Hongkong Daily Press.
Hongkong, Thursday, May 2, 1935.
英壹仟玖佰卅伍年伍月弍日 禮拜肆
乙亥年肆月初壹日
No. 23938
第弍萬叁仟玖佰卅捌號
Page 10
JAMBORALLY OF SCOUTS AND GUIDES
As Part Of Jubilee Programme
In connection with the joint Boy Scouts and Girl Guides Jamborally on Wednesday, May, 8, on the Hong Kong Football Club ground, as part of the Jubilee Celebrations, Lady Southorn and Rev. Halward broadcast an appeal for support through the local broadcasting station last night.
Lady Southorn who was the first to speak said:-
Mr. Halward with the courtesy characteristic of Scouts in general and himself in particular has given me the first word on the principle of "Ladies First." You may remember a less chivalrous action perpetrated by a man who was travelling in a sleigh with his wife through Russia; a pack of wolves pursued them and as the leader of the saying "Ladies First." I would not for a moment have you think Mr. Halward is throwing me to the wolves. No, he is merely giving me the first chance of interesting the kindly intelligent public of Hong Kong in what we have to say. I trust sincerely that a substantial number of you are still listening. Our object is to interest you in our Jamborally of Scouts and Guides which we hope will take place, weather permitting, on Wednesday May 8, at the Hong Kong Football Ground at 4 p.m. in the presence of His Excellency the Governor and Lady Peel. This Jamborally is the Scout and Guide celebration of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty King George V. No two people have realised more fully the ideals of Scouts and Guides than Their Majesties who during a quarter of a century have given their unremitting and untiring devotion to service for the Empire and for their people. They are an inspiration to the two Movements.
MR. HALWARD
I will now allow Mr. Halward to get in a word edgeways and speak for our elder brothers, the Scouts.
Mr. Halward said:-
I would like to remind you all that the Boy Scouts Movement was inaugurated in 1908 - our sister organisation, the Girl Guides Association being founded two years later in 1910. Since those early days the Scout Movement has grown in a most wonderful way, so much so that at the end of last year the Boy Scouts of he World totaled 2,362,192. To what can we attribute this amazing growth I think the answer lies in the words of Professor L.P.Jacks who thus visualises the method of Scouting:- "No greater educational discovery was ever made than when Baden Powell conceived the idea of utilizing the play instinct of boys their love of adventure, their devilry, and their aptitude for getting into mischief as a means of training them in courage, competence, self control, self respect, loyalty, discipline, responsibility, and welding them on that basis into a worldwide community. The art of turning a crowd into a community by use of he recreational method, and so converting recreation into the finest education imaginable, has no more telling example than the Scout Movement."
Here is a story I read the other day which will give you an idea of the stuff Scouts are made of. "Eighty miles beyond Broken Hill in Australia, towards the interior where the aborigines are still seen, there is a colony of settlers who spend their lives digging for opal and other precious stones. They have wireless for a medical service, flying nurses, flying doctors and a flying parson.
It was learnt that a sick in man from the Colony was being brought into the settlement by his 18 year old son who had been a Scout. Soon after leaving his homestead he became unconscious. The boy tied him on his camel and brought him in to the settlement, but he died soon after. At dawn the next day the boy collected the camels, climbed on the back of the leader and set off on his homeward trek. His only remark was: "I have got to go back. I am the only man there."
The Princes Speech
In Hong Kong we have at present 22 Troops of Scouts and 8 Packs of Wolf Cubs, numbering well over 600 boys. We do hope that many of you will be able to find the time to come along and see them together with the Guides on Wednesday, May 8 we are going our best to put up a good show and it only remains for you to come along and see it.
Some of you will remember that the other night there was a broadcast of a speech made by the Prince of Wales on behalf of the Jubilee Trust Fund which is to be the gift from all the subjects of the King who wish to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of His Majesty's reign. Gifts from a penny upwards will be received and the Prince told us that the King desired to spend the gift upon his youthful subjects, chiefly boys and girls between 14 and 18, who need open air training and recreation and healthy minds in healthy bodies. His Majesty will not create new organisations but will devote the money to those who are already trying to carry out this work and among the organisations the Prince mentioned were the Scouts and Guides.
It was great to hear that, and I appeal to you all to consider associating yourselves with the Prince's closing sentence: "We must make of this Jubilee Year, not only a time of thanksgiving for a great reign, but at the same time the inauguration of even more important years in which, to an ever greater extent, the rising generation will be given a better chance."
I have spoken far too long, and I am in danger, not of throwing Lady Southorn to the Wolves, but of crowing her out altogether.
Lady Southorn then said:-
I feel that Mr. Halward has expressed so eloquently all that the Scouts Movement represents that I need only say the Guide Movement follows in the Scouts' footsteps. There are over a million Guides of all nationalities in the world today. Whereas the Scouts naturally cover more of the adventurous side of the Movement, the Guides cultivate domestic accomplishments, at the same time sharing in the open air life of Scouting and Guiding.
This is the first occasion in the Colony on which the Scouts and Guides have held a Joint Rally and we want to make a tremendous success of it.
We can offer you plenty of variety. There will be a March Past of Scouts and Cubs, Guides and Brownies. His Excellency the Governor will take the Salute. There will be a Bridge Building by the Scouts and a Floral Pageant by the Guides, Badge Work Displays and Folk Dancing.
The Colony Standard will be presented to the Colony Commissioner, by Lady Peel. This Standard has been beautifully carried out according to correct heraldic instructions from Headquarters. It is of blue silk and bears the Hong Kong Guides' Badge and the Girl Guides Trefoil and motto: "Be Prepared."
There will be a Sale of Handicrafts by Guides and the work of Scouts will be on Exhibition.
The Band of the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment under the leadership of Bandmaster Griffett will play during the afternoon by kind permission of Lieutenant Colonel Boys and the Officers of the Regiment.
The date of the Rally is Wednesday 8th May at 4 p.m. at the Hong Kong Football Club Ground at Happy Valley (by kind permission of the Committee of the Club). In the event of rain the Rally will be postponed till Wednesday 15th May. Notice of postponement will be given on the Radio at 12.30 and 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday 8th May.
But with Scout and Guide optimism we hope that fine weather will be our lot and we trust you will all wish us good luck. The price of admission is $1 to the Covered Stand and 20 cents to the open stands.
No seats are reserved so please come along early. The day is Wednesday, May 8, and the time is 4 p.m., the place the Hong Kong Football ground.