GIRL GUIDES

Southland Times, Issue 21997, 22 April 1933, Page 19

GIRL GUIDES

L—— ®y

"ATALANTA"

Handcraft. I wonder how many. Guides attempted the woolly chicken, for which directions for making were published last week? This week I will tell you how to make a woollen duck. Three pairs of cardboard shapes are required, one pair oval and two. pairs of circles. Measurements: Oval, 4 inches by 2 inches, hole in centre, 1J inches by i inch, circle for head, 1J inches, hole, i inch; circle for neck, 1| inches, hole § inch. Wind the shapes in the same way as the chick and cut and tie in the same way, leaving loose ends on the head. The body must be clipped until it resembles the shape of a duck. Thread the ends of wool, draw through the small ball which forms the neck and attach firmly to the body. A slightly thicker wire is required for the duck’s feet; bend into the shape of a duck’s foot, cover with orange wool, and don’t forget a duck has webbed feet. The webbed effect is easily done by winding the wool over one toe and under the next. Draw the wires through the body, twist, cut and turn in as for the chick. The beak is made of the same material as the chick’s beak, but is a different shape. Sew beak firmly in, also two beads for eyes, and your duck is finished. Thought For The Week. “Serve with love and friendliness.” Brownies. Here’s a dainty thing I have just discovered. Don’t you like it? “Fog’s a grey dress that day puts on: Sunshine’s the frock when fog has gone, Moonlight’s a dress of silver-white To wear for parties late at night.” Rangers. Once more I wish to remind you that the Bledisloe Cup this year will be awarded for the best Native Company Log Book compiled from personal observation either by individuals or patrols. Each company log book is to be sent to Wellington in October and the winning one will represent its province. You will notice that it is not a log book necessarily of native flora, nor is it confined to plants. You should be studying birds and animals; at least that is my interpretation. I have quoted exactly what we have been tola about the competition. Autumn is very nearly over, so I hope you have been watching all. that is going on around you—plants everywhere are getting ready for the winter. Please all of you keep notes of what you see. Southland should put in a worthwhile entry, don’t you think? Last year there were no entries for the Bledisloe Cup from the country companies. I hope this year there will be one entry from every Ranger company. Guides—Patrol Hints. guides are not taking an interest in the competition as I first stated it, I am altering it slightly. I shall give one shilling to the best patrol hint each week; you can tell me about your patrol corner, or how you help the tenderfoot, or what games you think out—indeed anything which will be interesting and useful to other patrols. Address your entries to Competition, 9 Duke street, Invercargill. I have seen in one patrol in Georgetown something most helpful to all Guides, and St. John’s used to have something very useful. I haven’t seen it lately. Think about it, talk about it, with P.L., and then write and tell me about it. This column is for all Rangers, Guides and Brownies, so please make use ot it. 1 am very hopeful that the mail will bring me very interesting letters next week and every week. First Class Test Work. I hope you were all able to see “Rules, policy, and organization during the week, and so found out all about the badges. You dont actually have to know them for the examination, but if you took your family to a rally or parade and you were asked questions about badges that you couldnt answer, your family might begin to wonder how you earned your own first class badge. If there is any you did not find, write to me and IU tell you. Next week I am going to tell the Rangers something about their badges. H°w they were thought of; you 11 find it interesting to read, too. Some More About The History Of The Movement. Why are we called Guides? In a small pamphlet on Scouting, the Chief Scout wrote “A similar scheme might be started for girls, they might be called Guides.” He knew that boys would hate to have their sisters called Scouts and this new name was a happy term conveying the suggestion that a woman’s job was to guide her menfolk rather than to imitate them. It was an inspiration to girls, taken as it was from the title of that Indian regiment whose courage and resourcefulness has made it so well known. To return to 1910—many companies claimed to be the first, but at a committee meeting in 1910 the honour was accorded to “Pinkney’s Green” (Miss Baden-Powell’s Own) with about . 30 Guides and 6 lieutenants. At this time about 6000 girls were registered as Scouts. On February 25, 1911, the first conference was held and the name “Baden-Powell Girl Guides” was registered, and looking back the pioneer committee members must have many a laugh over the variety of uniforms which appeared, each group wanting its own style to be made official. In 1913 her Royal Highness Princess Louise accepted the position of patroness. This year also saw the desire for co-ordina-tion, and such well-known names as Miss Behrens, Mrs Mark Kerr, Mrs Roch, Mrs Blyth and Mrs Janson-Potts appeared. Mrs Low took the movement to America and independent organizations were growing in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Germany.

Judging Heights. A tree in the park is to be felled; is there room for it to fall without breaking the fence near by? Anzac Day is wet and the flag pole has to be taken into the Drill Hall. Will there be room for it to stand upright? These and similar questions you may be asked. If you are a first class guide you will, of course, know. Now there are some very elaborate methods by which heights can be calculated on paper, but they require a knowledge of geometry and more knowledge of arithmetic than some of you will possess. Don’t bother with them. They are quite unnecessary; if you follow these suggestions and keep practising you will make few mistakes. What you want is a practised eye. It is very useful too sometimes to know how tall a person is. Supposing your committee owns some uniforms and is ready to fit out recruits. It would be an awful waste of time to take to your patrol those that would fit girls sft 8 ins when the average height you require is for 4ft Ilins. Keep a small notebook and pencil handy and guess the height of everything you see—accessible things, of course; then measure them and you will find in a little while you are more often right than wrong. You must have something first to keep in your mind’s eye, so

learn your own height. Then you can stand beside an object and consider whether it is twice, 3 times or a f" ■'iter or less difference in height than you. At the same time it is as well to measure 6ft, 12 ft, etc., on a wall of your house and familiarize yourself with the look of that height. Then you will look at that tree and you will know that the post on the other side of the street is 20ft high and you’ll think the tree is twice as high and you will find you are well within the 25 per cent, error allowed. To begin with then find out and remember (1) your own height; (2) captain’s height; (3) P.L.’s height; (4) height of the members of your family; (5) average height of a door, room, pillar box, telegraph pole; (6) exact height of (a) Morse flag stick; (b) hockey stick or basketball pole; (c) your umbrella; (d) your fence or your hedge. Armed with all this information you can begin to guess, so write and tell me how you get on with this part of the test.

A Game for the Patrol. You know there are times when we all get very rusty about our knots and P.L. gets very tired of jogging everyone’s memory. Try this in patrol corner time. It’s more interesting than just getting a piece of string and going through a whole series of evolutions with it. There are six of you and you all represent something different. Jean is a parcel; Lily is a fisherman mending wet nets; Alice a woodman felling trees and hauling them away; Kate is ready to lower herself from her bedroom, because the house is on fire; Mary is going to hang clothes on the line and finds it too long; Peggy has a frisky horse she wants to tie to a post. I am not sure you will know all these, but you can easily substitute others you have learned. The knots tied are: (1) self knot; (2) fisherman’s knot; (3) timber hitch; (4) round turn, two half hitches and finally a bowline round herself; (5) sheepshank; (6) a round turn and two half hitches. When each has tied her knot and P.L. has passed it or corrected it, you pass your identity on to the neighbour on your left and so on until everyone has tied six knots.

Guiders’ Training Week. The Training Week will be held in St. John’s School, Dee street, from May 6 to 15. Fees are as follows:—22/6 for the ten days; or for part time only, 2/6 per day (not 2/- as stated before). Those who are unable to be there during the day but wish to attend the evening sessions pay 1/6 for tea and the evening. It is to be hoped that as many as possible will attend these evening functions, which are always most enjoyable, as well as instructive. Those who will be there for odd meals, will bring their own mug, plate and cutlery. All country districts are asked to notify Miss Cumming (Josephine street, Invercargill) as soon as possible of the names of guiders who are attending, the length of time they intend to be in camp and their time of arrival. Following is the equipment necessary —Mattress and camp bed (if possible); 3 blankets and rug (or equivalent); pillow case; cushion; groundsheet (if possible); full uniform; camp uniform (or equivalent, e.g. navy, or any old frock); apron; warm cardigan or jumper; overcoat or mackintosh; indoor slippers or tennis shoes; underclothes, extra stocking, toilet requisites, etc; towels and 1 tea towel; shoe and badge-cleaning outfit; stationery and stamps; notebook and pencil; signalling flag; cord or rope for knotting; 2 plates, mug, 2 knives, fork, 2 spoons; 1 pot of jam. Optional. Goloshes; torch; Guide hymn book; compass; clothes brush; a cake would be acceptable. Please have everything clearly marked. , . Will every guider please try to bring one or two things of interest from her company, such as second class chart, nature work, etc., etc. Anzac Service. Guides will not parade on Anzac Day this year, as there is no children’s service. Companies however are asked to make their wreaths as last year and to take them to the theatre any time on Tuesday morning. All guiders are requested to attend the service in the theatre in the afternoon in uniform. They will meet the commissioners outside at 2.40 pm. punctually. Gore Girl Guide Camp. During the days January 18-27 of this year the Gore Girl Guide Company held its first camp at “Waremoana.” There under the guidance of our friend and Camp Adviser, Mrs Cordery, we were initiated into the art of successful camping. Our camp was officially visited and inspected by our provincial commissioner, Mrs J. G. Macdonald, and our divisional commissioner, Miss Aitken. The success of the camp was largely due to the kindness of many friends of the movement and so we would thank Dr McCaw, Mr Cordery, also Mrs Poole, of Otatara, and all other friends in Invercargill who in any way assisted us and Miss Aitken, Mr Cleine, Mr Hyne, our committee and all the parents and friends of the guides in Gore, without whose co-operation our camp could not have been the success the following account, written by one of the guides, proclaims it to have been. Will it be possible for a mere girl guide to put on paper the joy, the gladness, the companionship, the everything of nine wonderful days in camp? No, instead of being a guide she would have to have the genius of Dickens or the poetic art of Masefield to give some idea of the joyous laughter and love of a girl guide camp. Every minute of our time seemed to be full from the moment we left dear old Gore for the shores of Oreti-by-the-sea. On the way we talked incessantly, plenty of talkers, not many listeners! On arriving the cook’s tea patrol rushed off to find out about the kitchen arrangements while the others worked like Trojans carrying the baggage to “Wharemoana.” Then the erection of tents began with the assistance of Mr Cleine, ydio has never been known to decline any hard work. Tea was a great success “even tho I say it, as shouldn’t” as I was one of the cook patrol. Reveille was sounded by means of a whistle at 7 a.m. but the poor long-suffering cooks were up at 6.45 ajn. in order to boil, not to burn, our porridge. After breakfast we each went to our various duties. When Mr Cordery was there we often had a swimming parade. Dinner was at 12.30. Never shall I forget the succulent Irish stews or the luscious stewed apricots or the rather dull sago custards! In the afternoons we went walking and track-

ing. One memorable day we were spectators at the motor bike racing and knew all the thrill of speed. Tea was a movable feast usually at 5.30 p.m. when saveloys were often a welcome feature of the menu. After tea came the camp fire. This was indeed the experience beloved of those guides new to camp life. Some very ingenious “stunts” were given in the evenings. Only those who were there can fully realize the blood-curdling thrill of the “Murder of the Lighthouse keeper” and the “Dutch Tragedy,” or the side-split-ting laughter invoked by the broadcasting station 2YA which took place in the large tent one wet day. One never-to-be-forgotten evening there was a fancy dress parade. One lived in a dream world of Eastern Potentates and sheiks. Father Neptune was there, rubbing shoulders with gypsies, chorus girls, Red,Cross nurses and a stately Britannia ruled the waves. A stunt was given at the camp fire called “The Wedding,” and another “Before and After Marriage.” On the Sunday we had an inspiring service conducted by Mr Cordery. We had over forty visitors on that Sunday from Gore and it was splendid to welcome our townspeople. On our last Tuesday we “hiked” to Otatara; to Mrs Poole’s residence where hard-boiled eggs, cold plum pudding and tea were done full justice to. During the walk home we went to the Boy Scout camp site and made “damper.” With raspberry jam and butter it was a delicious meal. No account of our doings would be complete without a word of praise to our “Guiding Spirit,” Mrs Cordery. Not only did we profit from her experience but she entered into our games and pastimes as one of us. Her unfailing cheerfulness won all our hearts. We still sing the catchy tunes and rhymes which she taught us. And what shall I say of our officers? Their organization, discipline and unfailing kindness left nothing to be desired and their “Goodnight” salutation to us showed that they realized that tender little hearts were beating under multi-col-oured pyjamas. —From “Camp Lover.”