rowallan when he paid us a visit a year ago, and I

must tell this story. Simanggang is a three-day journey by sea

from Betong (at least we took three days, spending one lovely

day at -Subuyau, where there is a cave the Cubs loved exploring)

and after the excitement of the Chief’s visit - in which he saw a

Pack meeting run in Dayak - we all left about the same time, the

Chief in Punai and my Cubs in Fyfe Bay. When we reached

Subuyau in the dark we found we had to moor alongside Punal

and the Chief asked the Cubs aboard. I went off to arrange

accommodation for the night ashore, and when I came back I

found the Cubs in possession of Punai and the Chief teaching

them how to make “Bunny-rabbits” as we used to call them - the

Cubs called them “Tikus” - out of a pocket-handkerchief.

ERIC H. SCOTT,

PACK NIGHT - XV

How often one is asked - can you give me any fresh ideas for

Pack programmes? It is very difficult to make up programmes all

the year round and never be stumped for ideas. Old Wolves’

meetings and P.T.C.s (even if you have the Wood Badge) help

considerably to give one new ideas, especially those who run

isolated Packs. The following suggestions may be of use to some

C.M.s and I hope you will enjoy watching them in action as

much as I did.

A way with leaves and carbon. Collect a variety of well-known

leaves - if your Pack is in the heart of a city, this isn’t so easy, but

perhaps an expedition could be arranged. The leaves should not

be picked when the trees are wet. Ask your Pack to beg pieces of

carbon paper which are not too worn, the type used for

duplicating. Some Cubs must have a relative who works in an

office or perhaps you do. Next you will need some pieces of

white cardboard, postcards are excellent, but this adds to the cost,

and finally, a few pieces of tracing or greaseproof paper plus a

pencil per Cub. The pencil point should not be too sharp.

Method. Place your card cut into uniform pieces on your den

table, on the card a piece of carbon - the carbon of course is

placed as for duplicating, now the leaf with the right side facing

you. On top of the leaf a piece of tracing paper. Now all that is

left is for the Cub to make the print, this he does by rubbing the

tracing paper carefully with his pencil until the leaf shape is filled

in. With luck, he should now have a very good print. I suggest

that a Scouter prints the name of the leaf on the back of the card.

Having made a good selection of leaf prints, they can be kept

indefinitely if you cover them with cellophane. The prints have

many uses. Nature training in the winter when trees are bare. For

memory training, let each Cub or Six, according to your

numbers, examine the prints and names, then see how many they

can remember when the names are hidden. Let the Cubs try to

match the prints with live leaves - suggest the prints are left in

the den, they stand to get damaged otherwise!

Colour Training. Ask your local decorating firm for old colour

cards. Try to get a card for each Six, but they must be all alike.

Now let the Cubs cut the cards up into the various colour strips,

leaving the colour name on, Sort into sets and secure with an

elastic band until required. Give each Six a set and send them out

to collect (a) natural objects, (b) a real scavenge. Each object

must match a colour strip. C.M.s beware. I was once brought a

small frog (alive) in a match-box, both toned with colour strips,

but alas the frog was a little large for the box and livened the

meeting considerably by hopping round the den. Another Cub

had a grass snake up his jersey, the snake also toned with a

colour strip! Remembering again those who have not the wide

open spaces available, this game is good fun in the den, each Six

“matching” his strips with objects around the den. It is also fun to

confine it definitely to trees, each leaf, twig, pieces of bark, etc.,

can all be matched.

Packs at some time or another are bound to take part in the

Group Concert, even at the risk of Akela having a nervous

breakdown. Large Packs have the advantage over the smaller

ones as they have more “artistes” and can usually manage a play,

songs and recitations. The small Pack may not have actors in

their numbers and their singing may not be strong enough to

drown the “growlers.” The hit of a combined concert I attended

some while ago, was the local Cub Pack performing a well-

known English folk song all about animals. The Scouters had

made very ingenious head attire to represent the animals.

Unfortunately, the Cubs were so thrilled at appearing on the

stage, that when the time came for them to don their headgear,

they put them on in anything but the right way. The duck had a

beak out of a Cub’s right ear, the sheep had his head on back to

front, the cow had a horn fore and aft, while the pig got so

excited his mask slipped amidships and the Cub looked over the

top with Cub cap firmly on his head. The audience were so

enthusiastic that they encored twice. The Pack thought it was

their singing and worked themselves up into a real crescendo and

the growlers came into their own! While this little reminiscence

may have amused you, it might be more helpful if I enlightened

you with details. Find a suitable song; one about animals, and

when the animals are mentioned the Cubs come forward and put

on the appropriate head attire and continue singing. The

headdresses I have mentioned were made as follows: Duck, large

white calico shape right over head, beak yellow stiffened with

card, under this a hole for singing. The eyes were inked on and

the pupils cut out. Pigs, mask heads obtained from local butcher

or grocer who advertise a well-known brand of sausages. Cows:

made from old stockings, horns stuffed. Sheep: crowns of old

hats covered with real sheep wool collected by Cubs, for town

Packs, a white curly fabric would be just as suitable. If a report

reaches me that all Packs are returning to the jungle, I shall know

you are trying out this idea.

RAKSHA.

Yarns with the Pack

4. THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SHADOW

There is a famous German story of a man who sold his -shadow.

But who would want to sell his shadow and who would want to

buy it, and how would you bring off the deal? One fine summer’s

day, a young man, who wanted to become rich and powerful and

who was very ambitious, was walking along when he was

overtaken by a merchant. “You have a very fine shadow, young

man,” said the merchant. “Have I?” said the young fellow. “It is

September, the month of long shadows; besides, the sun is low in

the sky.” This he said, thinking the merchant wanted something

to talk about. But the merchant said earnestly, “I am buying

shadows.” The young man thought he was joking. “I should like

to buy yours,” added the merchant. “I will have a game with him

and see if I can strike a bargain,” thought the young man. Aloud

he said, “Well I don’t know that my shadow is of any use to me.

What will you give me for it?” The merchant pondered a

moment. “I cannot give you a lump sum down, but if you sign

this paper to say that I may have your shadow, I will undertake to

make you prosper in all that you do, so that you become richer

and richer, and excite the envy of all who know you.”

This was indeed a bargain-offer and it was closed with on the

spot, the young man signing the paper, the old merchant taking a

pair of scissors from his bag and nipping off the shadow quite

close to his heels. It was a very neat job and quickly done. Then

he rolled up the shadow and put it into his bag. He walked off

with a peculiar chuckle.

The merchant did keep his part of the bargain. The young man

certainly prospered. Everything he touched seemed to turn to

gold. At first he did not miss his shadow and people were too

busy admiring him to notice that he did not possess one. There

came a day, however, when some silly person, with nothing

better to do, suddenly said to a friend, “That’s queer!” “What?”

said the other. “He has no shadow.” “Don’t be silly. This sun is

affecting your head.” “No. I mean it! The sun is blazing, we all

have shadows, but he has none..” The other looked, and saw that

it was so. Curiosity once roused, people would pass on this piece

of gossip, would nudge their friends, and whisper the information

behind their hands.

The man who had sold his shadow noticed what was going on

and how people began to avoid him. He started to feel uncom-

fortable and began to suns his shadow. He found himself looking

behind him to see whether it had returned. But no.

He now began to avoid going out in sunshiny weather in order

to prevent comment Soon he grew so nervous and afraid that the

sun might shine, that he avoided going out on dull days as well as

sunny ones. In the end he became a recluse, went out of his mind

and so died.

He had given away a part of himself and could not live without

it. If we part with our honour we sell it too cheaply, whatever we

gain in exchange. If we live a truly good life then even the

shadow we cast, unsubstantial as it is, will he regarded by people

as a blessing. We read in the New Testament that sick folk were

placed in the Apostle Peter’s path, because it was thought that his

very shadow would heal them.

Shadows, as well as sunshine, are a part of life.

E.J. WEBB

So much has been written, debated, televised, etc., about lads in

need, the under-privileged boy, often the unwanted, unloved boy,

that I hesitate to try to interest you in this subject that will be with

us I am afraid for many a long day if not for ever, whilst we live

in an imperfect world.

However, the Editor of THE SCOUTER stayed at Orchard

House for a week-end not so long ago, and here he saw and heard

much that interested and even thrilled him. Orchard House is set

in a small village named Stock, near Billericay, Essex, known to

many Scouts of London and elsewhere, many from overseas, and

members of our Sister Movement. Here in its lovely grounds we

have many Scouts and Guides camping. It is in that setting “Our

Boys’ Home for Lads in Need” is to be found. This home was the

result of much hard work, prayer and thought, in which Scouting

has played a great part. For many years the Warden of Orchard

House was Skipper to a large East End Troop: he still is the very

active G.S.M. At one time he was D.C. also of that East End

District; now he amongst other things is an A.C.C. in the county

of Essex.

Some years ago now this then young Scouter saw the problem

of the difficult lad in the dock area. He also noted that for the

District his Group was a very happy, respectable Group.

Then one day a laddie rather untidy in a jersey with its elbows

out, his knickers (we now call them shorts) having two what are

termed in the Fast End “bull’s-eyes” (patches in the seat) - this

lad rather frightened, looked up wistfully said, “Please sir, may I

join the Scouts?” He looked at his Troop all ready for Inspection

- smart uniforms, red scarves, all neatly in place. Then at “Troop

Alert,” with a snap, over eighty lads (I said it was a large Troop)

sprang to the alert as a young, frightened boy was introduced to

what was to be his Patrol Leader. Today that same lad is an

A.D.C. with a home of his own and a family. That lad had not

had a chance till a Scouter said, “Yes, of course you can join.”

I realise that after many years of Scouting (more years than I

care to remember at times) the game can do more than any one

individual organisation existing can in helping lads who need real

help.

I couldn’t agree more with those Scouters who say “I still think

something ought to be done for the ordinary plain sort of boy”

(see “Our District,” February 1956).

My Troop in the East End of London was full of what is termed

the ordinary boy, and it is the ordinary boys from Orchard House

that I strive to help to attend that Troop, Scouts’ Owns, Parades,

Camps, Hikes, etc., because though in need they also are just

ordinary boys.

BOYS IN NEED

There is nothing extraordinary in a boy through circumstances

making mistakes, through lack of real parents getting into

trouble, through the fact that his mother is a lady of easy virtue

and his dad is a coloured unknown. The Greatest Boy of history

during His lifetime said “Suffer little children to come unto me.”

He didn’t say just the fortunate children or even the good

children, but children.

Before I go further, speaking of some of the lads I know and

have helped, please remember that in every boy is a spark of the

good. it is our duty as Scouters to fan that spark into a flame.

Orchard House was the result of many years of hard work and

prayer, many years of great trials and obstacles to be overcome.

Then one day prayer and work were answered. The United

Kingdom Carnegie Trust Fund said to the West Ham Central

Mission, “We will give you the home for lads if you will run it.”

A. comes in need from an East End area, in moral danger, mum

and sisters selling themselves, lad doorkeeper of this house of ill

repute, handed to authority, later boarded out, interfered with by

foster parent, returned into care, later boarded out again, this time

seduced by the woman; a lad of 14 she a woman of over 30!

Today in Orchard House he is a keen Scout, a lover of games,

and animals. Here he has found real help and love, the dark days

gone; he has come into a boy’s rightful heritage, possible through

friends in Scouting and others.

B., a laddie undernourished, beaten, cowed by a brute of a father

living in a hovel in South-East London, mother given up hope.

Today, after nine months, a happy, cheerful, cheeky lad, a Scout

in my own Group. The only fear he has today is when he says to

us, “Skip, I won’t ever have to go home again will I? Please

don’t let them send me away from you and Auntie Megan (my

wife), or Miss Caplin and Terry and George.” (Scouter members

of our small staff, both voluntary.)

C., father goes off with another woman, mother loses hope. Lad

drifts into trouble, steals, etc., caught, sent to court then to us.

Today that lad, sitting for his General Certificate of Education, is

a grand lad, a keen P.L. in a local Troop.

D. comes to us beyond control from another county. Mother and

father at logger-heads, lad buffeted between, resorts to truancy,

thieving, etc. Now after four months, “No, Skip, I don’t want to

be a blooming Scout. I want to join the Boys Brigade!” Today

that laddie is a happy member of a Boys Brigade company, and

also doing very well at school

Friends, I could go on and on, but I guess the Editor would be

slashing! But I must say this, here am I with a large number of

lads in need of care and protection, unwanted, unloved, and

often, when they arrive, unwashed. Here we try to introduce them

to a good normal healthy way of life. Here we try to make them

into the ordinary plain boy who stands in a half-circle and says,

“I promise on my honour that I will do my best,” etc., whilst

perhaps only a few weeks or months before he had stood in a

juvenile court pale and trembling, having got into trouble.

Every first Sunday in each month a large number of East End

mums and dads open their homes - many humble - to these lads,

entertaining them to dinner and tea, so that those boys from

Orchard House who are Scouts or belong to the Boys Brigade,

can attend parade and go to Scouts’ Own, with the sons of just

ordinary plain Christian parents, all this free and in the spirit of

Him who said, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first

stone.”

We have no sloppy sentimental methods at Orchard House. Our

key is Christian Love and the Scout Spirit, plus the prayers and

backing of many boys (of all ages) who wear open-neck shirts

and a scarf loosely tied around their necks.

Here we take all boys, irrespective of colour, class or creed

Please take this as a personal invitation to come and see. You

can stay if we have a vacant bed. You can drop in for a cuppa, or

if you like you can pitch your tent in our grounds.

Orchard House is a grand adventure, with grand results, and all

dedicated to the boy and to the glory of God.

SKIPPER B.

(This gives me an opportunity of thanking those of you who

kindly sent me contributions for Orchard House and the fine

work being done there. Contributions are always welcome.-

R. H.)

To be published on September 1st.

NEW BOOKS

Look Wide, A Book for Senior Scouts 8/6d.

(The successor to The Senior Scout Handbook.)

Your Movement: Patrol Book No. 20 1/-

(A year by year record of the first 50 years. which every

member

of the Movement will want)

You and LH.Q.: The Scouter’s Books No. 11 1/-

(Facts which everyone in the Movement should know.)

Extract from the Swansea District L.A. Bulletin.

SUBS.

In the early days of the Movement, weekly “subs.” were one

enny. In many Groups, the weekly subs. are still, fifty years

later, one penny. It has been suggested that subs. of this orde

are giving lads and parents a false idea of values. One Swanse

Group is considering increasing subs. for all ranks to One

Shilling per week to include a “free” copy of The Scout fo

Cubs and Boy Scouts, and of THE SCOUTER for Senio

Scouts. Why not discuss this at your next Court of Honour an

Scouters’ Council?

This seems an admirable idea. Have we enough forwar

looking and enlightened Troops willing to adopt it?

Scouting Overseas

“BUBBLES”

By JOHN F. LEECH

D.C.C., Bechuanaland Protectorate

I suppose it is no uncommon thing for an Association to plod

along in an earnest, well-meaning way, full of Scout ideals and

good intentions and yet to miss the joyful sparkling essence of

Scouting, and thus reduce it to the level of champagne without

the bubbles.

Having experienced a period of this flatness and having also

assisted with an infusion of bubbles, I hope and believe that our

formula may be of interest to other Scouters.

The Bechuanaland Protectorate is an enormous, and, scrub-

covered plain in which game is abundant. The climate is hot and

there is little surface water. Villages are scattered thinly over the

territory, with a ring of agricultural lands and grazing lands

around each, and usually many miles of wild bush veld or

mopane forest separating them from each other.

Travellers must, therefore, carry all the water they require and

be prepared .to meet lions, leopards, snakes and other interesting

hazards, that take the place of city road-traffic and are also

somewhat unpredictable.

The natural tendency is to stay in the villages or at the cattle

posts where wells and boreholes at least ensure a supply of water.

Troop headquarters are usually in the village school, but

practically all Scouting is done out of doors, so this is an

unimportant factor except that it also tends to fix a Troop in its

own village.

Village life can be regarded as a sort of permanent camp, the

large thatched rondavels in which the people live being, I should

imagine, the original model Mark I bell tents. Much of the family

life is lived out-of-doors in the kraal or Iwapa. Wood and water

must be cut and drawn, measles and millet cultivated, the family

cattle herds tended, and goats reared for milk and meat.

Against this background of bush hazards and a normal life of

camping, it was considered that camping could never be a major

Scouting attraction in the territory, and for years we concentrated

on First Aid, Signalling, Handcrafts, Drill and Games, all of

which the Batswana love.

The Association, therefore, plodded on along its rather earnest

reasoned way, slowly and painfully increasing in numbers,

looking very smart and well-drilled when on parade, but lacking

the verve that is essential to good Scouting.

The picture was far from hopeless, but rather depressing and as

ever the remedy was found in Scouting for Boys: Camping!

Camping for the sake of camping was, however, out. The

Scouts and Scouters could see no sense in it. It was too normal.

We therefore had to find an object.

During one of its wetter weather cycles, the territory was

inhabited by a mysterious race of whom no written history has

been found. They have, however, left behind them many relics -

ancient ruins, gold beads, clay and soapstone figurines, potsherds

and rock engravings. There are ancient gold, copper and iron

mines and places where these metals were worked. And going

back into still more ancient history - pre-history in fact - there are

also many factory sites where stone age craftsmen produced their

hammers, axes, spear heads and other artifacts, which can still be

collected in their hundreds.

We gathered together notes of all the known places of historical

interest and listed them in the monthly bulletin alongside the

Troops nearest to the sites, suggesting that the Scouts investigate

and explore.

The response was immediate and enthusiastic. The Molepolole

Troop combined with other Bakwena Scouts to explore

Ditejwane, a fortified hill some twenty miles away, camping

there for a week-end and, incidentally, discovering some new

threads in the life of David Livingstone who lived near Ditejwane

for a time a century ago.

SUMMER DAYS (6)

The Lentsweletau Troop equipped every member with a donkey

and explored the neighbouring ranges of hills in style,

discovering some ancient iron mines and smelting furnaces.

The Good Hope Troop braved a local taboo and explored a

kopje some miles from their village, discovering to their delight

that its dished top was full of stone buildings, whose existence

they had never suspected. The Troop has now adopted the place

Kgoro as its permanent camp site from which they can

investigate it all at leisure.

The Changati Troop explored the ruins first suggested to them

and have since attacked with gusto every hill in their area,

discovering at least two ruins hitherto unknown in the

Zwenshambe Hills.

This list could be continued, but these few examples suffice to

illustrate the point. Exploring is new and adventurous. You never

know what you may find. The actual camping is incidental at

first, but once the Scouts have experienced the thrill of a camp in

the bush in good company, they have acquired a taste for the

game and become increasingly enthusiastic with each succeeding

camp.

As the reports of explorations and camps are received, they are

published in the bulletin, and each one seems to serve as a spur to

other Troops to go one better. There is camping every week-end

as well as during the holidays.

All this has caused a great improvement in Scouting and

camping standards, so that for the first time in B.-P. history we

were able in 1955 to run a Wood Badge, Part II Course. We also

had a week-end Preliminary Course camp for students of the

Teacher Training College.

Both camps went with a swing, and enthusiasm mounted as the

days passed by; demonstrating what we had already realised:

the bubbles were back in B.-P. Scouting.

Oh yes! The formula:

(a) Re-read Scouting for Boys.

(b) Discover or design some form of camping with an object.

(d) Give your Scouters Wood Badge training.

I might add that since we used this formula our numbers have

increased by 30 per cent.

WORTH THINKING

ABOUT - VII

RAW MATERIAL FOR TROOP AND PACK YARNS

“And lead us not into temptation.” - The grocer was busy

serving customers but he noticed a small boy standing near an

open box of sweet biscuits. “Now then, my lad,” said the grocer,

“what are you up to?” ?“ “Nothing.” “Nothing? Well, it looks to

me as though you are trying to take a biscuit. ” “You’re wrong,

mister. I’m trying not to.”

High endeavour. - Josiah Wedgwood, the famous potter, used

to walk round his workshop. If he discovered a flaw, stain or

crack in a cup or vase, he broke it with his stick, crying: ‘That

won’t do for Josiah Wedgwood.”

Politeness. - During the First World War an American officer

said to a French officer: “What’s the use of all this politeness?

There’s nothing in it. It’s only wind.” The reply was:

“There’s nothing but wind in a pneumatic tyre, but it gets you

over the jolts of the road very comfortably.”

Opportunity. - Asked by an ambitious young man for the secret

of success, the rich merchant said: - “There’s no easy secret. You

must jump at your opportunity.” “But how can I tell when my

opportunity comes?” “You can’t,” agreed the merchant, “you’ve

just got to keep jumping.”

Missed opportunity. - A party of gold seekers in Nevada came

upon a patch of blue stuff. It looked as though it should be

metalliferous, but there was no gold there. They tracked on in

search of gold and left it behind for the benefit of other and wiser

prospectors. It was the Cornstoke Lode - one of the richest silver

mines in the world.

Being prepared. - The Wild Boar was whetting his tusks against

a tree. The Fox asked why. “There is no hunter, nor hound, nor

any danger in sight,” “Yes,” answered the Wild Boar, “but when

danger does arise, I shall have something else to do than to

sharpen my weapons” (Aesop).

Quality, not quantity. - “If we’ve got three and they’ve got four,

we’ve got to work,” said the tall Sixer engaged in a lair-building

contest. A small Cub pulled him down and whispered into his

ear: “But you see, Bill, we’ve got the best men.”

Sound not everything. - Two pieces of coin in a bag make more

noise than 100 (Talmud).

An excuse for lack of size. - The sweetest essences are always

confined in the smallest glasses (John Dryden).

True obedience? - Gardener: “I gets on all right with the Master

and always has done. I agrees with all he says, and does as I

thinks.”

Circumstances not everything. - A professor often told his

students of thoughts that had come to him in his garden. The

students had never seen it and thought it must be wonderful

because of his beautiful thoughts. Two students one day made a

pretext to visit him in order to see the garden for themselves.

They found it was a narrow strip of ground surrounded by brick

walls. “But, Professor,” they said, “this is not the garden in which

your thoughts come to you?” “Yes it is.” “But it is so small. We

imagined a large place.” “But,” said the Professor, pointing to the

sky, “look how high it is.”

Greater and Lesser Lights. - When night came, the lamp at the

corner of the street tried to shine as brightly as daylight. But he

could hear people saying, “Look at the stars,” whilst they never

said nice things about him. “What a poor thing a lamp is com-

pared to a star,” they said. The lamp became unhappy, and

wished he might become a star. His discontent affected his light.

“What a poor light,” people began to say. l3ut Jack, going home

one night, said to his mother: “What a nice lamp that is. I can

almost see to read in the dining-room by its light. I call it my

star.’” The lamp cheered up. “I am a star, after all. I am sure no

one could read by the light of the stars up there?

J. B. GEARING.

During the year 1952 the Scouts and Guides of St. Stephen’s

Church, Bush Hilt Park, Enfield. celebrated their twenty-fifth

anniversary and on Sunday, October 12th, over 700 people -

mostly old Scouts and Guides - attended a special service to

render thanks for the happiness of the past 25 years. As a more

permanent expression of thanksgiving it was decided to place a

window in the church: a retiring collection was taken at the

service to open a fund and the two Movements, with the help of

many friends, raised the necessary money within a year.

Saturday, October 15th, 1955, was the long-awaited day of the

Dedication Service and before a large congregation the window

was unveiled by Mr. P. L. Southin - the first Scoutmaster, and

Miss D. L. Curson - the first Guide Captain, and dedicated by the

Vicar.

WIDE GAMES - IV

By THE CAMP CHIEF

(4) FORESTERS AND BANDITS.

Instructions to Bandits:

A party of Foresters is working in the tract of land agreed and

the extreme limits of the area are marked by a flag in the middle

of the track. (A suitable area is. a footpath through a wood where

there is plenty of cover on either side. The area needs to be

defined along its whole length and a length of sisal string running

either side of the main track forms an adequate boundary.)

The Foresters are believed to be building a shack somewhere in

this area; it is also their duty to protect the area from trespassers

and they have the right to turn them off and to confiscate any of

their property which they regard as suspicious. They will NOT,

however, patrol the boundaries of the area, and will only leave

the central track

(i) To fetch material for their shack.

(ii) To investigate any suspicious sight or sound.

You are the leader of one of. . parties of Bandits which are, in

rivalry with each other, trying to perform certain acts of sabotage

and achieve certain other projects within the area without being

spotted and turned off by the Foresters and without you yourself

being killed by the severing of a woollen “life” worn on your left

arm.

If a Forester orders you off, you must obey immediately,

surrendering anything which he may decide to confiscate. Any

killing is done NOT by the Foresters, but by members of other

rival gangs.

The objects which your party try to achieve are:

(i) To light a fire.

(ii) To cut down a dead branch from a tree, at least 3ft. long

and 2in. in diameter.

(iii) To get this branch out of the area and bring it to...

(iv) To place the log, with which you are provided, in the

centre of the area.

(v) To establish a signalling station 10ft. above ground and

signal the following message to a judge wearing a green armband

and situated...

(MESSAGE: AIM HIGH, FOR IT IS LOOKING

DOWNWARDS

THAT MAKES YOU DIZZY.)

(vi) To pitch a bike tent or lean-to shelter.

(vii) To collect and identify the leaves or buds of the following

trees within the area - OAK, ASH, ELM, HAWTHORN,

WILLOW, BLACKTHORN.

(viii) To collect the autograph of one of the judges in the area.

In addition to these, you will do anything you can to make it

more difficult for the Foresters to build their shack and to kill the

leaders of rival parties of bandits, so that your leader may be

proclaimed Bandit Chief.

On being sent off by a Forester, a Bandit must go to.. . before

re-entering the area, and the leaders who have been killed must

leave the area and can only come to life on payment of a heavy

fine.

The game will end by the sounding of a horn.

Points: 5 for each object achieved.

5 for each Bandit leader killed.

Minus 10 for the death of your own leader.

Instructions to Foresters:

You are a party of Foresters working in the tract of land and the

extreme limits of the area are marked by a flag in the centre of

the track.

Your duties are to build a shack within the area and to maintain

the amenities of the Forest. You have reason to suspect that

parties of bandits are liable to try to perform various unspecified

acts of sabotage and to complete other projects within the area.

Should you see any of them you can order them off, and they

must obey.

You have the right’ to confiscate one of their possessions which

you consider suspicious or dangerous.

Your party will NOT patrol the boundaries of the area, and will

only leave the central track - (l) to fetch material for your shack,

or (2) to investigate any suspicious sight or sound. You can do

nothing about any persons whom you may see lurking outside the

boundaries of the area.

The end of the game will be marked by the sounding of a horn.

We originally devised this game because quite often we have on

courses at Gilwell Scouters who are not so fit as some of the

others and cannot take part in a fighting type of game. This

situation is unlikely to arise in the average Troop, but there are

sometimes handicapped Scouts in normal Troops and they could

well play this type of game. It also gives the Scouters a chance to

take an active part. Deliberately there is no fighting in this game,

but don’t condemn it for that as it can call for a great deal of

stalking and some really fine Scout work.

You can have as many parties of Bandits as you feel desirable

and this will depend, of course, on the number taking part. I don’t

think you want more than six or eight Bandits in any one party.

It is essential that everyone taking part knows the boundaries

of the area, which is why I have suggested that they should be

marked out with sisal string.

The “heavy fine” referred to can be devised in many ways and

collecting forfeits is no bad one. One party of Foresters at Gilwell

proved that to remove the belts of Bandits severely handicapped

them and made it impossible for them to run, thus enabling the

Foresters to catch them a second time.

Item 6 which reads “Pitch a hike tent” brought forth a nice

story: One group succeeded in doing this and concealing it so

well that at the end of the game no one could find it!

BOOKS

FOR YOUR DELIGHT

East of Everest, by Sir Edmund Hillary and George Lowe

(Hodder and Stoughton, 21s.).

This slim book, seventy pages of text and forty-eight pages of

plates, is nevertheless all quality. It is the story of the New

Zealand Expedition of 1953 to the Barun Valley: tough days

bright with danger and almost dark with disaster:

“Staggering into camp was Wilkins. He was alone. With a tight

feeling in the pit of my stomach, I saw that his face was covered

with blood.

‘Where’s Jim?’

‘We fell down a crevasse. I got out, but Jim is still down there.”

The rescue of Jim McFarlane is a thriller. One can’t help

recalling J. B. Priestley’s words in another connection in other

days: “These are the men for me.”

Throughout, the text is lively and colourful and clear: the photo-

graphs are fine and interesting.

It’s books like this that make an urban life of dull routine

bearable!

Close of Play, by Neville Cardus (Collins, 12s. 6d.).

To recommend Neville Cardus to lovers of cricket or cricket

literature is as unnecessary a gesture as any I know, even if in his

latest book (and, as he hints, his last) there are fewer of those

surely immortal pictures and summer-coloured sentences that we

have loved long since. But amid the statistics and the penny-plain

paragraphs there comes as of old the delightful anecdote: “As

Bradman made the stroke, Chapman bent down, picked up the

ball an inch from the grass, threw up a catch beyond belief, and

assumed his usual upright stance, legs slightly apart, left elbow . .

. and so on. The roar of the crowd expressed ecstasy and

incredulity simultaneously. I was watching the match at this point

in the company of Sir James Barrie, in front of the tavern. As

Bradman departed from the crease, on his way back to the

Pavilion, Barrie spoke to me saying: ‘Why is he going away?’

‘But surely,’ I said, ‘surely, Sir James, you saw that marvellous

catch by Chapman?’ ‘Oh yes,’ replied Barrie, ‘I saw it all right.

But what evidence is there that the ball which Chapman threw up

into the air is the same ball that left Bradman’s bat?”

(By the way, in the score of this match A. P. F. Chapman, G. 0.

Allen, R. W. V. Robins and J. C. White have “Mr.” in front of

their names in the old-fashioned way: none of the Australians

has, nor has K. S. Duleepsinhji!)

Cardus (N.) writes of the present with the long lingering look at

the past scenes and portraits. If this is to be good-bye we must at

least thank him for the many happy hours his meditations on the

theme of cricket have given us and will continue to give us and

many others for generations to come. Ave atque vale.

Portrait of Southern Africa (Collins, 25s.).

The advance in the art of photography - particularly in colour

photography - I should suggest as one of the minor phenomena of

our age. Hanus Reich’s “Portrait” consists of ninety-five pictures,

four in colour: many have beauty and dignity: most are of

interest. I would have preferred a black and white or even sky-

blue binding to the indifferent green, but this is no doubt a

personal idiosyncrasy. Such a book as this makes an admirable

gift.

Ellery Queen’s Awards: Ninth Series (Collins, 12s. 6d.).

Alas! how many years have flown since those two cousins who

are Ellery Queen excited us with his first classic detective

adventure The Roman Hut Mystery: how eagerly year by year we

awaited our stay with the Queen family and pitted our wits

against the authors’. Nowadays they sponsor as well as write, and

the best of the short stories of mystery and detection from the

magazine they edit are collected in anthologies known as Ellery

Queen’s Awards. In them have appeared some of the most

startling, detectable and highly original stories of their kind. This

latest addition to the series is well up to its forerunners in variety,

surprise and delight.

R. H.

RELIGION

The Faith and Modern Error, by Harry Blamires (S.P.C.K. 15s.).

Christian Apologetics today are being written for the interested,

says Mr. Blamires. And the people they ought to he addressed to

are the uninterested!

Beginning from this conviction, he argues that the civilisation

we are living in has deprived mcst people of a sense of their

creaturehood - living at three removes from Natare they’ve

forgotten how short Life is, and to what perils it is exposed. Mr.

Blamires begins, then, with a vigorous and completely justified

appeal that the Christian case to modern man should lay greater

stress on the facts he is overlooking - the fact, for example, that

he is going to die!

From this point on, the book becomes a sturdy insistence upon

the supernatural element in Christianity. The Church is not a

society of the respectable and the comfortable - rather it is a

group aware of shattering news; accepting the most inconvenient

demands upon its thinldng and its habits; and sustained by

resources which are plainly superhuman! The case is argued well,

and it pours a proper scorn upon the modern tendency to

prescribe “religion” as an alternative to an aspirin, for every case

of psychological upset! Mr. Blamires affirms that the Christian

message shakes rather than soothes.

Enough has been said to indicate that this is stimulating and

useful writing. There are times when one feels the author has

over-stated his case, in that his insistence on the supernatural

leads him to belittle Reason. Nevertheless, what he has written

needed writing. It will guide many to a sounder understanding of

the Christian Way.

Angels Unawares, by Stuart B. Jackman (S.C.M., 4s.).

The Drama Group ready for strong meat might well consider

this as their next production. It is as topical as anyone could wish,

with a background of strikes, sabotage, and sex - but with this as

the play’s “atmosphere” Mr. Jackman has presented the

challenge of Christ to our generation as challengingly as one has

seen it done anywhere. One could criticise, of course - one might

raise the question whether the self-assertive daughter, Madge,

would be likely to come to her senses quite so easily. Or the even

more important question as to whether the Jew isn’t too weak a

character for the significance he carries? None the less, criticism

is lost in admiration for an admirable piece of writing, bold in

conception, and realistic in presentation. The audience has not

been born which would not be shaken by the end of Scene One!

Over the Hills to Nazareth, by Cyril J. Davey (Epworth Press,

2s.).

These are dramatisations of the Parables of Our Lord, suitable

for presentation by young and not-so-young children. They are

excellently done. Anyone inclined to judge they must of

necessity be “cissy” had better think again! The Gospel stories

are made vivid and vigorous, each one registering its own

challenge to the mind. The church Scout Group of a mind to put

on a programme that was “different” would be well advised to

consider this, in whole or in part.

WILFRED WADE.

BUY

SCOUT CAMPS: A BOOK FOR

SCOUTERS.

(B.S.A., 5s.

5d.

post free.)

THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM

AT THE TOP

- AUSTRIA 1955

By GEOFFREY SHEEN

The idea had been brewing for a long time and when, a year

ago, it was suggested that the 1955 camp should be in the Tirol

the enthusiastic response left no doubt that the venture was a

popular one.

We decided to split our time abroad between two camps, the

first to be in a mountain valley with a chance of climbing a snow

mountain if the weather proved kind enough, and the second

lower down in one of the main valleys whence we could visit

some of the show-places. Preparations dragged on for months,

and although a site was found for the second half, camping

proper seemed out of the question for the earlier part, and we

finally agreed with a hotel proprietor that we should be fed in his

Gasthof, but that all but three of us should sleep in tents nearby.

The arrangement proved a happy one for us because we found it

an enormous saying in time, and the bedroom occupied by the

three was most useful as a base for planning operations and for

storing our entomologist’s collection arid as a convalescent home

for the temporarily indisposed.

“… and I must stress the fact that it is highly dangerous to life

to go alone into the high mountains without a guide.”

So said the Scout H.Q. in Innsbruck, and with that warning

added spice to our adventure we set out on August 23rd, Ostende

to Innsbruck. Here the main party transferred to a bus which,

with one change, took us for a thrilling ride steeply up into the

Stubai valley and along its undulating floor to Ranalt, over

2,000ft. higher, a small hamlet of two inns, a church and six

houses near the head of the valley. “Taken for a ride” well

described our sensations as the bus swung around hairpin bends

at terrifying speed with the driver pressing hard on accelerator

pedal and horn button, and we slithered on our hoping for the

best and expecting the worst. At Ranalt, the innkeeper, Herr

Volderauer, welcomed us with a satisfying meal, and then we

pitched our tents on one of the few level patches of ground in a

heavy thunderstorm.

The rest of us remaining in Innsbruck had by now overcome the

difficulties of finding a shoemaker’s workshop deep in the

bowels of a huge block of offices and shops, and of discussing -

by means of grunts, signs and partially understood Germanic

phrases - the best treatment for a pair of boots intended, but not

as yet fit, for climbing. We caught a later bus to its terminus,

some seven miles from Ranalt, only to find that there was no

connection to our destination. A long, weary, uphill journey,

most of it in pitch darkness, carrying heavy rucsacs, some Troop

gear and five ice axes ended at a quarter to eleven in a warm

kitchen, a good meal from Frau Voldenauer and a most

entertaining conversation, as catholic in its range as it was halting

in its progress.

After such a journey the first day demanded a good lie-in and it

was not until the afternoon of a showery day that we walked up

the valley to see a waterfall tumbling down hundreds of feet m a

white froth from some side valley high above us, and to spend a

happy hour comparing the adhesive qualities of boots shod with

nails or vibram soles on wet rock.

In the following days most of us climbed a peak of over 9000ft.,

laborious but easy until the last 100 yards of ridge. “There’s

always room at the top,” they say; but when the top is the summit

of the Mair Spitze it’s standing room only. From the summit

there is a superb view of the range of 11,000ft. mountains which

ring the double head of the Stubai valley, many of them forming

the frontier between Austria and Italy. Below the level of this

world of rock and snow and ice lay three lakes close together:

one immediately below us was leaden coloured; the others were

clear blue and dark green. Climbing down and passing between

them we reached one of the high Alpine Club huts dotted at wide

intervals three to four thousand feet above the normal dwellings

of man.

We visited four of these huts, and in one of them seven of us

spent a night in the “Matratzenlager” - a room holding sixteen

people, eight on either side, on mattresses in bunks for two or

three, sloping slightly up to the side walls from the central

gangway. You take off your boots, but precious little else, to go

to bed and drop off to sleep in sleeping sack or a couple of

blankets, only to start up wide awake in the inky blackness when

an alarm clock goes off on the other side of the room at a quarter

to four. Its owner muffles it hurriedly, a match flickers as he

looks at the time, and after waiting a little you get out, feel for

your boots and rucsac and creep out over the cold and creaking

floor to dress outside in the dim light of a landing before

descending to a cup of strong coffee and a bite or two and last

minute preparations: It was a tremendous experience to start out

in the cold, still half-light and to trudge slowly and steadily up

and up until the breath-taking moment when the first rays of the

sun strike gold and rose on a cloud tower high above some far

distant peak. Small wonder the Psalmist wrote “I will lift up mine

eyes unto the hills.”

Roped together on two ropes of three - for one of us dropped

out because of mountain sickness - we crossed a level glacier,

kicked steps up the steep snow slope on the further side and

climbed in shadow up a ridge to the full light of the sun and a

magnificent view of the peaks we hoped to climb. Far away and

well below us a white ribbon of vapour twisting sluggishly in a

trough told of one of the green valleys we had left behind us

under its covering of cloud. For us, protected by snow goggles

and by sun cream thickly smeared, there was a long trudge up a

wide glacier, turning the one menacing crevasse en route, until

we reached the col between our two peaks and had our elevenses

of bread, sausage and orange squash mixed with melted snow.

Zuckerhfil - “sugar cap” - is all snow and ice on three of its

steep sides: on the south side wind and sun have laid bare the

rock face and have eaten into the lower layers of snow to either

side, leaving an overhanging cornice on to which our path took

us. It was a solid cornice, else had this not been written, and in

half an hour we were at the top of the 11,500ft. peak, an

exhilarating achievement for our three fifteen-year-old Scouts.

Descending was a much slower business, although thrice it

threatened to be far too fast for one of us who lost his footing,

only to be firmly checked by the rope. Lower down the slope,

unintended slips were replaced by a controlled slide, using our.

ice-axes as most efficient brakes. After picking up our rucsacs an

easy climb took us to the next summit, where we ate our lunch in

Italy before climbing down a steep rock ridge and sliding happily

along a gently sloping glacier to the long tiring descent to Ranalt.

Two days later another party climbed the 10,000ft. Knotenspitze

in thick cloud, and on the descent fulfilled our ambitions by

discovering a large clump of edelweiss.

The second half of our stay was spent near the village of

Jenbach in the main Inn valley. The contrast between the two

sites was most marked: at Jenbach we were 2,500ft. lower and

the air at night was far warmer - but the rain was still the same.

Our welcome was even more cordial than at Ranalt. The local

Scoutmaster, Sepp Niessner, had found us the site and during our

six days there he and his Scouts and Wolf Cubs did all they could

to make our stay a happy one. Peter, learning English at the

“Gymnasium” (Grammar School) at Kufstein some twenty-three

miles away, acted as interpreter and guide on our excursions, the

others guarded the camp in our absence, and Herr Niessner made

the arrangements for a long bus drive to the top of a mountain

pass and joined in our fast descent to visit the waterfalls at

Krimml, the finest of the Eastern Alps, and the long, hot toil back

to the top. His stories of trials endured in the war made our own

exertions seem mere child’s play, and yet he was as modest,

considerate and cheerful as any Scout might hope to be.

We spent one day relaxing on the still waters of the Achensee, a

lovely and unbelievably clear lake in a magnificent mountain

setting. A day visiting the flesh-pots and souvenir shops of

Innsbruck and another visiting an ancient castle and then chasing

Camberwell Beauties in the nearby woods brought our stay

towards its close.

On the last night the usual evening storm broke but passed

quickly and we all crowded into the large bell tent of the Jenbach

Scouts for a camp fire sing-song, without the fire. They and we

sang song for song, occasionally attempting a joint one, until

after speeches and goodwill presentations we sang “Auld Lang

Syne” together - or at any rate the tune was the same.

To end our visit Herr Niessner had arranged a visit to the

Jenbacher Werke, manufacturing Diesel engines, where after a

most interesting tour, happily conducted in English, we were

entertained to lunch before leaving for the long journey home.

Not “goodbye” we hope, but “auf wiedersehen,” - for it may

well be that Jenbach will send a party to the 1957 Jamboree. If

they do it will give us an opportunity to repay in some measure

their outstanding hospitality and friendliness.

Senior Scout Scrapbook

56. WE WENT WITH OUR

BIKES

The crucial moment came one evening in the Lake District. Half

a dozen hefty over-fifteens crammed into an Itisa were listening

to the rain beating against the flysheet, and as is the wont of

Seniors the world over in similar circumstances reminiscences of

past camps and past misdeeds flowed from their grey beards.

Inevitably, however, the conversation turned to next year’s

expedition. Six days hiking and cycling in pouring rain, the only

variation being in its intensity, had effectively drowned our faith

in the English summer and so the voice which said “Let’s go

somewhere where the sun shines,” was immediately followed by

another which said “But will we be able to afford to go abroad?”

We soon decided that a cycle-camping tour would enable us to

see as many places and meet as many people as possible in a

limited space of time, whilst still preserving the Scouting funda-

mentals of individuality and self-dependency (so many Seniors

seem to spend their Summer Expeditions in Youth Hostels these

days).

Some more facts soon emerged; they wanted a country which

was not greatly frequented by English tourists; somewhere where

the sun could be expected to put in an appearance, and while they

wanted an area known for its scenery it must not be so

mountainous that cycling would become a drudge. The food had

to be good and cheap and lastly the expedition would not have to

cost more than £17 taking into account that being a small party

we could not qualify for cheap fares.

After we had returned home and managed to dry out, lengthy

discussion at Troop meetings decided us to write to the German

Tourist Agency in London. I do not know whether the Agency

were having a turn-out after the summer season but a large and

weighty parcel of glossy books and pamphlets duly arrived.

Some of the photographs were first rate and some of the English

grammar was a trifle shaky, and although an equal quantity of

literature from any other country’s tourist agency would have

convinced us just as certainly theirs was the country we were

looking for, we decided to tour the Rhine and the Black Forest.

After that, things coasted for a bit, whilst the half-crowns clinked

into the coffers and such mundane things as homework and

pending examinations took our thoughts and energies.

Then with the coming of spring

we awoke from our hibernation.

In one peaceful homestead the

air was filled with flying down

as a sleeping-bag was created; in

another an Itisa type tent was

undergoing construction whilst

several mothers’ sewing

machines were strained to their

capacity as canvas saddle-bags

and panniers neared completion.

The problem, of carrying a camera on a cycle has bothered

many a tourist and our answer, whilst having no claims made for

its originality, was found to be perfectly satisfactory.

A canvas bag was made large enough to take easily both the

folding-type camera in its case and an accessories case

containing the photographer’s usual impedimenta. It was fitted

with a zip and attached to the cycle frame as shown with leather

straps and buckles.

The camera can be easily and speedily extracted without

spilling the contents of a bulging saddle-bag across the road;

vibration is eliminated and the panniers and saddle-bag project

sufficiently to protect the camera from damage if the cycle

should happen to fall over or the rider become forcibly ejected

from the seat of his machine.

Our party had by this time been reduced to four members, but

we found this to be an ideal number. With larger numbers the

party will tend to straggle, the mileage will be cut considerably

and tempers fray as the number of irritating stops for punctures,

minor adjustments and the like increase proportionally. In

addition a small party is less self-contained and likely to have

more contact with the inhabitants of the country being visited. In

Germany relatively few persons understand English, especially in

the rural areas, soit is essential for at least one person to have

learnt some German at school or evening classes, and it is only

common courtesy and good sense for the rest of the party to learn

the German numerals and common phrases such as “Good

morning,” which are in everyday use. You will think it well

worth the effort when you see the effect a few faltering words in

his own tongue have on the average German.

A word to cyclists who are proud of their cycle’s appearance. If

you travel via the Dover - Ostend ferry be prepared for scratches.

in the enamel and bent mudguards. The facilities at these two

ports for loading and unloading cycles are, to say the least,

distinctly crude. The method used is to pass a rope under the

crossbars of half a dozen cycles and then just lift. Small wonder

that damage results.

We started our tour at Bonn and after an anxious wait for

several hours for our cycles to put in an appearance, apparently

they had to pass the customs, we were ready to try riding on “the

wrong side of the road.” We gingerly rode our machines over the

busy cobble-stoned streets towards the Rhine, and since we

valued comfort at the expense of a little tyre-wear we soon let

some of the air out of our tyres.

Outside the large towns, however, on the principle of “When in

Rome do as the Romans do,” we soon became experts at riding

along the smoother, narrow pavements and dodging such hazards

as trees, dogs, perambulators and the dozens of cyclists who

came hurtling towards us each with a wave and a cheerful

greeting. The Rhine valley, at least, between Boim and Koblenz

is not to be recommended for cycle touring as camp-sites, other

than crowded official sites, are hard to find; and there is a large

amount of traffic on the roads, so for these reasons we preferred

the quieter Moselle valley.

We left the Moselle after two days and cycled through pleasant

country buck to the Rhine at Mainz, passing on the way dozens

of German Scouts making their way to a large South German

Jamborette.

We had planned to catch a train from Mainz to Karisruhe as the

intervening country promised to be rather uninteresting, and after

some adventures with connections we arrived at Karlsruhe about

10.00 at night. Since it was dark by this time we were anxious to

leave the town and find a camp-site, but had hardly ridden a mile

down one of the cycle-paths prevalent in South Germany, when

one of the party’s rear tyre subsided with a hiss.

I left the others to walk and went on to see if I could find a

suitable camp-site nearby. On returning I was somewhat startled

to see they had been joined by another taller figure in the uniform

of the law complete with hostered revolver. Three long faces

seemed to. be under the impression that they had been “run in”

because their dynamos did not function at walking pace;

however, we were only being escorted to a nearby police station

so that we could mend our puncture in comfort.

The next day found us following a tortuous road along the

valley of the River Murg through some of the finest Black Forest

scenery, typified by pine forests interspersed by meadows and

sparkling streams and rivers with the picturesque log farm-houses

nearby.

At Freudenstadt we met the Pastor of the Protestant Church who

found time to show us his somewhat unique church and let us

photograph the town from the towers.

The parents of some of the Scouts made us very welcome for

the night and we gained a brief insight into the life of a German

family. We wished we had had a month’s instead of a mere

fortnight’s holiday when we reluctantly said good-bye, but we

were due to spend a couple of days with the German Troop at

their summer. camp farther south and we wanted to cycle in order

to see the intervening country, whilst the Troop were to leave two

days later by coach.

We arrived at the little village of Hof near Bemau and close to

the Feldberg, late on the evening before the main party were due

to arrive. With typical friendliness that we found everywhere in

the Black Forest the farmer’s wife, on discovering that we were

British and very tired, insisted on us sleeping in her hay-barn and

let us cook a meal in her kitchen.

The next morning the German Scouts arrived and we watched

them erect large unwieldy wigwams made of many individual

bivouac sheets and I noticed how little camping gear they had

compared with the average British Troop. In the evening

however, when we had prayers and a hymn their voices accom-

panied by two guitars echoed back from the surrounding pine

forests, and I thought that perhaps good camping gear was not

everything.

There is not space to tell you of the many places we visited and

the wonderful time we had - of the fire at Bernau, of our delight

in the cathedrals of Freiburg and Strasbourg and the end of our

tour when we took a steamer down the Rhine.

Did we gain anything from our expedition? We climbed no high

mountains and yet there was the excitement of strange customs

and new experiences, but if we accomplished nothing more than

to convince four British Scouts, and we hope a few German

Scouts, that fundamentally nations differ little from each other,

surely it was well worth while.

ALAN R. MOUNTFORD,

A.S.M., 2nd Potters Bar.,

NOTES AND NEWS

JULY COVER

This month’s cover was taken at Chalfont Heights Scout Camp

by Stanley Newton.

WARINGTON BADEN-POWELL TROPHY RACES

The fifth annual races for the two Silver Bowls presented in

memory of her husband by the late Mrs. Warington Baden-

Powell will take place on the Thames at Teddington on Saturday,

15th September, 1956. Entries are restricted to members of the

Sea Scout Branch of the Movement.

Entrants for the Junior Trophy must be over 15 but not 18 on

the day of the race, single-seater PBK 15 canoes will be used.

Competitors should, if possibly, supply their own canoes but a

small pool of craft may be available locally.

The race for the Senior Trophy will be open to Rover Sea

Scouts over 18 but not yet 24 on the day of the race, using

Middlesex/Surrey 12ft. Sailing Dinghies single-handed.

Competitors may use their own craft or arrange to borrow from a

pool of dinghies which will be provided. Camping facilities will

be available.

Entry forms are obtainable from the Training Secretary,

Imperial Headquarters, 25 Buckingham Palace Road, London,

S.W.l.

Eric L. Ebbage, 82 Eden Street, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey,

will provide advice and further information, and will be glad to

receive offers of help as stewards, etc., and the loan of suitable

craft.

I.H.Q. SPEAKERS’ VISITS IN AUGUST

4th-6th British Scouts in Western Europe. Rover Moot.

11th Essex County International Jamboree.

11th-l2th Welsh Jamboree, Gredington .

l2th-l3th Norfolk County International Camp.

COUNTY EVENTS

29th-30th Sept. Camping Competition, County Camping Ground,

Houghton Hill, Huntingdon.

1955 INDEX

Copies of THE SCOUTER. Index for last year still remain, so

now is your chance to acquire a copy which you will find

indispensable in the days to come. It costs ls. 6d. from The

Editor. Final notice!

FREE FLIGHTS FOR SOAP BOX DERBY WINNERS

There will be an additional thrill this year for the winners of the

1956 Finals of the National Soap Box Derby, to be held at

Weston- super-Mare on Saturday, September 8th. In addition to

the prizes already donated by Vauxhall Motors Ltd., the Scout

Shop and the Boy Scouts Association, winners will have an

opportunity of spending a week-end in France.

Silver City Airways have generously offered free flights from

Lydd to Le Touquet and back to the Champions in both Novice

and Championship Sections, and to a Scout or Senior Scout

nominated by the Group winning the Best Construction and Best

Appearance Classes in both Sections. The winning cars will also

be carried on the flight. The Soap Box Derby Committee has

decided that the flight shall take place during the week-end of

September 15-16th, and it is hoped that there will be

opportunities for meeting some French Scouts and demonstrating

the paces of the cars.

WOOD BADGE COURSES 1956

Gilwell Wood Badge Courses for this year are full.

Scotland (Fordell)

Scout, Cont. August 1 11th-19th Cub, Cont. August 25th-30th

Apply: The Secretary, Scottish Headquarters, 44 Charlotte

Square, Edinburgh.

Bedfordshire (Milton Ernest)

Cub, Cont. August 27th-Sept. 1st Scout, Cont. August 25th-Sept.

1st

Apply: Capt. S. Starey, Milton Ernest, Bedford.

Birmingham (Yorks Wood)

Rover, 4 W.E. September 8th, 15th, 29th, October 6th

Apply: C. Raeburn, 36 Innage Road, Birmingham, 31.

Buckinghamshire (Wolverton)

Cub, 2 W.E. (Indoor), November 10th-l2th

Apply: R. Saunders, 18 Marina Drive, Wolverton, Bucks.

Dorset (Weymouth)

Scout, Cont. October 13th-20th

Apply: Lt.-Cdr. H. Taylor, G.C., Hartgrove Retreat, Musbury,

Axminster,

Durham (Brancepeth)

Scout, Cont. August 11th-18th

Apply: C. Rogers, Woodcroft, Sea View Park, Whitburn.

Kent (Buckmore Park, Rochester)

Scout, Cont. August 4th-l2th

Apply: E. R. Bindloss, 43 Yardley Park Road, Tonbridge.

London (Gilwell Park)

Cub, Cont. August 5th

Scout, 5 W.E. September 8th (omit Sept. 29th)

Apply: The Secretary, London Office, 3 Cromwell Place,

London, S.W.7.

Manchester

Cub, 3 W.E. August 11th

Apply: W. H. Banning, Gaddum House, Queen Street,

Manchester.

Middlesex (Elstree)

Scout, 3 W.E. Sept. l4th-16th, 2lst-23rd, Oct. 5th-7th

Apply: J. A. Walter, Seiwood, Cornwall Road, Hatch End,

Middx.

Northumberland (Gosforth Park)

Scout, 5 W.E. Sept. 1st (omitting Sept. 29th)

Apply: D. M. Paulln, Boy Scout Camp, Gosforth Park, Newcastle

upon tyne.

Warwickshire (Stratford-on-Avon)

Cub, 3 W.E. (Indoors) January 12th, 1957.

Wiltshire (Monkton Coombe, Bath)

Cub, Cont. August 4th

Apply: Miss P. Bailey, Boyers, Monkton Coombe, Bath.

Yorkshire, South (Healey Wood)

Scout, 4 W.E. Sept. 1st (commencing at 10 a.m. on Saturday)

Apply: J. Dorgan, 1 White Lane, Chapeltown, Nr. Sheffield.

Northern Ireland (Hillsborough)

Cub, 3 W.E. August 11th

Apply: Ernest Moore, Headquarters Office, 50 Dublin Road,

Belfast.

AWARDS FROM 3rd MAY TO 6th JUNE, 1956

“CORNWELL SCOUT” BADGE

I. Porter, Scout, 107th Lanarkshire (2nd Uddingston).

“In recognition of his high standard of character and devotion to

duty under great suffering.”

SILVER CROSS (Posrnusaous)

H. Kennedy, Scout, 33rd Inverness-shire (Kilmallie).

“In recognition of his great gallantry in giving his life in an

unsuccessful attempt to save his friend from drowning, Corpach,

1st August, 1955.”

LETTER OF COMMENDATION (GAI.LANTRY)

C. Staddon, Scout, 1st Bury St. Edmunds.

“In recognition of his prompt action and presence of mind in

saving his young sister from worse injuries than she actually

sustained when her dress caught fire, Bury St. Edmunds, 3lst

January, 1956.”

D. Watson, Cubmaster, 10th Barrow in Furness (School Street

Presbyterian).

“In recognition of his prompt action and presence of mind when

he and his companions saved a man whose clothing had been set

alight by burning spirit, Barrow in Furness, 11th October,

1955.”

SILVER WOLF

D. Burrow, County Commissioner, Central Yorkshire.

“In recognition of his services of the most exceptional character

in Central Yorkshire over a period of seventeen years.”

BAR TO THE MEDAL OF MERIT

Isle of Man

- R. Pritchard, GS.M., 5th Douglas (St. Thomas).

Manchester - R. Dower, G.S.M., 2/180th Manchester; B.

Walton, G.S.M., 2/162nd Manchester (Christ Church).

Northern Ireland

County Down - A. E. Daizell, GS.M., 1st Bangor

“In recognition of their further outstanding services.”

MEDAL OF MERIT

Bedfordshire - C. B. Stephens, D.C., Ampthill and Woburn.

Berkshire - Miss A. M. Edmonds, formerly A.D.C. (Wolf Cubs),

Newbury District.

Buckinghamshire - D. E. Mullinger, S.M., 2nd Stoke Poges (St.

John the Baptist).

Devon - C. C. Bests, Hon. Secretary, Torquay.

Kent - J. H. B. Young, Chairman, Canterbury, Whitstable and

Herne Bay.

Lancashire North East - Mrs. B. Level, C.M., 13th Blackburn

(St. Silas); G. M. Mercer, G.S.M. 10th Blackburn (Grammar

School).

Lancashire South East - B. Whitehead, G.S.M., 1st Denton (St.

Lawrence). London-Mrs. A. E. Wigmore, C.M., 3rd Bethnal

Green (St. James the Less), D.C.M., Bethnal Green.

Manchester - H. Devon, S.M.(S), 2/241st Manchester

(Didsbury, St. Catherine of Sienna’s Own), Asst. D.C.C.; K.A.

Hume, Asst. D.C.C.; B. Standring, D.R.S.L., North East

Manchester; J. Rivers, Chairman, Manchester Schools.

Middlesex - C. W. C. Lance, S.M., 1st Hilllngdon.

Nottinghamshire

- E. Headley, Hon. Secretary, Central Notts.

Shropshire - Mrs. R. Watson, Instructor and Examiner,

Shrewsbury.

Staffordshire South - N. C. Parsons, G.S.M., 10th Burton-on-

Trent (Byrkley Street Methodist); S. N. Yeomans, Hon.

Treasurer. Burtonon-Trent.

Sussex - O. C. R. Tanner, formerly G.S.M., 20th Hastings

(Hydwye House).

Worcestershire - B. E. Hawkins, D.C., Worcester and District.

Yorkshire Central - C. Roberts, Vice-Chairman, Morley.

Scotland.

Lansrkshire - Mrs. E. Homer, A.C.C. (Wolf Cubs) and Ak.L.; D.

McLaugblan, Chairman, Coatbridge.

Overseas.

Bermuda - S. L Brangman, S.M., St. Albans Sea Scouts; G. S.

Walker, Acting Assistant Island Commissioner, Western District.

Kenya - Mrs. D. Critchley, formerly C.M., 36th Nairobi.

Singapore - M. 3. Chandy, Headquarters Commissioner (Special

Events).

“In recognition of their outstanding services.”

LETTER OF COMMENDATION (GOOD SERVICES)

Hampshire - W. C. ,Legg, formerly A.S.M., 1st Ringwood; Ald.

E. J. Slinn, J.P., Chairman, Christchurch and District.

“in recognition of their good services.”

HEADQUARTERS NOTICES

AWARDS - AMENDMENTS TO POLICY,

ORGANISATION

AND RULES

The following amendments to the rules relating to certain

classes of Scout Awards have been authorised by the Committee

of the Council :- P.O.R. 388. Additional Paragraph.

A cloth emblem with the design in green and white is issued with

the Certificate of Meritorious Conduct for wear in uniform on the

right breast above the line of the pocket.

P.0.R. 390.

(i) Awards for specially good work for the Movement are made

at the discretion of I.H.Q. to Scouters and persons holding Non-

executive or Honorary rank, and in exceptional circumstances to

others who have given valuable service to a District or County

for a considerable period.

Application is made on Form I on the recommendation of the

L.A. or its Chairman, the D.C. and C.C.

(ii) In the case of an application for an award to a

Commissioner the recommendation will be made by the C.C.

only, who will, however, consult the D.C. concerned before

recommending an A.D.C.

(iii) The application must contain a full statement of the work

and must show service of outstanding character in one of the

categories mentioned in paragraph (i) for at least the period

specified in Rule 391 unless the case is an exceptional one.

P.0.R. 391.

One of the following awards may be granted according to the

circumstances of the case:

(1) Medal of Merit. Green ribbon. At least ten years’ service.

(2) Bar. A Bar to the Medal of Merit may be awarded for not

less than five years’ additional service of similar character. The

award of a Bar is indicated by a green ribbon with one vertical

orange stripe. (Holders of the metal Bar formerly issued for this

award may exchange it for the new ribbon.)

(3) Letter of Commendation.

Note: - Existing holders of the Certificate of Meritorious

Conduct should apply to the Administrative Secretary of I.H.Q.

for the cloth emblem.

STAFF VACANCIES

Applications are invited for the following vacancies for full-time

staff at I.H.Q.

Accounts Clerk Accounts Department.

Invoice Clerks Equipment Department.

Shorthand Typists Administrative and J.I.M.

Departments.

Clerks General Office and Relationships

Department.

Office Juniors General Office and Equipment

Department.

Sales Staff Equipment Department.

Applications should be addressed to: The Administrative

Secretary, 25 Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.l.

AUGUST HOLIDAYS, 1956

Imperial Headquarters and the Scout Restaurant will be closed

from 5.45 p.m. Friday, 3rd August, until 9.15 a.m. on Tuesday,

7th August, 1956.

The Scout Shops will be closed from 1 p.m. Saturday, 4th

August, until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 7th August, 1956.

C. C. GOODHIND,

Administrative Secretary.

CLASSIFIED

COMING EVENTS

4th South Staffs Rover Moot, Beaudesert, August 25-26th.

Gerald H. Humphries of the Advisory Panel, other activities.

Rovers, Seniors and Ex-Rovers welcome. Further details from E.

W. Pitt, 46 Arundel Street, Walsall.

Banisley R/R Conference, 15th-l6th Sept. Details from Mr. H.

Gorthorpe, 3 St. Edwards Avenue, Barnsley.

Sussex County Rover Moot, 1956, at Hindleap Warren, Forest

Row, on weekend 15th-16th Sept. Details later.

Preliminary notice. Isle of Wight Rover Moot at Ryde, Sept. 29-

30th. More details later. C. Stotesbury, 50 Hunnyhill. Newport,

I.o.W. Bradford Cubmasters’ Conference, 6th-7th October. St.

Bade’s Grammar School. S.A.E. for details Mrs. A. Chapman, 66

Neth~rhaJl Road, Baildon, Yorks.

Bristol Rover Moot, Oct. 20-21st at Woodhouse Park (Bristol

County camp site), “Gilwell of the west.” Details Gilbert

Williams, 692 Muller Road, Eastville, Bristol, 5. Senior Scouts

welcome.

Scouters’ Week-end Avon Tyrell, Hampshire, November 3rd-

4th. For all Scouters (with wives, husbands or intendeds), Lay

Officers, members of Group Committees, etc. Theme - The Scout

Promise and Law in everyday life. Charge - 18s. 6d. a head,

which includes meals from tea on Saturday to tea on Sunday.

Applications to Mr. R. Hoar, 37 Hillcrest Road, Moordown,

Bournemouth. (Tel. Winton 3451).

“Gang Show.” City of Nottingham Boy Scouts Association Gang

Show, Theatre Royal; Nottingham, 5th-l0th November. Advance

booking form from Honorary Secretary, Scout Headquarters,

Shakespeare Street, Nottingham.

ACCOMMODATION

12 Hans Road, London, S.W.3 (KENsington 5951). Ten

minutes from Victoria, and ideally situated for sightseeing and

shopping. Rooms (some with private baths) and breakfast,

nightly from 17/6. Special weekly terms. Further particulars from

Miss Adeline Willis.

EMPLOYMENT

The Church Army. Is God calling you to “serve the present

age” to a greater degree? Keen Christian men 18-33 years of age,

commumcants of the Church of England, are needed to staff

Mission Vans, Youth Centres, Hostels, Parishes. Write for details

of free two-year (residential) course to Captain I. Benson, C.A.,

P.O. Box 420, 55 Bryanston Street, London, W.l.

Camping: well-known camp equipment suppliers require

London Manager for retail branch shop in City area. Good

prospects for suitable applicant. Reply to Box 229, THE

SCOUTER.

Resident Assistant House Father required at Children’s

Reception Home (24 children, ages 3-15 years) in Hampshire.

Must be able to take an interest in the leisure activities of the

children and preferably interested in gardening. Some experience

with children essential. Home Office training in residential care

of children desirable. Salary: £370-£430 p.a., less £113 p.a. for

board and lodging. Application forms from the County

Children’s Officer, The Castle, Winchester.

PERSONAL

Artistic theatrical and Fancy Dress Costumes, moderate

charges. Black Lion Costumes, 25 Sommerville Road, Bristol, 7.

Tel. 41345.

Wigs, Perruquiers

, Any Production, lowest rates. Make-up

materials. S.A.E. with inquiries. “Bert,” 46 Portnall Road, W.9.

LAD 1717.

Shorts for winter in the best English cord, 47/6 to measure,

outsize 5/- extra. From Ossie Dover, the Cycling Tailor, 160

Kensington, Liverpool, 7. S.A.E. for patterns and self-

measurement form.

Bell tents for hire 42s. per week, carr. paid (deposit 150s.

returnable). Groundsheets, dixies, etc., also for hire. J.

Weatherill, North Street

Works, Winkfield, Windsor, Berks.

Theatrical costumes and accessories. Costumiers to the London

Gang. Show. Special rates of hire to Troops for all productions.

West End Costumes (Peter Dunlop) Ltd., 18 Tower St., W.C.2.

Temple Bar 6806.

“Scout-inK” Catalogue. Group Record Systems, Certificates,

camping cards and forms. Programme blanks and posters, all

Group stationery. Stacy Ltd., 99 Kingsland High Street, London,

E.8

If you are camping

on the shores of Morecambe Bay this

summer, we have brandies at Silverdale, Arnside and Grange,

and can eater for your needs. Inquiries invited to Carnforth Co-

operative Society Ltd., New Street, Carnforth, Lanes.

Scouts - for Transport on the Isle of Wight, from Yarmouth or

Ryde to your camp site - consult G. A. Weeks, Haulage

Contractor, Freshwater (Telephone: Freshwater 504).

Aux. Mills, in response to many enquiries, is pleased to advise

that “plumers” of all colours are able to insure their cars with the

“Scouter” Syndicate at Lloyds. 123 Queen Victoria Street, E.C.4.

Mountaineering.

Week-end and six-day beginners, and

advanced courses; special arrangements and reduced fees for

Senior Scout parties; all seasons; day parties guided. F. D.

Stevens, Towers Cottage, Capel Curig, North Wales.

Midhurst. Once again to old and new friends camping near

Midhurst, Sussex, we offer a special discount on supplies of

meat, etc. T. C. Merritt, Butcher, Midhurst, Sussex.

FOR SALE

Joseph Conrad. Rover seeks complete writings. Good condition.

Medallion edition preferred. Write quoting price to Box 230, Tim