GIRL GUIDES

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 23 (Supplement)

GIRL GUIDES

(By “Big Guide.”) THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. “Where the safe ways end, Known and unknown divide, God’s great unchartered passes upward tend, Where the Spirit of Man undaunted is denied, And beyond the last camp fire man has faith for friend, And beyond all guidance the courage of God for guide.” GENERAL NOTES. All Invercargill companies and packs will have a fortnight’s holiday, commencing next Saturday. Invercargill Companies. The local secretary. Miss C. Lipscombe, Nelson street, is anxious to have all outstanding accounts paid before the end of August in order that she can make up her statement of receipts and expenditure. (1) Membership from subscribers and from committee members. (2) Registration fee of 3d. a Guider. Ranger and Guide and Id a Brownie. (3) Payment of Id each for mourning bands. Please remember the law of courtesy, and attend to these matters if they concern you. Reports. This is another reminder for Guiders that all the information asked for last week should be supplied as soon as possible. Badge Examinations. Those who have entered for the toymaker’s badge are asked to leave the toys with Mrs Lipscombe, 22 Nelson street, before next Saturday. They will be judged and you can make arrangements to receive them back again. GUIDES. The examiner tor the cyclist badge sends me these extra notes on the test for this badge, with promise of a further article next. week. Now I do hope you will cut them out and keep them for reference when next this test appears on the list. Of course, you have your tools in your tool kit and a pump at all times on your cycle. To that extent you are always prepared. So in the course of time we do meet with our puncture. Set the tools out on the ground neatly —don’t scatter them everywhere or you will be sure to leave a spanner or something -on the roadside. Now to work. Turn the cycle upside down and balance it evenly on the handle bars. Deflate the tube and take off all fittings at the valve. Here comes a very important move—and one nearly always forgotten. Run a blunt tool or your finger round both rim edges. This loosens the corner if it has become stuck to the rim, as often happens if water has caused the rim to rust. Now prize off the tyre, beginning with a lever on each side of the valve. Don’t try to use too much of the levers—work with the tyres to avoid pinching the tube. Take the tube required out of the cover as the puncture may be near the valve itself, remembering not to use force when taking out the valve stem. If rim brakes are fitted to the cycle, lead the tube gradually through between the rim and the rubbers. Now inflate the tyre (do remember to fit the valve though) and listen for the escaping air. Water, is of course, a quick tester, but a basin of water isn’t usually available. A very small puncture can be detected by blowing up the tyre hard, then holding it up to the cheek and turning it round. The escaping air will be felt very quickly on your face. Mark round the hole with an indelible pencil or give a few rubs with the sandpaper. You may please yourself whether you mend this one first and then look for another' or vice versa, but never take for granted that there is only one puncture. A nail, for instance, will make one puncture to every wheel revolution, generally close together. Thoroughly clean round the hole with sandpaper and do treat an area much larger than the patch requires otherwise the edges of the patch will lift. You will not need to clean the patching for it is mostly prepared or treated, then kept clean with a protective covering which is taken off just before using. If you are using tubing clean thoroughly and trim a patch. Next give a medium dressing of solution and leave to dry until it sticks to the finger tip when tested before attempting to place the patch. Many prefer to allow the first dressing to dry thoroughly and then apply another. While waiting for the patch to dry I have noticed Guides set about testing the cover for nails—a very necessary step, but as we do not want the accumulation of dust in the cover to fall on our drying solution let us keep to the work on hand. When you are quite certain the solution is ready place the patch but do make certain first. I know I am repeating myself on this point, but many badge entrants bring up a very neat patch to me just to see it fly off when I have stretched the tubing slightly! Dust the patch with french chalk so that solution beyond the patch will not stick to your cover. Now we are ready to return the tube to the cover. This bristles with so many pitfalls that I leave it for another week.

BROWNIES. A little bird has just whispered in my ear that the Mataura Brownie Pack has been working very hard and that just recently 16 Brownies won their “Golden Hand.” I just felt that I must write and congratulate you all. Have you been working so hard that you have forgotten to write and help me about it? Now how is the match box house progressing? I am hoping to see it finished quite soon. In June there was the Wyndham birthday party where Mrs Walker thoroughly enjoyed a delightful evening and enrolled several Brownies. In July, there was a longish visit to Riversdale, where Mrs Macpherson had asked for assistance with Brownies. During her stay Mrs Walker helped with a concert to raise funds for the movement. I give you the items as they may be helpful to some other company that wants to stage an unusual and good Guide concert: 1. We re the Girl Guides Marching on the King s Highway” (chorus); 2, Little People (a dainty dance by the Brownies who wore coloured wings, which glittered in the night light; 3, “You Peel” (this is a song and begins by a Guide slipping on a piece of orange peel and works up until in the last verse the peel is made into marmalade and the Guide walks off the stage with a pot of jam); 4, First Aid; 5, Jack and Jill, dance set by Brownies; 6, “Sir Robert’ (old song to the dance of the British Grenadiers); 7, “Hola Ra,” poi swinging by the Brownies. This was difficult to teach, but was effective on the evening; 8, Hiking song; 9, Mickey and Minnie (three acts). Act three caused much amusement. Mickey calls to his wife and baby and is astounded to find he has four. They finish up sitting side by side, each nursing two babies, and sing:— “Hush a bye, hush a bye darling quadruplets; Hush a bye hush a bye dear little pets.” Then they bump the babies’ heads on their knees and they squeak. The audience thoroughly enjoyed this, k There were two plays, The Cow