WESTLAND GIRL GUIDES

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1933, Page 12

WESTLAND GIRL GUIDES

REPORT OF ACTIVITIES The eighth annual report on GirlGuiding in the province of Westland is as follows: — There are eight Guide Companies, five Brownie Packs, and One Ranger Company. Our numbers are smaller than at‘the end of last year; but that, is largely due to the fact that a number of our guides have become too old to remain in the companies. Brownies, too, have had to fly up into Guides and their places are not always fillet. Other losses, too are due to the fact that ours is a floating population. <n spite of all, a keen interest is sail being maintained and companies and packs are very much alive. We regret, to record the death cl Miss Margaret. Watson, formerly a. lieutenant in Kumara. Company 'Since its formation and also ot Nancy Edwards, a little lone guide from Pnnakaiki. Wreaths were sent from the Association on both these occasions. We were very pleased to welcome home in March, Misses Iles and Harker who have been touring England and the Continent for the past year. They had attended Guide Camps m England and Australia and came back full of new ideas and enthusiasms. •Miss Iles is now a District Commissioner for Westland and Miss Harker a District Captain. A' rtew-Br.ownie Pack has' Ijccn formed at Taylorville, but is not yet registered. Our Dobson Guides, for lack of a Guider nearer home, have merged with. Taylorville, forming a splendid and most enthusiastic company. We hope to find our Greymoutn Ranger company, which had sadly dwindled, blossom into new IMe under the leadership of Mrs Simmers, for some years a guide and guider in the Old Country. , We regret that other duties, to wit, transferred husbands, are taking from us two Brown Owls, Mrs Stevenson of Dobson and Mrs Hutchinson of Grej - mouth. Both officers are most efficient and will be sadly missed, but we hope that our loss will prove others’ gain and that each will continue guiding in her new sphere. Both were farewelled by the guiders and also by their packs. During the year the various companies attended the Anzac Parades and also Church parades. The Greymouth Guides, instead of having an appeal for themselves, this year conducted a house-to-house collection for goods for the Unemployment Relief. A goodly assortment of clothes and'goods was the result.

The Guiders hold a study circle on the first Wednesday of every Month at Greymouth and have been pleased to welcome Guiders from the surrounding districts, the object being to exchange ideas and furbish up their guiding. That the meetings are well attended speaks for their popularity. A good deal of hiking has been enjoyed during the year and the Reefton Company were fortunate in being able to hold an indoor camp during the school holidays in August. The Provincial Commissioner, Mrs Kitchingham, within the District Commissioner, has paid the various companies her annual visit of inspection. In July the Brownies from Dobson, Taylorville and Greymouth assembled in Grevmouth to hold a Brownie Revel. Miss lies, our District Commissioner and former Brown Owl, was instrumental in organising this function which took the form of competitions for (1) handcrafts, (2) Brownie games, (3) Ist and 2nd class tests. Miss Iles also made and presented the trophies for which there was keen competition, each Pack winning one section.

In September the Guides held a tournament in Greymouth, and representatives of all companies were present. The great amount of work necessary to organise this successfully was carried out by Miss Iles and Miss Harker. The Guides from the outlying districts were especially pleased to have the opportunity of meeting, and competing with others. Cobden were the winners in both the handcraft and team work sections. The thanks of the Guides are due to Miss Iles who made and presented to them for annual competition a beautiful shielda pewter trefoil mounted on a base of polished rimu. The Greymouth Local Association Ladies are especially thanked for their kindness in providing refreshments for everybody taking part in both the Brownie Revel and the Guide Tournament.

We are all looking forward to the visit next month of the Deputy Chief Commissioner, Miss Herrick, and hoping that she will inspire us all to go ahead and make 1934 a record year for guiding in Westland. Our thanks are due to all local associations and other interested friends, for we realise that without the interest and co-operation of outsiders we could not carry on successfully,—also to the Press for their never-failing courtesy.—lvy L. Chalk, Provisional Secretary for Westland.

ASSOCIATION MEETING A meeting of Girl Guides Association members was held in the Ranger Den, Greymouth, for the purpose of forming an Executive Committee. Those present were: the Provincial Commissioner, Mrs F, A. Kitchingham, who took the chair, Mesdames Wilde, Mowatt, Mosley, Rodgers, Smith, White, Tillyshort, Lindbom, Simmers, Congreve, Lindsay, Chalk (Ssecretary), and Miss Iles, district commissioner. Apologies were received from Mesdames Kilgour and Bunt. It was decided: (1) That a Provincial Executive Committee be formed in Greypiouth to have full power to deal with all matters connected with guiding the province. (2) That the Executive Committess consist of President, Secretary and seven members, i.e. one to represent each district in .the province and five to form a Quorum and the Greymouth District Commissioner to represent the guiders. (3) That the President be the Provincial Commissioner and the Secretary the Provincial Secretary. (4) That each district be asked to nominate one delegate for the executive and one to act in her absence. (5) That a Greymouth lady be nominated to represent each district unable, owing to distance, to send its own delegate. (6) That the Secretary notify each district of the date of a proposed meeting and of the business to be discussed. (5) That the minutes be kept o.f the meeting and that the secretary notify each district of all business transacted at said meeting. The following representatives were then appointed: Cobden (representative) Mrs Simmers, (substitute) Mrs Lindbom; Taylorville—Mrs Rodgers— Mrs R. Smith; Greymouth—Mrs Wilde —Mrs White; Hokitika —Mrs Kilgour —Mrs Congreve; Kumara—Mrs Mosley—Mrs Mowatt; Reefton—Mrs Til-

lyshort—Mrs Bunt: llnnanga—Mrs Lindsay—Mrs Reeves. It was proposed by Mrs Mosley, seconded by Mrs Mowatt •‘That the District Commissioner's expense's to the Conference be allowed.” Mrs Simmers proposed, Mrs Lindsay seconded 1 that the secretary be granted £2 petty cash. After a discussion on the approaching visit of Miss Herrick, Deputy Chief Commissioner, the meet- ( ing closed. . 11