Girl Guide Notes

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 154, 2 July 1938, Page 14

Girl Guide Notes

A reminder is given to all Guides and others interested, that Bt. Paul’s committee are holding a fancy dress party in St. Paul’s schoolroom, Broadway, this afternoon at 2 p.m. Admission is only 6d. and a jolly afternoon is guaranteed.

Have any of you seen any Lone Guide or Hanger badges lately? As well as Lones, there are Post Guides, who are cripples or physically handicapped girls still longing to be Guides. They are nearly always living near active Guides and Rangers who can visit them and take them to meeting* sometimes, so that they often see more of Guiding than Lones do. They, too. have a company letter, which is posted to them, and for which they will work

Often they can do handcrafts, though sometimes they can only just write and that with tremendous effort. Many Post Guides are patients in hospitals, where they learn the true meaning of the Sth Guide Law. Guiding means a tremendous lot to them, for it is the one real thihg to which they know they belong when everything else seems almost impossible. There is a commissioner for these crippled Guides, she is called the Commissioner for Extensions, because she has not only crippled Guides, but blind, deaf and mentally defective ones, under her charge. They are all extra bits of or extensions to the great game, hence their name.

In some of the tests where these handicapped people cannot carry out a part, there is a different part made. For instance, in the second class test, a cripple could not run a mile in 13 minutes, so instead she is asked to do it in her wheel chair, or if she cannot even get about, then she might be asked to do something quite different altogether. There is an Extension Hand book which contains all these tests, but the Extension Guides always like to do our tests, even if they take three times as lung over them as we do.

Here in New Zealand, we have not a ▼try big Extension Branch, though Wellington has a Blind Ranger Company, run by a captain who in also Wind. That is rather wonderful, isn’t it? Any crippled or handicapped giri is eligible to join Guiding through the extension branch, as long as she wants to be a Guide and do her best at all times. Active Guides near her can always help her and take her with them to their company meeting sometimes, or oven bring their company meeting to her if she cannot get out. Post Guides and Rangers have a very distinctive badge. It is a mauve Guide trefoil very pretty and sometimes very suited to Posts. Their motto is ‘ * Fight On,” and some of them live up wonderfully to their motto, being brave and bright and courageous in the face of terrible pain and tremendous handicaps. Now*, Guides, if you have a friend who would love to be with you in Guiding, yet who cannot be an active Guide, remember she can join the extension branch most likely, if you ask captain about her, just as a friend who lives too far away to come to Guides may join the Lone branch and enjoy Guiding through tho post.

Our first Saturday afternoon meeting was a huge success; so was the picnic j tea afterwards. Of course, the chimney smoked into the room; but that was to be expected; as it is such a long time sinec a fire has been lit in that fireplace. And of course the billy toppled over and nearly drowned the fire; but what merriment all this caused, and we had a lovely sing-song waiting for the water to boil, and Mary read ns a story, too. We said farewell to Jean, who is going to Glea Oroua to live, and welcomed three reeruits. A big brownie smile to , you all with this afternoon; and don’t j forget your two pieces of firing to help the billy to boil. Tu-whit, Tu-whoo! St. Paul’s Company Last meeting lieutenant was responsible for the programme. We all enjoyed the evening which simply flew. Patrol time was devoted, to the composition of the Union Jack; after which a game on same was played and then

each patrol had a lot of fun acting in dumb show the story of St. George and the Dragon. A pow wow and a short camp fire concluded the evening. All Guides are expected to be present at the party this afternoon, also as many > of vonr friends as you can bring along.