SCOUTING IN AUSTRALIA
WALOROI COLLEGE SCOUTMASTER'S VISIT HERE.
Gift to St. Andrew's Troop.

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   Mr. J.B.Maltman, scoutmaster of the Waloroi College Boy Scouts troop, Orange, New South Wales, Australia, paid a visit, last evening, to the 1st Kowloon (St. Andrew's) Group of Boy Scouts, at their headquarters - St. Andrew's Church Hall.
   Mr. Maltman spoke interestingly of scouting in Australia, and as a memento of his visit presented St. Andrew's Troop with a replica of a boomerang.
   On behalf of St. Andrew's Troop, Mr. R.Dormer (Scoutmaster) presented Mr. Maltman with a model of a junk in Silver, mounted on blackwood, bearing the inscription "Presented by 1st Kowloon B.P. Boy Scout."
   Mr. Maltman said he was the conveyor of fraternal greetings from all scouts in Australia, and remarked that he felt sure his troop at Waloroi College would greatly appreciate the gift of the Hong Kong Troop.

   Mr. Maltman next addressed the boys, who were seated round in horseshoe formation. He first of all touched on the modern Aboriginal, and remarked that nearly all the blacks had been gathered in now, and were at present working at Mission hospitals, where they made useful articles out of trees, and polished the articles with ordinary mud. Sometimes they polished till the skin of their hands began to peel. The speaker passed round his walking stick, a proof of the work of skilled hands. These blacks cut trees down with stone tomahawk, which was rather wonderful. The stone blade of the tomahawk was sharpened and sharpened with crude implements.

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The Boomerang.

   Speaking of the ancient Aboriginals, Mr. Maltman said that they used iron and steel spears at one time, but, finding iron and steel hard to come by, they turned attention to ordinary pieces of stick which they threw at their object. But they did not wish to lose these pieces of sticks so one of the blacks, invented the boomerang, which is a bent piece of wood, with a slight tilt at one end. With this they killed their food.

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China Impresses.

   Mr. Maltman, continuing, said that they, in Australia, had vague ideas of China. He had been impressed by the wonderful scenery along the coast, and especially impressed by Hong Kong's old buildings. The climate here was ideal. He thought St. Andrew's Troop boys were very fortunate to live in such wonderful surroundings. He was glad to see so many Chinese boys take to the movement. He had visited Canton, but had been disappointed, because the scouts there would not say a word to him. That was probably because they were either shy or did not understand the language, he expected.

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Scouting In Australia.

   Speaking of scouting in Australia, Mr. Maltman said that scout rallies were held in each State, and inter State rallies were conducted every four or five years. In May last year they were honoured with a visit from the Chief Scout of the World. Lord Baden Powell of GiIwell, and every State that he visited thousands of scouts, girl guides, wolf cubs and brownies welcomed him. Mr. Maltman said that Australia was fortunate in having a long twilight. It enabled them to play tennis at even seven o'clock at night.
   The speaker next dealt with the activities of a weekend camp touching upon cooking, ambulance work, and bridge building. He pointed out that ambulance work, when out camping was most interesting.

   Replying to questions put by the boys, Mr. Maltman said the fur of a kangaroo was used for matting. The fur was coarser than that of the cat and finer than the hair of a dog. A kangaroo had tremendous fighting powers, but seldom attacked a man, unless first attacked. A blow from a Kangaroo's tail could kill a man; similarly a kick from an emu would break a man’s leg. In answer to other questions, Mr. Maltman said that no part of Australia had snow all the year round.