GIRL GUIDES

Southland Times, Issue 22074, 22 July 1933, Page 19

GIRL GUIDES

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“ATALANTA.

Thought for the Week. “First ponder well the step that thou woulds’t take, And then assured ’tis right—go, boldly on! Guilt only should be tim’rous. Right and justice Have naught to do with timid hesitation.” GENERAL NOTES. Badge Examinations (Invercargill.) The badge committee reports that at every examination there are excuses for non-appearance, most of which are not adequate. Two who entered for “booklovers” wrote that they had not read the books. If the books had not been read by the end of June, the date of entry their names should not have been sent in. P.L’s. will you please help by not allowing your patrol to enter for any badge unless captain has given her,consent? The next time this happens the committee threatens not to allow any member of the Patrol to whom the defaulter belongs to enter for a proficiency badge for six months. Have you forgotten that examiners and supervisors give their time freely that you may be able to gain these badges ? Cyclist Badge. The next examination for this badge has been postponed until Saturday, August 5 at 10 a.m. Deputy Chief Commissioner. Word has been received by Mrs J. G. Macdonald (Provincial Commissioner) that Miss Herrick, Deputy Chief Commissioner, will visit Invercargill either August 8 or 9 and will stay for two days. It is hoped to arrange meetings of Commissioners, Guiders and Guides during that time. Will you all please take note of the proposed date in order that as many as possible may have the opportunity of meeting Miss Herrick? Competition. Since spring is coming along quickly now, I have decided to give a shilling for patrol funds to the Guide and Brownie who sends me the best letter describing the first new leaf they see this year. The competition is open to everyone, but you must tell me the name of the tree or shnxb and where and when you saw it. I saw a willow tree in leaf some time ago as I told you, and to-day noticed the very first snowflake. St. Paul’s Company (Invex-cargilL) On Monday Mrs R. S. Mclnnes inspected this Company, and exu-olled two guides. On the same occasion the recently formed committee was also enrolled. New ties have been purchased for the Guides and they are a great improvement on the others. Two guides have now joined Rangers and one has transferred to St. Andrews. The company is therefore not very big and would welcome recruits. Recent Awards. Congratulations to L. Morrison and L. Elder both High School A company, who have recently gained their First Class and All Round cords. Guiders Meeting. The next meeting will be held on Thursday in the Guide Rooms at 7.30 p.m. sharp. GUIDES. Handywoman Badge—That torn Mackintosh. The mackintosh as we know it today is a very much more elaborate garment that in the days of your parents’ youth. Then it had one use orxly—to keep out the wet. Still it tears in much the same way and is as easily mended. There are three kinds of modern manufacture—leather, rubber, rainfroof and there are also silk ones which may be silk rubber, silk leatherette, or silk rainproof, which is silk which has been through a process that renders it rainproof. Rubber and leather coats are not stitched by hand, because the needle makes holes which would cause the material to split. I am discussing the rubber or leather variety for mending and not the rainproof. To mend a tear get a small tin of rubber adhesive plaster, quarter or half inch wide should do, lay the gannent quite flat on the table with the inside toward you. Bring the edges firmly together in a straight line and be careful there are no puckers. Begin undoing the plaster and lay it firmly over the tear. Commence about an inch from the beginning of the tear and keep the ragged edges in the centre. Keep it smooth and press very firmly and cut off an inch beyond the rent. Smooth again with both thumbs gently and then turn and press the right side. If you have kept your edges well together, your mackintosh is repaired and nothing is seen. It is as well to leave the mend quite flat over night to ensure that it sticks firmly. You can use this method for any form of tear, hems, pockets, botton holes, etc. The rubber plaster is too thick for silk mackintoshes; fox' this use in the same way, that thin invisible adhesive tape used for repairing music. The only difference is that you damp the adhesive tape before using. Tixe Story of the Buds.

These warmish spring days invite one to hike, and when one hikes one should be abserving all the time. At the present time the most interesting tiring is to observe, are the buds, which so soon now will be bursting into leaves or flowers. Each tree has its own special arrangement and that is the first thing you can observe. Are the buds spirally arranged, in pairs, alternately, crowded together or well spaced? Buds may grow at the ends of branches when they are called terminal, or in the axies of the leaves, when they are axillary. Some trees have both terminal and axillary buds; it is only by the development of terminal buds that a tree expands in length. Thus if you cut off the terminal buds year by year, more axillary buds will be formed and the tree will become a bush with many side branches. Thus by watching the buds, you can alter the shape of your tree. The willow does not increase its branches by terminal buds, but in the oak both terminal and axillary buds give us new branches each year. Buds always leave scars and by taking note of these and their distance apart, you can tell whether a tree grows slowly or quickly. You know the oak grows very slowly and you will see that its scars are very close together. A bud is really a new shoot that has not yet expanded, and it consists of a stem with leaves and perhaps flowers. A bud grows very slowly and is formed many months before it expands. You only see it when the leaves of autumn have fallen, but it can be seen on the twigs a whole season before it opens. If you remember in the summer time to look at the branches close to the base of each leaf stalk there you will find a tiny resting bud. Some buds lie dormant for two or even three years. Trees take infinite pains that nothing shall retard their development. If the more advanced buds are injured or do not grow, then the backward ones immediately commence to expand. Thus is the tree sure of a full supply of leaves. Some buds contain flowers as well as leaves and these generally expand earlier than those that only produce leaves*

First Class—Have 1/- in the Savings Bank.

I expect most of you put a tick against that and consider it will not need to worry you, but I do hope the examiner will not be satisfied unless she knows that the shilling was actually earned or saved by you, and put by yourself in the Post Office or other savings bank. Your first class shilling is going to be quite different from any other shilling you will ever have. It is going to stay in the .bank always; earn for you until it can be used for something very important, and you are going to make very definite efforts to add to that amount at regular intervals. The Tenderfoot Badge.

Just recently I have discovered that Guides in Invercargill all wear their Tenderfoot badge wrongly. Of course I should have looked it up for myself, especially as when I was in Wellington a few months ago I noticed that the Wellington Guides wore them differently. Here is what “Rules, Policy” says:—“The badge of the Girl Guides is the Trefoil (three leaves), which represent the three promises made on being enrolled, as the three fingers held up in the salute also do. The proper place for tlxe Tenderfoot badge is in the centre of the tie, and it should be worn nowhere else, except by Guiders and Leaders. This is the only Guide badge which may be worn out of uniform. No Guider or Guide is entitled to wear the Tenderfoot badge unless she has been enrolled. Therefore P.L’s. see to it please and have all those badges in their right places.

BROWNIES. Last week when I was at First Church enrolment ceremony, I was impressed with the handwork display of the Brownies. They had all sorts of furniture which was quite well made. I liked most though tfxe collections of weeds. I’ll have a competition of that kind for you all some day, also they had a vase of arbutus and then wondered whether I noticed it. Well wouldn’t I have been most unobservant if I hadn’t? I also noticed that it wasn’t a piece with flowers on it. Twig Alphabet Have you found any of your letters yet? You might sometime write and let me know how you are getting on with it. I’ll tell you a secret too. I haven’t found a single one myself yet and I thought that at least “T” and “L” would be quite easy. Ceremony for Presenting a Stripe to a Brownie Sixer. The room must become a magic wood, with Brown Owl standing at one end beneath the old Oak Tree. A circle of Brownies dancing in the moonlight (lights low) around the Totem sing. (Tune: We’re the Brownies) — In the Fairy Magic Ring, Brownies love to dance and sing, Sixers, seconds one and all Come when they hear Brown Owl call. Tu whit whit whit whit Twoooooooo Leaving the wood the Brownies will then form the Magic Path through the wood which leads to the Oak tree, by standing in pairs opposite each other. The woodland stream must be guarded by Sixers holding the “Golden Bar.” (A sixer must have her second class.) Near the Oak Tree, Tawny and Pack Leader will be holding a large circle or hoop, representing the Brownie Armlet or Stripe, (as she is already a “second” there will be oxxly one stripe to give.) As the Brownie starts her journey, the Fairies sing ever so softly—(Pixie) Second, here we are. This Fairy Pathway you must keep, Jump the stream at “Golden Bar” Then through the Magic Circle creep. Before jumping the bar she must give the Password “Lend-a-hand” and as she approaches the Circle, Tawny asks “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Brownie replies: “I am a (Pixie) Second I have jumped the “Golden Bar,” and am now looking for my Sixer Stripe.” Tawny then says “Pass on Brownie, and we wish you Good Luck.” As she passes through the Circle, the Brownies sing— Now your Sixer Stripe you’ll find, Underneath the old Oak Tree, There Brown Owl has watched for you, And has guarded it you see. As the Brownie passes on to Brown Owl, the rest of the pack creep vexy softly after her forming once more their Magic Fairy Ring. Brown Owl now presents the Stripe, explaining briefly her duties to the Sixer. More Songs. By now the Companies should have a fair collection of worthwhile songs, and evidently you have been learning to sing them. Here are some more, so be sure to ask Captain to teach them to you. Lioba (Swiss). Tis break of day, the herds are lowing, At milking hour the cow herds call Ha-la! Ha-Ia! Refrain— Lioba, Lioba, come when I sing Lioba, Lioba let the echoes ring. Come one and all, come black cows, white cows, Red cows and spotted, dark cows and light cows, Stand not beneath the trembling aspen Stand to be milked ’neath spreading oak tree. Ah! Lioba, Lioba, etc. First come the bell-cows, they are the leaders, Next come the black cows, then all the others. Ah! Lioba, Lioba etc. May-Bay Carol (Old English). I’ve been wandering all the night And the best part of the day, And now I’m returning home again, I’ve brought you a branch of May. A branch of May, my dearest dear Before your door I stand, ’Tis nothing blit a sprout that is wellbedded out By the work of our Lady’s hand. And now my song is nearly done I can no longer stay. Bless you all both great and small I wish you a joyful May. RANGERS.

Guides of Other Countries. Latvia—The association is known as Latvijas Gaidu Central Organizacija. The headquarters are at Riga. Mrs Irma Sviders is president, Miss Elizabet Rozenberg is Chief Guider. The Brownies have a motto: “Centisos”—“l will try," the Guides “Arvien Modra”—“Airways prepared.” The Brownies have no special laws, they are gradually prepared to understand the Guide Laws. These are the same as for English guides. Brownies and guides and Guiders wear dark green pleated skirts and blouses with two pockets. The only difference is in the neckerchief, Brownies have yellow, Guides grey, Rangers cornflour blue, and Guiders dark green with white lanyard. Lithuania—Here we have Girl Scouts called Skauciu Skyrius. It has its headquarters at Kamas and Miss Elena Barscianskaite is Chief Commissioner. The Brownies promise to do a good deed every day. The Girl Scouts Promise and Laws are the same as in England, but they add to the tenth law, “does not drink intoxicating liquors and does not smoke.” That clause added to our tenth law would rather deplete our numbers I am afraid. Although I expect not many Guides smoke, the habit is sc common these days that a number of Rangers and Guiders most certainly will The Girl

Scouts wear black shoes and stockings, dark blue skirt and hat, green khaki tunic and yellow tie. A brownie wears black shoes and stockings, dark blue dress, red collar and tie*