[English] LOCAL BOY SCOUTS. REVIEWED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

LOCAL BOY SCOUTS.

REVIEWED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

His Excellency the Governor, Sir Cecil Clementi, as Chief Scout of the Colony, reviewed troops yesterday in the grounds of Government House, there being present the Revd. Waldegrave as Commissioner, Lady Clementi, as President of the Girl Guides and the Hon. Dr. Kotewall. There was a good muster of Scouts, the 1st to 8th troops and the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 20th troops and Sea Scouts, all sending representatives. These were drawn up in a semi-circle before the main entrance, with the first troop to the left and the Sea Scouts on the right.

After His Excellency had passed through the ranks in review order, the Prince of Wales banner was presented to the 20th Troop as the most efficient during the past year.

Presentations of letters of commendation were then made to the 19th (1st Yaumati Troop), for services rendered in a case of bag snatching, when a young European lady was robbed in Shanghai Street on June 19 last. The snatcher was apprehended through the action of the Scouts and although a monetary reward had been suggested, in view of the fact that this was against Scout tradition, a letter of commendation to the Troop had been substituted.

In the second case, the 20th (1st Central) Troop had been most zealous in rendering assistance at fires. Owing to the favourable position of their headquarters, they were able to be on the spot when needed with great celerity and their services had been recognised by both the Captain Superintendent of Police and the Fire Brigade. They had rendered service of great value at the Hongkong Hotel fire and on Tuesday night had been instrumental in putting out a fire in the Government House Grounds, where they were at that moment assembled. A letter of commendation was awarded in this case also.

The Hon. Dr. Kotewall was then enlisted as a joining member of the local Scout Movement and having been sworn in by Commissioner Waldegrave, as President of the movement, he in turn invested His Excellency with the Badge of Chief Scout.

The Governor's Address.

His Excellency addressing the parade said:

I am glad to see so good a muster of you here this afternoon and I have noted with much pleasure your smart and workmanlike appearance and your good discipline. I especially congratulate the 20th Troop on winning the Prince of Wales' banner. Unhappily there are ill-disposed people who, observing your smartness on parade and your good discipline, exclaim that the Boy Scout movement is only disguised militarism and who pretend to believe that our real aim is to make soldiers of you. There is no shred of truth is such an insinuation. The aim of the Boy Scout movement, looked at from the widest point of view, is to form a brotherhood of boys of all races, nations and creeds in the hope that, when these boys grow to manhood, the brotherhood of boys will pass naturally into a worldwide brotherhood of men. Looked at from the point of view of the individual boy, the aim of the Boy Scout movement is to make men of you - chivalrous, upright, resourceful, law-abiding men.

Discipline.

Discipline is one of the means by which these things are taught. Discipline is the outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace. It should mean that in all your acts you are fully conscious that you form part of a troop, an association, a worldwide brotherhood, and that each of you will subordinate at all times his individual aims and ambition to the welfare of the whole fellowship to which he belongs. This is the way in which useful citizens of a country and of the commonwealth of all countries can be made; and this is the ideal which the Boy Scout movement strives to realize. Never forget this and let this ideal inspire your work both as boys and when you become men.

The Hon. Dr. Kotewall expressed thanks to His Excellency for making the presentations and also for the deep interest he had always shown in the movement. He, in turn, endorsed His Excellency's remarks with regard to the smart and workmanlike turn out of the Scouts present. He corroborated what their Chief Scout had said about the movement, laying stress on the need for discipline in daily life. The Scouts should not forget that there was no truth in the assertion that they were a military body; they were neither military nor political and he himself would take no part in the movement, if he were not certain that it had an undoubted use. Discipline was an essential in life and the Scouts were not banded together merely for the playing of games, as His Excellency had pointed out on previous occasions, but to play the game of life. In conclusion, Dr. Kotewall expressed his great pleasure at being enrolled as one of them.

The Revd. Waldegrave then presented warrants as Scoutmasters to Assistant Scoutmasters Roberts and Leveson-Gower, after which cheers were called for the Chief Scout, His Excellency Sir Cecil Clementi; the newly appointed President, Dr. Kotewall; and Lady Clementi as President of the Girl Guides.

Source:

1. Page 2, "Hongkong Telegraph", Thursday, 10th February, 16th Year of the Republic of China

   • 9th Day, 1st Lunar Month, Ding-mao Year

   • Thursday, 10th February, 1927 Common Era

2. Page 7, "China Mail", Thursday, 10th February, 16th Year of the Republic of China

   • 9th Day, 1st Lunar Month, Ding-mao Year

   • Thursday, 10th February, 1927 Common Era