GIRL GUIDE ROTES

Evening Star, Issue 21509, 6 September 1933, Page 2

GIRL GUIDE ROTES

[By Gdideu.]

The monthly meeting of the Brown Owls was held in the Guide rooms, when Miss Taylor occupied the chair. Representatives from the following packs were present:—lst and 2nd Caversham, Ist Rnox, 4th Dunedin, Mornington, St. Andrew, Port Chalmers, Iloslyn, St. Hilda’s, Anderson’s Bay, South Dunedin, Musselburgh, and Macandrew Bay. An apology was received from 2nd Knox Pack. Arrangements were finalised for the Brownie concert to be held on Saturday next. Preliminary plans were discussed and made with regard to the Brownie revels to be held in November. The next meeting was arranged for the last Monday in the month.

CKNTRAL IDEAS

The following article, translated from

■ Lo Trelle,’ the French paper that corresponds to the ‘ Guider,’ brings forward an idea probably new to many, and well worth considering:—

“ The life of our companies reveals to our Guidos this groat game of Guiding. This revelation is all the richer if wo can introduce into it more activities that bring our Guides in contact with the world within them rnd without and teach them to live in it better and more fully. The captain at the beginning of each year thinks of her programme—or, rather, she should think of it well ahead; a programme for a whole year is not made up in a few hours, nor even in a few days. If it is to bo properly ready when the company begins its meetings for the year it must have been worked out gradually. But it is not a question of knowing what the company will actually do at such and such a date or during such and such a month. What is good and very worth while to know is around what ‘ central idea ’ will be grouped the programmes of the year, at company meeting or hikes, at court of honour, in camp, in patrols. This way of doing things is one method of work; there are many others, naturally, just as valuable. In this short sketch I shall try to explain how a complete company programme can be worked out for a year by attaching it to a central idea, a kind of point to which the different activities of the company will be connected.

“ First of all, why chose a central idea? This choice appears to me to bo sufficiently worth while for two reasons —(a) if our programme is developed round an idea and if we really keep to this central point, it is certain that our company life will be more unified, more exact, more attractive in its working; (b) consequently we shall have exact and visible results. There will bo information gained on such and si.eh a subject—that is to say, things observed, known, , read, loved by the Go ides “ How can this central 'den ho presented as regards form -md content? In what tangible, verbal form is this programme to be presented to the Guides? If it is to bo attractive and arouse interest it is indispensable that tho short phrase summing it up should be one that is enticing and somewhat mysterious. Let it he a Vnrase before which one will pause to read it over more than once. We must ''of ta.y to the Guides: ‘This year we are going to trv to study such and such a thing or such and such a subject.’ To attract and hold tho minds of Guides younger than ourselves we must formulate a short well-sounding phrase, one that is a pleasure to repeat. Y ; t beware of commonplace, hackneyed slogans; try to have something new and somewhat original. Our idea can also bo repre sented by a special sign, a simple, easy design that any Guide can craw and which will correspond very closely to tho idea. Let it be represented by a picture. This can help to develop the spirit of the company; the spirit which animates a life of work, of study, discovery, effort, and joy all carried through together. “ Now as to content. The central idea, in order to succeed, must be before anything else an idea rich in meaning. Simple and short in form, it must yet be capable of building up a complete programme of life, of providing a wide field of endeavour for Gniders. Beware lest in the middle of the year yon are obliged fa aun don the idea or to act as if it did not exist, because it was not rich enough in meaning. Choose an idea that is inch from the practical, technical, intellectual, and spiritual points of view, so that through it we can develop our Guides in all directions. To be practical tho idea must call into being a field of technical discoveries and studies. Guides need something concrete. If we take up central ideas or slogans that arc too abstract it may happen that onr Guides will not give sufficient time to them because they do not understand them, and onr plans may bo brought to naught. Though vast, our programme must always if it is to achieve unity and continuity be related to the idea. Choose ideas that are precise not only in their main outlines, but particularly in their detail. Go carefully over the

details with court of honour and sometimes with the Guides. “ The choice of the central idea may bo made by correspondence between members of C. of H. during the holidays. The captain, after working at it herself, begins by giving her ideas or else the R.L.'s (this depends on the company). The ideas suggested are compared and discussed and a choice made of the idea that appeals to the majority because it is the richest in meaning, the most attractive, and the most fitted to the Guide ideal. It can thus be seen what will be the role of a ‘ leading idea.’ It will give us the opportunity to carry out our work as a captain in the company and indirectly out of the company. “ It is round this dominating idea that the company can construct the main programme of most of its meetings and hikes. With it in mind we shall, perhaps be able to carry out a scheme of decoration for company headquarters, or for patrol corners. Always with relation to the idea wo can pass badges, first or second class tests. As far as games are concerned, we shall study and observe Nature and its phenomena. From the intellectual point of view, we shall have books, magazines, pictures. The central idea should have a largo share in the spiritual, moral, and religious side of training (according to companies) by means of appropriate biographies, studies, talks, or religious services. Each patrol, while working on its own lines without injuring patrol spirit, can relate certain of its activities to the central idea and thus also share in the company life. We see in that, too, the importance of choosing a rich, interesting ‘ Guide ’ idea. The choice of our programme thus decided on and divided up, we shall bring our Guides a more complete, more balanced development. Our company life will be for that reason full, attractive, enthusiastic, essentially alive, and we shall obtain increasingly better results. “ To make these few ideas of method a little more precise, the following is an example of the central idea being worked out at present in our company: —During the whole year we have been making a long journey 1 Across the Skies.’ C. of H, adopted this programme at the end of the holidays. After some discussion over the wording —we hesitated between ‘ The Heart of the Sky ’ and ‘ Across the Skies ’ —the majority voted for the second form. And since October wo have been carrying out this vast trajectory more or less high up in the sky, and expect to land on earth at the summer camp! “ In its main outlines this is what we attach to the idea, and this is practically the programme arranged: —(1) At court of honour—(a) Practical point of view; Construction of a kite which will fly; map of the heavens for company headquarters; (b) technical point of view; the stars, study of the clouds, study of aviation, its origin, development, progress, etc.; (c) Spiritual, religious point of view ; Study of the conception of the heavens in antiquity and through the ages; ancient religions, biographies, and stories of aviation, the future life, superiority of mind over matter, etc. “(2) The patrols.—lst Patrol: Storks—study and observation of birds, specially migratory birds; aspect of the skies in different regions where storks live and in the countries they pass over when migrating; patrol assembles in triangle shape. 2nd Patrol, Wapitis; Study of the winds, observation, tracks; how to find one’s way by means of the sun, the moon, the stars, certain vegetation (moss on trunks of trees), the compass; signs of the weather, how to forecast the weather, different methods. 3rd class: Fire, ideas of astronomy, the moon, its phases; observation, the sun; recognising tho stars; night birds; making of fire according to the weather, construction, maintenance.

"(3) The company on hike, in camp: Special form of assembly of the company for this year. When hiking tho Guides must immediately find the four points of the compass, as their form of gathering together requires the use of this. The following are the positions taken up by the patrols when gathered together: The Storks gather in a triangle. the apex of which, where P.L. stands, points south. Each Stork has her appointed place in relation to P.L. and P.S. The Wapitis, who live in the north of Canada, form tlfe constellation of tho Little Bear, P.L. taking the place of the Pole Star and pointing north. Fire, or the coals that burn when the sun is setting, take up their position in a semi-circle in tire west. Tho recruits, the hope of the company for tho future, stand in a line in tho east.

“ This form of ' patrol fall-in ’ is used on hikes when notices are given out. It is a ceremony that recalls the Central Idea, and is used at tho beginning of a hike. While out in the open the girls observe the sky, its aspect according to the seasons, tho weather, tire rime, the clouds, their form, name, cause, what they forecast; storms, rainbow; the kite is flown; biographies- of aviators, _ study of the characteristics peculiar to aviators: the part played by the open air and sunshine in health; physical culture. From the spiritual point of view reading of the Psalms and parts of the Gospels referring to the heavens. Religions service: Tho heavens and onr idea of God; worship. At Christmas time leaders had a three days’ camp. It was called the ‘ Camp of the Winter Sky,’ and had two patrols, called sun and moon. (Kim, Nimes iv.L