GIRL GUIDE ASSN.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 2

GIRL GUIDE ASSN.

1500 Gain In Membership An increase of nearly 1500 has brought the membership of the New Zealand Girl Guides’ Association to 41,703. At least 200 more adult leaders have joined the movement this year and the opening of more companies and packs has helped to reduce the long lists of girls waiting to join as brownies and guides, says a report by the association. Nearly 5000 guides have been at camps during the last year and a higher number are expected to do so this summer. For the last 18 months it has been possible for brownies to join the guides association at seven years, and guides at 10 years. This is a change only recently introduced by the British girl guides. Two years ago an experiment was introduced by the New Zealand association of having a new section for girls aged between 14 and 16 years. This was called senior guides and 43 new companies have been opened. A number of girls who have not been guides previously have been attracted to this section.

Their programme consists of a series of challenges—one of which is social development. In this a girl must learn to be a successful hostess and a welcome guest; she must learn about good grooming and dress sense. In another challenge a senior guide must learn how to look after herself in an emergency such as fire, flood or being lost in the bush. She must do three months’ service to someone needing help.