IT'S A GREAT, GREAT GAME (1959)
(By The District Commissioner).
"The aim of the Association is to develop good citizenship among boys by forming their character - training them in habits of observation, obedience and self-reliance - inculcating loyalty and thoughtfulness for others - teaching them services useful to the public, and handicrafts useful to themselves - promoting their physical, mental and spiritual development.
The characteristic method of training the Scout is by admitting him a member of a desired fraternity which, guided by adult leadership, is increasingly self-governing in its successive age-groups ; by opening to him a succession of congenial activities and achievements in a largely outdoor setting and opportunities of service to others; by putting upon him progressively increasing measures of responsibility for himself and others, so that he acquires competence, self-reliance, character, dependability and powers both of co-operation and of leadership."
Dear Reader,
No doubt you are reading this as you are waiting for the Curtain to rise. Maybe you don't know anything about Scouting beyond the fact that you have seen our boys in their distinctive uniforms round about the streets of Chester or elsewhere. I hope that when you have seen this Show you will appreciate more of Scouting than you did before.
Perhaps you yourself were a Scout once, or even a Scouter, but dropped out for some reason and lost touch.
Whether you were or weren't a Scout, we can use your services, be you lady or gentleman. You can offer yourself for warranted rank ! If you don't want to commit yourself that far, you can still offer your services in helping to instruct the boys. There are so many badges in our proficiency badge system, that I am pretty sure that whatever your speciality is, you could instruct the boys for some badge or other in this particular subject. If you haven't even time for that, perhaps we could put you down as a badge examiner, so that you could test boys in the knowledge of any particular subject in which you are proficient.
For ladies the particular place in the Movement is the Cub Section. Lady cubmasters are more the rule than the exception.
Scouting in Chester has expanded greatly during the past ten years or so, and I can safely say that there is a Scout Group pretty near to where you live, wherever that may be. Why not see the officers there and offer your help.
What? You haven't a clue as to the first thing to do with the boys ? I'll let you into a secret ! Neither had I some twenty-one years ago when I started Scouting in Norfolk. But you'll soon learn. And you will find tremendous fun and satisfaction as you go along, in playing this Great Game of Scouting—because although it is a Game and everybody enjoys Scouting, somehow or other it manages to turn out boys who become good citizens, upright and self reliant, patriotic and healthy minded. In fact, the sort of people whom we all hope will be the population of this country when we have gone.
Perhaps you feel that dealing with boys is just not up your street at all, although you think that scouting is a good thing for them. There is still a job for you to do - serving on a Group Committee, helping to organise the finances of the Group so that the Scouters may be saved the worry of raising the necessary funds when they want to get on with their proper job of training the boy.
But I forgot! Maybe you are not a lady or gentleman at all who is reading this. Perhaps you are a Boy - who so far, hasn 't gone in for this Great Great Game. If you like what you see tonight, why not go along and join your nearest Group. You'll never regret it.
Very Sincerely Yours,
VERNON E. STONEBRIDGE,
District Commissioner (Chester and District).
