Girl Scout Round-up Highly Organised

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30856, 15 September 1965, Page 2

Girl Scout Round-up Highly Organised

The experience of being with 11,000 girl scouts in an international round-up in the magnificent mountains and lakes of Idaho is something Miss Margaret Wood of Christchurch says she will not forget.

“Everything was so well organised with a great deal of forethought and work, and I think that is one of the things I have gained most from,” she sayl.

An example of this was the food centre where food parcels passed along a conveyor belt and were packed into boxes for each patrol. Most of the girls were from tile United States, with representatives from 43 countries, including Formosa, Korea, Japan, and South Africa.

Miss Wood was impressed with the friendliness of discussion groups on the roundup’s theme, “On the Trail to Tomorrow.” Many subjects requiring thought, such as the colour problem and individual duty to God, were discussed. SHOWED POT DANCE

As an international programme co-ordinator attached to one of the camps Miss Wood taught the girls a Maori pod (fence. “They loved it, and were really thrilled to find they could master it,” she said.

All the girls were enthusiastic and hard working, and afterwards the Americans wrote an “evaluation” so that the next round-up could be improved. “They hold a round-up every three years, and begin planning immediately for the next one,” Miss Wood said.

Activities were also organised for the girls who had just missed out on selection. “There was almost as much going on for the ‘alternatives’ as there was at the round-up.” Local authorities had cooperated wonderfully with scout leaders. The Idaho army field evacuation hospital was made available, and a helicopter stood by on a 24-hour alert.

“The press gave excellent coverage, and as well as giv-

I ing the girls a chance to meet guides from other countries, ! the round-up was bringing I the movement before the pubI lie.” VISITORS IN BLUE j Uniforms varied in colour and style, but blue was the most popular shade among the international delegates. The American scouts wore green and the French, and FrencbCanadians wore brown. But everyone wore one item of clothing which seemed to be synonymous with America —the stetson. The girls wore a bright yellow straw style, complete with long cord strap and coloured headbands, and the staff model was of natural coloured straw. Before the round-up Miss Wood attended a month-long hostess council in southern California where overseas delegates were instructed in American scouting methods. One of Miss Wood’s most treasured memories of her time in America, and one which she says sums up the whole atmosphere of the round-up was the comment of a little scout brownie.

“She was defining guides for a small companion and she put it this way—They are not different from us at all. Miss Wood is just a bjue girl ! scout.”