GIRL GUIDE AIMS.

Wairarapa Age, 9 August 1929, Page 4

GIRL GUIDE AIMS.

ADDRESS BY MISS J. DALTON AT ROTARY CLUB. The Rotary Club of Masterton had an interesting overseas visitor yesterday in the person of Miss J. Dalton, a Blue Diploma Guider from East Yorkshire. The Wellington headquarters of the Girl Guide movement applied to Imperial headquarters for assistance, and Miss Dalton is in New Zealand in consequence. Miss Dalton, in the course of a very interesting address, outlined the ideals of the Guide movement. The modern girl, she said, had much greater freedom and greater opportunities than her predecessors, but there was always the inclination, without proper guidance, to make an improper use or rather to fail to make a proper use of this freedom and these opportunities. Anything, therefore, that would help to build up character and teach the use of this freedom was for the benefit of the community as a whole. ’Phis was the underlying conception of both the Boy Scout and Girl Guide movements. Sir Robert BadenPowell started the Scout movement 25 years ago and before he knew what had happened it had /become world-wide. Even in pre-war days the sisters of 4 these Scouts felt the desire to do as their brothers were doing. It was often asked: “What do the Guides learn f” As one little Brownie told her father: “Daddy, I’ve been learning to make a bowline knot; it’s used for lowering coffins down.” Yet the whole scheme of work and play had been carefully studied in order to bring out the best in the youngsters. All children wanted to help, but they did not know how. The eight-year-old Brownies were taught the little things they could dot to help mother and to help others generally. They were taught to observe, to cultivate their sense of the beautiful.

Brownies’ work was merely an introduction?to the more serious work of Guiding. The backbone of the Guide movement was the Guide law and the Guide promise. The Guide law was positive. There were no “Thou shalt not’s.” The Guide was trustworthy and honest, and having these laws before them Guides had a continuing incentive. A girl who wished to get on and become a leader in Guiding, had to learn to control herself and to control her girl comrades without offending them—a sometimes difficult and always valuable lesson. Every girl was good at something and if Guiding helps the shy girl to show what she was good at, then that girl was helped for life.

In England also, Guiding was helping to combat ignorance and apathy. Guiding also endeavoured to reach the cripples and the children generally who were cut off from their fellows. Blind children had held a most successful Guide camp in England—the blind children doing practically everything in the camp for themselves. The Guide movement now had quite an important international aspect. English Girl Guides were camping in different parts of the Continent. The common interest which different nations through their girls had in this movement must lead to a better knowledge and so help forward the peace of the world. The President, of the Club. Mr. 6. L. P. Free, moved a hearty vote of thanks to Miss Dalton for her interesting and instructive address. Other visitors who attended were: — Mrs. 8. L. P. Free, Mrs. T. Jordan, District Commissioner of the Girl Guides, and Miss Hutchison.