TRAINING OF THE YOUNG

Southland Times, Issue 23394, 29 December 1937, Page 12

TRAINING OF THE YOUNG

VALUE OF YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALITY a - ' --- “New Zealand is a rather small country and its population is also small, and like so many small things, perhaps a trifle self-satisfied.” This is an opinion of Mrs M. L. Wood, of Dominion headquarters of the Girl Guides’ Association. “We like people to come here and say that our scenery is marvellous, and that we speak the purest English in the Empire, and that the world casts an admiring and envious eye on our legislative experiments. It makes us feel grand and cosmic. Minor complaints about bad cooking and dowdy women are too trivial to be taken seriously. “But to anyone capable of taking _ a wider and longer view, we have still a few weaknesses that could be beneficially tackled from within. And the first great weakness that, in such a small country, is glaringly apparent is the lack of co-operation between the various devices for improvement, both in sympathy and effort,” Mrs Wood remarks.

“All social service should surely have as its goal some recognition that it should be as easy to bind people together by their fundamental likenesses as by their super-imposed differences. If the cords that bind us are strong and universal, it adds a zest to life that some should be wreathed in fruit and flowers and some uncompromisingly unadorned. It would be a tragic, dull day if individuality were crushed out of existence. Many people confuse individuality with individualism, and dictators try in their muddled way to stamp out both; but there is one thing they are not muddled about, and that is the necessity of beginning their training very early. We must begin with the young. . - “All these rather jumbled thoughts hovered in my mind at the Wellington Girl Guides’ Campfire a few days ago. It was a perfect evening and a perfect setting high on a hill looking down on the land-locked harbour and away out to tlie open sea. The guides formed an eager ring round the campfire within their circle, each tossing her little candle to make the flames leap higher, while a clear voice called: — “‘From north, south, east and west, sparks appear to light the beacon of friendship, kindliness and peace. To those now far away across the water who are-under the shadow of misfortune, we offer our tokens of help and send thoughts of goodwill and peace. From this beacon may the spirit of goodfellowship between the peoples of different races spread his wings and soar to the four corners of the earth.’ Beautiful words and beautiful symbolism! In the hush that followed for a moment, the flames flared up and one felt that something real and true was indeed speeding on its way. “It was heartening to reflect that at this time all over the country similar beacons were alight—the guides of New Zealand doing something as one man to help the Red Cross alleviate suffering in the Far East. “The Chief Commissioner’s few words towards the end struck the right note. She emphasized the feeling of ‘oneness’ with the whole wide world and with all other guides in New Zealand, all doing the same thing at the same time that night, and responding without hesitation to the appeal from the Red Cross to help in the alleviation of pitiful suffering. “It seemed a hopeful sign that a movement which devotes itself to the training of youth in initiative and character chiefly by means of happy unfettered open air association should not be closed to sympathy for the suffering even though far off, and should, in co-operation with. another world-wide its practical help far overseas.” “These beacons, lighted at the same moment all over New Zealand show not only the value of concerted effort but also point to an idealism and breadth of vision that seems denied to many who wish to set their mark on the young.”