Shooting

During the visit by Brigadier Crampton, mentioned elsewhere, the Senior Patrol gave a demonstration of the use of the Fireman's Chair Knot, lowering Scouts from the gallery in the gym. During the meeting, which took the form of a normal troop meeting, Brigadier Crampton addressed the Troop and presented his Scout Cord to Baddeley.

Work this term has consisted largely of training in signalling and first aid, and latterly all the Scouts have been engaged in making three toys each for the Christmas Good Turn, the toys to be sent to a Dr. Barnado's Home. This year three models, railway engines, plain lorries and petrol lorries, have been under construction. The term's programme ended with a very successful Camp Fire.

Arrangements are now well in hand for the Easter Hike. We are again going to the Lake District, this time in two parties, each with two Scouters. We shall be spending the nights at Youth Hostels and the hike will last from the 16th to the 23rd of April.

JUNIOR SCHOOL PATROLS

This term one Patrol, Curlews, has suffered a temporary eclipse, but will no doubt be visible again before the summer. This does not necessarily imply a reduction of numbers, for there is a limit to the number of recruits that can be satisfactorily absorbed in any one term.

Satisfactory progress has been made willy-nilly during the term, and while two Second Class Badges have been gained, eight or nine boys are on the verge of completing their tests for this badge.

The Inter-Patrol Competition has been won by Hawks, who negotiated the various items, many of them quite novel, with credit.

In the final week of term a collection of books, toys, games, etc., was made and a goodly consignment was delivered to St. Stephen's Orphanage as the Christmas Good Turn of the Junior School Patrols.

At the beginning of term the prospects of building an VIII were not very hopeful. We only had two old Colours, and of the remaining six who finally made up the VIII, only Megginson, Bird and Lumby had had any real match experience. In spite of this some reasonable scores have been returned (indeed, one was a record for the School under the present "Country Life" conditions), though we do on occasion seem to have lost form in no uncertain manner, and surely we can rarely have had a term with such a wide range of scores. Once or twice, it must be said, we seem to have had more than the average number of groups missing the 1 inch by a tiny fraction, and that costs five points a time.