Girl Guide Notes.

Southland Times, Issue 20172, 7 May 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

Girl Guide Notes.

On Friday, April 29, Mrs Andrews was guest of honour at a farewell social evening given by the Guides of Invercargill. The Guides formed a guard of honour as Mrs Andrews entered and left the hall. During the evening every company contributed an item, then Mrs M. Blair, on behalf of the Guides, presented Mrs Andrews with a double candlestick of ebony and beaten pewter. In a short speech Miss Blair thanked Mrs Andrews for the work that she had done to further the interests of Guiding in the province, and for the great help and encouragement that she had given both to Guides and Guiders. In conclusion she expressed the very great sorrow the Guides all over Southland were feeling at the loss of such a keenly interested and sympathetic commissioner. Mrs Andrews would carry with her wherever she went the good wishes of all with whom she had been associated. Mrs Andrews, in her reply, thanked the Guides for their gift, and assured them of the interest that she would always feel in their movement. On Saturday, April 30, Mrs J. G. Macdonald gave a morning tea for the members of the Southland executive to enable them to bid farewell to Mrs Andrews. Invercargill, Gore, Winton, Riverton and Bluff were represented, while apologies were received from representatives of the other country districts. Mrs W. Hazlett, president of the Southland Executive, on behalf of the members presented Mrs Andrews with a gold Thanks Badge. Mrs Andrews, in replying, said that she was more sorry than she could possibly tell to sever her connection with the Guide movement in Southland. She would nevertheless always be deeply interested in the work of the Guiders in this province. Mrs Moffett, District Commissioner at Bluff, thanked Mrs Andrews for the great help that she had been to country companies. She had spared neither time nor expense in her endeavour to promote their interests. ST. AIDAN’S COMPANY. The fifth anniversary of the St. Aidan’s Girl Guide Company, in the form of a birthday party, was held on Wednesday evening, April 29, at Mrs McGregor’s home in Bowmont street. An excellent supper was laid out in the dining-room, the tables and room being decorated for the occasion. After supper the birthday cake was cut by Guide McGregor, who is one of the company’s oldest members. The following toast-list was then honoured—“The King,” proposed by the president, Mrs Thompson, after which “God Save the King” was sung. “The Commissioners” was proposed by Miss H. Blair, Mrs McDonald responding to the toast. The Guides then sang, ‘Tor They Are Jolly Good Fellows.” “The Guide Movement” was proposed by Mrs Andrews, and after a trio by the Misses Wall, Mrs Fretwell responded to the toast. “Kindred Associations,” was proposed by Miss T. Stevenson, after a humorous recitation by Ruth Jones, Miss R. Campbell responded to the toast. “All Guiders” was proposed by Miss D. Robertson, Miss D. Campbell responding, after a song by Alys Fretwell. “The Committee” was proposed by Mrs E. Andrews, the Guides afterwards singing “For They Are Jolly Good Fellows.” Mrs Thompson replied to the toast. The toast of “The Captain” of the company was proposed by Miss L. McGregor, and after the singing of ‘Tor She’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” was replied to by Miss M. Blair. Three hearty cheers were then given for her. We are very much indebted to Mrs Blair, who was the donor of the handsome birthday cake, and also to the committee who rendered much help, and who were responsible for the success of the evening.

After games, etc., a very enjoyable evening was brought to a close by the singing of “Taps.” —Sent in by a St. Aidan’s Guide. WINTON COMPANY. The first birthday party of the Winton Company was held on Friday evening, April 29, in the Sunday School Hall. Many friends and parents gathered there to join with the Guides in this, their first festival. Proceedings commenced shortly after the arrival of Dr and Provincial Commissioner Macdonald, from Invercargill. The first part of the programme was the enrolment of four committee members, Mesdames Driscoll, Lindsay, Stringer and Miss B. Kidd, and Guides Jessie Buchanan, Henie Cowie, Mamie Driscoll, Gwen Irwin, Marjorie Martin, Nina Raines, Jean Russell, Vera Shaw, Marion Tilley and Winnie Woodnorth by the Provincial Commissioner. After the enrolling ceremony a few individual items were rendered by the Guides. These were followed by a “camp fire” scene by the whole company, the songs being very much appreciated by the audience. At the end of the camp fire Commissioner Nelson, after reading apologies from Mrs Andrews and Major McCarroll, spoke a few words of thanks to the parents and the friends for their help and support. Provincial Commissioner Macdonald spoke to the Guides and then his Worship the ~Mayor, Mr J. A. Broom, on behalf of those present, thanked them for the evening’s entertainment and wished them many happy returns. The next item came as a surprise to the Guides. This was the presentation of a Union Jack and the equipment by Mr J. R. Hamilton, M.P. Captain Gilmour thanked him for his generous gift and then called on the Guides to thank him too. This they did by singing lustily, “Te Tingiti.” A delicious supper was then handed round by the Guides. Towards the end of the supper Guide Ethel McDermott cut the birthday cake, all present receiving a generous slice. Guide Bessie Hewitt then called on the Guides to show their appreciation to their mothers by singing “Te Tingiti.” After this item the singing of “God Save the King” concluded a most enjoyable evening. - —By a Winton Guider. FAITHS TO KEEP. By day the jetty was an impressive structure jutting out into the fringe of an iridescent sea. Men fished from it, tireless as the gulls that circled overhead, filling the air with their noisy and futile lamentations. Little ships anchored there with brightly painted funnels and the jetty bristled with the importance of having a trust to keep. But by night the jetty was a place of elfin wonderings, for night spun a network of silver about its piles and sometimes the stars were caught there like glittering moths fluttering in an unsuspected web. The waves talked, the little ships talked until the brave heart of the jetty grew restless with discontent. “Adventure?” it sighed. “What have I to do with adventuring? The far horizons are not for me, for the freedom of the voyager is beyond my ken. All my life I have been rooted—in the forest—in the sea—” “But even jetties have their faiths to keep,” said the little ships tugging at their hawsers and the little waves purling about the barnacled timbers and the stars fluttering like moths in a jewelled web. The clerk sat at his desk totting up figures. A stray sunbeam striking across a brick wall slipped in at the window like a pilgrim from another world. “All my life I have been adding up figures,” said the clerk, “at this desk on this stool. If anyone left me a legacy I’d cut adrift and travel, but then miracles don’t happen.” He looked at the sunbeam and saw instead new lands rising from dreamed-of seas, towers and bridges, strange people, felt the slope of decks under his feet and the steady pulse of a moving liner. “There’s Jack now,” he said bitterly, “been all over the world and has tales to tell that would put Columbus to shame.” His glance fell on his bunch of keys, a splash of silver in the track of the sunshine. Unconsciously his hand reached out and closed over the familiar metal. ‘Ten, fifteen, twenty-six, twentynine. . . .” “Some men are like jetties,” pondered the sunbeam, “They, too, have their faiths to keep.” —From a Northern Exchange.