GIRL GUIDE NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22257, 9 May 1934, Page 13

GIRL GUIDE NOTES

By Guider.

COLOUK PARTY WORK. There is no occasion on which more, 1 attention should be given to detail than at a church parade. It is here that the result of training at the company meeting appears. Guides should not be taken to church as a company till they are sure ot their drill and experienced in colour party work at their company meetings. ; When a parade is desired, the minister of the church chosen is approached, and if he has not before come into contact with Guiding it is advisable .to let him have some literature on the subject wlncn will give him an idea of . the aims and methods of the movement. It will then be necessary to find out in what part ot the church the Guides are to sit, and exactly when the colours are to enter and where they are to be placed. It used to be a fairly general practice to have the colour party precede the company into the church, turn and face the Guides until the latter were all seated, and deposit the colours when the whole company was in the pews. The main objection to this method is that it brings in the colours at a time when members of the congregation are either seated or in process ot arriving, whereas they should never be brought on except when everyone present is showing due respect by standing still, just as they do for the National Anthem. The best method is therefore as follows:—When the company is assembled in companv formation facing the captain, the latter will give the order to ' March on the Colours." The colour-bearer gives the order "Colour Party—forward march, and the colours are brought right down the front of the company, Guides saluting, without any spoken order, as the colour passes their particular place in the rank. If the company is to march some distance the colours will then be led round the back of the company and turn into a space left free in the middle. Then when the company is given orders to form tours aud right turn, the colour party .will also form into position to face the direction ot marching, and when the order to march is given will remain in the centre of the company carrying the colours at the slope. On arrival at the church they will then have to proceed to the front of the company while the latter is forming two deep. A details of this kind of formation, as well as many other points of value about colour partv work are to be found in the booklet "Colour Ceremonial for Girl Guides, which should be in the possession of every captain. It should be particularly noted that the colour party "forms' never wheels. , , On entering the church, with the colours in the lead, the colour party will step to one side in the church porch, and remain there till the minister enters. The Guides will meantime go into the pews allotted to them, the captain and Brown Owl in front, the lieutenant and Tawny at the back. When everyone is in the pews, they will all sit down together. When the minister enters, the company will stand and the colours will enter slowly. It is usually necessary in a church aisle for the escorts to walk a pace behind the bearer. The manner of depositing the flag will vary according to the church. In an Anglican church the colours are received by the minister and placed on the altar. In churches of other denominations they are usually placed beside the pulpit. Whatever the procedure, thero must be careful practice beforehand so that colour party, minister, and also the organist know exactly what the procedure is to be. The time for the colour party to receive the colours at the end of the service is immediately before or immediately after the benediction. They must, 6f course, on no account move during the benediction. At_ the conclusion of the service the. National Anthern was sung. For .this it will be impressive, though not compulsory, should a formal salute be given by the lowering of the colours. "Dipping the Colours" is a ceremony performed only in the presence of royalty. The difference between this and a formal salute is explained in the book mentioned previously. After the National Anthem the colours will precede the company out of church, the congregation standing until the colours are out of the door. The company will then return to their starting place. The captain will give the order " March off the colours," and the colour party will, as before, march down the length of the company which has been given the order to front turn, and will be saluted as it passes. The company is then dismissed. Attention is drawn to a better form of dismissal than has hitherto been practised. On receiving the order the company will as usual take a right turn, but will not turn their heads. Consequently the salute will be made towards their captain. It should be noted that if Brownies are present at a parade they do not march at all, but assemble at the church door and take their seats before the Guides enter. WINTER SHOW.

Advice has just been received from the Otago A. and P. Society that it has included in its sections for the Winter Show a special one for Guides. The competition is for the most useful article made from either a sugar bag or flour sack, and is open to girls under 17 years of age (the age to be certified to by commissioner or captain). Unless there are four or more exhibitors there will be only one prize, but given sufficient numbers there will be a first prize of 7s 6d, a second prize of ss, and a third prize of 2s 6d. The entry fee is Is. Captains may receive entry forms from the provincial secretary. All exhibits must be received by the secretary of the A. and P. Society not later than 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 31. Entry forms must reach him earlier, by May 15. This is short notice, but it is hoped that there will be a good number of entries. These could be used later for the Lady Alice Fergusson Cup,' if desired. The competition is open to the whole province. _ Where companies are not meeting during the school holidays, captains might be able to get into touch with individual girls whom they thought suitable. If it is not possible to send the name of a girl by May 15 the name of the company could be forwarded. GUIDERS' MEETING.

The captains and Brown Owls met in the clubrooms on Thursday evening last. Miss Wilson, the divisional captain, presided, and those also present were Misses Chrystall, Standage, Hayward, Woodfield, Ridley, Espiin, Sheppard, Coiner, Curie, Burgess, Nelson, Stevens, Patrick, Rae, EUiot, and How, representing the companies; Misses Dunlop, Warren, Campbell, Kennedy, Blair, Geddes, Black, and Mrs Bowie, representing the Brownie packs. After the business meeting Dr Chapman took country dancing, which the Guiders very much appreciated. At supper a tier of Mrs Caelberg's wedding cake was cut, and a vote of thanks was passed for her kind thought. Miss A. E. Stevenson, badge secretary, was present, and the following is the amended badge list for the year:— May—Laundress, cook, domestic service, homemaker; June —toymaker, carpenter, handywoman, cyclist, cobbler, knitters, basketmaker; July—artist, clerk, scribe, signaller; August—international knowledge, book lover, writer, Maori, music lover, entertainer, hostess, dancer, folk dancer, gymnast; September—needlewoman, embroideress, sick nurse, child nurse, ambulance, health, fire brigade, astronomer, thrift; October—bird lover, naturalist, friend to animals, dairymaid, horsewoman, bee farmer,_ poultry farmer, gardener, domestic service. Any other proficiency badges will be arranged for by special request only. Rangers may also enter for these badces or the equivalent Ranger badges at the same time. All entries must be in on the first oE each month addressed to the badge spcretary, Guide rooms. Immediately after the school holidays the June entries are to be sent »in together with those for April and May. All handwork entries must be placed in special boxes made for each entry. Guides who do not hold a bronze medallion which qualifies for the swimmer's and life saver's badges may pass these badges at the Municipal Baths any evening excent Friday and Saturday between 6 and 7 o'clock provided their entries have been sent in, B-own Owls mav notify the badge secretary when any Brownies are ready for any badges, and the tests will be arranged to suit.