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010
APRIL,
1939
MATILDA
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q~::te;~::,D~:~~:~;~EETS,
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TENTS , CAMPING GOODS, FLAGS, TRAVEL _ RUGS, CAMP BEDS, WATERPROOFS, SLEEPING BAGS, MATTRESSES. ,
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~:lELB.,
Official Cam'as Goods House to the Girl Guides' Association. ,_I Special Ooncesslons oft List Prices ~ To all Girl Guide Organisations Write for Particulars to Your Head-
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Evans II
PTY. LTD. 680-8 li:LIZABETH ST.,
SPORT~~
GOODS We have arranged to allow Concessions on all Sporting Goods. ~rrite to us for Our List, Prices and Particulars. TeJUlis, GoU, Cl1cket, Baseball,
,.1
Ba...ketball and Indoor Games.
SUPPORT THE
FIRl\[
WHO SUPPORT YOU
L'I_'I_,,_,I_,,_,~,I _,I _,I _u_'~"_I>_,,_.~1
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THE MUTUAL STORE
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features Kew Values from the Special
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COLLEGE WEAR DEPT. Girls' Doctor Flannel SCHOOL BLAZERS The ideal Blazer for School or C.~l1ege wear. Super quality Doctor Flannel in Navy. Finished with Silk Ribbon Binding. Specially Priced
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Tailored Fuji Silk
SKffiT BLOUSES. 20in. to 271n., 7/11; 301n. to sain., 8/6; 36in. to 39in., 8/11; 421n. to 45In.. 5/11.
April, 1939.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Minutes of meeting'S of the Executive Committee of the Girl Guides Association, Victoria , held at the Guide Office:2nd :\]arch, 1939.-Present: Lady Chauvel, Mrs. Ebeling, Mr!;. Littlejohn, Misses Broadhunt, Bush, Boyes, Cameron, Moran, Purnell, Russell, Swinburne and the Secretary. A~reed-That Miss Purnell be asked to represent the Committee of the Association at the meeting of Clergy, Guiders and Scouters in Bendigo on 17th March. That H. E. Lady Gowrie be asked to open the Guide House in September, 1939. Reported-That the deficit on State Camps held during the summer would be approximately £22 8i 8. 15th ;\1 arch, 1939.-Present: Lady Chauvel, Mrs. Ebeling', Mrs. Littlejohn, Misses Bush, Boyes, Broadhurst, Cameron, Coles, Purnell, Swinburne and the Secretary. Welcome.-Lady Chauvel welcomed Miss Coles as tl~e Commissioners' representative on t 1'e Executive Committee. Agreed-That Dr. Mildred Hutchings be nominated to the Australian Party attending the Pax-Tine; in Hungary. That ing of firmed, held in
the recommendation ma<le by the meetCommissioners and Guiders be coni e., that a Victorian Walkabout b,~ September, during Show Week.
That a meeting to form an organising committee he held on 22nd March. That a Picture Night be held, probably ill July. That a letter of congratulation be sent t" Barbara Ogle, 1st Parkville Co., in recognition of her courageous act in rescuing two boys from (!:'owning in December, 1938. Rep o. ted-That Miss Boyes had been appoirt('d ~ member of the physical Education and Recreation Sub-Committee of the National Ph~'sical Fitne~s Council. That New South Wales Rangers welcomed the idea of Victorian Rangers coml:!ining in thp propo ·ed visit to New Zealand. :!:{outine and financial business was discussed.
THE MUTUAL STORE
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S. H. IRVING, State Secretary.
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Printed by the Hilton Preu (1920) Pty. Ltd.. !U-26 Moray Street.
South M.lbour.. e. S.C.i.
"Matilda"
An Official Treasure Bag of Guiders' Information for Guiders of Victoron, Australia. Price: 3/- Per Yenr; 4/- Posted. Single Copies, 6d. each. Editor: MARGOT ANDERSON. Guide Headquarters, 60 Mn"ket Street, C.l.
APRIL,1939.
VOL. XV. EDITOR'S NOTES. Matilda, on
your b ehalf,
would
C
OTOU. nd ~. F. E. DA'l"fE . G. C. \\T. ROG - -, - - :0: - - - - -
mu s t not be t a k en into th e lil<e
to
sa y
farew ell to L a dy Hunting fi eld and "Thank you very much" for all th e interest Rh e h as tal,en in Guidin g while livin g in Vi c toria. \Ne wish her
W e sha ll miss h er v e ry much from our
~
The Guid er's' Committee m et on l"riday, Mar'c!1 3.
Pr'escnt:
M r s.
Ebelin g,
Mrs.
vVoina rski,
confer en ce" a nd hope thaL G uid s in England m ay b en efit fJ"O m h er a d v i ce , a s w e out h er e
Mi sses Black , ost a in , D a vi es, D empst er', Haywa rd, 1itch ell, Smith. P otter a nd N ew ell.
have. Th e finan ci a l secret a ry r eports a se rious short-
A P i ·turc 1\"ig ht will b e h eld at th e R ege nt on T h UJ'sd ay , April 27th.
a ge of
!
ubscribers to M a tilda a lread y this year.
" C uirl E' r s, will y ou
~ u pport
your Committee by
Have you forg ottpn to pay your s ub~c riplion?
makin g this eff ort su ccessful?"
Editors of various pages r Eport th a t, ve ry few, and in some cases, none a t all , send in articles or help of any kind for th eil' pages. ould you
m a y b e obta in ed from your Divisional r epresentative or at H cadquarters.
make an effot' t and g ive yom' parti cul a r editor a surpri Rc by r endin g' in som e su ggestion s for the pa g e?
Guiders pl ea!:e n ot€' th a t th e t i m e f o r Guid es. Browni es, e tc., to b e at G ov e rn mcnt H ou se on Tu esday, 4th Apri l , has b een alte r ed to 11 a.m. (not ]1.30 as previou sly st a t ed in th e pr€'ss). They must b e in p osition at 11.1 5 a s th e d eparture fr o m G ov er nme nt Hou e tak es pl ace
a t 11 . 30. Th ey will line the l eft-hand sid e of th e drive. On e colour with sco rt m !lY be brou g ht from each district. Colour's should b e cased whil e being ca rri ed throu g h th e streets. Mi ss Ba tten a nd Mi ss Roge rs, th e Guid ers in charge, will wear blue a rm b :l.I1ds. The Direc t o r for Edu cation h as inform ed Miss Irving th a t Guides may . with th e comlCnt of their parents a nd h ead t each er s, b e absent from Echool for the necessary time. \iVhere possible it would b c w ell if th E'Y could ~ Lld
(2 / 2)
The n ext m eeting will b e h eld on Mar'ch 31, at 8 p.m.
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Departure of His Excellency the Governor and Lady Huntingfield.
Guiders
Tickets
-MARY NEWELL, Sec.
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b e met
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GUIDERS' COMMITI'EE.
a very pl easant trip home, anti hope that she will enjoy m any y e~Hs of g ood h ealth a nd happiness.
No. 10.
conduc ted to a nd from the g rounds by
of ' their
r eH Pective di strictR.
Sweets
30 Albany Cres., Surrey Hills, E.10. March 1st, 1939. Dear Matilda,--Miss Alfred is not alone in her criticism of this last Guiders' Conference and in the feeling that it was largely a waste of time. She says that we should spend that time "planning and working for the youth of our country." I consider that we ARE working for the youth of our country in our own Guide companies and that the general plan of that work is already outlined for us in our Guide methods. It is the details of the plan which require discussion and modification and it is this which should occupy Guiders at the con ferences. Discussion seems to me to be the essence of a "conference," and by the free give and take of ideas we get that inspiration for which Miss Alfred asks. But for the discussions to be really fruitful the Guiders must know beforehand of the subjects upon which they are to be requested to give their ideas. Therefore, an agenda of the Conference should
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MATILDA
be published in Matilda for the two preceding months. Since the discussion of uniform can go on and on and hardly affords inspiration I would suggest that this subject be el~minated en tirely from the Conference. Those who wish to discuss the matter can always do so through Matilda (though from the lack of replies to Miss Tulloh it would appear that no one is sufficiently interested). And surely the pages of Matilda is t he the place for any suggestions for the improvement, and for praise or criticism of our paper. I am, Yours truly, MARGARET LESTER.
THE GUIDERS' DINNER. The Gu iders Dinner, which was prev iou s ly announced as being held on Empire Day, has been arranged to coincide with the G uide \Veek activiti es, and wilt be held on \V dnesday, May 10, at 6.30 p.m., at Gl'iffiths' Tea Rooms, in Royal Arcade. The cost of tbe dinner will be 2/ - each . The speaker at the dinner will be Mrs. J. D. G. Medley. and her subj ect wi ll be "Service." Mrs. Medley was a District Commi ssioner in South Australia, and is a memb I' of our State Council. All Guiders wishing to attend al'e asked to .·end their n ames as ear ly as possible to Miss Margaret Black, 110 Glyndon Road, Cambe rwell, E.6. No applications received after 29th April will be considered. as accommodation is limited. --------:0:--------
THINKING DAY DISPLAY. FEBRUARY, 1939. ,-=,..,.-= ,. ~.
-. ~-
RECEIPTS.
Feb. 20 21 22 23 24 25
£1 10 2 2
6 5 7 1
2 2 1 13 1 2 10 0 8 3
- - ----£8 19
8
----EXPENDITURE. Sta tionery , . Postage (July, 1938) .. ,. .. " ,.
£0
2
o 12
1 2
April, 1939.
Lighling-H.Q. .. . , . . . . Hire of Film . . . . . . Hire of Projector .. . . G ift to World Hostel for armchair, 25 / -, plus exchange Guide House Endowment Fund ..
n
0 12 1 17 2 10
6 0
1 11
6
1 14
2
£8 19
8
S. H. IRVING, C. BROADHURST. TRAMW AYS CONCESSIONS. The Melboul'De and Metropolitan Tramways Board have very kindly agl'eed to info I'm conductors of the change in Ranger uniform, that is, that Hangers need not wear hats when trave llin g- to a nd from Co mpa n y meetings. So in future hatless Hangers will be eligib le for the conces!';ion on the tramwayI'. - S.H.I.
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FOR THINKING DAY, 1940. Bearing in mind th e success of Thinking Day, 1939, and the results of what was done in a very small time, it is exciting to th ink of the tremendous th ings we could do in a much longer time. In our 1939 effOrt it was the work of two Guiders who had cO['J'espond ence overseas; thi" worked out very well, but a far more thrilling thing would be if the Guides did the work themselves in connection with theil' Intel'Dational Knowledge, World Citizen, Interpreter, Empire Knowledge Badges, etc. , etc. Such a small number of Guides know about the Post Box and wbat can be done by it and it would be good if Captains could inform their Guides about this, to give them th is opportunity of Intel'DationaJ Knowledge. The two G uid ers who organised the H39 Exhibition would be very happy if more would cooperate with them with the id ea of building up a small co mmittee wh ic h cou ld work out some form of scheme for the 1940 effort. This would have to be done quickly as letters and percel!'; from overseas take so much time. Would all Guiders who would be interested to help wOl'k out a scheme fol' the Guides p lease commu ni ca te with Miss S. H. I rving, Girl Guides A!';sociation, 60 Market Street, Melbourne. We would lik e an answer to this notice by not later than the end of April; as time is so short. -C.B., S.H.I.
April, 1939.
5
MATILDA
FOOD FOR THE KOALAS. Billy the Bear speaks:"From our homes in the trees where the soft breezes blow, We shall watch with delight while your eucalypts grow. May your seedlings all thrive, may your failures be few, We are all good Australians, so good luck to you." From the Education Department comes the following letter:Girls and Boys,Billy the Bear brings you your packet of eu alypt seeds, and on behalf of his friends, thank" you fOl' your willingnelis to help. Because of the d isastrous bush fil'es, seed haR been difficult to obtain, so he hopes that the size of the packet will not disappoint you. For YOUI' sakes as well as his own he wants you to be successful, and so he advises you to read carefully the notes in the March number (pl'inted below) of your School Papers before you plant your seeds. Then, later on, he would like to know how long your seeds took to germinate, how many seedlings you raised from each packet of seeds, and how many you managed to pot successfully. Above all, he would like to feel, once you start, you will see the job through to the end, for a really g'ood Australian always "sticks to his job." Send your letters toTHE SUPERVISOR, State Schools' Nursery, Poath Road, Oakleigh, S.E.12. The Supervisor has supplied the following notes on how to make the seed-bed, plant the seeds, and care for the little plants when they appear:The Seed Bed.-A sunny position, sheltered from drying winds, should be chosen for the seed-bed. A bed six feet long and three feet wide will be big enough, and its edges may be held in place by six inch boards. Good, sandy soil is needed. If your soil is too heavy, sand from gutters or creeks should be mixed with it. Dig the soil well and break up all lumps. Water the soil so that it is ne ither very wet nor very dry. When you have finished YOUI' work, the soil should be very fine. and the surface should be level. Now pI'ess the surface gently with a flat board or the back of the spade to make it firm. Sowing the Seed.-Sow the seed evenly and fairly thickly over the space allowed for each kind of gum. Cover it with sandy soil 01' a mixture of one part of sandy soil with two parts of
stable manure that has been put through a sieve. The manure will help to keep the moisture in the soil, and will prevent the ground from caking. The seed should be covered evenly to a depth of from an eighth to a quarter of an inch. \'Vatering.-Water lightly, using a can with a fine rose. (A large treacle tin with fine nail holes in the bottom may be used). The surface of the bed must not be allowed to become dry unlil the seedlings are well up. All watering must be done thoroughly but lightly. Be careful not to wash the seed out of the ground. The bed may be safely watered while the sun is shining, provided the ground is well soaked. Shading.-A covel' of calico or hessian may be stretched tightly across the bed. It must not rest on the soil. The cover will ave water and leRsen the danger of the seeds being washed out, as one watering each day will usually be enough . Four 01' five waterings would be needed on a hot day if the bed had no shade. The shade should be taken away while the bed is being- watered, and should be left off altogether as soon as the seedling-s are up. Weeding.-If the ground has been well prepared there will not be many wee lis. Any we~ds that come up should be pulled out at once. Make sure that YO'u know what young gums look like, so that YOU will not pull them out by mistake. Seeds are available at the Guide Office. For further reference re this tree-planting scheme for the bears on Phillip Island, look up League of Youth notes, December issue of Matilda, 1938. -J.H.
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"TO LIVE MOST AND TO SERVE BEST." HEALTH AI\T)) SAFETY ACTIVITIES IN 1~OnTSMOU1'H, OIDO.
By DOROTHY KOTTNAUER HUESTIS, Local :pirector. With the revist~, interrelated J}rog-ramme, every fie ld can lay claim to some of the projects in another field, but none to the extent t hat Health and Safety can, because these two factors are inseparably linked with all Girl Scout adventure. Because it is so fundamental our leaders have experimented with projects in this fi eld even before the May and June issues of the "Leader" presented the revised programme. F'or all three age levels the aims are the
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MATILDA
~a m e, buL.the m eans vary greatly. One particularly successful project for Brownies was the "Course for Young Mothers" in the prope r care of their doIl daughters. Not only w e r e h ealth rules listed but special e mphasis was place d on This project the reasons b'ehind th e rules. e nd e d with a doIl tea to which th e Brownies invited their moth e rs.
Our Senior Girl Scouts a r e interested in h ealth primarily from the personality d evelopm ent angle. In on e Troop, each girl draws the nam e of another member of the Troop and at regular inte rvals, on a form provided by the lead er, checks the progress the othe r has mad e . ÂŁ;i nce no on e girl knows who has her nam e and since the check is mad e over a p e riod of tim e, the girls are obse rve d when they are off guard and natural. Several times a year the ratings are shown to the girls. The lead e r and assistant a h~'ays add their analysis to th e r ep orts. They have taken the precaution to make thesn checl{ lists cover readily obse rvabl e facts-such as posture-rather than traits of character, whieh might be made worse instead of improved by ill-ad vised comment. On the othe r hand, the leade rs h ave a good understanding of the psychology of the adolescent girl, and are trying to give each girl the particular h e lp that she especially n eeds. '1'he Girl Scouts were elated . when they r eceived the r ev ised programm e. to lea rn that they already had a good st:art on several H ealth and Safety badges. One group had become interested in shoes and foot health after a trip through our lo cal shoe factory. The girls left with charts for checking their footprints, a nd an exce Ile nt pamphlet on "How to Walk," by Alma Archer, author of "Secrets of Smartness." This little book, with its num e rous pictu r es, points out various fau lty walkers, such as the hippity-hop, the spread eagle, and the camel walker. Various sty les of sitting are also illustrated. Particularly interesting was the "never. never" page, portraying the cardinal sins of crooked stocking seams: wrinkles in hose, runoye r heels, gaping heels. hol es in stockings, shoes that m a k e feet bulge over the vamp. and shoes with weak arches. We inquire d whether this book would be availab'le to other lead e rs. and were told that they nead merely write to th e Selby Shoe Company, Portsmouth, Ohio. Because the girls were so interested in any available public.ations, they were also given a little pamphlet caIled "Happy Customers," a manual of successful shoe selling. In it the sa lesma n is told how to flt a shoe not only
April, 1939.
according to length and breadth, but also acco rdin g to the a rch cu rve and heC'1 angle. Rvealing were the tactics necessary to prevent a woman guided by vanity rathe r than good judgmC'nt from buying a sh oe unsuited to her fo ot. At camp last summer we took posture picture by tacking a sheet across the door and using lanterns as reflectors for light. The room il' which the pictures were taken was darkened by tacking blankets ove r the windows. The subject, dressed in h er bathing suit, stood s il houetted against the white sheet. The camp nurse assisted by analysing each girl's posture as she stood in front of, the sheet. In correcting posture we have found that it is very necessary to h avE' a girl develop the fee l of good posture, or she will "freeze instantly into a caricature of a West POinter at attention, chest 'way out, shoulders 'way back. chin doubl e, legs stretched down like pokers, and hips riding out behind lik e a caboose." (This apt ex pr ssion is one of the many found in "Your Carriage, Madam," by Janet Lane, an excellent boolt for any Troop interested.in posture.) Of course, the' pictUre was snapped before the girl WIUI inform ed of h er faulty traits. The question has been asked why the pict:ure was necessary when the gi rl h e rself cou ld be stUdied. The advantage of the negative was that it allowed the girl actually to see h erself as others saw her. Also we hope for visible improve ment in follow-up pictures. Incidentally, this provided an excellent rainy-day activity. Since the films had to be overdeveloped, we took th em to a boy ~;hose hobby was photography to h ave them finished. The negative shows the posture very clearly so no prints were necessary. Next year we hope to set up our own daJ'l<room at camp; then our group of photography enthusiasts can develop our fl lms. Several Troops have planned to take posture picture during their meetings this winter. On Troop chooses, in addition to the Troop scribe and treasurer. a Troop nurse, generally a gi rl who plans to be a nurse. Not only is she r(>sp on ibl e for the flrst aid kit, but she' serves on any comm ittee planning a hike, a party, or a camping trip, to consider the h ealth aspeetf:. WhE'n recently the Troop decided it wanted to study first aid. she made an appointment with a nurse. who invited the girls to c om e to h e r hom e. A rathE' r signiflcant discove ry we have made in the field of Health and Safety is the advi ability of having the girls do their own check-
April, 1939. tllg of health and safety standards. They inspect possible places for hikes and overnights. At camp such a squad put Up' toilet pape l' racks in th e latrine and posted notices saying "Be sure to close th e s eats" and "Re member to wash your hands." The girls are very critical in th e ir attitude not only of othe r Girl Scouts but of th e ir leaders When, on one occasion, the I ader had b ee n forced to make last minute changes in th e arrangements, the committee courteously but nevertheless firmly d e mande d an explanation. Fortunate ly it was a sound one, and th e girls approve d. In a recent survey of ambitions of Scioto County Girl Scouts, so many girls wante d to b'e nurses that th e h ea lth reporter on our local radio station became inte rested. She has done public h ealth wor'l< in New York and has had considerable journalistic e xperi e nce, so we w e re d elighte d wh en sh e suggested that she would e njoy m eeting on Saturday mornings with any girls esp cially inte rest ed in h ealth. Since sh e has served as h ealth r('porte r both with a n e wspape r' and on the radio, she also thought of th e publicity angle Afte r the g irls ha.ve worl,cd on several h ealth projects, she plans a radio true-a nd-false contest to show our community how well inform ed and actively inte rested OUI' Girl Scouts are in personal and community h ea lth and safety. (From "The Girl Scout L eader," U.S.A.).
GUIDE HOUSE. So that the garden at the Guide House may be pl'operly looked afler it has been decided to hold as many week-ends as possible during the Autumn and Wintel' months. 'Nould all those who would be willing to help in this work please write to Miss Broadhurst, c/o GiJ'l Guide Association, 60 Market Street, Melbourn e, and state the tim es th ey would be ab le to come. She will then correspond with them and make all final arrangements. -CLARA BROADHURST.
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DID YOU KNOW THATTh e' first steady current of electrity was produced 139 years ago, hy the Italian physicist. Count Alessandro Volta, whose name and achievement have been handed down to )lS in the word volt, the unit of e lectromotive force.
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MATILDA
FOT more than 60 years before Volta produced a steady current of e lectricity, by means of a pile ot silver and Hin c discs, with moist pieces of cloth betwee n them, and a wire connecting the upper and lower discs, electricity had been m e re ly a toy of science. For more than a generation e lect ric shocl,s had bee n produced by m ea.ns of the Lelcen jar. Abbe Noll et, de monst rating be for e the Fre nch Court, delighte d the onlookers by transmitting the discharge of a battery of Leyden jars through <l line of 180 guardsmen, making the m jump simultaneously. But it took scientist sixty years of bridge the gulf betwee n the production of an e lec tric shock and the production of a steady e lec tr'ic current. Volta went to Paris to d em onstrate his inve ntion ' befol'll Napoleon , who shower-ed honors on him, besides a gift of 2000 crowns from the public treasury, and a life pension. FrRST
'.rt.;LI~GRAI>H
LINE.
Another thirty-seven years e lapsed be fore the e lectl'ic c urre nt was appli e d to the inve ntion of the te le graph. Th e Irst te legraph line op e rate d in England was be tween Euston station, th e t e rminus of the TOl'th- Western Railways, and Camden Town, five miles away. But the company saw little practical use for the telegraph, and the inve ntors, Professor Wheatsom e and MI'. Cooke, we nt to the Great Western Railway Company, and rece ived pel'mission to lay telegraph wires bet ween the terminus at Paddington and Slough, 18 miles away. But at a mee ting of the shal'eholders of this company th e telegraph was denounced as "a n w-fangled scheme," and a motion was carried I e pudiating the agreement the directors had e ntered into with the inventors. But Mr'. Cool<e was allowed to retain the te le graph line, provid e d he transmitted the company's m essages fr ee of charge. He built up a small business with the public, at a charge of one shil lin g for each m essage.
WANTED A Member of the Guide Movement for the Equipment Depot. Mary Lambert leaves us at the end of April, as she is to be married shortly. Would anyone wanting to take her place please apply to the Secretary before 6th April. Salary 25/per week. Applicants should call between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. -S.H.I.
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MATILDA
8
Editor:
ELSIE SYDES.
Contributions and What to Expect. To all those hundreds! of Guiders we are expecting contributions from during tbe year. If you read the Nature Page, which of COUl'se you do, you will have noticed that it is set out in short paragraphs with plainly marked heading.;, speciall y for busy people, and being a busy and hard-worked Guider we are sure you appreciate OUI' thoug¡htfulness. So that when you send in contributions to the Editor you must expect to see your beautiful work sad ly chopped about and mutilated, But this is the point, so don't on any account skip this bit, at the end you will be de lighted to see your name gracing the page, not n e cessarily as the writer (for hasn't it b en sad ly mutilated ,?), but as the sende l' of the information, the observe r t e lling others of her good fortun e, the Guidcr handing on use ful hints and knowledge gai ned from expcrience.
Some Pets YGur Guides Could Keep. (1) A mud wasp's nest in a jar and watch the wasps come out. (2) Tadpoles in a jar, and watch them change to frogs. (3) Snails and slugs. These shou ld be no trouble in the matter of diet. (4) Grubs and caterpillars in a box with fine wire or butter-muslin to pl'event their escape. Watch these grow, pupate and turn to moths, etc. (5) Small frogs.
Miss Mullin's A,d ventures With Them. \Vasps,-I had a number of wasps last yeaI', HO put a mud nest in a jar and watched as they came out. Ichneumon Flies or Wasps.-I had two of these come out of darala cocoons instead of the moth, They must have eaten him. (Which goes to show that the beginner wants to make sure that ' what comes out of a thing is the real descendant and not an interloper.-Ed.) , Vine Moths and Parasites.~Had a number of vine moths with parasites on them, i.e., vine moth caterpillars. The caterpillar dies graduully and then the parasite spins a cocoon and later comes out of this. These parasites were also on a little brown caterpillar that is about a lot in February,
April, 1939.
Gl'Ubs in Peas.-Have some of these in a jar a '; present too. The wog-box is grow ing.-I have a busy time in the morning giving fresh gum and water to the things that need it. There are five small frogs quite at home, plus snails and s lugs. The snails would escape at night so I put a trail of salt along the side they usua lly g'o up, and that ,tops them. Spider' on Gum.-Have numerous spider nest,; on the gum. I have pickled a few pecimens, but am not so keen on tbis branch, as I would rather .watch th whole life. It is all so wonderfully interesting and even tbe family are watching!
Three Observations. Gum Shoots.-A gum -tree ne!!r my house has been lopp ed and is now sending out bunches of new leaves. Those on the top of the tree are small, narrow and light green; those coming from lower down the trunk are the lovely round, soft grey-green that we love for our vases. Can you xplain this? A Butterfly.- Tot unlike the dusky I;wallowi.ail, but a liltl e longer and with six distinct red spots along the edge of the back wing and a sJTIa ll red splash wherc the wing joins the body. (Was this the wood White?) PI'aying Mantis Eats Bee.-And how did it go about it? It h eld the bee with both 'f ore-legs, eating it from the back up, the POOl' bee wriggled to the la t-a horrid sight. 'W hen not much was left, it held the bee clasped in one leg and ate it sideways. After its meal, the mantis remained in the same place for several hours. -M. HOFFMEYER.
Something to Find Out. (1) What consteJlation is in th e cast at 10
p.m.?
And what setting in the west? Can you find the Magellan clouds? (3) \Vhi ch cricket makes the deafening noise in the garden-mol e or field? (4) Is this the s ing ing season for the butchel'bird? (5) What tage are the acorns at? (6) Do soldier bugs eat nectar from the flowers? (7) Have the young blackbirds finished changing color? (8) What are tbe ants doing-do they work all day in your backyard, because they don't in mine? (9) Did you discover the drought-resisting plants in your garden? Did you notice anything special about them, which you think helped them? (10) Are you m a king a note of autumn happenings? (2)
?
April, 1939.
MATILD A
Bagheera-The Grey Currawong. Bagheera was the name we gave to our grey currawong, and the following is his story. One day the boys from nearby brought along a pOOl' currawong with his wing shot through and useless, and one leg broken and hanging by a mere thread. He looked a hopeless case but we set to work and bound the leg up, placing him in a small wired-in chicken run, in the hopes that he would recover. Then one day we unwrapped th~ leg, but all too soon, for it healed crookedly. The wing remained useless so we let him have th e freedom of the yard, which was very spacious and grassy like a paddock. His Character.-He was a gay fellow, waking up at 5 in summer and whistling "spring creek" in the shrillest of tones. Terribly shy, after 12 months he would not trust himself too close to me. and al the sight of more than one person at a time, was off like a shot. He would feed from my fingers, raw meat being his diet, and he would come onto the back verandah when he felt hungry, looking for a feed. Sometimes he helped himself to pollard and bran mixtUl'e f!"Om the fowl'>; dish. He seemed very fond of it, but it always resulted in branny-looking pellets about 1 to 1~ inches long being ejected. Bathing.-He dearly loved a bath, so that when the irrigation water came down the little channels, h e was happy and would have as many a~ three baths some days, and always two. 1 could neve r induce him to bath in the magpie'. bath-dish, he suspected a trap, I think. (To be Continued.) --------:0:--------
EXTENSION COLUMN.
Editor: Joan Alston.
ST. GEORGE'S DAY SERVICE. It is hoped that many Extensions will be present at the annual St. George's Day Service in St. P aul's Cathedral at 3.15 p.m. on
9
Saturday, April 22nd. Captains are requested to have their an, nual tea party in the Verger's Room in the Chapter House. This party will probably finish at 5 o'clock.
EXTENSION GUIDERS' TRAIN ING WEEK-EN D. Tllis was held from Mar('h 17th-20th, at the Big House at the Guide House. Twentyfive people were able to attend and we were lucky in having Miss Sylvia Docker, who is the Occupational 'l'hel'apist for the V.S .C.C., with us . She gave us a most interesting session on the handcrafts which the children art! learning and the way in which these handcrafts are used to strengthen the ::hildren physically. This is one of the many ways in which the Extension Branch can work with the V.S.C.C. We can send the Society the names of children who wish to learn handcrafts, and these handcrafts can then be sold through the Society's Craft Club, wllic:l will help us by sending teachers and generally assisting the children. The training commenced with a sessi.on on company problems and individual reports, and the other sessions included company management, monthly meetings, zoning of recruits and re-arrangement of companies. On Monday Miss Martin from Imperial Headquarters visited the Camp House, together with Miss Irving and Miss Moran, and stayed to lunch. The swimming pool was most popular during the week-end-some (?) energetic people even went swimming before breakfast-and it WAS cold! The final event of the week-end was an enrolment. Many Guiders know Dolly, the Guide House horse, and the Extension Guiders felt ¡ that she should be enrolled. A large Guide badge was made from the ever-useful floUi' and salt mixture and duly painted golden with egg-yolk--it had to be edible as Dolly has a reprehensible habit of eating her belongings. In the presence of Extension Guiders and many Rangers (who were having a field day at the Guide house), Dolly was duly enrolled and her badge hung around her neck. She was not at a ll shy and nodded her head vigorously when asked whether she would "always be a
10
MATILDA
good horse and work well House."
for
the
Guide
The ceremony ended with the singing ¡J f "For She's a Jolly Good Horsey." Altogether, it was a good week-end-very interesting and great fun. -J.A.
Edit'ar: M. Hesiltine. The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek. -R.L.S. BREVITIES Do you give your Brownies Easter eggs? Do they give them to other children, 0 1' both or neither? Why not discuss this at PowWow and see what the Pack thinks about it. Cut eggs and chickens' heads from paper and make "Six" nests with an egg for each Brownie present. At Inspection let each "perfect" Brownie stick on a chicken's head to make her egg hatch. EASTER Brown Owl s, do you rea;.ise that Easter is here again? What are you doing about it'l Why not give the Pack an Eastel Meetin:s with a Treasure Hunt for Easter Eggs? They are quite cheap to buy and the chiidren love them. Turn them into chickens for Inspection with their pennies as eggs and of course an Easter story. Here are a couple of Easter games to help. EASTER GAMES Three chickens are trying to break their shells and get to the fowl run without Mother hen hearing. Three eggs (large) are drawn on the floor. One Brownie goes into each and must walk all round her egg before making fo r the fowl run . Mother hen must scratch the floor and point to whichever egg she thinks is hatching. The chicken that gets to the fowl run with-
April, 1939. FOR S ALE-L ad ies' Free Wheel B ike, elect r ic li gh t in g equi pment, tools a n d pump inc luded ; ~'c:U'ccly u sed. R ing '\\'.7 792. Miss E . Fraser, 381 'a nte l'bury Roa d, Surrey Hill s . TWO GU IDER S g'oing on a wa lking tril in th e Cape Ot way D is tri c t, w ish to h ear of a noth ~ r tri ed wa lke r w h o would like to accompa n y th em . RO:J.d ways, c/o Girl Guide H.Q.
out being heard wins. one mother hen.
Three chickens and
EASTER SINGING GAME. Tune: Muffin Man. Here are hot cross buns for sale Buns f or sale, buns for sale Her e are hot cross buns for sale Come and buy them while you may. Come arid buy them while they're hot One for you and one for Dot, And you'll see how many you get For these buns you'll not forget. Brownies in line behind Sixers, 1st Brownie in each six walks up to Brown Owl, then back t o ptace carrying book (hot cross buns) (,D her head while the rest of the Pack sings. Walk up during fir st verse and back to place during second verse. Second Brownie then takes hot cross buns and so on. -R.S. THE GOLD BEETLE. "It's not fair, it's quite stupid," said Gloop. "I don't want to go to school any more." "No more do I," said Glum. "We are quite old enough to go on our own, without Mr. Osowise trailing after us." "I like Mr. Osowise," said Tuck. "He is very interesting, he knows so much." "Oh, you would," said the other two gnomes. "Y ou are so inquisitive, always wanting to know something." "Well, you seem to know everything, you keep saying, "I know, I know," all the time said Tuck, and he bent down to count how many petals a blue-bell had.
I
r
April, 1939.
MATILDA
"What, three little gnomes quarrelling?" said a voice from a tree and the startled gnomes looked up to see the Witch of the Wood, sitting on a bough. "What is the trouble?" she asked quite kindly, Tuck thought. Gloop and Glum were afraid, all witches were slightly queer, and could do most unpleasant things such as turning a gnome into a slug or something equally nasty. "WeH, you see," Tuck began, "Gloop and Glum do not school, they think they know enough without having Mr. Osowise always travelling about with us; but I want to know lots more, like why some birds lay more eggs than others and where worms live in the dry weather and-Oh, we know aH that," said Glum cross;y. "Then where do they go then?" Oh well, they, they-It doesn't matter any "-ay, who cares? said Gloop. "Would you like to do something for me?" said the witch. "Yes," said Tuck at once. But Gloop and Glum held back a little; they didn't trust witches. "If you can succeed in thi" task, I'm sure you wouldn't need to have Mr. Osowise teaching you every day." Then the three gnomes clamored to be told what to do for her. Gently the Witch swung to and fro on the bough, her tall peaked cap was ' tilted well over her eyes, which were very black, ant! Tuck was sur e he could see a twinkle. "1 have an enemy," said the Witch dreamily. "We shaH kill him," shouted Gloop and Glum, and they straightened their shoulders and marched up and down, looking very ferocious. "I'm afraid it's a 'she,' said the Witch, "and it wouldn't do any good to kill her. Sit down and I'll tell you about it. The other night the Witch of the Dry Forest came calling. I was away and she entered my house and stole a charm. Now, I know she gave the charm to the Princess at the Palace, who wears ;.t on a silver chain around her neck. It is no use me asking the Princess to give me my charm, but if you are as wise as you say, perhaps you could get it for me. You must look very neat and tidy for they are particular at the Palace." The gnomes began to spruce themselves up. "How shall we get into the Palace?" they asked. "I'll leave it to you," "aid the witch. "It should not be difficult." "What is the charm like?" asked Tuck. "A little heart-shaped black stone.' "Who shall start first? said Gloop. "I shaH, I'm the biggest," shouted Glum. "Let's draw lots," said Tuck. The witch nodd.ed. "Here are
11
three pine needles. The one to draw the longest shall go first and the shortest shaH be last ." Gloop and Glum both pulled together. They were so impatient. The witch handed Tuck his. It was by far the shortest, Gloop had the longest. "Goodbye," he shouted, and set off at a run. The others sat down to wait. Gloop sped through the forest, feeling sure he would be able to accomplish the task. Soon he grew tired and had to slow down to get his breath. He was puffing and blowing and little beads of perspiration trickled down his nose. Presently, he looked down and saw a Gold Beetle land on his shoe. "Get off," he shouted, shaking his foot vigorously, but the beetle didn't move. Gloop got angry and shook his foot furiously a.nd then he gave a mighty kick. Off flew his hoe right into the middle of a patch of blackberry bushes and away sailed the beetle, it's lovely wings gleaming in the sunlight. . Gloop struggled through the blackberries, tearing his clothes and scratching his face and hands. He tried and tried, but could not reach his shoe. There it stuck high up in the middle of the bushes looking like a red flower. Gloop felt very unhappy. "I can't get into the Palace now, with only one shoe and my clothes all torn; I'll have to go back." So "ery miserably he limped back through the forest. When he met the others, he was too tired and angry to tell them what had happened and Glum started off, very pleased that he was to have a chance of getting the charm for the Witch . He too ran until he could run no more and when he slowed down a lovely Gold Beetle rested on his foot. "Shoo-get off," he said, and kicked his foot about. The beetle still stuck. Then he began to shake, just like Gloop, and presently he gave a mighty kick. Off went his shoe into the middle of a lagoon. It disappeared with a big splash and the beetle buzzed away lazily. Gloop began to wade in after the shoe, but sank to his knees in black mud before he was even half way to the spot where a few bubbles showed the spot where it had vanished. "I can't go to the Palace like this," he thought, and tears of disappointment began to fall. So he too, turned back. He was very angry and miserable and wouldn't speak when he got back tq the Witch. Tuck set out gaily. He had been so afraid the other two would find the charm before he
12
MATILDA
had a chance to try. He hurried also at first, and had to slow down after a while, but he had enough breath to whistle a merry tune. Presently, the little Gold Beetle landed on his shoe. "What a pretty creature," he said. "It must be tired and wants II rest," and he began to walk very carefully so it would have a ~mooth ride all the way through the forest, he walked slowly and carefully and when he came to the town, so engrossed was he in the Beetle sitting on his long pointed shoe that he did not notice the people crowding round to watch this funny little figure taking lon g slow strides for the sake of the Gold Beetle. Presently, there was such a crowd following that the King and the Princess who were cut driving in their carriage saw it and wondered what it was all about. The King- sent a messenger to find out, and when he came back to say it was just a funny little gnome carrying a Gold Beetle on his foot, the Prillcess got very excited and commanded th ~ coachman to drive over so that she could sec him, for she lost her pet beetle that had come to live with her a few days ago, and she wanted him back so badly. When the Royal Carriage pulled up near to Tuck, all the people began cheel'ing the King and Princess, and he woke with a start to find himself surrounded by such a crowd. When the King's messenger, dressed in green livery with lots of gold braid told him the King wished to see him. Tuck was very nel'VOUS, but he took care to put his foot down gently, as he walked, so that he would not harm the precious beetle. As he got near to the carriage, the Princess clapped her hands and called out, "It's my Gold Beetle. It's my beetle, you'v~ brought him back to me. Where did you find him? He just came and sat on my foot," said Tuck. "I think he must have been tired." "Oh, how glad I am," said the Princess. Suddenly, with a loud whirr-rr the beetle flew up and settled on the shoulder of the Princess. "Get in and come home with us," she said to Tuck. So Tuck climbed into the carriage and sat between the King and the Princess and they set off for the Palace. On the way Tuck noticed the charm hanging on a silver chain round the neck of the Princess. At the Palace; they gave him tea and cream cakes and the Princess poured out the tea, herself! When it was time for him to go, she said she would like to give him something to keep and was there anything very special that he would like! Tuck looked at the little black stone and
April, 1939.
shyly asked if he might have it. "Oh, that," said the Princess. "That is not much," and she took it off and put it round Tuck's neck. "I shall give you this crystal globe and whenever you look into it, I hope you will see good fortune." Tuck thanked her and said gocdbye, most politely, and set off for home as fast as he could, for it was getting late. When he got to the Witch's house, Gloop and Glum were there. "Did you get it?" they shouted. "Yes," said Tuck. "Easily-with the help :If a Gold Beetle," he added. 'A Gold Beetle!" Gloop and Glum looked very surprised and g uilty. "I think you should all stay with Mr. Osowise for a while," said the Witch. ~he thanked Tuck fo{ the charm and as he handed it to her, he was almost certain there was a Gold Beetle sitting in her hair underneath the brim of her long-pointed hat. "I'm sure," he said, "If it had not been for the Beetle, I should never have got into the Palace." -M.K.B. WE AlU<j DOING ALL W~ CAN TO ENOO RAGE G IDES TO JOI~ RANGERS? See Rangel' Page; 001. Iv.
WARRANTS AND REGISTRATIONS. APPOINTMENTS.
CommiSSioner for Guiding in Schools and Colleges, Mrs. Guy Bakewell, 4 Stikes Ave., EA. DISTRICT COUMI
lONER.
Burwood.-Miss M. K. Butt, 29 Tourello Avenue, E .3. Sasdringbam.- irs. Gordon Johnstone, 20 South y Avenue, S.8. ShoPI arton.-Mrs. Vincent Vibert, Wyndha m Street, Shepparton. LIEUTENANT.
1st Carisbrook.-Miss M. Bucknall. REGI TRATIONS.
2nd Yarraville Pack. 5th Preston Company. RESIGNA'l'lONS.
Mrs. T. M. Cherry, Commissioner ofr Guiding in Schools and Colleges. Mrs. Mille r, District Commissioner, Shepparton. Miss Buckley, Captain, 1st Tatura.
April, 1939.
MATILDA
13
THE
SIGN POST Edi t or: E lizabet h A lf r ed.
Editor: Elizabeth Alfred.
CEREMONIAL Has it ever occurred to you that the instinct for ceremony is in your blood-part of your heritage from those dim ages when your ancestors wore nothing in summer and animal skins in winter? When they went out in the early morning, or at the midnight hour, in Eg ypt and Babylon and Greece and India, and did curious things among groves and stone circles and wonderful temples-sometimes sacrificing human life to their gods, sometimes celebrating the birth of an heir, sometimes ceremonies of marriage or burial. Whatever the ceremonies, they were YOUR ances¡ tors-and they have bequeathed to you the love of ceremony. For this reason, give it to your Guides and Brownies-it is their right, and they will love it. COLOURS The most important ceremony in the Guide Company is Colours, especially when used in connection with the Enrolment Ceremony. Yo u may follow the ceremony as laid out in "Colour Ceremonial for Girl Guides," or you may make up your own-better still, the Guides may make it up themselves. This applies to ALL ceremonies-the more they can make them their own, the more will they love their ceremonies. It really does not matter how you arrange your Colour Ceremonial, as long as it is carried out with quietness and dignity -both Colour Party and Company knowing and understanding the significance of what they are doing. COLOURS IN CAMP. In "Campcraft for Girl Guides" is an excellent chapter on Ceremonial and I would advise eyery Guider to read this, whether camping
or not. One paragraph says, "T~e daily ceremony of hoisting and lowering the Colour should play a very important part in camp life. It is something which the Guides can see, and as camp fosters some of the first seeds of citizenship, so may the sight of the flag kindle the s pi ~'it of loyalty to King and country. It is one of the few formal item s in a camp programme, and should, accordingly, be carri ed~out smartly as well as reverently. Nothing helps to acquire a spirit of unity better than a sincere and unanimous ceremony at the comencement of the day." Another interesting bit is "The idea (of lowering Colours at night) originated hundreds of years ago, when an army encamped for the night might be tracked down and surrounded by the enemy, the sound of the halyards flappin g in the wind against the pole having given away their position. The flag might then be captured, and this was consid¡ ered a mortal disgrace." What an adventure game you could build up round that at your Company meeting! ENROLMENT The Enrolment Ceremony is a thing apart. I feel that it is rather a pity to attempt to alter any essentials of that, it is already so beautiful. Be sure to let your recruit feel that it is HER ceremony-everyone must be specially carefully dressed, the trefoil above the Colour must be especially polished, every one must know her part, as you pin on her own. You never know what memories you are giving your Guide. One day, a' Guide of my own said to me, she being then grown up, " Remember the night you enrolled me, Captain, out in the bu sh ?"-well, I'd half forgotten-but she hadn't-and I had always thought her rather indiffel'ent to Guiding ,though she seldom missed her Company meeting. A ceremony that lives in my memory was
MATILDA also a night one. By accident I discovered a small Lone at Mallacoota, who had been waiting f or weeks to get to Orbost for Enrolment. Well, that night, under the trees, by the side of the great inlet, r enrolled her, in the presence of two other small Lones, one of whom came rowing across the inlet, and the other riding in a hurry for miles on her pony. Try to make her Ceremony live in the memory of your eager little recruit. "Girl Guiding" and "Short Hints on Company Management" a re sources of help and inspiration t o old and new Guiders. THE BROWNIE PACK The Brownie Pack is the Home of Ceremony. Beware! Any unsuspecting Guider who plans to visit the Pack. When you arrive you may think you have mistaken the day-there is none in sight! Don't despairyou will probably be pounced on, or bounced at, or frightened out of your wits in a minute, and then very sweetly led to a ver y important place by the Toadstool- the Brownies are . at their ceremonies again. I know of no special book to describe Brownie ceremorues to youthey are invariably the produce of the imagination of Brownies and Brown Owl. The Brownie Handbooks will help you-and "Matilda" is constantly publishing mysterious and delightful affairs-take these and adapt them to your own circumstances. OTHER CEREMONIES
April, 1939. insist on things being done THEIR way, instead of letting the Guides work out theil' own system of doing a job. We should remember that a child loves to work things out, in her own way. Even if she is appallingly slow and it means that something else must be left out of the programme-DO leave her to it. Children hate to be fussed and hurried. It may be that the ultimate result may be wrong or useless-but that doesn't matter! The in I portant thing is that th'~ child ha , made t he drort, unhurried and in her own way-and next time she wiII probably get it right. If we take the t rouble to get a sympatl:etic understanding of the child's point of view, we are going to get far more out of her. Instead of being a grown-up in charg'e of a group of children, let us Join them and be one of them. Let us do things with them instead of telling them what to do. Our attitude towards them is going to have a tremendous influence on their lives-let us see that it is good. In all our work with them, let us remember that we are leading, not driving. Give a Guide a job to do, and let her do it! Don't do it for her-it takes all the thrill of responsibility out of her hands, if she thinks Captain or Lieutenant is doing more than sh J i . It doesn't matter if she makes mistakesthey can always be rectified-but you can't make up for the child's disappointment in having her job taken from her.
There are many occasions when ceremonies may be used-Investiture of Patt:ol Leaders, presentation of stars and badges, reception and farewell of Commissioner or other visitol'S, opening and closing of Company Meetingsthey may be long and involved, or quite simple and short-whatever they are, they give a few moments during what may otherwise be an afternoon or evening of glorious adventure, in which to remember and acknowledge the wider, deeper spiritual side of the great Game of Guiding. -M.H.
Some of us take on jobs as Guiders, and I wonder if 'we ever realise just what we arl3 doing. Here we are, with 20 or 30 little children in our care-they are ours to mould or fashion as we will. Do we realise of what tremendous importance is our smallest action in the minds of these children? Every dis¡ contented word, every angry look, every uncontrolled action, is noticed and marked down against us. Every cheerful smile, every helpful thought or deed, is going to lift the ideal of Guiding on to a higher plane in that child's life.
THE GUIDE'S POINT OF VIEW.
Let us then take more thought for the child's point of view-study her ways and her actions-try to get at the reason for themLet us not repr ess her desires, but direct them in the right channels. It is for us to see that we are guiding aright,. -M.E.A.
It seems to me that there is a need for some of us to look into the child'? mind, and try to get some understanding o~ its working. There is a tendency among some Guiders to
1
J
April, 1939.
MATILDA
15
THE RANGERS' PAGE - - - :0: -
NOTES OF A MEETING OF RANGER GUIDERS. AT THE HOME OF MISS' BOYES, Commissioner for Rangers, on 7th March, 1939. The 20 Guiders present represented 11 Qf the 19 Companies in the metroPQlitan area . Miss BQyes tQld abQut the discussiQns at the Ranger MQQt held in Sydney in January. Many Qf the discussiQns centred rQund wQrld CQnditiQns, she said. 1.-Ranger Service.-Mh:;s Meek, in the chair, specified this as part Qf the PrQmise, and a definite QbligatiQn, nQt sQmething apart. The examples of service given were similar t o thQse we already knQW Qf. There was at the MQQt a big discussiQn as to. whether one's jQb very well done shQuld CQunt as Eer vice, Qr merely as duty i shQuld the Ranger do. SQme vQluntary service as well? Much animated discussiQn tQQk place. It was stressed that it is impQrtant nQt to. let vQluntary wQrk interfere with Qne's jQb. LQcal Guiders agreed that the girls have no. time in which to. do. vQluntar y service, and this Qften keeps them frQm finishing their tes t. It was thQught Guiders shQuld use discretiQn re individual girls; an extra job may involve neglect Qr weariness. Some girls are doing a definite, though unconsciQus, service at hQme. The challenge is to "dependability amI steadfastness of purpose." How long should the service be done for? An individual matter; some service may take a long period, some may be done in a short span of time; largely depends on the girl and the Captain's knowledge Qf hel'. The Guider ha <; a fair idea of the girl's dependability apart from the letter of the test. Guiders may sQmetimes be able to find a Company job that will test a girl's dependability, if she cannot fit in any outside job. Do Rangers go on in the spirit of service after the test is passed? n.-Helping The Cause Qf WQrld Peace-A recurrent theme thrQughout the Ranger Moot, Miss Boyes said. A Ranger was in the chah' fQr this sessiQn.
-
--
The Rangers recommended discussions based on articles in THE COUNCIL FIRE, getting the French and German articles translated. It was the general opiniQn that we can do a fair amount as individual, but could not expect the MQvement to. produce immediate dramatic results; but could do. something to help mould public Qpinion. At the Guiders' Meeting at Sydney someone suggested that the "King" part of the Promise be deleted, because it made for national tendency rather than international, and in case of the emergency of a war, might conflict with the "duty to God" clause and "peace with all" men;" the world idea should transcend the national idea. The Majority felt that peace within the nation had to come before world peace, being its foundation. A Ranger said that peace within the family and the community was the essential beginning of working for world peace. Rati'gers agreed this was the practical basis of their helpfulness. Miss Meek summed up: "Though we must attend to what is nearest us, we must not lose the thought that we are an international MQvement, and must as women use Qur influence tQwards peace, in fQrming public QpiniQn. (Women are the peace-makers, and Hitler's breaking up of family and home life will prevent his ultimate success). III.-Fostering The International Spirit.In Qne case pages fQr a log bQok had been sent to different countries to fill in ; they were later made into a magazine and circulated at home, and then in other countries. The Ranger who took the chair for this session had been Qn the world trip with Mis.> Meek; all these girls who. had gone abroad on that trip sPQke well and clearly, and shQuld have a strQng influence Qn N.S.W. Guiding. LQcal Guiders asked if translatiQns Qf CQuncil Fire articles CQuld be available. Agreed that Miss Barfus should report which articles would be helpful if translated, and S.R.S. Akuna will translate French, and Miss Weickhardt be resPQnsible to. get the German Qnes translated. . To. mah further cQntact with international
16
MATILDA
interests, it was suggested that Guiders who have been abroad should be asked to come and speak at Companies, and answer ques· tions. It was thought that the use of the Post Box might stal·t an interest in World Citizen Badge, whose syllabus was very helpful. Miss Boyes said that, at the Moot, it was apparent that girls are taking a real interest in international affairs. We must foster this. Schools are doing a good deal, but our Movement is avowedly international in ideal, and we should extend in this dil·ection. There a rt! several societies meeting monthly t o study international affairs, and the young people are real1y interested. Guiders need to be prepared to help the Rangers to f orm their own opinions, instead of going just by wh at they read Or hear. There are several sides to every question. IV.-Are We Doing AlJ We Can . To Encourage Guides 1'0 Join Rangers?-It is found that Guide Captains and Commissioner s often don't know much about Rangers. Co-oporation and interest between Guide and Ranger Company and the Guiders is an internal problem which we should deal with, before the exte,'nal ones that have to be dealt with anyway. The Guides' Attitude Towards Rangers and Ranger Meetings.-One reason why Guides don't want to join is becau s ~ they don't know much about Rangers, and think they're something quite different from Guides. Guide Captains should talk to their older Guides and inter-Company visiting of the respective Guiders would also help. Ranger Guiders an d Rangers themselves must do something t o dispel the prevailing ignorance. In some Ranger Companies the Guides find the Company run by older Rangers, there is too big a gap in age, the younger ones ~e e l they are not given responsibility, and havmg been important people in the Guide Company are now igno red rather, so feel out of it. Ranger Companies often appear to be made up of cliques according to their work. Guides do not like going to a Ranger Company where their own Guide Captain is a Ranger. Some Guides do like this, but majority seem to dislike it. Several local Guiders feel it is a bad thing to have Guiders in the Rangel' Company at all New recruits feel out of it if the Rangers ar~ al1 calling the Captain by her Christian name which seems to be done in some places. Some' of the Victorian Rangers did not ap-
April, 1939.
prove of the idea of Totem names fo r their Guiders. Guiders' Committee-Ranger Representative. -Mrs. Knight (2nd Caulfield District Rangers ) was appointed as the representative of the Ranger Guiders on the Guiders' Committee. National Emergency Register.-Miss Irving explained some details, and reported that a revised registration form will be issued iII about a week. These a sked Rangers and Guiders to record the section for which they are now already qualified. It W 2 S hoped that Guiders and Rangers would link up locally with any First Aid classes. A Group of Red Cross Aids is to be formed within the Guide Association. Physical Fitne s Classes.-Miss Weickhardt reported that a class has been formed at Headquarters on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., under a qualified instructress; the fee is 1/ - per class of one hour, and the training given should be very valuable. Another class in addition will be f ormed if enough apply. Guiders were asked to bring this class under the notice of their Rangers. Further Meetings of Ranger Guiders.-Owing to the full discussion of the Ranger Moot subjects, it had not been possible to cover the whole agenda, and there were still a number of points from the Ranger Moot to be consider ed. It was agreed that periodical meetings of Ranger Guiders would be hlepful and welcome, say three times a year, so .the next meeting was fixed for Tuesday Eve_:mg, 6th June. This would be before the Guiders' Conference, and it might be helpful to prepar-" f or the Conference. -F.V.B .
NEW ZEALAND-CHRISTMAS, 1939. The New South \Vales Range rs a re arra nging a tbree weeks' tou r of the North Island of New Zeala nd durin g Xmas, 19 39. They w ill visit th e Centenary Camp during this time, a nd will tour through a ll t he places of interest in t he North Island. \Vill any Victorian Range rs who would like to join this pa rty please apply to Miss J. U. Boyes, 60 Ma rket Street, Melbourn e, C.l. as soon as possible. l.'he inclusive cost will be a ppl'oximately £30 return from Sydn ey. The fare fl'om Melbourne to Syd n e~' a nd retu rn will be in addition to this cost.
April, 1939.
MA T I L DA
17
CAMPING and ·TRA LNING ColTespondeuce Training . Miss Bush, who has been acting as secretary of the Correspondence Traini!lg section for the past yea r, resigned from this position last month as she cannot be in Melbourne to receive reports a nd interview trainers regularly. I kno'.'.' that there are very many guiders and commissioners in the country who would like to join with me in thanking Miss Bush for all she! has done ~ help them with their Guide jobs through the corresponFortunately, Miss Betty dence section. Macartney, for many years Captain of 6th Kew Guides, is willing to take over the job, we welcome her and hope she will enjoy it!
Miss Martin's Visit.
guiders from other Divisions will be available at the Wimmera Division Training Weekend. Victorian Guiders from the north of the State are invited to apply for the Training taken by Miss Martin in the Riverina Division of N.S.W. It will be at Wagga from the 2nd to 15th June, probably under canvas. Guiders who would like to attend should apply to Miss E . Moran at the Guide Office, and further details will be sent.
Campcraft Badge. Fourteen applications were received for the proposed course for this badge, and the course will be held. All details were announced in Matilda last month.
Miss Martin passed through Melbourne on 20th March Ollj her way to Queensland, where Pi311eer Badge. she will spend six weeks giving all branch e ~ This course ·will be held definitely, but as of training, including campcraft. Thev-. she- -. -details of -the dates CEluld not .be finalised bewill spend some time in New South Wales fore going to press, applicants will be notified before coming on to Victoria in June. Miss _ through their captains. The date of the weekMartin visited the Guide House on the way end is 27th-28th May. Other details aparl thr ough and had lunch with the Extension from dates were announced last month. Guiders who were having their annual weekend conference. Guiders' Week-ends. The following are the elates for Miss MarLast year it was decided to experiment by tin's time in Victoria, as announced last having some ' week-end camps for g uiders with month:very little or no camp experience. Two were 22nd to 26th June.-Commissioners' Conferheld, and judging by reports, were very much ence at Guide House. enjoyed. Three similar week-ends have been 26th to 30th June.-Interstate Diploma'tl planned for this year and will be held if there Guiders' Conference. are sufficient applications. The ' idea is that 30th June to 3rd July.-Ranger Guiders' Guiders can go and find out what it feels like Training at Guide House. to sleep in a tent, and can learn if they wish 7-14th July.-Guide and Brownie T l aining a little of campcraft. The dates for this year Week at Guide House. are 3rd-4th June, 5th-6th August and 7th-8th Saturday, 15th July.-Guiders' Outdoor October. The camps will be held at "GipTraining Day. ton," Frankston. The cost will be 9/ -, includSaturday, 15th J uly.-Ranger Dinner and ing return rail fare to F r ankston. Campfire. Applications should be sent to the Campinr~ 21st-24th July.-Training Week-end, Win: · ~ecretary at the Guide Office by 8th May fo r mera Division at Donald. the first week-end. Please send 2/ 6 deposit Saturday, 29th July.-Guiders' Outdoor WIth application. Kit lists will . be sent to Training Day. successful applicants. Should too many apply, In addition to the above arrangements, evenpreference wi\! be given to those with least ing classes will be held, and an afternoon with experience. Local Association Members; these and othe r dates will be announced in due course. Easter Ranger Camp. Vacancies for a limited number of country This has been well applied for, about 34
18
MATILDA
Rangers will attend. The cost will be 17/ 6, which includes bus fare to and from Wesburn, but not rail fare, 5/ 9 return. Rangers who have not forwarded 5/ - deposit should do so at once, and all Rangers should have sent written permission from their Commissioner.
Guide Indoor Camp. An indoor camp for Guides at the Guide House will be held from 22nd to 29th May. Preference has been given to those Guides who applied in the summer but who could not attend owing to the bushfires. If any GuideR from these companies have not applied they should do so at once, as there are only thre(} vacancies left. Should there be too many applications a waiting list will be kept. The cost will be 22/ 6 plus fares, 1/ 3 bus, and railway fare under sixteen 3/10. -ELAINE E . MORAN.
"GIPTON" CAMP PLANS. The Gi pton amp Sub-committee is glad to repOI·t thai the longed-for was h cubi cles are up, and in use, which means much mOI'e comfort for campers. This adilition to the property has seriously depleted the fund s available, which ha ve also had to meet the expense of menilin a the fence, blown down by one of th e Hummer gales. It has thel'efore been decided to hold some fun etion!l to reinforce the bank bala nce. Arbour Day will be h old on aturday, 29th Jul y, a nd comp:J.nies who were not able to help the ga rd en last year will be able to do !!O this yea ra number of the plants peris hed during the drought. Other plans are to hold a picture night, and a special evening at Headquarters with a novel progl-amme. We are counting on wides pread support among the Guides and Rangers who, t hrough the Association. actuall y own the property, and we look fOl'wa l'd to having every week-end booked u p. So far, 1hel'e have been seven week-end camps there this yeal', a nd it ii'l booked fOr Easter, and fo r five other week -encls later. Watch MatiiLh and the pre!"i'I for da tes of the fun ction >;, ancl be sure to com - ------: 0 :-------
GUIDE SHOP. Diaries.-Has every Guide Diary for 1939?
Guide recruit her These small diaries,
April, 1939.
a s well as being valuable for nature notes . etc., contain almost the complete Tenderfoot test for Guide recruits. It also gives secondclass and first-class and other valuable hiking and camping hints. Price, 1/ -. H'O w Comm issioners Can Help Their Guiders.-Price, 1/ 9. This book is invaluable for all Commissioners. It is written by Miss Walton, who has been, until recently, the Guider-in-Charge at Foxlease, England. It contains an outline of talks, discussions and test work over a periOd ot a few month!';, whereby the Commissioner gives to the Guiders the help necessary in the r unning of her Company. AI lal'ge sale is anticipated for this book, as it meets an urgent need. Report on Drop in N umbers.-Price, 5d. This is a pamphlet giving a summary a'1d a sum~ing up of the drop in numbers over a perio.' of two or th!'ee years which occurred in Eng. land . So much of the summing up applies t o us and every Commissioner and Guider should read this pamphlet as it gives great food for thought if our Movement is going to continue in the way we wish. 5th Biennia l Report.-Price, 2/ 6. This has just come to hand and contains world events ranging over the last two or three yea1·S. It is invaluable for propaganda, publicity and for badges; as well as making interesting reading for the casual reader, World Associa t ion of Girl Guides a nd Girl couts.-Price, 3d. This is the first pamphlet which has come to hand giving a history of the val;ous organisations within the World Association, It is good for all companies t <.> have if they are doing International Badges and wish to know more about the Movement. pOlicy, Organis a t ion and Rules, 1939.-Price, 1/ -. This has just come to hand and contains many alterations to test work and badges and it will be necessary for all Brown Owls and Captains to have this new publication if they wish to keep up-to-date. Belts.-A new style of belt has been adopted. It is narrower than the other one, being lin. in width. It is all in one piece and has sliding swivels which can be pushed to any placn on the belt. It has a new buckle througi1 which the belt slides and this buckle has been approved of by the Executive in England and it was decided to adopt it here as well. This belt is purely optional and the old bell will be stocked as well. The price is 2/ · and will be stocked in two sizes, large and small . ardigans and Pullovers.-Now that the
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Plans tor Walkabout are taking shapeo The Main fawn H411 been engaged fr©m 25th September to 30th September inclusive~ Last time in the samll hall there was so little spaoe for self~expre5siou and originality that the Committee deoided to take the Y~in Town Hall f so that everyone should have room to expa:.1.dttheir ideas Although this costs more it. was thought that the results would justify th,~ expenditure ha~
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For the p~esent each divisjon has been allotted an area ot 15 ~eet depth and 20 teet frontage~ but it is realised that some divisions will not require so much p and others will require mare It would~ therefore r be a great help if divisions would inform thi~ CQm= ~J\ <t,tee by 1st. May if they will require more or less spaoo than thd measurements given~ and as soon as possible f definite spacing will 1b a. lottedo 0
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The prize, in eaoh case, is to be six free pla ces in Camp at the Guide House during the 1939 Ohristmas vacatiQn " The COII.L.i1ittee realises that Di-isions might overlap in 'vh'd things they have to display and sell e og" s;.:x: divisions migh~ eaoh decide to run milk bars Therefor'e ~ we would be very grateful if Comm.isBloD,er~ would let the Oommittee know by May 1st just what things their di"v _ sions intend to display and sell " It might then be nsct!Jssary to ask s m.e di¥isions to alter their plans sligh 1y o CommissioDers will realise that the SOWleI' we helve their plans "(.he eas 5~er it will be to avoid any unnecessary work, 0
With the idea of giving this Walkabout the nec~ssary publicity it has been decided to hold a competitio~ for the best Pos~er bearing on This is alA open. compe-ci tioiG\ = / entry. the pri:z'~ being })Walkabout ., tV £5/5/ The wording required on the poster wdll be announoed in ~h~ next tiMatildaT~ :~ the closing date for this Poster Competition w:lll b~ August lst e >
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Another Competitlon p open only to members mf the Guide Movement is for three designs for sign pos~s showing the roads leading from tue Warbutron rORd to the Guide Houseo The designs required are similar to the enchanting ones so aften met in the C!ontlnen"t, carved in wood and painted It is hoped to reproduoe a photo an.d desorlption of one of ·these in May ;fMatilda <> 19 There will a lso be some photos showing on the notic..: board at Guide Headquarters Drawings 01' t he designs onl y are required for the Competition and all must be in by August the lst Q The pri~e is a free week""end at the Buide House for the Compan.y to which the l"lin1.3cr belong~ 0
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Divisions have porbably already realised thet the Walkabout ~s a grand chanoe of encouraging Guides to~in Proficienoy Badgeso A ntunber of the badges would fQ~ a useful basis for the exhibits. and it would be a satisfaction to t}j.e Guides if~ whole working for the Wall;:aoout, thei had also ~vered the syllab~s aor a badge or two ~ Besddes badges involving handcraft or Similar aChievement there are those which would provide items for displays (e og " singing" folk danCing aoting~ miming) and it is hoped
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, that Divi:::iQns will gl1ft3 The platform at the 'rown gallery of, tlle Town Hall Committee will be formed
drama:tised represontations of historical events" Hall is being reserved for this and the whole will he available for YOUI' audienoe l A Sub= to deal with all displays 0
Any enquiries will pe cheerfully answered by the Seoretary of the Walkabout Committee = 1frs Charles Benr.ett 0
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winter is approaching it will be good to bea,' in mind that Headquarters stock cardigans and pullovers which match the Guide blue of the overalls, the prices of cardigans being 13/ 11 and that of the pullovers 12/ 6. The Guides look very smart in this complete uniform and it is hoped to have a good sale for them. Brownies have been catered for as well. The colour matches Brownie overalls exactly. The prices are 5/ - and 5/ 9, according to the sizes, small or large. Money Orrlers.-It is very much more con\'enient to the office if Money Orders are filled in for the Market Street Post Office, rather than Collins Street or Melbourne. The Market Street Post Office is very close, so is the bank. Money Orders made out to other places mean an extra trip and a long wait. Thank you for remembering this. -CLARA BROADHURST.
ENQUIRE WITHIN. Q.: What can a Guide make for the useful article, apart from Morse flag and haversack '! A.-Suggestions are bean bags, bags for ropes and bandages, International signalling fi~gs, notice board, Patrol flag, cushions or mats (for sitting on floor), rubbish tin (out of mintie tin). Q.: What can be done with the child who wants to have Captain's attention all the time '.' A.-Principally, keep her well occupied. In-
19
sis ~ on a high standa:'d in any job she tackles, and give praise where it is due, but don't take much notice of her. The cause of hel' desire to be "in the limelight" p;obably arises from the fact that she is very much sat on at home, possibly she is one of a large family, and not a prominent member at that. Every child likes to assert her own personality, and you will often find a child who is perforce qEiet and unassuming at home, the leader of a gang of adventure-seeking youngsters. Get at the cause of the complaint, and you will then find the cure.
Q.-The old Second of the Kookaburra Patrol thought that she would automatically become P.L. and I did not think ~he would be able to do the work, but I have made her P.L. temporarily to see how she goes. Do you think I did right, or would you have advised some other way? A.-All P.L.'s are appointed on probation, and are only acting in that position until they are invested. The length of time varies in each individual case, and you may find the Acting P.L. is quite unsuitable. In that case. it might be advi fable to have an election anrl allow the Patrol to elect a new leader. It is, in any case, better to allow the Patrol to elect its leader in the first place-we are a democratic movement, after all. (Queries regarding tests, etc., may be sent in to the Editor of the Sign Post Page, anrl will be answered in this column ).