Scouts New Zealand reception

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E kui mā, e kore mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Noel Walker, National Chairman of Scouts New Zealand; Kelly Bleakley, National Commissioner and Deputy Chief Scout; Niamh Lawless , Chief Executive and your predecessor Chris Hooper - tēnā koutou katoa.

It’s a great pleasure to welcome you all to Government House this afternoon to mark the centenary of the Sovereign’s representative being Chief Scout in New Zealand.  I also welcome this opportunity to say something about this celebration and what it means to me being the Chief Scout.

The first Governor to take up the role of Chief Scout was Lord Islington who, incidentally, was also the first vice-regal resident of Government House when it opened in 1910.  Islington’s agreement to be Chief Scout - essentially the organisation’s Patron - marked a turning point in the history of the nascent movement in New Zealand.  In May 1912, with the establishment of a National Council, Islington replaced Lt Col David Cossgrove as Chief Scout.  Cossgrove, who had established the Scouting movement in New Zealand in 1908, became instead Chief Commissioner. 

When Lord Baden-Powell held his first scout camps in Britain in 1907 and published Scouting for Boys the following year, he saw scouting as an activity, rather than a movement or organisation.  Apparently he never anticipated that his vision would so quickly gain a life of its own and spread like wildfire.   Initially, in Britain the result was somewhat chaotic.  Boys read parts of Baden-Powell’s book, formed their own patrols and troops, and then set about looking for a scoutmaster!  

Scouting in New Zealand started when the first troop was established in Kaiapoi in 1908.  Given the limited communication of that era, it is amazing that such spontaneous growth occurred around the globe.

In New Zealand, it seemed there was, as in Britain, a certain amount of organisational chaos, and it wasn’t long before some sort of organisational structure was needed.  Cossgrove, who had been communicating with Baden-Powell, wrote to every New Zealand newspaper offering to provide co-ordination to the scouting groups then being set up.  With Lord Baden-Powell visiting New Zealand in 1911; the establishment of the National Council in 1912, and Islington’s becoming Chief Scout, scouting here established itself on a firm organisational footing.

Since that time, every Governor and Governor-General has agreed to be Chief Scout.  Many of the later Governors-General from Britain had been involved with the Scouting movement, and some of the New Zealand-born holders of the Office had been Scouts or Cubs.

In the same way that each Governor-General contributes to the role of the Sovereign’s representative, likewise they have each made a unique contribution to the role of Chief Scout.  Like my predecessors, I have enjoyed awarding the Queen’s Scout Award to young New Zealanders.  Their hard work and perseverance in achieving the award is an honour that deserves to be recognised and celebrated.  We have also enjoyed welcoming those receiving their awards, and their family and friends, into Government House in Wellington and in Auckland.  This is a practice that began many years ago and one I am happy to continue.

The agreement of the Governor-General to be Chief Scout is not a given.  At the start of every Governor-General’s term, a review of vice-regal patronages is done to assure the right fit.  That I, like all of my predecessors, was keen to retain the connection with Scouts New Zealand, speaks of the respect I have for Scouting and the fundamental values and activities that it promotes. 

Those values, enshrined in the Scout Law, encapsulate Baden-Powell’s vision for scouting.  While his original wording has been modified to meet different times and national circumstances, what sets them apart is that they are positive affirmation of what is right rather than a negative list of prohibitions.    I wholly agree with Baden-Powell’s approach that: “Correcting bad habits cannot be done by forbidding or punishment.”

The values in the Scout Law: Loyalty and trustworthiness, being considerate and tolerant, being a friend to all, sincerity and self-respect, accepting challenges with courage, using resources wisely and respecting the environment, are not only for a young persons’ time in Scouts, but for life.

Scouting has also retained vice-regal support because it offers programmes for young people that give practical expression to its values.  The focus both on self-reliance and teamwork, outdoor activities, adventure and “learning by doing,” resonate with New Zealanders’ respect for all of humanity and our love of the outdoors and all things practical.  Again, as Baden-Powell noted:  “A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”

What is also special about Scouts is that it is not just for young people.  Its programmes and structure also offer an avenue for adults to volunteer and to work alongside and interact with young people.  To me this is an opportunity for community-minded people to be engaged with our communities.  Young and older New Zealanders can share their time, skills, knowledge and life experiences.

I also was attracted to be the Chief Scout because of the positive things that I have heard happening with Scouting in New Zealand.  The resurgence of interest in Scouting, and the more than 14,500  young New Zealanders involved, attests to this.  New and modern uniforms and nationally created and simplified programmes for leaders are among a number of initiatives that set out to recapture scouting as a venture to a new generation.

However, New Zealanders’ affection for the Scouting movement should never be taken for granted.  I was a Scout or may be a Cub for a short time.  I was lured away by the beach and rugby among many other distractions.  Had my leaders taken a little more effort I might have stayed in the movement.  Engaging with parents, which is more likely today, is as important today as it was then.  Most parents do care, they do not willingly place their young ones in another’s care without being assured they will be well looked after.  It is a huge responsibility, and one that I know Scouts considers as paramount.  Similarly, in the formative years it does help to focus a young person’s attention if mum or dad knows that young Johnny, Jenny or Jerry is skiving off!

In conclusion, a century after Lord Islington became New Zealand’s first vice-regal Chief Scout; it is well worth celebrating Scouts New Zealand maintaining this link.

Fifty years ago, in 1962, Wing Commander Selwyn Field, the movement’s first Chief Executive Commissioner, sent Governor-General Lord Cobham, a copy of the organisation’s 50 years history.  Inside the book, which continues to sit in the Government House library, he wrote the following words: “Your Excellency - With assurances that the next 50 years will be less turbulent.”  The world had indeed faced turbulent times in Scouting’s first 50 years – a great depression and two world wars.  In many ways the past 50 years have been more hopeful.

What that history does show is that the strong and healthy link with Government House reflects your on-going commitment to the values at the core of the Scouting movement, and your adept and quality leadership in applying them to the needs of a new generation.  It is these values, history and contribution to our society that I admire in our association with Scout New Zealand.

Thank you for the opportunity to be the Chief Scout in New Zealand and to continue the 100-year tradition.  Finally, congratulations are in order on our close association, and I trust you enjoy our hospitality this evening.   Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.