FOR THE LITTLE ONES

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR THE LITTLE ONES

A CAMP BY THE SEA. MISSION CHILDREN HAVE A GOOD TIME.

My Dear Little Friends,—

Each week tiiere comes to my oHice a tiny newspaper called "The Drifter," which is the official journal of the Auckland City Mi«ion. In this week's copy there wa3 a report of the Christmas camp for the mission children. The camp is under the care of a delightful fairy godmother called Sister Pat. I thought you would like to hear about the camp from her. This is what she said:

"This year's children are very fortunate, for we have a gramophone, quoits and bobs for indoor games, besides a swing, a see-saw and the well-known rocking-horse. In addition to this we have "home-brewed" concerts. The children showed great talent and produced some very creditable performances. 'Cinderella,' 'The Wedding of the Painted Doll' and 'Snowdrop and the Seven Dwarfs' are some of the plays produced.

"One day (one of the few fine days) the children went for a picnic to Onetangi in the mission van. It was a long and bumpy drive, but they enjoyed it thoroughly, and it was a complete change. Another time we had a pipi picnic. The youngsters were always wanting to bring smelly pipis to camp, so to satisfy them we let them collect as many as they liked and cook them on the beach in an old tin tub. It was great fun. Nurse Watts (who enjoys this sort of thing) built a good fire on the beach and soon the old pipis were boiling away merrily. With some bread and butter sent from the kitchen, they made a good feast, but, alas, the rain started, so we all had to beat a hasty retreat to the 'basement,' where the remainder of the shellfish were eaten.

"On New Year's Eve we had a bonfire on the beach. All the morning the kiddies collected wood and came home looking like a moving forest. It made a stunning blaze, and we sang songs and told stories till the embers burnt low, then had prayers round the fire and off to bed. The childish voices singing 'Now the Day is Over' sounded sweetly on the evening air, and made an appropriate ending to a happy day.

"After seventeen happy days' rain and shine our first family departed for home. The night before their departure we had a general clean-up. We heated up two big tubfuls of water and gave all our charges a good wash. The girls' ' bathroom was the verandah, with A j/. /T an improvised screen of blankets, i while the boys were 'done' in the kitchen. It was great fun."