GIRL GUIDES

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 7, 3 October 1944, Page 4

GIRL GUIDES

Governor-General Asks For Support 21ST ANNIVERSARY “Both guiding and scouting are of great importance to New Zealand, the Empire, and the whole world. If given the necessary encouragement and support, they can and will make a noble contribution to the future happiness of mankind,” said the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, in an address last night marking the 21st anniversary of the founding of the New Zealand Girl Guides’ Association. “We who are grown up are determined that our victory shall lay the foundationstone of a new and better world in which our children can live in peace and happiness. trained to appreciate their British Christian heritage and filso to recognize the responsibilities which possession of that glorious heritage entails. It is toward this training that guiding and scouting can do so much. .. . “The aim of the guide movement as stated by its founder, the late Lord Baden-Powell, is ‘character development toward happy citizenship through natural rather than artificial means.’ Guiding is an education for life, for an altitude of mind, which cannot be learned from books alone. It is a national and, more than this, nn international sisterhood in which healthy and happy activities form the basis of training in character, handicrafts, physical health and service for others. This sisterhood of guiding helps the young to understand tbe responsibility of every citizen to the community as a whole; in other words, duty to one’s neighbour, which is one of the main principles of Christianity and an essential quality of true freedom. “Has there ever been any better form of national service for youth, in both peace and war? We now have about 11',000 guides in New Zealand, and we would like to have many more, bnt quality is more important than quantity, and therefore we need more qualified leaders.” His Excellency went on to ask for support for the girl guide movement. It would be a genuine service to New Zealand if all headmistresses of schools throughout the Dominion would encourage and help their girls to become guides or brownies, be said. During this week, iu most districts, there wore to be reunions of old guides, and special meetings to which parents were Io be invited. On Saturday. October 7, guide rallies were to be held, open to the general public, in order to demonstrate in practical form something of guide training. He expressed the hope that they would be well supported.