OUR GIRL GUIDE MOVEMENT

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 4, Issue 6, 1 December 1925, Page 67

OUR GIRL GUIDE MOVEMENT

T ADY Marjorie Dalrymple, ■*— ■ l 0.8. E., who is at present touring New Zealand as a Commissioner in the Girl Guides Movement, has focused attention upon the splendid organisation which is doing so much excellent work in forming character and strengthening the physique of our young girlhood. The Girl Guide movement is in a sense an off-shoot of the world-wide organisation of the Boy Scouts, started twenty years ago under the leadership of General Baden-Powell, and has evolved into a wonderful and entirely separate organisation with the highest ideals. Lady Marjorie Dalrymple has humorously related how the girls of Great Britain had become jealous of their brothers, and had insisted on the formation of some similar organisation for their own sex. Training in the housewifely arts had been substituted for the Boy Scout routine, but both organisations had the same objective creation of a spirit of happy, wholesome childhood, the upbuilding of character and inculcation of the true spirit of loyalty and citizenship. In the first six years G’rl Guide membership totalled 50.000. At the present time it was 500,000, and the movement had spread to all parts of the world. Lady Marjorie, whilst in Auckland, paid a high tribute to our Dominion Commiss'oner (Mrs. W. R. Wilson), when she related that in the comparatively short space of two years, and owing largely to Mrs. Wilson’s activities, the Girl Guides in New Zealand numbered over three thousand, and were a most virile organisation with splendid prospects.

d Aims and Objects SPEAKING at a gathering of the Auckland Rotary Club last month Lady Dalrymple explained the principles upon which the movement was founded, and asserted emphatically that it was non-military, non-politi-cal and undenominational; and that one of its strongest features was that no question of class distinction

A VISIT OF A LEADER FROM GREAT BRITAIN A FLOURISHING ORGANISATION

was ever raised within its ranks. Lady Marjorie made an appeal to those present to do their utmost to assist the movement. “Find us Guides and Guiders,” she said, “and do tell the Auckland girls of leisure that we shall be most happy to receive their help. It is not a desperately serious social work, but a game wherein they can have lots of fun without interfering unduly

with the ordinary routine of life." This was responded to by Mr. C. J. Tunks, upon behalf of the Rotarians, who accorded the visiting Girl Guide Commissioner a most hearty vote of- thanks, who said: "If we can train our young people in the principles of sound citizenship, and waken in them a desire to serve, then the generation which is growing up to-day will enter upon life under very much better conditions than those who preceded them. For that reason, all organisations which have to do with the training of our boys and girls are deserving of our fullest sympathy and support." clA^(ortheni %ally '"pHE Auckland Girl Guides held •*- a special parade last month in honour of Lady Marjorie Dalrymple, at which six hundred and thirty Guides paraded. It was a redletter day for the movement in the North, and the smartness and enthusiasm was the subject of much favourable comment. Mrs. W. R. Wilson, Dominion Commissioner, accompanied Lady Marjorie, at the review, which was in charge of Miss W. Averill, divisional commissioner. The honour of welcoming the visitor was entrusted to one hundred Brownies— little girls of the movement —who, at a signal, rushed out and formed a circle around their totem. They then joined hands and danced around Lady Marjorie Dalrymple, singing their motto : "We're the Brownie's, here's our aim, Lend a hand and nlav the arame."

A spirited Address '“pHEN followed a march past by ■*- the various companies and troops of Girl Guides, led by Miss Mona Burgin, district captain. It was wonderful to watch the steadiness of the girls in their smart and attractive uniforms marching in perfect step. Lady Marjorie, in an address, reminded the girls that they were the descendants of pioneers—something to be proud of and to live up to. That was their first great privilege. Another great privilege was that they were part of the British Empire. The Empire was a great power —a power for peace. She warned the girls of “jingoism,” and told them there was no such word. They should be quietly proud of the Empire and should work for it. They should not be vainglorious over others. It was no use having peace if we did not have prosperity with it. It was up to the girls to try to fit themselves to be better citizens of the British Empire. The third privilege the girls had was that they were guides. Guiding was like a tremendous chain that stretched round the world, and bound the girls of different countries together.

Speaking of the international value of guiding, Lady Marjorie said she had the privilege of attending the world camp of girl guides last year. Altogether one thousand guides, representing every nation, attended it. During the ten days, life friendships were formed, and there was a greater understanding of the national peculiarities. She urged the girls to be thorough in everything they did for the honour of guiding and of their country. She urged them to be happy and cheerful and radiate friendship and goodf ellowship. Those were the things that were wanted to-day. Gommissioners T^eport IV/TRS. W. R. Wilson, Dominion *■*■*■ Commissioner, in presenting her annual report on the Girl Guides' movement, pays a tribute to Miss D. E. Gillett, Dominion General Secretary for her splendid and faithful services at headquarters, and appeals to provincial officers and committees giving their support and backing to Headquarters. The report goes on to say:— "All Guiders now go through a written test, both for Guide work

and camping, and we feel this is making for a better standard of work right through the country. I have examined for these different tests eighty-nine papers this year, and I have been delighted with the way in which most of the Guiders have grasped the spirit of the Movement. I have now made Miss Laing, a Camp Advisor who has lately arrived from England, Head of Camping for the Dominion, and we are to be congratulated on having so splendid an officer to undertake this department of the work for us. The Executive secured Miss Laing’s services and paid her expenses to Dunedin to go into the question of the Exhibition Rally we had hoped to hold at the beginning of next year. She found the difficulties so many, and the expenses for such a camp so great, that we were obliged to call it off. This is where we realise that expert knowledge such as Miss Laing possesses is going to mean a very great thing to the Guiders seeking help and advice and training. Guides from several Provinces have sat this year for the first competition for the Lady Jellicoe Shield, and our thanks and appreciation are very real to Dr. Inglis, who arranged all papers and is doing the judging. The result is not yet out. Our Guide work makes for happiness and good cheer, not only amongst the Guides and Guiders, but committee members catch the happy atmosphere, and we realise that it is a privilege to be connected with such a wonderful movement, which is helping to cope with the big problems facing our girls, and teaching them to live in the truest sense of the word. Jfeadquarters Report '~ r 'HE Dominion General Secretary (Miss D. E. Gillett) in her annual report, reflected the good progress the Girl Guides movement had made. She also made a spirited appeal for better co-operation and

assistance for headquarters:— “The movement has been spreading rapidly in New Zealand during the past year. In April the numbers had reached 2,544, and there has been a further and greater increase since the April reports were sent in. Since then Hawke’s Bay Province has been opened. up and a number of Companies started, and there has also been a great wave of enthusiasm in the Wellington Province. The next report forms should show a further marked difference. Eighty Company and Pack Certificates, and 78 Guiders’ Warrants have been issued, which gives some idea of the spread of the movement. At present funds do not permit of too great an outlay in stocks, and occasionally stocks run very low in any line on which there has been a great demand, and it is unavoidable that Provinces should be kept waiting for goods under these conditions. If the support of all Guiders and Guides could be assured and more room provided, larger stocks could be kept, with a greater variety of literature, etc. You will see from the Balance Sheet that our financial position is sound at present, but it must be remembered that special efforts have been made during the year to raise funds, and also that we received a Government grant, neither of which can we expect to be yearly occurrences. Without these we should be considerably in debt. It is obvious that the additional work entailed by larger stocks makes more help necessary; already there is more than one can accomplish satisfactor Seven hundred and eighteen parcels have been despatched during the year. Of these 718 parcels, 201 have been sent out during the last three months, which is a large increase on any previous three months. The correspondence and work of the other many branches has increased in proportion. I will therefore end my report with the plain statement that if the work is to be done satisfactorily in all its branches, assistance is absolutely necessary.”