GIRL GUIDE NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 7

GIRL GUIDE NOTES

[By Guides.] COAIMISSIONERS’ CONFERENCE. The Commissioners’ Conference; held this year at Auckland, was attended by 30 representatives from all the provinces, and dealt with many points of interest. The. city and. its surroundings, after much rain, looked green , and beautiful, but- the heat was very tiring. The first , occasion on which w© were able to get a little cool was on the launch trip to Rangitpto on the evening of Thinking Day. Along with a large number of Auckland Guiders we left the wharf at 6 p.m. and after a meal on the island gathered round a blazing camp fire to join in what was probably the first real Dominion Thinking Day gathering. Interesting as such an occasion was, however, Commissioners felt that it would not be desirable to make a practice of having conference at such a time when Commissioners would regularly be away from their provinces on February 22, and the nest conference, which will be held at Hastings,, will take place during the first week of Alarch.

Training.—Aliss Marjorie Knight, the trainer who has been specially brought by Dominion Headquarters to train Guiders _ throughout New Zealand, arrived in Auckland on Alarch 20. She will train throughout New Zealand, proceeding from north to south, and will reach Dunedin in June. From June 3 to 10 she will conduct general training and from June 17 to 20 Brownie training. Somewhere about that time, at a date to be arranged, she will also conduct a training for South Island Commissioners in the vicinity of Timaru Bledisloe Cup.—lt was decided not to use the Bledisloe Cup this year unless Rangers at the Easter Dominion camp specially asked for it. Jellicoe Shield.—lt was decided to bold the competition for this shield again this year, the date fixed being the last Saturday in July.

National Service.—ln view of the great success of the Guide Red Cross appeal last year, when goods to the value of .at least £SOO were collected throughout New Zealand, the question arose of making some form of national service an annual alfair. This idea did not find, favour, through fear of wearying Guides through a kind of, compulsion arid lack of spontaneity. It was decided, however, . that this year an effort snould be made, and that it take the form • of- a gift to the Plunket Society in memory of the late Sir Truby King. ; The, Plunket Society has always been extremely good to the Guide movement in suplymg it with lecturers and examiners, and it was felt that we had at this time a splendid opportunity of showing our gratitude and at the same time ' honouring a great man. From June 11 to 20 Guides and Brownies throughout New Zealand will make an effort to raise money either by trading, by entertaining, or by hiring themselves out for odd jobs. In a different connection. Division Commissioners brought forward the re-

commendation that Guides should be specially encouraged to sit for child nurSe badge and Rangers for Truby King badge. First Class Certificate.—lt was decided to issue an official certificate to first class Guides, showing the test they had passed. A special design will be made for this, and the certificate should be ready in a month or so. Other resolutions regarding uniform will appear next week. . “ THINKING ”■ DAY CAMPFIRE. To send thoughts of love and peace firstly to the Chief Scout and the Chief Guide, whose birthdays fall on February 22, and secondly to Guides in every part of the world, Guides of Dunedin gathered together around a campfire in the Chingford grounds on that evening. After the world flag (the international emblem of the Guide sisterhood) was broken, the international song was sung. At the completion of the camfire ceremony, when each company was linked together by a Guide law demonstrated by how each law could be applied in service to mankind. Miss Lesley Brasch (who has just returned from England) was asked to light the campfire. Some campfire songs and a ceremony when the flag of every country where there are Guides, and where on that same day ceremonies would take place, was pinned on a large map of the world, and formed part of the programme. After linking the 32 countries with a world flag placed in Kenya, where the Chiefs are at nresent, the Guides filed past one of the Post Rangers, Miss Margaret Blyth, a holder of a certificate of fortitude, sat in her chair at the campfire and had the honour of receiving pennies to be sent to the World Bureau, which this year is making a special effort to build an international hostel and offices in London. This year Lady Baden-Powell celebrated her twenty-first birthday in Guiding, and

sent in Id for every day she had been a Guide. Telegrams conveying best wishes were read from Mrs Sloan Brown, president of the Otago Association, and from Miss V. M. Barron, Otago Provincial Commisisoner, and Mrs R. G. C. M‘Nab, Dunedin Divisional Commissioner, who were attending the commissioners’ conference • in Auckland. Miss Kathleen M‘Leod (senior district captain) gave a most inspiring and helpful talk on the origin and reasons for holding the important anniversary and how Guiding can help to form an allround character, making the best of one’s life, the true Guide finding happiness along the path of service, work, friendship, Nature, and cheery good fellowship as a link in the chain of international friendship. WEATHER SIGNS IN THE CLOUDS. Have you Brownies noticed what a lot of different kinds of clouds there are? If you watch the sky regularly you will soon learn to know which clouds mean fine weather and which mean rain. Red or golden clouds in the evening are a sign of fine weather, and country people say. “ A red sky at night is the shepherd’s delight, but a red sky in the morning is the shepherd’s warning.” If red clouds with a bit of purple in them are seen in the west, where the sun sets, they also indicate fine weather, but a coppery-coloured or yellowish sunset warns ns to expect rain. If, after stormy weather, the evening sky becomes greenish, more rain and bad weather is sure to be on its way. If the clouds are red instead of green, however, it means that the air is getting drier and fine weather is coming. In winter time if the skyis a yellowishgreenish colour, it is a sign of snow. Those who are out very early in the morning may see some thin white or grey clouds which are broken up into small, fleecy ntasses high in the eastern

sky where the sun rises. They heraldthe appearance of another kind of cloud which appears in round, woolly masses, and when these are seen the day is generally fine. What about watching the sky and making a chart of the clouds for your golden bar test? You could draw the clouds and colour them either grey, pink, or whatever they happen to be each morning or evening. It would be a good idea to leave a space underneath to fill in what kind of a day it has been.