Peter Pan Writes to His Grown-up Friends

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

Peter Pan Writes to His Grown-up Friends

And Tells of the Wonderful Results of the Budget's Holiday Tour. Hello, Everyone—chiefly our grown-up friends! For fifty-two weeks of the year this space is reserved for a ofHthe t Wnt * en cither Wendy or myself to the countless thousands of young people who read the news ( Tlf |a>*ge number of adults, however, who are taking a practical interest in die work perorme y mbeam helpers has prompted the writing of this letter, which is dedicated to our vast army of grown-up friends. Last year a goodly amount of the £100 raised and expended in the entertaining of the Northland party came rom friendly adults, and already our acknowledgment column shows a continuation of their practical help. e thought it would be interesting, therefore, to tell these good folk a few of the behind-the-scenes ac t at, under ordinary circumstances, do not become public property. In February last, when seventeen rather startled country children arrived in Auckland 1 , even we did not anticipate that the fruits of the trip would be so great and so instantaneous. After a few days a change— visile and definitely apparent—was to be seen as the children gathered daily in the foyer of the "Auckland ar already the vast impression that was being created in their minds was manifest in their external appearance. But this was not all. We followed up the tour by requesting reports from the children's teachers and members of the inspectorial staff. That the "holiday" has proved to be the greatest educational factor in the isolated lives of these children has been amply borne out by the replies we have received. Take the case of , who was described as a shy, reserved girl, with a mental capacity restricted by lack of outside contact. Here is what the teacher now says about that same child:— . . . Imagine, therefore, my surprise when, at the beginning of the year, she, who before had not a word to say, blossomed forth and took a leading part in all oral lessons, especially in morning talks, where one morning for ten minutes on end she talked to the other children of city wonders . . . She who before at English studies was outshone by her sisters now takes a more active part than they do in all oral work. She has done things and been places, and it has given her a new confidence in discussion of the strange, rather terrifying world outside the swamp . . Another aspect which has struck deep deals with personal hygiene and the amenities of civilisation. Baths, sinks—even ranges and ordinary household conveniences, common to their city brothers and sisterswere luxuries of which the Northerners had never dreamed. But when these children grow up, no longer will the farm take everything to the exclusion of comfort for the womenfolk in the home. This strange complex, so often discovered even among quite well-to-do farmers will be shattered for ever. It is our hope that these few extracts will give some slight indication of the wonderful and lasting impression the Budget s Christmas holiday had upon the minds of these lonely children from the isolated backblocks. The holiday is not merely a week of undreamed of excitement and delight; it is the turning point in the lives of twenty children, when their eyes become opened to the wonders of the world about them—when their minds are •%-//» I/> * " broadened to grasp and understand things which before belonged to the *v/ realm of story-book land.