GUIDE NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 5

GUIDE NOTES

CAMP AT INVERESK

(By

BIG GUIDE)

For the Thinking Day Church parade all Brownies, Guides and Rangers will assemble at First Church as soon as possible after 3.45 p.m.. Be prepared during the service to repeat the Promise. Do not forget the pennies as this year a special appeal is being made by the World Bureau which hopes from this fund to establish an international Guide Hostel in London. Lone captains are asked to forward Thinking Day pennies to the Lone secretary as soon as possible. Companies are asked to note that gardens will receive a first inspection in about a fortnight’s time. INVERESK CAMP Thirty-three Commissioners and Guiders from all parts of New Zealand —Auckland, Wellington, Hawera, Mangaweka, Marton, Manawatu, Christchurch, Dunedin, Waikouaiti, Gore and Invercargill—met at Inveresk Camp, Canterbury, on January 20, for Camp Adviser and Camp Licence testing. Miss Burgin, Red Cord Diploma Guider, was Camp Commandant, with Miss Elmslie assisting as Quartermaster. The first two days were very hot but , broom had to be grubbed and tents pitched. Working in pairs, each Guider sitting for licence had three tents to pitch and strike all under a time limit. The next two days were wet and cold. Clad in bathing-suits and capes we puddled about, trying to have the camp in good order for the arrival of Miss Herrick, the Chief Commissioner, who spent two days there. Fortunately her last day in camp found the sun again shining. We felt very proud to think we have a Chief Commissioner who would not only take the trouble to come so far to see us, but also would come equipped with tiny tent etc., and actually camp with us. Looking back I marvel at the amount of work we got through—pitching tents, collecting weeds and grasses, finding constellations, trenching, telling stories at camp fire, taking games, erecting screening, cooking dinner, making gadgets, finding and sketching camp sites, oral first aid tests, emergencies, etc. We erected monkey bridges, made ovens and hiked for breakfast and there were many other excitements. As we were the first to camp on the site we had the privilege of taking part in the opening ceremony of Inveresk Camp. Miss Herrick expressed our gratitude to Miss Elmslie and her brother who gave the site, and called upon Miss Elmslie to name the camp in the true traditional manner. The Southland contingent was a very happy one. Miss Cumming and Miss Morton, of Christchurch, were the only ones who sat for Camp Advisers’ test and all rejoiced in their success. Twelve sat for Camp Licence. Four succeeded in passing and two or three were granted permits. Southerners were very proud that three licences came to Southland and Otago, Miss McKenzie collecting Southland’s.

No account of Inveresk Camp would be complete if I did not record the thanks of Miss Cumming and myself for the debt of gratitude we owe the Guiders of other provinces. The patrol spirit was splendid, and I am quite certain we could not have completed our test work in the time if we had not received the help and loyal support we got from them.