Scouts impressed by top badges in N.Z.

Press, 14 August 1976, Page 8

Scouts impressed by top badges in N.Z.

Two American girl scouts now visiting New Zealand would like to see awards such as the Queen's Badge and the Duke of Edinburgh award introduced in their movement. Stephanie Collins and Wendy Pospichal are both from California. They are spending six weeks in New Zealand seeing the country and meeting guides. Both have been impressed by the incentives provided by the top awards for which senior guides can work. "Having a badge like that would really give us something to work for,” said Stephanie. No equivalent of the girl guides’ top awards exists for American girl scouts. Stephanie lives in Los Angeles, in a district of keen scouting activity. She had the choice of the three activities available to senior scouts — sea ranger, trail blazers, or panorama — and decided to become a sea ranger. “I like to get out there and canoe,” she smiled. The girl scouts used a Sea Scout base on the Pacific Ocean, about an hour’s drive from their headquarters. Wendy joined the Panorama group because it offered a wide range of activities. She lives in a township 70 miles south of Los Angeles. Established just 10 years ago it has a thriving Girl Scout membership among the younger children, but is just developing senior groups. ‘‘Throughout America we I have the same problems as you have with a fall-off of membership about the 12 and 13-year-old age group, and a lack of leaders,” she said. In both their areas an in-j

novation, of the past year is proving popular. This is a group for four to six-year-olds, a sort of scouts’ kindergarten. Most popular with six-year-olds, who have an older sister in the movement, it is a preparation for becoming a brownie. “It gives the younger children a sense of belonging, and they can begin learning handicrafts,” said Stephanie. The girls are in New Zealand at the invitation of the New Zealand Girl Guide Association, as part of a regular exchange between this country and the United States. They are among the 14 girls chosen from scouts areas through the Western United States in a yearly travel programme designed to broaden horizons. Neither had met before, but find they have much in common. Both believe the community service aspect of Scouting is important, but wish that the movement could shake its “goodie goodie” image in the United States. Wendy’s group does four hours voluntary work a week at a nearby hospital, and makes toys as presents for children who are hospitalised at Christmas. She has already earned her bar for 50 hours community service. In Stephenie’s area various projects are held to aid blind children. In both areas the girls are encouraged to bring friends to special camps and functions, which often proves a successful way of getting new recruits. The girls will graduate from high school in 1978. Both plan to go on to college. Wendy will take a business management course,; because she wants an “inter-i

esting job working in human relations." Stephanie loves children, and hopes to become a child psychiatrist. And what about scouting? Yes, they would both like, to be leaders to maintain their interest in the movement.