The Chief Scout Yarns From all centres I hear that you young sailors and soldiers are returning from the scenes of your triumphs and finding your way back to your old clubrooms. I congratulate you and wish you the best of Scouting. Yours sincerely, (Signed) A.G. Wade ROBERT BADEN-POWELL CHIEF SCOUT
October 25, 1919
A MOOR FIRE On the moors in Yorkshire, near Kildale, there broke out a great fire one hot day in June. The heather was dry as tinder after the long drought, and a fresh breeze that was blowing quietly fanned the fire into a vast blaze that spread itself across the downs. Men hurried to the spot and endeavoured to beat down the rushing flames, but soon they got disheartened as the fire drove them back, and some of them trudged off home saying that nothing could be done. As they went, they met a troop of Boy Scouts hurrying to the scene, led by a lady Scoutmaster. These Scouts were not the sort to give in without a try, even though the men had turned away. In a few minutes they were fighting the flames valiantly with gorse bushes, and sticks and sacks. Their Scoutmaster, observing the line that the fire was taking, saw that a little stream ran across its path. So here she posted her Scouts on a line nearly a mile long, and told them to let the fire come up to the bank of the stream but to beat out every attempt it made to cross the stream. Gallantly the boys stuck to their posts, and though the flames roared up several feet into the air and the smoke and hear were suffocating, these lads kept working their hardest to check the further spread. Fortunately, when they were nearly getting driven back, a heavy shower of rain came down an for a minute made the fire die down a bit. Then the boys redoubled their efforts, and instead of merely defending the bank of the stream they charged forward across it and beat down the fire on its own bank. Sometimes they were nearly surrounded by the flames, but they always fought on courageously. Gradually, and at last, they gained the upper hand; the fire grew less and less, and after a few more spurts was finally suppressed, and the neighbouring moor was saved. The Scouts had stuck to it successfully! This is what the Superintendent of the County Police reported: "The Scoutmaster and Scouts of the Guisborough Troop rendered most valuable assistance in preventing the fire from spreading on to the adjoining moors. They all worked hard and untiringly, with a high sense of duty, which is very creditable to themselves and to the Scoutmaster, Miss Chaloner." And this is what one of the men there said of them: "Talk about the Scouts! Why, they were just splendid and worked like men. If it had not been for them I don’t know where we should have been." And this is what I said to them: "Well done, Scouts of Guisborough! Here is a Certificate of Merit for the Troop."
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