Girl Guides

Southland Times, Issue 25312, 15 June 1935, Page 23

Girl Guides

By “BIG GUIDE*

Thought for the Week. To talk with God No breath is lost. Talk on. * To walk with God No strength is lost. Walk on. To wait on God No time is lost. Wait on. . , REMINDERS. Wharemoana would welcome gifts of pots and pans and dishes, timber for shelves, bulbs and cuttings and potato seed for the garden. The Jubilee Library has had. no contributions yet Each patrol is asked for a book on its birthday this year. Have you begun to collect material for the stocking trail yet? If not you will commence now won’t you? We want hundreds and hundreds of parcels representing every Ranger, Guide and Brownie in Southland. Have you hart a ceremony day, or visitors’ day, or a special evening, or a new game or song in your company this year? You haven’t told me anything about it Don’t you think you might. I have told you many times before that an account needn’t be written. Just give me the facts and I’ll do the rest. The Gilbertson scroll competition and the flower show will be early in October at Gore. As Eastern has travelled to' Invercargill many times, everyone must visit them this time. The Provincial Executive has invited Mrs Herrick, Chief Commissioner, also. Have you discussed in Court of Honour how you are all going to be there? Invercargill companies are you rehearsing your items for the concert yet?. It will be held in less than two months, so you must make a beginning now. You have a great number of things to attend to, so I hope you will get to work at once. NOTICES. The Cyclist badge examination will be held this morning at 10 a.m. at the High School. If it is wet the examination will be postponed until next Saturday at the same time. The Child Nurse badge will be held on Wednesday at 6.30 p.m. in the Guide Rooms. Be as punctual as you can. The Laundress badge will be held on Saturday, June 29, at 2.30 at the home of Mrs Hinchey, Gala street. The badge committee has again received complaints of Guides and Rangers entering for examinations badly prepared and so wasting the time of the examiners, also of entrants not turning up. P.L’s, can't you do something about this?. It is really most discourteous on the part of some Guides, and reflects little credit on us. A Guides meeting will be held on Thursday at 7.30 p.m. in the Guide Rooms. A cordial invitation is extended to any country Guides who would .care to attend. The evening will be devoted to country dancing and learning new songs. Guides are giving the concert for Aunt Hallie, 4 ZP, on Wednesday, June 26, instead of June 19. Will you please take note and those of you who can collect Guides and listen in together and join in with the songs. They will be those you know I am sure.. A few of those taking part will then visit the hospital with Aunt Hallie and give a concert in the various wards. BROWNIES. St. Andrew’s Brownies, Invercargill have offered to make bed clothes etc. for the bed I have. The bed is 2ft. 6ins. by Ift. 6ins. so will you please make things and when I have an opportunity, I’ll send the bed down to you. I haven’t a doll for it, but perhaps someone would give you that and and then you could dress it suitably. Thank you very much Pack for offering to do this special good turn. GUIDES. Gretchen—Know how to Stalk and Track. By stalking is meant that you have discovered the animal you want to catch. Perhaps you have tracked him to his lair, or have come upon him all unawares, but you have seen him. tracking is following clues or signs, and in doing so learn as much as possible about what you are following. You may pass your test at the very first attempt, but that won’t mean that you really know much about stalking. What you must do is to go into the field and try stalking a bird or a small animal. The first thing you must cultivate is a good elastic walk, and then you must learn balance. You want to practise walking so that you can place the whole of your foot on the ground without making any sound. Tip-toe is not very satisfactory, because you are liable to lose your balance just at the critical moment and your quarry is frightened. Cultivate patience; so often the inexperienced stalker feels she must hurry or she will be too late. Far more often the careless snapping of a twig means that all her stalking is in vain. Next you must learn to “freeze;" that is, you must be able to stop short quickly and remain in that position until your bird has decided there’s na danger. If you are perfectly still the SOLVING COMPETITION. In,the problem solving competition which started with last week’s problems any ot our readers may send along solutions. There is no formal entry required. Have a go at it. If you do not get a prize it will strengthen your perceptive faculties and improve your play. Mr O’Neill (Tuatapere) quotes some good advice from an American expert who says: "When working out a problem turn the board round now and then.” CRITICISM. C. Heffner, the famous Chicago player gave utterance to the following:—“The most dashing critic makes the worst blunders. The most brilliant player is the 1 most prone to error. Perfect play is the reacting of mind on mind and the weeding out of worthless ideas in the process." L. J. Vair eulogises the critic as follows: “Criticism, when kindly tendered, is a favour to the person criticized —blessed be the critics for they are the salt of checkers.” GAME No. 862. J. Mclntosh. F. Hilliker. Near the end the position is: Black.—6. 8. 9, 10, 21; King, 31. White—l 3, 15, 17, 19, 20, 30. White to play. 20.16 Is played and lost, but the following is offered to draw:—

TO CORRESPONDENTS. D. Jeffreys (Vancouver): Slips to hand and thank you. J.M.T. (Tuatapere): Your interest is appreciated. A. Moody (Stratford): Replying by letter. DRAUGHTS CLUB. The Invercargill Draughts Club is still going strong at 50 Biggar street. Newcomers will be welcome. All players should Join up.

bird will take you possibly fora tree or a post and not take any further notice. There are four positions for the stalker: (1) Standing, (2) stooping, (3) crawling on hands and knees, and (4) flat, which is very difficult, very slow and not to be recommended except as a last resort. You have to move along lying practically flat. Fm afraid Fra not an experienced enough stalker to try that method. Birds and rabbits are what we may most easily stalk and rabbits will give you the greatest worry because they are so often in the open and it is not so easy to get cover from them, but it is possible, so do try after school before it gets too dark. Cover you must look for—that is anything which will hide you entirely or partially. You will have great fun in discovering what is good cover and what isn’t, and for goodness sake keep off the skyline where you will show up very easily. It is a good thing to consider your costume. If you are wearing Guide uniform shadows are good cover and tussocks bad. Green and brown are two good colours to wear. Then remember always that the wind is the messenger of the animal and see that you approach up the wind. I’ll tell you more of tracking next week, but here are some stalking games some of which you may not know. They are all worth playing as practice, but do remember that the best test of whether or not you are a good stalker is to go and try for yourself. Take Cover: You may have extra obstacles arranged in the room, but it is more difficult if you don’t It is better run as a patrol competition, each patrol taking it in turn and not seeing what the other patrols do. Captain says: “Take - cover,” when everyone must hide as completely as possible using anything in the room. Points are given for being completely hidden, for choosing a good background, or a good disguise. Freezing: The Guides march round the room doing some physical exercise suitable for marching. On the whistle all must “freeze.” Points are given for “freezing” quickly and for holding the position. Do a different exercise each time. The Patrol that will “freeze” well will be good stalkers. Night Attack: Make a fortress of chairs in the centre of the hall, leaving a few entrances. One supposes that at these points the walls can be scaled. Treasure is left in the fortress. Defenders armed with torches are placed at intervals on guard round the walls. The lights are then turned out and the attackers try to steal the treasure. When a noise is heard a torch is turned on and whenever an attacker is caught in the beam, she is shot. The torch must be pointed at the noise and then turned on. A sweeping movement of torches is not allowed.

Lone Guide Company. Miss McKenzie, Captain, acknowledges a further 4/- from Georgetown Guides, one shilling each from St. Paul’s Guides and St. John’s Rangers. Will other companies remember that shilling please? Do you also remember that two months ago I asked for names of girls who might like to be Lones. So far I have had none. How to Become a Star.

I often think that when the sun goes down the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of heaven, but the stars are little holes pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world. The stars are not all the same size; some are big, some little. Some men have done great deeds and others have done small deeds, but they have made their hole in the blanket by doing good while they were here on earth. Can’t we all try to make our special hole even if it be only a tiny one. It is something to be good, but it is far better to do good.

Maori Mottoes for Company use. The New Zealand Guider published some Maori mottoes with their translation. Perhaps you would like to use one for your company or Patrol? Mau-te hoe i tau waka, paddle your own canoe; Kai tupata, be prepared; Kia tika tou ora, live truly, let your life be straightforward; Tirohia taha noa taha noa, look wide; tirohia aho, aim high; Kia tere tou maki mo era atu, quick to serve; era atu ki mua, service first; mo era atu, for others;, era atu ki mua, others first; pumau kite anahi, cleave to service; kia tika tou maki, play the game; Te atua. Era atu, koe aho God. Others. Self; He orate mahi, work is life; Mahia mo era atu, serve others. Cyclists.

This morning some of you are sitting for your cyclist badge, remembering that has suggested giving you some hints. I was brought up in a town where bicycles were not very useful, because there were too many hills. Therefore I did not learn to ride until I was grown up and went to live in a flat town. I owned the bicycle for only a short time as I didn’t stay long in that town and I have not ridden since. However, Invercargill, so flat as it is, is a happy place for cyclists and it therefore behoves you to look after your bicycle, because it will be so useful to you for many years. Just as you cannot carry on and function well if you are not fed properly, and if you do not keep clean, just so must you treat your bicycle. Your bicycle should be ailed regularly. It would be as well if you kept a special day, once a month for this and not let the day pass without giving the bicycle its food. The pedals need light oil, the bracket bearing heavy oil after every 200 to 250 miles. All the working parts of the brake must also be oiled., Heavy oil can be thinned by heating it. The chain needs oiling frequently. Mud and rust are the two important things to guard against. Therefore in this weather always wipe, your bicycle over when you have finished with it for the day. Remember that dry mud causes sets up friction and this means wear whenever there is movement.

The bicycle must be in good running order and this applies very especially to the brakes. Keep your brakes correctly adjusted and if they are not functioning see if the pads need renewing. Your tyres should also be given attention. They must always be kept pumped up. When you buy your bicycle you should ask to be shown at what pressure to keep your tyres to give the maximum of service. Occasionaly it is as well to examine them to see whether they have caught up tiny stones, pieces of glass etc., and remove them before they become embedded. Whatever type of light you have, get its peculiarities explained to you,, so that you may have an efficient light always. See that your reflector really does reflect and that the white part of the back mudguard is really white.

19.16 15.19 15.11 3.8 10.19 7.11 31.26 26.31 16.12 23.27 11.7 8.11 8.11 11.15 26.22 23.26 12.8 19.23 3023 19.23 20.16 12.8 31.26 8.3 27.32 27.24 7.10 11.15 16.12 8.3 6.15 3.7 32.27 22.26 13.9 Drawn 1. O’NEILL.