GIRL GUIDES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1944, Page 8

GIRL GUIDES

TWENTY-FIRST /ANNIVERSARY

October 2 next is the official anniversary of the forming of the Girl Guide Movement in New Zealand. This organisation, which was founded by the late Lord Baden-Powell commenced in Gt. Britain in 1909. A few years previously the Founder had written “Scouting for Boys” having successfully tried out his scheme on a small group’ of boys first. Girls soon realised that they also would like to play this new game, so they borrowed their brothers’ shirts, shorts and staves and adopted “Scouting for Boys” aS their textbook. When the first Boy Scout Rally took place in the Crystal Palace, London, in 1909 to the great surprise of Baden-Powell, a number of girls paraded claiming to be Scouts " also! He Immediately appreciated the desirability of organising a separate movement for girls in. order that the public and their parents might not condemn them as tomboys! This Movement which is inter-na-tional and inter-denominational soon spread to 33 different countries, and was introduced to New Zealand in 1923 by Mrs. W. R. Wilson of Auckland. Owing to ill-health Mrs. Wilson retired from the position of first Chief Commissioner in 1934 and was succeeded by Miss Ruth Herrick of Napier—now Director of W.R.N.S.N.Z. and on leave of absence for the duration. The number of Girl Guides in the Dominion is just on 11,000. The 21st birthday is to be celebrated by a Guide Week held throughout: the Dominion from Saturday, September 30 until and including Saturday, October 7. On the first Saturday Guides will take part in many camp fires which, though in. widely-scat-tered areas, will be lit at 7 p.rn. all through the Dominion. The following Sunday, “'Thanksgiving • for Guiding” Services will, be held in churches of all denominations. At 7 p.m. on Monday, October 2, Sir Cyril Newall will speak over all national stations on the Guide Movement. The next few days will be spent in doing good turns to the community, in reunions of old Guides, in specimen company meetings to which parents and interested friends will, be invited. The week will close in the main cities and in many provincial districts by public rallies on the afternoon of Saturday, October 7. These rallies will give the public a chance to sec for themselves that Guiding is a training in fitness for citizenship of the future young women of our country.