n the 1950s and 1960s Malayan Film Unit documentaries were regularly shown in cinemas just before the main feature began. In that pre-TV era, these shorts, announced by the familiar leaping tiger logo and its distinctive signature tune, kept the Malayan cinema-goer apprised of events, activities and personalities of local interest. In 1953 out of the MFU stable came Chik’s Great Adventure, a short on Scouting in Malaya, filmed mainly on location in the V.I. and at Castle Camp. The Scouts of the V.I. Second K.L. Troop became the stars and extras in this twelve-minute unabashed Scout recruitment film.

The story line centred on a boy, Chik (played by Raja Iskandar Shah), a new recruit to scouting and follows his activities until his investiture as a full fledged Scout. The Scout Master at that time, Mr Chin Peng Lam and his assistant, Kamarul Ariffin (now Tan Sri) appeared in many portions of the film. Shown around the country, Chik’s Great Adventure would certainly have elicted much interest and converted many to Scouting.

Below are stills from this one and only all-V.I. film, rescued from the archives of the MFU (now Filem Negara Malaysia). Every Scout face seen is that of a Victorian!

Chik bin Abdullah (played by Raja Iskandar Shah) is not the boy he once was. At one time you couldn’t keep him off the football field. And now, sitting in his V.I. classroom, he seems to have something more important to do - like tying knots, all kinds of knots...

Spending his time tying knots is peculiar enough but when his friend approaches him Chik does another peculiar thing like shaking hands with his left hand. In the background we see the familiar V.I. padang where Chik's friends prefer to play football instead.

The reason behind this is that Chik has joined the Boy Scouts. He has so many new interests that he is not sure which one to concentrate on fully. Everyday, Boy Scouts in Malaya are gathering into Troops like the one Chik has joined, seen here assembling at the Castle Camp meeting hall.

Today there are over 36,000 Scouts in Malaya. They begin their training as Cubs and go on to become Scouts and Rovers. There are now also Air Scouts and Sea Scouts to satisfy the modern boy’s taste for adventure and Sea Scouts for those who find adventure in boats and boat work.

"…A Scout must be a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout, no matter what country, caste or creed the other may belong to.."

"We are going down the valley...."

Young boys want life to be adventurous. Very often they make it so in ways which are harmful to themselves and other people. It should not be necessary for boys to satisfy their adventurous spirits in these ways.

Scouting provides them with ways to enjoy themselves which satisfy their special needs and helps them to avoid harming themselves and their neighbours.

Open air exercises are fun for Chik and his Troop. These boys (on the left is Chew Chun Kwok) are learning to look after themselves and to be self-reliant.

"Do... this, do... this, do... this, do... this, do... THAT! - You are out! Sit down!"

The exuberant real life ASM playing this game with his boys is Kamarul Ariffin (now Tan Sri).

When boys first want to join a Scout Troop they sometimes have to persuade their parents to allow them. Rama (played by S. Arunasalam) is very keen to join and brings a Scout friend (played by T. Mahendran) home with him to help persuade his mother.

Rama explains it will not interfere with his lessons at school. Scout meetings are held outside school hours. Eventually his mother agrees to let him join when she realizes that Scouting will be good for him.

Rama is brought to the Scout Hut for the first time and he finds there is a Troop meeting going on there. He is introduced by the Scout Master (real life SM Mr Chin Peng Lam) to his Patrol Leader. Suddenly he has a lot of new friends, among them Chik. The new boy is shown the badges which he can qualify for if he is prepared to try hard.

"... A Scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others"

Cramming up on Scout Law.

"Help! Help! I am drowning!"

The Scout motto is "Be Prepared" and the Scout has to train himself to be ready to help others when the help is needed.

There are other ways in which scouts can be helpful, less exciting, perhaps, than saving somebody’s life but nonetheless important. Here, along Weld Road (Jalan Raja Chulan today) two Scouts offer their help.

...and help start a stalled car here. The Scout is expected to do one good turn a day, to be kind to anyone, great or small, rich or poor, friends, strangers and even enemies. This kind of help is given freely by all Scouts. They do not expect tips and will refuse payment for work which is no more than friendliness or courtesy.

But once every year Scouts have a Job Week during which they will do any work they are asked to do. They accept payment for these jobs and the money they get helps to finance the activities of the Troop. Chik does his part like any other Scout.

At patrol meetings Chik and his fellow Scout (played by Mohamed Khalid Musbah) also contribute whatever they can when the hat is passed around.

Funds collected by the Troop are looked after by the Court of Honour which is made up of the Scout Master and the Patrol Leaders. The Court is responsible for the internal affairs of the Troop. It decides on such matters as rewards, discipline and programmes of work.

"Makan time!"

One of the most popular Scouting activities is camping. Many Troops camp every school holiday. Some people talk about camping as "roughing it" but the scout soon earns that camping is only rough if you fail to look after yourself and he learns all the simple ways there are of making himself comfortable even in very difficult conditions.

It is not all fun and games. Scouts, remembering their motto "Be Prepared", learn easy but effective ways of dealing with any accidents that may occur, like putting together a makeshift stretcher here.

A boy will get most out of his Scout training if he begins early as a Wolf Cub and goes through each stage as Scout, Senior Scout and Rover. There is a ceremony at each point in his Scouting career. A Growing Up ceremony, shown here taking place at Castle Camp, marks the advance from Wolf Cub to Scout. The new Scout is introduced to the Troop and they welcome him in their own way.

Another ceremony is the Investiture. Chik has passed all his early tests and is ready to take his promise and become a real Scout.

SM: "Do you know what honour is?"
Chik: "Yes, it means I can be trustworthy, truthful and honest."
SM: "Do you know your Scout Law?"
Chik: "Yes."

SM: "Can I trust you on your honour to do your best, to do your duty to God, the Queen and the Ruler of the State, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Scout Law?"

Chik: "Yes. On my honour, I promise that I’ll do my best to do my duty to God, the Queen and the Ruler of the State, to help other people at all times and to obey the Scout Law."

SM: "You are now a member of the worldwide Brotherhood of Scouts. Keep the colours flying."

ASM: "Well Chik, may this hat protect you and this staff guide you. Congratulations."

"Easekah! Easekah! Easekah! "

Chik's brother Scouts welcome him to their ranks in their own special way.

Chik’s adventure does not end here.

..............It is only just beginning........

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