each night, we had Special Inspection. Generally we would not be given any prior warning of what this might include; for example, it might be clean fingernails or clean handkerchiefs or clean ears or we might be asked what good deed we had done that day. The third Scout Law was: “A Scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others?’ This meant that each Scout was to strive to do his duty faithfully and cheerfully and to endeavour to do at least one good turn to somebody every day. Numerical points were assessed throughout the meeting. The patrol that scored the highest was given the honour of being in charge of the troop banner until another patrol won it from them. Patrols took turns in preparing our meeting place. This meant opening the door on time, heating the room when needed, arranging the chairs and ensuring that the room was clean, neat and tidy.

In keeping with the ideas of the Founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, we were trained to be observant, to read nature signs, live in the open, and to keep the Scout Promise:

“On my honour I promise that I will do my best: to do my duty to God and the King, to help other people at all times, to obey the Scout Lawf’

Some may remember our first Scout hike to Wall’s Bridge in the middle of winter with about a foot of snow on the level. After the hike and some active games, we were all famished. George Lewis was able to start a fire by friction. Scouts frowned on matches. Soon we had hot beans, weiners, hot chocolate and tasty brown bread. The bread was contributed by Mrs. Crowe. No meal ever tasted better!

The following summer, the Troop made a trip to Nova Scotia. The Scouts rode in the back of a truck driven by Hammond Bowness of Centreville Bedeque. Our Scout-Master and Assistant Scout-Master each took their own cars. The first night we stopped at Norman Rushton’s, Sugarloaf Mountain, about twenty- five miles from Springhill. Most of the Scouts slept in the barn. Each selected, in the gathering dusk, the most suitable spot and spread their blankets on the hay. The boys being tired from the long drive, soon fell asleep. In the morning, Lorne Wright awoke a bit earlier than the rest with the thought that it must be rain- ing for he felt something moist hit him on the face. Glancing towards the rafters, Lorne saw that he had spread his blanket directly under a nest of Barn-Swallows. Needless to say, he had to do a wash that morning that he had not counted on. The next few nights we had much improved accommodations; the summer home of our Scout—Master’s family at Folly Lake, N.S.

Freetown and Bedeque Boy Scout Troop, I 935

Back row left to right: Morris Deacon, Horace MacFarlane, Robert Jardine, Douglas MacFarIane, Lorne Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Rushton, Bobby Burns, Cecil Burns, Allan Clow, Ralph MacFarlane, Rev. AG. Crows, (Scoutmaster).

Front row: Walter Paynter, Claude Lewis, Arnold Callbeck, Carmen Johnson, Douglas Leard, Norman Wright, Keith Leard, Ira Lewis, George Lewis, Norman Clow with dog. Hammond Bowness - driver of the truck (standing

on fender of truck).

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