LADY BADEN-POWELL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 10

LADY BADEN-POWELL.

CHIEF GUIDE'S ARRIVAL. Lady Baden-Powell, Chief Guide of the world, arrived by the Aorangi from Sydney this morning. She was met by Miss R. Herriek, chief commissioner for New Zealand; Miss A. M. Burgin, commissioner for training for Now Zealand; and Mrs. I?. .T. Coates. "While I am in New Zealand," Lady Baden-Powell said, "I hope to meet nonguiders as well as guiders. I am concerned that the movement should go on growing, and that its ideals should be known far and wide. There are now over a million guiders in the world, in the East as well as in the West. When the association was founded I had no idea that it would become an international movement." The character of a nation, Lady Baden-Powell said, was the character of the individuals who comprised it. The chief aim of the guide movement was the building of character, the training of young girls in those qualities which later would mean the heart and soul of home life. "Peaceful and Quiet Work." "We are living in difficult times," Lady Baden-Powell said, "when pleasure is made so easy that people lose all initiative, all eense of constructive living and thinking. Take away from them their tiiuiei music, their hectic rushing and chasing after things, and what have you? Disillusioned young people, who have been unable to find happiness, despite their frantic searching. It is to these that the movement offers occupations to fill in the spare moments with joy instead of the search for joy; with peaceful and quiet work for hands and brains."

Lady Baden-Powell was very impressed with the growth the movement had made in Australia since her last visit four years ago. There was a' great deal of enthusiasm throughout the Country. "I also liked New Zealand so much the last time I was here," she said, "that we could not resist the temptation to come again when we were so near to you.. We feel, too, that the movement has much to offer a new country like this. You are really making history as you go; still building the hone and sinew of your country. The training in citizenship that the

guiders get is immensely important at such a stage of growth. Yours is such a romantic little country. I love its history, and the newness or everything." The East, especially India, had taken kindly to the movement. In Malaya the women went out very little, so their activities were hampered. In Egypt the membership was larger, and a few Chinese women and girls were interested. But in India girls were finding that the training was helping them to overcome the barriers of caste. "Much of our work lies in visiting the less accessible places," Lady Badeift Powell said. "In Malaya I'm sure the impetus we gave will help the movement considerably. Yes, we have a home of our own, hut we are very little in it. We are on the move all the while. We will have two clays at home in July, and then we leave for Sweden." Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, accompanied by their two daughters, will visit the chief centres of New Zealand during their tour.