The very successful Scout Jamboree on Monday, in which lads of several nations met in friendly competition, draws attention to the excellent work which Boy Scouts Association has been doing in China and Shanghai since first the movement was brought here The rules of Scouting have been framed on such broad lines as to embrace all classes and all religious creeds, Scouting starts with the Wolf Cubs (aged 8 to 12), then the Scouts (12 to 18) and finally Rovers (17 upwards). The movement has spread to every civilized country in the world and numbers over 3,000,000 members. Recently the international side of Scout ing—the world-wide brotherhood of Scouts—has been especially emphasized. At World Jamborees but also on a smaller scale Scouts are encouraged to visit other countries and to camp alongside foreign Scouts. This summer Great Britain entertained literally thousands of foreign Scouts and thousands of British Scouts visited the continent. Here in Shanghai the British Boy Scouts have admitted to their Association Scouts of perhaps 20 other nationalities, partly because Scout Troops are generally connected with local schools and partly because it was felt that it would be doing an essential duty to this international community. Thus the Cathedral School, the two foreign Public Schools of the Municipal Council, the Jewish School and St) Xaviérs each have strong Scout Troops and Wolf Cub Packs. At this moment the Association has enrolled over 560 Rovers, Scouts, Sea Scouts and Wolf Cubs belonging to three Rover Crews, seven Scout Troops, a Sea Scout Section and ten Wolf Cub Packs. Apart from these there are in Shanghai small French, Russian and United States Scout Associations, which are affiliated to but independent of the British Scouts. Chinese and Japanese Scout organizations also exist. The importance of Scouting to the Shanghai boy needs no emphasis. It is self-evident that here the activities which Scouting practises are far more necessary than in most places. Camping and out-of-door occupation are of particular value in a crowded town like this where boys are handicapped by their environment. The Association owns a fine camping ground on Hungjao Road. Finance is obtained by annual donations from some 30 leading firms and by subscriptions from about 30 members of the Association (excluding Scoutmasters) who pay a subscription of $5 and upwards. It is rather surprising that there should only be 80 subscribers in an Association looking after 560 boys, and more public interest would be very helpful, but the greatest and most urgent need is for additional Scoutmasters who have served as such elsewhere, and also for those who are willing to learn or otherwise help in Scout work. The number of Scouts in the various Groups has increased by more than 100 in the past year, and it will not be possible to maintain the high aims and principles of Scouting without more help; the alternative is to limit future enrolments.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.