Including the staff, there are 1200 in camp at Tahuna just now. The great majority of the boys reached camp only on Sunday and yesterday was necessarily chiefly occupied in the straightening out of details, and making the boys acquainted with the essentials of the camp life on which they have entered.
When Commissioner Campbell, of Rarotonga, who is in charge of the camp, had his parade all ready the junior padre Scoutmaster Osmers, of Timaru, opened the proceedings by offering prayer for blessing on the camp.
Then he led the whole company in the repetition of the scout promise, "I promise on my honour that I will do my best to do my duty to God and to the King, to help others at all times and to obey the scout law."
The boys seated themselves as the Mayor (Mr H.L. Tapley MP) offered them the city’s welcome and declared the camp open. He expressed his great pleasure at officially welcoming the visiting scouts.
The message from Sir Robert Baden Powell (Chief Scout) was as follows: "I am delighted to hear that the scouts of New Zealand are to hold a jamboree. From what I know of these scouts it is bound to be a jolly good one." Three rousing cheers wore given for the Chief Scout.
A little dressing of lime
The importance of lime cannot be overestimated, but it should be applied with considerable care as, in the case of light soils, lime will very soon destroy or eat up what little organic matter they may contain.
A little dressing of lime applied to the heavy soils, however, will enable them to be worked more easily, and cause them to lose much of their plastic and sticky character.
Harbour spectacle
The swimming of a cow from an Otago harbour island to the mainland was a feat that was strange to most of those who saw it.
A rope held by a man in a dinghy was made fast to the animal, which protested against her enforced swim, but by a little strategy on the part of one of a boat’s crew, assisted by a burly flag officer, she was soon afloat, though puffing hard, on her way to her new home.
Many hands make light work
Good progress is being made with the erection of the poles for the main transmission line to Palmerston for the electric power. The gang engaged in this work is, at present, at Waikouaiti and, in a week or two, the line should be completed. Most of the houses are now wired up and it is generally expected that the light will be through before Easter.
Camping weather
Though the weather during the past week or two has made camping conditions uncomfortable, there are still several motoring parties at Tahuna Park sufficiently optimistic to remain under the rather rough shelters they have made in the cattle stalls. Even those who have brought tents must feel the rigours of the climate but, from appearances, the popularity of the Park as a camping ground has not waned,
— ODT, 12.1.1926
