Blue-Birds Corner.

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 10, 4 August 1937, Page 8

Blue-Birds Corner.

Dear Boys and Girls, I was looking through our treasure chest this morhing and came across a scrap of paper on'which was written "Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves"; but the diay is so beautiful that the Great Outdoors call—camp! That's it! How many of you know what 8.Y.8.M. means? You will find these letters popping up here, there and everywhere in Lord Robert BadenPowell's books, and they are a reminder to "Brace your back muscles!" I am sure every Guide, Scout, Cub and Brownie is looking- forward to camping daysonly sixteen more weeks! Have you started saving your Saturday sixpences yet? The thought of pitching tents, and living away out in the sun and sleeping so close to Mother Earth lends considerable lure to that advice on the scrap of paper, doesn't it?

| So many camps had to be postponed last summer that you will be doubly keen to go this coming one, so "Save your pennies and the pounds will look after themselves." There is something else you will profit by accumulating, too, and that is campcraft knowledge. There are so many interesting things you can learn and practise between now and Christmas that will save you much time at "orderly work"—that is, keeping your camp as neat as a pin— for instance, one Saturday afternoon you might go out and learn the best kinds of wood for firewood, another time you might gather some ti-tree and make "gadgets" such as cup racks, shoe racks, or a scrub shelter for your wood. Then when you are actually in camp you will find you have plenty of time for nature study, games, swimming, tracking and stalking by day, and camp-fires, star-gazing and other adventures by night. Did I hear someone say they were not very keen on a fortnight under canvas? Apparently you have never tried it! Once you have been and put your heart into everything you do—both work and play—you will discover there is something you have never known before in your life. After that people will think you are always singing "Camp, camp, camp's the placc for learning, Camp, camp, camp's the placc for fun, Be the weather fine or damp, we will have a jolly camp. And be sorry when our camping days are done!" So take care of your pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves. BLUEBIRD.

SIXPENCE TO SPEND. I've got a sixpence bright and small, I'm going out to spend it all! Now, shall I buy a coloured ball, Or a soft, cuddly teddy? There's such a lot of things that's nice, I've looked them over more than twice, ■I rather like those clockwork mice, 1 But I've got one already. It's really very hard to tell, When they've so many things to sell! I'll step inside and ring the ball. The man inside looks pleasant, And yet—l think perhaps I'll wait, And meet my daddy at the gate, He'll have some sense, at any rate, In choosing mummy's present!

COMPETITION CORNER. How many of these districts around Wellington did you guess? Makara, Ngaio, Seatoun, Korokoro, Melrose, Eastbourne, Miramar, Kaiwarra, .Waterloo, Belmont, Taita, Karori. For all the observant people! How many signs of spring have you There are ever so many about. i.

WHAT AM 1? \ My first is in people, but not in crowd, My second in shower, 'but not in cloud, My third is in apple, but not in pie, My fourth is in purchase, but not in buy, My fifth is in Peter, but not in Paul, My whole is a state desired by all. Answer—Peace.

"APPLES V* From Our Guide CJamp Log. (By A.Q.M.) \ "What's your idea, Kathleen?" asked Commandant, as we sat around the dinner table; "I can see you've been l trying ta speak for the last five minutes." Kath-

THE Wto TO HAPPWESS iS BY. M/,« OTHEBS HAPPY.

leen was a Lone Guide, but was full of very practical and often novel ideas for company work. "I was thinking we might have an International Campfire; send notes to the other Companies to come in fancy costume and have, say .three or four girls representing each country, so that they could give an item." "Oh, that would be lovely," chorused the other Guides. "Just the thing, in fact; Kathleen, you are brainy." Accordingly invitations were sent to the three other companies who were camped round about ours at Thompson's Pool, the popular camping ground up in the hills about fifteen miles out from the city. There was much planning and many loans were made to improvise the various costumes, and at lea-time Captain suggested that we have <a "dress parade" of our own before the others came. What a parade—lndia represented by Thora, Sylvia and Nita draped in sheets, towel turbans on their heads, and strings of berries round their necks. iMaoris, with the gayest of rugs and toi-toi skirts, fat little Nancy Bingham in Russian boots and a beard made of moss dyed in strong tea!

Most of the girls had gone down to the campfire with their rugs and ground sheets, and were settling themselves for the singsong, the first item of the evening, and we soon heard the merry greetings of the visiting companies as they came—one group from across the creek, the others from about half a mile down the road nearer town.

"A store tent that provides for 35 hungry girls is apt to become rather untidy at times," said Margaret as she hurriedly straightened the oilcloth on the boxes and brushed away some crumbs. We heard a light thump and an exclamation outside the tent. A boy stood at the door. "Excuse me," he said, "Mother sent down this bag of apples; she thought perhaps you could do with them, your camping nearly ended and the store so far away." Q.M. (Quarter-master) thanked him and he departed. Wc pushed :hem under the trestle table and ,'ontinued clearing up the tent as we were eager to join the others down by the camp fire. Another thump and much laughter—two strange Guides peered into the tent, "Yes, this is the store tent," said one. "We brought you these apples over. We've got plenty, and the boy from the farm brought these, so Captain thought you might_ be able to use them." These Guides had come from the camp over the hill. "Oh, thanks, just put them there," said Margaret. "Apples, apples, penny a pound or twenty pounds a shilling; for eating, cooking, or chutney," came a voice from the darkness. "Keep quiet," laughed someone; "where'll we put these? For your canteen. The egg and butter lady sent them and our girls have plenty!" It was two Guides from downstream. "We brought apples, too," said the first Guide. "Well, they arc welcome to them, anyway," came a voice from outside the tent. "No apple orchard will ever tempt me after this camp. We've brought you some apples," explained the newcomer. This was really too much—four large sacks of apples! "Now it only needs St. Ronan's apples and we'll be set," said .Margaret. The visiting Guides joined in the joke as they realised the "apple situation." "St. Ronan's Guides are we, here's apples for your tea!" "Ask and it shall be given," quoth a visiting lieutenant, amid the laughter. "Have you got some?" asked the St. Ronan's Guide as Q.M. looked at Margaret helplessly and a fresh burst of laughter greeted her. "I think, since you, represent the last company camping in the district, that we have all the apples," 1 said. "Look," and I pointed to the five sacks of apples that the lady at the farm had distributed. "What on earth shall we do with them? Obviously no one needs them," said the Milldale captain who had come to inquire j into the cause of all the merriment, "Well, our lieutenant is going j back to town in her ear to-night," said the first Guide; "couldn't she take them to an orphanage, or to the Mission?" "Good idea, Shirley," said Commandant. '' The Mission would be the place. If they can't use them at their retreat people will buy them at the Mission shop." So that was the end of t'he apple problem . We had a jolly campfire, too, most of our guests arriving in costume and it was

nearly midnight before we sang "Taps." Whenever we recall the Taylor's Bay eamp someone always says "Remember the cauliflowers? The eamp before that it was "Apricots,"—they were burnt to cinders on visitors' day—so I suppose after.this camp it will be "Those apples!"

A TOWN FAIRY. In a city square, from a grimy tree, One little fairy smiled at me. "'Good-day, little maid, goodday," said she, The branches quivered, the smuts came down, On the tattered wings and the crumpled gown Of a fairy straying alone in town. Oh! if one can be found in a dingy street, What hundreds and thousands we should meet, In a wood with primroses all complete !

HEARD THESE? "What is* the difference between an organist and influenza? One knows his stops and the other stops his nose. Why is an author like a queer animal? Because his tale comes out of his head. What is the best way to make a coat last? Make the trousers and the vest first?