GUIDE NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23882, 9 August 1939, Page 3

GUIDE NOTES

By Guider

THE CENTENNIAL CAMP Now that our centennial camp is only about five months distant, we must start in earnest preparing ourselves and our equipment. Companies will, no doubt, soon be choosing their representatives, those 44 fortunate Guides who will form the Otago contingent. Those not so fortunate can find much to interest them, and can do a great deal to help our province make a worthy contribution to the camp. Otago is trying to equip, almost completely, three groups, and now that equipment lists are out, there are many things to be collected and made ready. A little later, there will be a number of small jobs to be done, in the nature of painting, marking, and making equipment, and it is proposed to hold a "working bee" on a Saturday, when older Guides and Rangers can assist in the work. In the meantime, there are a number of things that companies could be preparing, such as " gadgets" all wood for which is to be taken up ready for assembling, oven cloths, tea towels, emblems, Dennants, and hold-alls. This would be interesting handwork for company meetings, and would be greatly appreciated by the campers. Companies or Guides willing to help in this direction are asked to get into touch with one of the Otago group commandantsMiss L. Orbell (Waikouaiti), or Misses H. Wilson and K. Standage (Dunedin). In addition, it is thought that perhaps Guides' parents or friends may have articles for which they have no further use. and which might help with the collection of equipment. The following list is given in the hone that Guides may keep this in mind:— Kitchen equipment of all kinds, such as enamel basins, washing basins, meat platters, milk cans, and billies: lanterns, spades, axes. saws, hammers oldfashioned irons which could be used on a camp fire, and other useful articles. It is probably too much to hone that any of the bigger items, such as tents, ground sheets, stretchers for the hospital tent, could be obtained like this, but companies might like to donate, say. a ground sheet or canvas bucket, and so feel that they had had a part in helping towards the success of the camp. There is one way in which all companies can help, and that is by choosing and training their representative. Through her. the whole company can feel that they are interested and taking cart in the camp. See that she Is worthy of your company teach her all you can about camping about the story of our province and of the Dominion, work up stunts in your company so that she may learn them and be full of ideas when she goes to camp. Then, when she takes her place amongst Guides from all over New Zealand and countries overseas, it will be evident that she comes from a good company, and your name will be honoured—hot only that of your companv. but also that of Otago and New Zealand. ITEMS OF INTEREST Miss K. Standage has been appointed acting commissioner for the north dis trict for the remainder of the year, and Miss H. Wilson acting commissioner for the south district for the same term. Miss Barron writes from Munich on June 28 that next week she will be at our chalet. She has spent three months in Munich and after a fortnight in Switzerland she was going north to Sweden or a conference of the International Federation of University Women. The provincial secretary urges the speedy return of all report forms and levies. There are lengthy reports +o be made out, and this work Is being held up bv the long overdue reports. No doubt the heavy snow has delayed country reports, but please let us have them as soon as possible SEA TRAINING FOR GIRLS Boys Beaten in Race, About 170 'i Sea'; Rangers and Girl Guiders are having, a holiday afloat in the Implacable at Portsmouth, under the command of Colonel H. Wyll'e (says The Times, London, on June 22). There was a strong wind to-day, but it made little difference to a display which had been arranged and which included a demonstration of saving life at sea by means of a breeches buoy an.l a race between four gigs, two manned by Guiders and Rangers, and two by boys from the Iron Duke. The Rangers won the race, easily outdistancing both the Guiders and the boys. The girls are trained by Colonel Wyllie and his staff of instructors, and the training consists of lectures and practical instruction in navigation, rule.s of the sea, signalling, rope work, repair and fitting-out of boats, and rowing and sailing. A woman liaison officer, known as the pilot, is Colonel Wyllie's second in command; she is Miss Ann Hopkins, the Sea Ranger commissioner. The sea section of the Girl Guides is growing in popularity. Girls of all ages from about 15 to 23 are in the ship's company, having come from "crews" all over the country. Among them are schoolgirls, shop assistants, girls of independent means, and domestic servants. During the year the girls have weekly musters on. land. Then they have their fortnight afloat, when they are organised Into a ship's company, undertaking duties such as those of quartermaster, officers of the day. duty boat's crew and fife picket. Fitted for Emergency The training the girls get fits them for many kinds of work in a national emergency. They could help in manning boats in the River Emergency Service and they could work at the locks or on the coasts. Many of them are going to join the W.R.N.S. There are two courses of training afloat, the first of which is in progress at present—that for Sea Guiders and Sea Rangers. The second course is for county Sea Ranger Coxswains, Sea Guiders, and prospective Sea Guiders only. The cost is about £1 a week. Thfi girls, some in slacks and some In shorts, with blue jerseys and caps with white tops and chin straps, to-day demonstrated the use of the breeches buoy. A group of them got ready the heaving line, attached it to the hawser, and then, using the ship as both wreck and cliff, "saved" the lives of the crew How a victim of a wreck with a broken limb could have a splint applied quickly and be carried in the buoy was ably demonstrated, with occasional suggestions from onlookers that the girls should not look so cheerful Physical drill was also done before the gig races, which were the most interesting event of the afternoon. Afterwards a tour of the old ship was made. She was one of the French ships which fought at Trafalgar. The round robin which caused the Implacable to be taken off the sales list and handed over to the Society for Nautical Research, to be used as a training ship for young people, is to be seen in the officers' mess, and bears the signatures of many famous men. including Rudyard Kipling. Work Afloat The Rangers begin their day at 6.30 after a night in hammocks. Then, dressed in dungarees, they do the ordinary work of the shin, scrub and sweep, polish brass, and bale out boats. At 8 a.m. they hoist the Ensign. From 8 to 9 there is breakfast, and the food is excellent. From 9 to 11 they have practical training, then they bathe from the gangway. The day goes quickly in all kinds of sea activities, including sailing, and every evening there is singing. Then to their hammocks at 9.30. The ship's company have chartered a boat for to-morrow to see the King and Queen arrive. They are going to "man" the ship, and the Queen, who has been a district commissioner of Guides, will see them in the ship dressed in their best