AUG US T, 194 1. VOL. XVIII.
No.2.
2
MATIL.JA EXECUTIVE
COJ\UnTTEE.
Minutes of m ee tings of th e Executive Comm ittee of the Girl Guid e s' Assoc iation of Victoria:.June 18. Pres e nt: Lady Chauve l, Mesdam e s Fairbairn , Little john, P e arson, Robinson , Missf's Cameron, Russe ll , and the Secretary. R e porte d that a total of 56,741 garment~ had b ee n sent to England from th e Guid,' War Appeal, of which 48,103 w e r e for childre n and 8,638 for seam e n. That on account of shortage of materia! , at a m ee ting of the Central Association it had b een decided that the tacking room should b e open on three days a we e l, onl ... That instruction in camouflage n e tting would b e h e ld in th e Mee ting Pool on Mor. 路 days and W e dnesdays from 5 to ~ p.m. That th e painting of the Guid e House roof h a d been comp leted. Agreed: That furth e r leave oC absenc<:' i"om th e Guide W a r App eal should be granted to Mrs. Little john. .July 3. Present: Lady Chauve l, M e sdam e s Faulk路 ner, Blacl{wood, Blair, Orr, Robinson , Tate. .J.\ 1isses Butt, Moran , Purnell, Russe ll , Swir,. burne, and the Secretary. R e porte d: That Mrs. Buckle y had bee::! c hse n as Are a C ommissione r for. the 6t~1 Country Area. Tha( a total of 58.943 garm e nts had bee 'l -packe d to date from the Guide War Appea. , 50,102 being for children and 8,840 for seam en . That for the year e nding June 3 0 , :1:5 ,116 /6/ - had b ee n r eceived. That th e War Appeal Committef' was compi ling a report similar to that printed last year. That approximately 130 w e r e prese nt at the Pionee r Party to ce le brate the twe nty路 first birthday. That Miss Purn e ll was going to Hrd e rabad , J.ndia, as a Guid e 'l'raine r for two years. That a number of membe rs of th e Move ment w e r e now profici e nt at n e tting and that groups were bein g form e d in Distri cts. Agreed: That th e res ign ation of Miss Drury as Convener of th e Guid e Hous ~ C ommittee b e accepted with r egr et. That a Thanks Badge b e given to Mrs . , Wi II i.s. of Yarram. TJlat the r esignation of Miss P . M. Russeli from the Executive Committee be accepte d with r egr e L That r ealisin g the h e lp we r ece ive from (]le Baby Health Centres Association in conn ection with Proficiency Badges, w should put a notice about th e ir appeal for fun ds in "Matilda." Routine and financial busin ess was transacted.-M. E . Bush, Secre tary . I
WARAN'l'S AND REGISTRAT10KS. SeCl'etaI'Y; C lunes Division, Miss B. Rogers. Captain; 10th Geelong, Miss N . H e nderson;
August, 1941.
1st Richmond, Miss "V. C oze ns; 1st Wann am bool , Miss A. McLean; 1st W e ntworth. 1\1<ss N . J e rrom . f,ieutenant ; 1st W e ntworth , Miss J. Clifford. Bl'owll Owl: 1st Northcote, Miss B . Watt; 1st Warrnambool , Miss B. Wuinton. Pad" 1st Dimboola. (;ancellations. L!aptain: 18t Garde nvale C ompany, Miss A. E. Warr. BABY
HEALTH CENTRES'
APPEAL.
The appeal b e ing held during the month s August for the maintenance of the Baby Health Centres' activiti es will strik e a sympathetic chord in minds of any Guiders or Guides who have had friendly help from the sisters in the Health Centres in training and t e sting Guides for badges. We also have cause to b e gratefu l for th e use of rooms for m eeting.s The work being don e for Baby Health is n ecessary at a ll times, but e specially at present, whe n so luany of th e fathers are going a broad. Th e Baby Health Association is making its first appeal since its ince ption 24 years ago. It is hoped that som e Guiders who r e ad this paragraph, or who notice the accounts of appeal in the daily pre ss, may fe e l able with the h e lp of th e ir C ompanies to mak.路 some e ffort to r it. If eve ryon e who r ealise d the b e nefit to the community of this WOr ,. would do a little, e ven th e purchase of on e of their attractive littl e Baby Buttons. th " success of the appeal would be assured.--E.G.R. of July and
AHOY!
BOAT FOR HIRE!
S.R.S. Akuna is available for hire o n Saturday afternoons. H e r e is some thing different for th e Company or Pacl< outing for a children's birthday party. Charges: 6d . p er h ead, with a minimum of 7 / - for afternoon. It'or d etails, get in touch withMISS F. L. WEICKHARDT, 105 Slanhope Stree t , Malve rn , S.E.4. L ea rn to manage a sailing boat und e r safe c onditions on the Alb e rt Park Lake. Anyone wishing to learn or have the young boy or girl of the family taught thi., fascinating r ec r eation , g e t in touch withMISS F. L. WEICKHARDT, 105 Stanhope Stree t, Malvern , S.E.4. BUKGANA,
OOEAN
GROVE.
Gee long District Camp site availabl e for hire during camping season. Hire, 2 / - per head per weel<. For particulars and e quipment, applyMISS EDITH LEIGH, Valley Road, Highton, Gee long.
"Matilda" An Offirial Treasure Bag of Guiders' Information for Guiders of Victoria. Australia. Price: 3/- Per Year; 4/- Posted. Single Copies. 6d. cacho Editor: E. H. PURNELL, 10 Hermitage Road, Geelon~. Contributions should reach the Editor not later than the 18th of each mon' h.
AUGUST, 1941.
VOL. XVIII.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF GUIDE To all Guides everywhere I send my loving' thanks for the kindly sympathy that you have all felt for me when our Beloved C11ief Scout was called to Higher Service. Messages bringing YOUI' generous good thoughts to me in my time of grievous sadness h!l.ve come from all corners of the world, and for these I am grateful indeed. He left you a message of his own, when he died, and you will all be taking that to heart T know. He cared about you so much and lov ed you Guides as much, I think. as he did the Scouts; and in that term I include all member>; of OUI' Movement-R!l.ngers, Guides, Brownies (especially the Brownies!) and he was so proud of the success that you are making of it all. And he thought so much for you, planning' in his wisdom all the jolly health-giving activities and things for your good. And he trusted you a ll so g-reatly, feeling sure that you would C!l.rry out his suggestions with a will. And so, in th e future that we look forward to, when the war is won, you have got another task awaiting you. Out of the havoc wrought by war we have got to create a new sort of worldwhere the principles of Our Guide Law are uppermost and all th e evil things of today ar'e cast away. So with your hearts full of love for the Chief, who has gone, can you redouble your' efforts in your Guide activities, and in this way show your gratitude for his life that was spent so richly in the service of others? I am coming back sometime to join hands with you !l.gain. \Vhen the present heavy weight of sadness is lifted from my heart I shall look forward to returning to my homeland and seeing you all in Britain again and playing my part as your devoted Chief Guide once more. OLAVE BADEN -POWELL. Chief Guide. - From Th e Guider'. PIONEERS'
PARTY.
This year Guiding in Victoria had its twenty-first birthday, and on Saturday, Jun e 28, the Pioneers-those who were e nrolled in the first five years of Guiding in Victoriagathered at the Union House, Unive rsity of Melbourne, to celebrate the occasion. About 130 Guiders and former members of th e Movement were present. During tea and the free time which followd, the phrases one heard most ofte n werf> "Do you remember the Training Week a.t Macedon when . . .?" "Were you at . . .?" "Why you're . . . aren't you?" After dividing into Patrols the Company mf>eting began with Miss Moran as Captain
No.2.
and L ady Chauvel as visiting Commissioner. Roll Call Drill and Horseshoe w e r e perform ed with extraordinary feats because of the very large Company and the small space. At Patrol Tim e we compared old photographs an d log hooks a nd chatted abouf early times. Late r a selection of photographs showing the growth of Guiding and some of its milestones was shown through the ep idiascope, taking us back to days of much longer skirts, white shoulder knots, and hats that were really differen t. Mrs. Linton (nee Mis Gwyneth Davies). w ho was Li e ut('nant of t h e first registered Company in Victoria, 1st Heidelberg. spok,' of their early days when Mrs. Brady came Ollt to Australia and offe re d to start a Guid e Company at H e id e lbe rg. In those days all equ ipm e nt had to come from England, an:! the p:Lrcels were long and eage rly awaited. and when the badges arrived they were prized possessions ind eed. Heid elberg's first public anpearance was at the arrival of H .R.H. the Prince of \Vales in B21, when tne public was e mbarrassingly interested in th e small band of Guides with their trefoil bann e r. MrR. A. Yencken (Miss Joyce Russe ll) . ('aptain of 1st Skipton. which was registe r ed t h f> same ~¡ear. added her story of their b eg innings. Miss Rusflell and her sister had been Guides at ",chool in England, and Were in snired by the example of Old Girls who wer'" Guidf>rs and werf> often mentioned in the ,,('hool ma"azinâ&#x201A;Ź', to b e Guiders some da,' themselves. On r eturning to Australia they longed to bring the fun of Guiding to children at Rkipton. and th e extre me youthfulnes'! of th e Captain and Lieutenant seems to have been no handicao as very soon ther was a largf> Company of very e nthusiasti cnuides. For some time Sidoton solved the h"rt~f> nroblem bv e m broid e ring trefoils on nif>CeS of material which were then nasteo ron ('ardhoard and safety nins attached to fh f> h~('\<. The Company flourish ed. and lik/' H('iti e lbe rg is still in existence. Mrs. Basil Hall, District Commissioner of neelong ?, who was present. was an oril!'inal mpmber of a verv early Company starteo in' Wales in 1908. This was one of the Com-. panies which sprang up without encoural!'f>.....pnt Rfter enthusiRsts had r""o ah(1)t Rconfi.,~. Tt wns for thesp unofficial Girl Scouts th"t thf> Chief Scout had to invent a game and so we have Guiding. Mrs. Frank Faulkn p r was later a memb e r of this Company in Wales. ~plow is a list of those who signed the hook giving the date Of their enrolment.
4
'l 'hose 'Vho \\'e l'c IJrescnt at the Pionccl's' Party. 19D5-Mrs. Basil Hall. 1909-Elizabeth Macfie. 1911-Mrs. Faulkner. 1919-Mrs. Shave (Alcie Alenson). 1920-Mrs. Badenach (Skipton), Mrs. Houston (Skipton), Mrs. Blackwood, Mrs. Foster (Betty Bedggood), F. V. Barfus, M. E. Bush, Mrs. Linton (Gwyneth Davies). 1921-Decima Hansford, Jean M. Jeffrey, Mary Greenshields (_,\Jenson), Mrs. Scorgie (Cannington), Ruth Purnell, Marl:'aret Hooper, Thelma Tallent (Hooper), Mollie Macmorran, Jean Macmorran, Jess U . Boyes, Dr. Florence Cooper, Mrs. Leggatt (Dorothy Andrews), Lilla Brockelbank, Sheila M. Cameron, Daintrey Gillett, Mary Butt, Mrs. Tate (Val Hall), Miss Elsie Morres, Lady Chauvel. 1922-Kathleen Stredwick, Mrs. White, Nancy White, Estelle Carter, Lorna Brand, Leila Tulloh, V. A. Townsend, Margaret Ball, Gwen Swinburne. Mrs. Kidder (Hazel Ludlow), Mrs. Coutts (Elsie Armstrong), Dorothea Waud, Margery Herring. Ina-Mabel Ferguson, Netta Gavin (Harrison), Amy Embling, Ena Allan, Jean McLennan, Beryl Morison (Armfield), Isabel Noble (Ward), Peggy Sedgfielrl, Adrienne Paling, Jean D'Helin, Elizabeth Booth, Doris Morton, Sylvia Card, Annie Ball, Joan Alston, Elizabeth Sutherland Nell Thomson, May Freeman, Hazei Gross, Enid Bunning, Meg Lester, Madge Lester, Mrs. Allon, Ethel Batten. Margaret Moore, Elsie Sydes, Eveline Gillett, Olive Wright, Lilly Koska, Elain e Moran, M. G. Lummis, Sheila MacLeo,l. H2 4--Mary Browning (Lambert), Jean Johnson, Gladys Onians, Queenie Willison (Allon), Dr. Mildred Hutchings, Lucy Johnson, Alice Dunkin, Phyllis Reid, Laura Duff, Edith Leigh, Milda Dewdney (Breach). Jean Woodman, Jean Brown, Ethel Kerr, Joan Brown, Louise Bal{ewell, Sydney Foott, Mrs. Potter, Beatrice East-Almond, True Nethercote, Edith Purnell, Connie Buckle, Phyllis Birch, Mrs. Black (Dora Engel), Lee Appleby. 1925-Helena Wilson (Dunn), Elaine McCaghern, Elsie Plowright, Lena Cornell, Gwen Critchley, Mary Caspac, Miriam Lenox, Dorothy Berwick , Marjorie Nicholson, Phyllis Dannatt, Winnie Robertson, Ruth Short, Dorothy Jordan, Dorothea Holtz, Gladys Ogilvie, Grace Logan , Alison Moffatt, Winifred Coombs, Ruth Seward, Frances Osborne (Gregory), Mrs. Springthorpe, Elizabeth Alfred, Dr. Me r e dith Ross, Mrs. Leura Munro, Myrtle Russell , Lyli Anderson, Viti Fletcher (Robertson), Dorothy Sedgfield, Marie Morris, Lillian Flannery. Progress is the result of
August, 1941.
MATILDA
self-developmen~.
t·;.
MISS
H.
l'Lrll\ I"uu.
Miss E. H. Purne ll has accepted an appointment as Guide Trainer for two years in Hyderabad, India. We will miss Miss Purnell very much indeed, not only as a member of the Executive Committee, on which we find her opinions and advice so valuable, and as Editor vf "Matilda," but for her helpfulness to th,> Movem e nt in so many ways. "Matild'a " w;ll miss her specially just now, having enjoye.j her editorship for the past 18 months. Those of us who have worked with Miss Purne ll for man~' years know how much sn ... has given to Guiding in Victoria. We ar·~ very gratefu l to her, and would like, in giving her our good wishes, to give her also our ,varmest thanl,s and appreciation . We al'l' happy to know that she will be continuing to help the Movement in another part of our J<;mpire. We wish her "Good Guiding" in India, and shall always be inte rested to hear of her and her work there. SIBYL CHAUVEL. GUIDE
HOUSE
CONVENER.
We are so sorry that Miss Drury has found it necessary to resign as Convener of th e Guide House Committee. Miss Drury has been associated with th n Guide House since its incepti on, first aR Bursar and then as Convener, and her untiring interest has helped materially to place the affairs of the Guide House in their pr~ sent satisfactory position. We are most grate ful to her for all she has done, and than;·; her very much. We are glad that Mrs. F. W. Faulkner has consented to act as C onvener, and we all welcome her' to this new position.-Sibyl Chauvel. GUIDE
WAR
APPEAL.
The total number' of garments packed to date is 60,733, of which 51,423 are children'l', and 9,312 seamen's. It is very nice to be able to say that Mrs. Euan Littlejohn is returning to her work , as Convener of the Guide War Appeal on August 1; we will all be very glad to welcome her back again. Miss P. M. Russell has resigned as Honorar'y Secretary of the Guide War Appeal, as she is unde rtaking full-time war work. Miss Russell has been Secretary of the War Appeal Committee since its formation, and .has given a tremendous amount of time, energy. and enth usiasm to it. We will miss her 'ver~ much, and want to thank h e r ver}' sincerely for all she has done to help us. We all give her our very best wishes for her future work. SIBYL C.HAUVEL.
-----
C oleraine Old Girl Guides have formed ;i C ircle for the purpose of llelping the Girl Guide War Appeal. Twenty-one Old Gujd .. ~
M A '1: t L D A
August, 1941.
have joined and already have made severai garments, The members are all girls, who are bus:; at various jobs during the day, and are gin] of the opportunity to work together for thi;; worthy war effo rt. The small Parish Hall on Circle night ;s a cheery spot, as the Old Guides work round a huge log fire. They are fortunate to have two dressmakers among the members, an,\ although there is much c hatter, which even the sewing machine can't drown, the busy fingers get through the work. Before setting out along the dark country roads for home, the "Mess Patrol" serve a c up of tea and biscuits. Th e Circle is hoping to have an effort after winter to raise some money for the Guide War Appeal. CA~10UFLAGF.
NETS.
Th e making of camoufl age nets h as been going along steadily. One is finished, and :t second is n earing comp letion . Instru ction is given on Mondays and Thursdays from 5 to 9; a lso on Vfed nesday afte rnoons from 2 to fi. T e n people have been passed as instru ctors, a nd have been assisting in the teaching of new-comers. We are hoping that d ep ots will be started very soon in several Dis tricts where these instructors live, if Comm issioners find it convenient to open them. Very little equ ipm ent is r equired, and practically no expense. Besides b eing a matter of national urgency at prese nt, netting is a handicraft that Guides will always find usefu l.-M. R. Fairbai rn, on behalf of the Netting Comm ittee. GUIDERS'
CONFERENCF:.
This year the conference will be h e ld at St. Stephen's Ch urch Hall, Church Street, Richmond. on September 27 from 3 to 10 p.m. Th e programme will aim at c ombin ing business with pleasure in an effort to compensate for the cancellation of the Guide rs' Dinner. As we shall have the use of a very nice kitchen. we propose serving afternoon tea and bisc uits at 3d. per person, a nd for those who stay for the eve ning session. a cup of tea will be sold for a small charg, ', Guiders to bring th eir own food. So far, 12 inte resting questions have been received, which will be published in "Matild a" if space permits. Full details of confe re n c , ~ will appear in September issue- so pleasc take note of th em, as we want to avoid sending circulars.-O. G. Knight, C hairman. INTERKATTONAL RED CROSS IN 'l'IME OF WAR. The Red Cross stands for the desire of mankind to alleviate human SUffering as far as possibl e. Those who serve under the Red C ross emb lem throughout the world ar'" pledged to this commo n ideal, to the exc lu s ion of all pOlitical, !'acial, or religious differ',
s
e ncE's. The International Red Crosl :\1ovem e nt comprlses:1. The International Red Cross Committee. all independent body which administers th ¡~ G e n eva ' Convention, whose essential characteristic is its absolute neutrality, and which j" e ntrusted with the maintenance of fundamental R e d Cross' principles. 2. The Leagu e of Red Cross Soc ie ti es, an association of National Societies band ed together for purposes of practical co-operatio'1 a nd mutual assistance in times of peace. 3. The whole body of National Socie ties, numbe ring 63 in all, ~epresenting, prior (0 the present war, a m e mbe rship of more than 30,000,000. Th ese Socie ti es are ind e pendent, voluntary bodies, enjoying the recognition of their r espective governments, which promote and enc ourage their humanitarian work. Behind them stands the great force of pubi1 c Op'1110n, which supports their work becausl! of the r ealisation that it a ims at giving pract ieal expression to the finest and most unselfish impulses a nd aspirations of humanity. Th e majority of these National Societies were equipp ed a nd ready to op e rate when war brok e out on September 3, 1939, sinc e it is an obligation upon the m, as continuously functioning organisations to b e r eady to act in any e m e rgency whether general in character or confined to any on c country. For, while it is th e primar'Y function of the Red C ross Soci e ties to act as an auxiliary to the Medical Services 0( the a rm ed forces in tim e of war, they are permanently in action for "the improvement of health, the prevention of disease, and the mitigation of suffering throughout the world." It was not until the nin eteenth century that a new ord er and a n ew standard of care for the sick and wounded of the fighting forces was introdu ced. "The Tim es" had sent William Howard Russe ll to th e Crimea, and his histori c d espatch es, which were published on October l2 and 13, 1854. compelled thE' Government to take action. The then SeGre tary for W a r, knowing that Siste rs of Mercy were nursing the French wounded, acted on a suggestion that women should b e sent to the Crimean hospitals. H e wrote to Miss Florence Nightingal e, asking h e r to organis,' a band of nurses to take with h e r; his letter crossed on e from her offering h e r services. She left London with 38 women five days afte r h e r appointment, arriving at Scutari three weeks late r. H e r story, and the story of the service rendered by this noble band of women, has inspired thousands of women throughout the world . H e nri Dunant, a Swiss bank e r and philanthropist, equally a pioneer for voluntary air! in war time, once said that his work wa.s inspired by that of Flore nce Nightingale in the Crimea. H e nri Dunant's vivid account of the t:-ials and SUffering of the wounded of both armies in Lombardy during th,~ A ustro-Sardinian War of 1859 was publish ed in 1862. H e was impress e d with the abso~l:Ite n eed for pre-war organisation of . auxiliary welfare workers who would provide volun-
6
MATILDA
tary first aid, and he ,- urged in his pamphlet the need for voluntary assistance to aid the sick and wounded In time of war. Henri Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, worked and organised with this ideal in view, and when in 1863 the International Committee of the Red Cross was formed, the leading people of many countries were interviewed and supported the movement. In the same year, an International Emblem was chosen, anri as a compliment to the founder and to his native country of Switzerland, the Red Cross on a white background was chosen. (The Swiss flag is a white cross on a red ground.) In October, 1863, an International Conference was held in Geneva, which was attended by 62 delegates, representing 16 Governments. At this conference a treaty was drawn up, subsequently approved, and eventually signed by 25 Governments. It was revised by further meetings in 1906 and 1929, whilst its provision regarding the sick and wounded and prisoners of war was extended to the Navy at the Hague Conference of 1907. It is one of the most human agreements ever made between civilised nations, and it has been signed by nearly every country in the world. This years of 1941 the Red Cross ha:'! brought comfort to many homes in manr countries. A Message Service has been organised, and messages are daily being sent by people of all nationalities to their relatives overseas, through the medium of the Red Cross Message Service. This Service is established at the Red Cross Headquarters in each capital city in Australia. The following list of countries which have been proclaimed for postal purposes as enemy or enemy-occupied territories gives one an idea of the International scope of Red Cross. The Message Service may be used in respect of Germany (including a ll possible possessions) and Bohemia, Moravia, Czechoslovakia, occupied Poland and the Free C ity of Dantzig. Italy (including a ll possessions), France in Europe (including Corsica), and Algerh. 'French Morocco, Tunisia, French Somaliland, and the Principality of Monaco. Belgium (but not including the Belgian Congo, Mandated Territory, Ruanda and Urandix). Denmark (excluding Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands). Norway, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania and the Principality of Lichenstein. The Netherlands (but not including the Netherlands dcpendencies). The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. The Channel Islands. The only way in which relatives may ascertain details of the place at which a prisoner i!.' held and whether he is wounded, sick or well is by applying to the Red Cross Bureau for Prisoners of War, Missing, and Wounded. There is a Red Cross Bureau of this nature in each capital city of the Commonwealth attached to the Divisional Headquarters of the Red Cross in each State. The Australian Red Cross Society receives periodical reports from the International Red C ross SOCiety in Geneva regarding the treatment of Australians in prison camps abroad.
August, 1941.
These reports are already being received rl'gu larly, and the Red Cross Bureaux fOI" Prisoners of '"Val', Missing, and Wounded are sending details of such reports to relativt 's who have made enquiries. The International Red Cross representatives who have access to prison camps are allowe,t to speal, with prisoners personally without witnesses. The right to do this is one OJ the provisions of the Prisoner of War Code. Two delegates of the International Red Cross have recently visited prison camps in Gel"many, and have made their reports, which have reached the Australian Red Cross Society. The delegates made some criticisms, but, generally, speak well of the way Germany is trcating her prisoners. The delegates were free to enter any camp, :1.nd to speak to any prisoner without a wHness. They were driven by a chauffeur of the German Red Cross, with petrol supplied by till' Army. One feels a sense of thankfulness for th ,~ humane scrvice rendered by the International Red Cross Society, and by the Red Cross Societies of each country, to all those in need, and to those who have suffered and are suffering as a result of war. Not only is service rendered to our sick and wounded service men, but to the civilian population. Particularly women, children and the aged are cared for. All find a haven under the Red Cross on the white ground, and we have reason to believe that even in enemy oocupied territories men, women and children arc working quietly to a ll eviate suffering, and finding inspiration in the service and aims of the Red Cross.-G.M.L. J31UT1SU SCOU'J'S IN 'l'lME 01" \V1\R
-'[any Dutil'S and Responsibilities. ("~I'om
thl." DI."pal¡tnlent of lnfOI'1I1aUon),
In peacetime, Boy Scouts al'e trained in self- r eliance to fit them for the tasks of peace. To-day, Britain at war is testing tht' value of this training to the full. The fearful raids over London ami Britain's great cities called on all who were able to help on the civil front. Scouts showed astonishing courage and versatility, and their work soon made it possible to r e lease thousands of men for national service in other spheres. During one London raid, for example, fOUl' Scouts were assisting a paralysed man from u house when bombs began to fall close to them. They laid the man on his bacl, and she ltered him with their bodies as the bombs screamed down . A few hours later, the same four boys were supplying hot drinks to 400 people in a church crypt. The next night they forced their way half-blinded into a bombed ammonia fa.ctory to turn off th ~ p lant.
Hospital 'Vol'k At one London hospital a Troop of Scouts
August, 1941.
7
MATIL JA
has been on duty since the outbreal{ of wal'. During months of inactivity they stuck to the job until one night, without warnin,;. bombs rained down all over the district. From 2.30 to 7 a.m. the boys worked without ceasing, carrying stretchers across th.~ open courtyard to the wards. The hospital authorities then asl{ed that us many boys as possible should report each night and put a sleeping ward at their disposal. A little later, older Scouts were carr~' ing stretchers and those under 16 filling bot· tles and bowls, tabulating clothes and helping in the casualty wards. It was not long uefore they had more responsible tasks-operating telephone switch, boards, undressing new casualties, assistin,~ in blood transfusions and the stitching of wounds, and even helping in the operatin-!' lheatr·3s. "Be Pl'eplu·et}." On the other hand, much of the Scout.;' work in wartime has been sheer routine and nard work without excitement. One Londo I Troop maintained a night guard in a big she lter for 12 months before there was 1< raid. And yet, within an hour, a canteel' staffed by Scouts wus serving hot drin..;s and snack meals to shelterers. They were. living up to their motto. In rural areas, hundreds of Scouts a l':! helping on the land, replacing men in the harvest season, working in forestry camps collecting medicinal wild plants which, formerly, were imported from European coup, tries. Younger Scouts are indefatigable door-todoor collectors, and, in the first year of war, rounded up the tremendous total of 35,OO~ tons of paper which was re-pulped and used again. Xlght Jobs. A nation-wide scheme for fire-watch ing was evolved by Scouts in response to Mr. Herbert Morrison's appeal in January. Patrols of six and eight under a leader watch in their own districts and link up with other Patrols to make a complete check. Ail' Scouts. A new development in British Scouting is the formation of Air Scouts-boys from 11 to 16 who will be given the opportunity of learning the theory of flight, navigation and mechanics. This will fit them to join the Air Training Corps at 16 with a good preliminary knowledge. Their uniform is grey shirts, dark blue shorts, stockings and beret, and, needless to say, the new branch drew thousands of applications within the first few hours of its formation. When these boys ultimately reach R.A.F. training camps, their training as Air Scouts and in the Air Training Corps will shorten their courses by many weeks. Guarding the ThiUnes. Thousands of Sea Scouts, who spent uneventfu l years learning morse, nags and sema-
phors on the old Polar ship, "Discovery," anchored in the Thames, came into their own when the blitzkreig burst. Th ey were equipped with bicycles for carrying urgent messages. They were used to signal from pi~r to patrol boats, from natrol to hospital ships: they were appointed to guard landings. Yet. despite these varied activities, boys still have time to study. When Scoutmasters were called up, thousands of Patrol Leaders took over the running of their Troops, aided by correspondence courses prepared by the Boy Scouts' Association and distributed on a nation-wide scale. This education in the responsibilities of administration under rigorous conditions is invaluable training for the future. SOWING
TID';
SEED.
By LORD BADEN-POWELL (from "Thp Council Fire." July, 1940).
I I'ead in the Bombay Scout Gazette February this sen tence:
fOl'
"The long- expected war has come at last with all its devastating calamities. and it cannot b~ helped. "The Scout Movement, an institution "f Peace and Service, pledged itse lf to serve its generation. tried its utmost through its different organisation, but failed. . . " I am sorry, but I do not quite agree that it has failed. On the West Coast of Africa, in a placc then known as the "White Man's Grave," I met a missionary who told me that the average lif(: of his predecessors in that spot had been fou r years, and he expected that this wou ld be about the length of his own life there. I started to argue with him: why waste the life and knowledge he possessed in trying to convert a few illiterate natives, when he might be employing bis talents more usefully, for a long term of years, among his own heathen fellow-countrymen in the slums of England? But he felt "called" to this work, and said that though he would not live to see the fruits of his labours he was sowing the seed which would ultimately ripen and produce good fru it in duo season. The beginnings of any great development must naturally be small. The Christian religion itself started with only a tiny group of men who had faith, and from them, after some hundreds of years, it spread through Europe; and only now, two thousand years later, is it beginning to make its ' appeal to untutored peoples about the world. Scouting and Guiding are. by comparison as yet in their early babyhood: they have to grow for many generation!!! before 'they can have gained sufficient hold on the minds and
8
August, 1941.
MATILDA
action of men generally to s{'cUre peace . But v.'e are on the right road. and already sho\\', ing th{' way. Only a sprinl<ling of Scouts anrl GUIdes about the world h ave as yet reached man's estate, but they a re well distributE'd am ong the different n s.ti ons. Th e seed h as been wid e ly sown. More and more boys ann girls a l'e growing up in their thousands to be the parents of yet more Scouts an d Guides in thei r millions. Most of us who have been sowing the seed will not in the nature of things be h ere to see the harvest; but we may well feel thankful, indeed jubilant, that our c rop is all' eda~ so well advanced as it is, considering the very short tim e that has e lapsed si n ce its original sowing. But it means that if that harvest is eventually to come, our job in the meantime is to !;lee that the growing crop is adequately ten.], ed , that the boys and girls now in our h and" have the high e r aims of Scouting and GUiding so i nstilled into them that these becomE' their prinr.ipl es for their lives; and not only for their o'''' n lives, but for the lives of tht children whom th ey ultimately bring into thE' world. But this instillation cannot be done by preaching' it can only be impressed through example and through such steps as appeal to youth instinct and temperament. Hence Scouting and Guiding! Patience is need ed at this stage on the part of th e trainers. Patience is h a rd to practise; you are eager to see imm ediate r {'suIts; but I think patience can be acq uired if you 1001, forward to the ulte rior aim and I'ealise ho w necessary must b e the intermediate steps. But one blessing ab out training Scouts and Guides is that even wbile the ultimate aims may seem as far off as the moon, you are all the time giving Happiness, Fresh Interests and Character to each individual whom you are privileged to have as yo ur discipl e. I have h ea rd Scouters and Guiders lame nt in g that they cannot find e nough war work for th eir children, but I should not worry too mu c h about that, valuable though such worl; is. You are, or can be, preparing them for h e lping in the greater cause of p eace. Look forward. Th e e xisting world warquake is a man-mad e catastroph e, and can only be redee med by man. Our present generation. -is out to effect this by defeating force by force. On the n ext generation will li E' the nuty of bringing about p eace through peaceful actions. When I was at school our class was shown a picture of a stormy day, with angry clouds and driving rain and trees bending to the gale. The master' asked it any boy could point to a 'peaceful bit in ·the picture. There was one lIttle'spot of blue sky showing through a rift in the clouds. I was adjudged the win-
nero a nd for the next few days I carried myself with a most offensive air of superiorit~·. Bllt that in cid ent has often recurred to nlE' since with reassuring effect when c louds look blacl{, whether they be c louds of war, or of bad lucl<, or of misunderstanding; one knows that th ey will roll by in the E'nd. and the serene sunsh in e of heaven is constantly above them a ll the same. So when the present war-clouds roll by the sunshine of Peace will supervene; and a ll the more r ead ily if the next generation has meanwh il e been prepared to promote it. No one knows what form Peace will tak,' . F'ederal Unions. Economics. resuscitated Leagues of Nations, United States of Europe. and so on, are variously suggested, but one thing is esse ntial to general and permanent )'It'ace of whatE'ver form , and that is a total changE' of sp irit among the peoples, the change to closer' mutual understanding, to s ubjugation of national prejudices. and th" abi lity to see with the other fellow's eyes in friendly sympathy. But a lthou g h it will be difficult to r;et men of the present Reneration entirely to changc their' spots. we Scouters and Guider's have two great assets to help us in impressing thesc ideas on the minds and actio n s of' their oncoming successors. F'irst. we han· young and mouldable minds to deal with; and. secondly, the war, instead of hampering us ill our work, actually g ives us object-lessons witi! which to r am home our points. The appalling sufferin g of their own fello\\'Scouts and G uid es in otber countries will touch a ll Scout'! and Guides very n carly, anti will excite their fu ll e l' personal sympathy anJ fr'iendship for them. F'riendships can be mor'e fully develope":. if Scouters and Guiders set the ir m ind to it. through increased int erchange of correspondence, pen-friendships. visits. hospitality to rt'fugees. stud y of maps and histories of' other count ri es, a nd by rem indin g the boys and gir ls that we a r e a ll ch ildren of the same Father. whose direction to us is "Love YOUI' neighbour." Hatred born of war. a nd revengeful feeling-, will naturally be weeds in the path with many young people. But as your plants grow up from the sE'ed,; which you have sown labelled "Broad-minded outlook," "Love," and "DeSi r e to bind up the wounds of war." such weeds will eventu a ll y be choked. and Goodwill and Peace will b,' your hal'vest! Pl' IU,I.CATJOl'lS
RECE I.VED.
"Girl Guide Couri e r," Western Australia. "Le Tl 'efle Rouge et Blanc," Switzerland. "Te Rama," N ew Zealand. "The Ca nadian Guider," Toronio. "The Council Fir'e." " '['h E' Waratah," New South Wales.
August, 1941.
1\1 A T I :.
A QUESTION OF VALUES iJ"'01n
I
"THE GUIDER;' May, 1941.
On Easter Sunday I had lunch with a German schoolgirl aged not quite ten years. When shc was ten days old I carried her from a Berlin nUl'sing home back to a Berlin nursery , and for eighteen months I looked after her, speaking to her in English bec~use her mother- hoped that s h e would grow up bi-lingual. She and her family have lived in England now for six years. "We," she said, "are the most important peopl" in the world." "We, Sonj3.?" her mother asked. "Who do you mean?" "We," s he repeated, " the British. " After lunch I walked with her family across the common where small Cockney boys were playing football. The sun was shining, the almond blossom was out, and, a lthough that particular district had been raided f3.ir ly heavily, there was very little sign of war. 'What are you all going to do with the world afterwards?" I asked Sonja's elder sister. "I'm going straight across the Atlantic to make a pile of money; I'm sick of Europe." "That's all very well. But I didn't ask wh3.t you would do with yourself. What about th e world?" She looked blank, at that. "Ask fathel'. " Her' father, an elderly much travelled man , smiled. "Peace aims? Don't talk peace aims yet. First win the war, and throw 3.11 your enel'gy into that. When you fight a ruthless enemy you must yourself be ruthless." "No-Vati! If that, why do we fight? Then we descend to their level." I was interested to see that young cynic who had been an ardent Nazi schoolgirl, luter an e nthusiastic Communist student at the Sorbonnc. still had ideals left, although at present she professed loyalty to no ism. Her father laughed, "\Vell, if you must have peace aims, then we must educate the German race. If necessary, Germany must be occupied for sixty years-until the last man 01' woman who remembers Hitler is old and useless, until the laHt baby born to-day is civilised." "Don't you think," I askd to test him, "that even t.hen, if another Hitler arose, they would all follow him? Isn't it inborn in the race to follow like sheep whether the leader be good 01' bad?" "Nothing is inborn," he replied. "If you took a thousand British babies aged one year and distributed them in German homes, and a thousand German babies of the same age and distributed them in British homes, in fifteen years you would have nine hundred a nd ninety-nine British-born, 100 pel' cent. Germans, and the same number of German-born civilised Britons. Ever'ything' depends on education." My bus came along' at the moment and I had to leave the discussion unfinished. But all the
1) .-\
9
way home I thought of it. Small Sonja.'s sta.tement in the unmistakable voice of the English school-girl certainly seemed to prove her father 's point. ' "''\Te, the British, are the most important people in the world." Are we? Are the Germans? I s not Sonja herself very nearly one of the most important people? Not quite, because she is almost too old and set in her ideas. She is a disciple of th e creed of race a lready. Maybe the cause was pre-natal; certainly nobody spoke the word in her nursery when I ruled over it! Maybe, on the other hand, she is a victim of the prevailing' fashion in her English school. Whatever the cause, she has almost missed the chance of becoming a person of great importance because her views are already d3.ngerously prejudiced and intolerant. She may still have a chance-if someone can be found to mould that rapidly hardening mind, and make it more pliable, before it is quite closed to suggestion. But such people are few to-day. We are, most of us, too busy witl. war 'work to have time to discuss the future or the world .and a new philosophy with ten-yearold schoolgirls. Who, then, are the most important people ill the world to-day? Not Sonja's grown-up sister. who is working hard to help Britain's war effort. and who says, blatantly, that she will stay and see it through and then go off and enjoy herself. Not her father, who, brilliant though he is, is putting so mucb energy into his work that he will probably be too tired to think after the war, and who considers that action is more necessary now than thought. Not you, or I, who, beleiving in an id eal, are prepared, if necessary to die for It. Not the thousands of British, Polish, Greek-yes -and German boys who are dying daily in de ¡, fence of their beliefs. No, the most important people are those who are most easily forgotten in every nation except when an anti-bombing slogan is required. They are the people who still attend kindergartens or junior schools the world over. The people against whom it is the final sin to wage war, the people who must not be a llowed to suffer, who must not b e maimed or killed. But why must they be preserved? Why are they so precious? Why, throughout history, have we always tried to protect them? Is it simply because they are children and helpless. and there fore objects of sentimental idolatory? Or is it. perhaps, because with every genel'3.tion hope if; born anew in the world? Is it because, with every new and innocent mind that develops there is the chance, the hundredth chan ce, that it may be the one which will lead humanity a little further on the road to wisdom? I like to think so. I like to believe that by now we have grown out of the phase of sentimental baby worshipping. and tbat we see in the child the citizen of tomorrow. Surely nothing else explains evacuation? Then why, in God's name, have we no time to discuss matters of importance with the people who are content to label children, whose creeds are often so disconcertlingly revealing? How do we dare deny them, and . ignoring thei,¡ need , turn aside to "matters of mOI'e importance"?
10
August, 1941.
1\1 A TIL L' A
1 know that, writing in THE G UIDER, I s hall be accus ed of preaching to the cony e rted. I a ccept the a ccusation thankfully, and hope that m y accusers are, on th e whol e, right. But I still feel justified in doing' so, for more a nd more ofte n nowadays one h ears young Guid er s s ayin g, "1 have not time, now, for my compa ny or my pack." 'vVe are called upon to s erve OUI' country, and God knows, it is vital that we should do so. W e have to fling our every effort into the nation's cause in order that civilisation may surviv e. But, having won the war, how much fa rth e r sha ll w e li ves to a cause if our heirs are unfit to inherit to win th e pea c e? It is not enoug h to give our lh'es to a cau se if our h eirs are unfit to inherit our vi ctory. It is not enoug h to die for an ideal if the ideal must p erish with us b ecause we fail ed to pass it on to our successors. Sonja has still a cha nce to rank a s a n im portant p e rson; she may yet lea rn to look be yond the fronti e rs of race if som eon e will show her how to adjus t h er vision . Rem embel', at her age, her s iste r was a n ardent N azi, late r sh e be cam e a Communis t, now s h e is throwing h e l's elf into work, later she intends to be an egoist! She has g on e too f a r on the path of cyni cis m to be muc h u s e to th e n e w world, because nobody was r eady to guide her in the rig ht direction whil e s h e wa s growing ¡up. Her littl e sis t e r m ay g'O the sa m e wa y. On th e oth e r hand, s he h as t e n years in which to learn; if s he is lucky, som ebod y may pilot her safely past th e rocks ot [sms ou t into th e ouen s ea. \Vho is to prepare th e h eirs of the future if we. who s ta nd be tween the intol e ra nce of 't he pas t and th e wide r consciousnes s of th e n ew world , have no tim e for them? Is it not our g rave respon sibility, who are stru gglin g in Britain's ca use, in def e nce of h e r id eals, t o look be yond th e bounda ri es of th e prese nt and th e fron tiers of the nations, to the horizons of e te rnity a nd the pa no rama of th e world ? In s ervin g our country w e mus t als o serve the world. In se rv ing th e wodd w e a re also serva nts of th e g en e ra tions who are y e t unbo r n . Now , as th e s tress of total war grows g reate )', it becomes increasingly vital for u s to hold cl early in our minds the vi s ion of all that w e a l'e fi g hting not only to preserve, but to c reate. 'vVhil e putting e ve rything we know into th e united physica l effort of all the e nlig htened races of the ea rth, we have to remain unshaken , mentally and spiritually, by the jangle of th e shatt e red reeling world about u s . Whateve r comes we have to g uard our fllinds from th e infection of war-time gossip, in order to keep them stable and sane that when the children come to u s hungry for food and comfort a nd hope we can g-ive and g ive again. R e membe r: The Wise Are still the k eepers oj their pro pe l' pea ce, They w e the gual'dians oj theil' own tranquility.
Those who can maintain tranquility to-day, and remain steadfast to their avowed purpose, have in their keeping a g reater trust than pe rhaps they dimly guess. Th ey g u a rd the security of humanity. - MARGARET TENNYSON,
Ed itor: Tria 1l' atsoll,
ORCHIDS, l"ro m now on is th e tim e to look for orchid s. I had an e nquiry th e othe r day as to w h y a n orc hid was diffe r e nt from oth e r' Th e pre face to P es c ott's "Orchid~ flo we rs . of Vi c toria" s e ts this out ve ry c learly , and 1 mak e no ap olog y for summarising .it Th e r e a r e t",o main diffe r e nces . First. th e labe llul1l , Or lip , whi c h is simply a p e tal th a t hat; d e \'e lop ed diffe r e ntl y, a nd ofte n as s um es r e m a rl,abl e forms. Th e second is that though th e orc hid has r ep roduc tive organs th e sa m e as oth e r f1owe )'s, th esp h ave joined into o ne part, call ed t he c olumn. At th e ba s e of this are s ti c ky s urfaces on whi ch th e polle n must fall. a nd a lso th e "bags" whi ch hold th e poll e n, a nd , : ond e rful a r e som e of th e m eans which Nature has provid ed for f e rtilisation . Th e t wo m a in groups are e piphytes- whi c h I l ean s U\'in g on trees. a nd t e rre stri a l. 01' g ronnd orchid s . Th e tree orchids a r e not pal'a sites , be cause th ey do not live on th e sa p of th e trees, b Ul use th e m as a support a nd gain th e ir liv in g from th e a il' and th e rain. W e have onl y four or fiv e varie ties in Victoria. On e of t h e m we ('a n find a t F e rntree Gully, in t h e D a nd e nong Ranges. Although sm a ll 't h as a ve ry c linging, swee t p e rfum e . B ut th e r e are numb e rs of th e ground Orc hids ( ove r 13 0 Vi c tori a n va ri e ti es), a nd it is t h ese we know b est. Al t hough poll e n is produ ced in large quanti ties , v e ry fe w orchids grow from se ed , )"OStly by increase of th e tube rs. \ Vithin th e last f ew y ea rs , a n orc hid h as bee n disc ove l'e d that lives e ntire ly und e rg round- eve n th e blossom is b e low ground . Th ey grow in asso ciation with th e roots of th e ti-tree, a nd ve r y fe w plants have ye t bee n found. THE
MERLF~
AND THE ) [ AVl s,
A lt hough th e plants, animals, and birds brou g ht into A ustralia by p eopl e coming from Europ e have proved a ve ry mixed blessing (e ve n , a s with th e starling, b e coming a menace to our na tive fauna), I am sure th e r e ca n b e f e w com p la ints about th es e two birds th a t have se ttl ed down so h a ppil y round' our gard e ns. Th e blackbird and th e thrush b e long to th e sam e family , and though th e y look diffe re nt wh e n fully grown , th e babies of th e blac kbird are s potted Ii k e th rush es , th us sh owin g th eir common origin. Thei r love ly singin g is a constant d e light to us. Th e thrush is conte nt to stay in
August, 1941.
11
MATILDA
domesti cated safety, but the b l a.ckbird h11,; penetrated into the "bush." Even the l YI'ebird has l earned his shrill chattery alarm note, a nd imitates it occasionally. A lthou gh ha.bits generall y are similar. there are differences which it is in teresting to watch fO I'. The blacl,bird, for instance, r aises his tail on a lighting, and seems (0 carry it high er than th e thrush, whose silhom'tte shows a straight back, with th e tail well down in i in e. They both build stick n ests, th e blac kbird 's lin ed with grass a nd (he th ru sh (remembel' the ''u'' in thrush and in mud), th e eggs of both are a greenish b lu e with darlcer spots. Th ey a r e both unerring when it comes to picking th e exact spot where a worm is working, and appear to give a little jUln-,) as th ey dig their beak down in to the g round . 1 have forgotten who it was, wri ting of the thrush. said : "And i n their spotted throats arc hung. Th e v espe r b ells of GOd."
A NEW BOOK. FOI' those who a r e interested in fungi, ther,' i s a new book, price 2/6, call ed "Victorian Fungi," written by Mr. Willis, of the National Herbarium, and issu ed under the badge of th e Fiel d Naturalists' C lub. While at first g l ance it seems rather technical, it is well illustrated, and the common names are given in many instances.
A QUIZ, (Ans\\'el's Next Month) , I. Why
do birds put their h eads under wings wh en they go to sleep? 2. Why do some trees have catkins and why do they come before the l eaves? ' 3. Where does an insect have its bon es? 4. How cou l d you l eil a snake from a li zard? I h eir
himsel f a. shelter from aV:.lllai.Jle odds anti ends, and i s as proud as a monarch when h e can craw l in and seat himself successfu ll y in the she lte r. Th en there are the peopl e who make life's work, bu ildin g. Th ey build houses, palaces, or cathedral s. Some aof these cathedrals i .... th e old world r ep resent the patient persevera.nce and skilled building of centuries, and are the admiration and wonder of a ll. And we a r e building-everyone of us-we can 't help it-we are building ehal'aetel ', What do we mean by "character" '? It ii' the way we b ehave in ce rtain circumstances, the way we accept and react to troub l es, joys, difficulties, happiness, 01' sorrow in ourselves. Here is a n old fab l e about St. Thomas. who was the Patron Saint of Build e rs. Gondoforus, King of the Indies, said to St. Thomas: "Bui ld me a palace, more magnificent than the Roman Emperor's. Here is great treasure of gol d and sil ver . Let is be r eady when I r elurn. " "Oh, King, it shall be done!" sai d S1. Thomas, but when th e Kin g returned h,. found that St. Thomas had given a ll th" money to the sick and 1'oor. Then Gondoforus said that S1. Thomas should die by slo w torture! Before the execution e rs began their horribl e work, however, a strange thi .... g h appened. 'l'he King's brother had a dream and he said: "1 have been in Paradise. An: gel s l ed me to a glorious mansion built of silve l' and gold and precious stones and they said, 'B ehold, the palace St, Thoma~ has buiit for Gondoforus, King of the Indies!' On hearing this, the King ran to unlock till' Sai nt's dungeon himself, and after thal he spent all his wealth in doing gOOd. "We are build i ng every da;' In a good or evi l \\'a~' , And the stl'ucture as it grows Will Our inmost se l f disC'\os('. "Build Build Build Build
it it it it
\Yell what e'er you do straight and strong and trup clcan and high and broad for the eye of God ." -L.J. K
The Sign Post ' ,'dilur : MarjoriÂŁ> lI-icho/son
" 'hat do 1(>1'5
w(-'
U"e
1'01'
If It's not to make life
Ikllp\,(' It 0 1' Xot.
difficult 1'01' othel'S? -Ge orge E li ot.
Everybody en joys bu ilding. From earli est infancy we bUild. The baby builds his houses of blocks, th" older ch il d builds sand castles, or erects
A C on cert.-Many Packs have held successful concerts to aid the Guide War Appeal. This month WI' congratu l ate Second Yallo urn P'l.ck because the Brownies organised the who l e eo nc ert by themselves; Joa,] McKay, the glf Sixer, sent the following delightfu l account of the affair.
12
MAT1LJA
August, 1941.
The Elf corner of the Second Yallourl1 Pack held a concert on May 17 for thE' G.G. War Fund . The admission was one pE'nny. The children paid a penny extra for a biscuit and a drink. Afternoon tea was servetl to the adu lts for sixpence. Th e co nc ern consisted of choruses, solos, recitations, anti a littl e play about Miss Muffet and th E' spidE'r, and everyo n e present said it was a grE'at success. 'We collected 1:1/12/6 .
Ql:IZ,
The following questions do not properl.,¡ constitute a quiz, nor will the answe rs be found on the following page, but it will not be a waste of time to ponder ovel' them for a moment. Th ey are a basis for taking stock of the state of affairs in the Pack;A Happy Pacle-Are the children getting fun and laughte r ? Do they love the meetings and are they regular'! Do they trust B.O. and '1'.0. , a nd are they at their eaSl' with them? Discipline.-Do they obey their signs? Are they noisy sometimes or all the time'? 1s it their discipline, or is it B.O.'s? Are the) good at their cerern onies or do they giggle '? Individua lity.-Is B.O. interested in the Pacl;: only, or in each individual Brownie '? Does she know something of their tastes? Are they given some scope for their different wants and needs, or do they all do the same thing in the same way at the same time'! Do they have any ch oi ce in what they want to do? Are only the noisy ones atte nd ed to? Imagination.-Do they ever act, or play pretending games? Does B.O. play with them? What sort of good turns does the Pack do? Do they have stories? Do they think, or does B.O. do it for them? Cou rtesy.-Is a gUE'st made to feel at ease'! ls B.O . or the Pack the hostess, Or both? Are the Brownies' mannet'S just put on for the occasion, or do they show cou rtesy to B.O. and T ,O., and a littl e to each other" Health.-Are the windows shut, especiall y afte r a game? Is B.O. interested in the health of the Pack, or does it bore h er': These questions have been adapted from an arti<'le written some years ago by Miss Rhys Davids. BROWXIE LIBRARY, Th e Brownie Library no\\' consists of I (I~ books with a total number of 75 s ubscrib er". At the end of the financial year thel'e was the sum of 1:2/2/H in hand, some of which will be spent shortly on new books. Miss Heseltine has resigned from the P08t of librarian and a new librarian will take up h er duties at the end of the financial year. . Miss Heseltine Icaves th e littl e librar~ ' in exc(' ll ent ord e r, and s('ts up a high standat'd to maintain.-V.A.T.
Editor: Sydney Foot.
BJ<.;ING A BALOO,
Someone has asked, "But what is a and as she is such an importal1l person in Post Guiding, it might b e as well to let you a ll I{now just what she is, In the Extension Branch th e r e is room for nearly everyone who wants to helpther!' are the Captains and Lieutenants an(1 Brown and Tawny Owls, and then each Company has (or would liI{ e to have!) a typic>! ,'nd an illustrator for the Company meeting. In camp we make grateful use of people w ith camping expe ri e n ce, and nurses an .l massage students who h e lp with the firstaiding, a nd people who a r e good as Q.M's. Tn add i tion to this there a r e Guides ami Rangers who come and act as "legs" and pushers Th en, of c ourse, there are the peop le who hp.lp with transport-those with carR who are always so good to the people who "imply can' t get to r a lli es or se rvi ces under their own steam, and those Rangers and Guiders who act as pushers for prams and chairs \Vell, a ll those people are Extension help(rs, bu t there is still anoth I' type of persol~ \\'ho hasn't been mentioned, and that is tht' Baloo She may be a Guider or a Ranger or an older Guide Or a Tawny- in any case s h e is a person with a certain amount of Guide knowledge who has some free time each month or each fortnight, when she visils a Post Guide or a Post Ranger or 'L Post Brownie. It is best, if possibl , if shf' comes just after th e "Post" has received h e r' monthly Company meeting-which comes to her in the post-because then she can explain any parts the Post can't quite undeJ'stand, and h elp her in answering the com petitions-not, of cou rse, by doing the competitions for h er, but by writing the answeJ's out or exp la inin g any wording whi ch isn't qu ite c lear, and possibly sending the Company meeting on to the next person on the list. It does m a l< e such a difference, both to the ehild an d her mother, if they \(no\\' that someone who knows about Guides j" th(,I'e to answe r questions. And it makes such a difference, too, i f t he P ost Captain knows there is someOlW Gu id c-)' to do the exp lainin g the other end. I ~a loo?"
August, 1941.
MATILDA
B ecause it's ofte n ve ry hard to write down e ve rything so that it sounds inte resting and still mak es s e nse to th e n e w rec ruit, wh ') h a s ne ve r h eard of Colours or Sing-song or Roll- ca ll or Second-class or Taps! Th e I'cason why th e Baloo is so called :8 a rath e r nice one -and if you read Kipling's Jun g le T a les and see just how good Baloo was to Mowgli , in th e w a y of e xplanations a nd h e lp , you will know th e r eason why, a nd lw rh a ps you m a y fee l th a t you would lik e to be just such a fri e nd to som e Post Gui de 0 1' Brownie who misses som e of th t' joys a nd e xcite m e nts of a ctive Guiding. Hel'b (; I'owlng,
H a ny Post Company would lik e to sta rt a h e rb gard e n , in ord e r to gro'w h e rbs to sl' nd ove rseas , th ey can g e t suppli es of pl a nts f rom m e -Miss Foott, 10 8 Ge orge S t., I·'a st Melbourn e . H e rbs tak e up ve ry littl e space, a nd this would be an inte resting form of s e rvi ce . esp ecia lh for old e r Guid es or R a nge rs.
))"a r Guid e rs, Mi s!'; Fowle r who corresponds with a Lon e G uid e r in N e \\' Zealand has passed on to m e a I'e port or a Lon e Guid e rs' Confe r e nce held in \"'ellington in April, and it has so much , in form a tion that w e can apply h e r e , that I a m going to quote parts of it, in th e hop es th a t it will h e lp my own Guiders. Anything 1 Quotc will b e in itali cs. H e re a r e som e gf'ne r a l notes. " The C0111 missioner u 'i/l appreciate i t <fuiders tvould :"1. Give /WT some indioation it circular foldel's, 1ninutes of Guiders -meetings, etc., are appreciated. Suggestions for improvements <>r alterations .'WO'Uld be read.Uy considered. " ! , Keep her posted with the names of senior Guides and. Rangers who may be suitable as f uture Lieutena:nts. " S. Notify her whim. Lie1£tenants a1'e not doilng their work. This is not disloyalty, but is neoessary in the interests of the 1vhole Branch. "4. Notify her when a girl has ?lot 1'eplied to the Budget for three months. "5. Send her O'Ite Budget every three months, with a small report on the prog1'esS of every gi1'l. " 6. NotifY her when Budgets have been held 1£11 or not 1·eturned. " "/. Notijy hC?' about the .issuing of wa1'"anis, "Three good letters are needed before Captain's warrants are issued. For their warrant Lieutenants must be completely responsible for one Budget. Captain should send this letter to C(Jn~missifm.er and also report if Lieutenant has been regular and reliable in her work. "8. ' In; ' the event of an accident get someone to 1WU'w Ctnn!missioner that she is unable to send out 't he' Budget •. (It must be remembered thougll that ..good. Lieutenants and Patrol Leaders ron often OOJrf'/l on.
13
" 9. Give ple nty of notice when resignillg .
I add two more to this:10. Answer all her letters promptly, re m e m bering to reply to the questions sh e has asked. 11. Date letters, and always begin by quot ing the date of the letter they are answering. " Captains must not taioo into their Cmnpallies 1'ecrt£its whose names have not been r eoeived from the L<>ne Commissioner." If they know of a girl who wi sh es to join th ei r
Company because of a sister or a fri end, they should send the girl's name to t he Commissione r , who will send her the appli cation form in the usual way. Captains s hould also notify the Commiss ione r immediately a girl resigns, so tha t th e vacancy in the Company can be filled. " Do not enrol by lJOst nnle8s the CO'Imnissioll c r has been notified. She may be able to arrange to?' some acti've Commissioner or GUide1' to ta ioo enrolment. 'l'he enrol1nent service is most imp01·tant, and the child s/wuld be able to look oock. upon it as <II memorable occasion."
It must be r ealised, however, that nothing is 'worse than leaving a girl waiting indefinitely for enrolment. I have an excellent Enrolment by Post Budget sent to me by a Guider, which can be adapted and used if circumstances necessitate it. Guiders should tell me when a girl is ready for enrolment, and I shall investigate th e possibilities of her being enrolled actively, before resorting to the Enrolment by Post method. I would also like to be told immediately a girl has been enrolled, as I send each one a personal letter for this occasion. Having given a list of what the Lone Commissioner expects of her Guiders I think we should turn the tables and discuss what a Guider expects of the Commissioner. I would be glad of any suggestions whereby I could be of any help. I have been given this position so that I can try to solve diffiCUlties and problems, and generally make the lot of the wne Guider happier and easier. I do beg of you to make use of me. I have a very extensive Guide library which I am willing to lend for reference at any time . I am compiling a series of letters in training' with suggestions of how to teach various subjects in an interesting' way, and will be glad to do the course with anyone who feels she is stale and would like some fresh ideas. I also have a collection of scrap books and cuttings from various sources which I have compiled with the idea of their b'eing usefui at any time, and some Budgets which I can exchange with anyone who asks for them. You will by now have received the notes on the Conference we held at the Gathering, and I hope you will find many things helpful in the subjects discussed. I have not by any means exhausted the New Zealand report yet, but will continue it next month. I am tremendously interested in these discussions because I have learnt to understand what the Guider has to contend and cope ' with, and it is only by realising her problems that I can ever hope to be Of any use. M. R. FAIRBAIRN.
14
MATILDA
Camping and Training EJlain e MOI'an
'I'RAINING COl IRSES. B,·ownl.. Refl'esh(,,1" Training. 'rh ree r e fresh e r classes for Owls will b~ held on Se ptembe r 17 and 24 and October 1 respectively. It is hop e d that all Owls who hav e not attended a dass rece ntly will keep the d a t es free. 'l'h e Guider-in-Charge will be Miss A . Searle. B"owllie Elementa,·y TI·alning. A course of six classes and one outdoor d ay for n e w Owls will comm e nce on Thursday. Octobe r 2. It is most important tha t Owls should a tt€' nd th e outdoor day on October 25, in ord €' I' to obtain th e full training. Th e Guid e r-in-Charge will b e Miss H. Gross. Guide Elemental'Y T1'IIlnlng. A c ourse of nin e classes and two field days will c omm e nc€' on Tu esday, Septembe r 9. Th e fi e ld days will tak e place on Septe mbCl' 2 7 and October 4. and it is most important that th€'y should be att€'nded as th e c ours n is in comp le t e oth e rwis€' . Th e Guid e r-inCharge will be }\fiss S. MacL e od. Details. All eve ning c lasses will b e h e ld' at th,> Guide Office, 60 Market St. , at 7.55 p.m. sharp. A fe€' of 3d. per class will b l~ c harged. I',quipment: Sandshoes, note book . pencil. Guidf.l l's who have not previously att €' nd e d c lasses must bring signed nomination forms from th e ir Commlssioners. It woulu help if inte nding train ees would notify Mis>; B. Macartn e y at H.Q. beforehand. F'host Class 'l'estlng fol' Guldel·s. A testing day for Guid e rs has b een arr a nged for Se pte mbe r 20 in the followin g sections:-Estimations, Compass, Life-lin i!. Knowledge of N eighbourhood, Mapping. Guid e rs will b e tested in th e "Half Day's Hik e" section on October 11. Guiders who wish to b e tested on e ither of th es e days are ask e d to notify Miss B . Macartn €'y at th e Guid e Office in writing not latel' than S€'pte m bel' 6. Th ey should state : 1. Which tests they are r eady to do. 2. Wheth e r th ey can come in th e mOrl1 ing. of "ne igh bou rhood" 3. Full particulars boundaries, if th ey wish to be tested in this section. A stamped addressed e nvelope should b €' e nclose d for reply. D e tails will then be sen t to ("andidates. SU1\lllER r.rRAINING WEEKS. Two Training Weeks are being planned fOl' the holidays next summer. One for Guiders and one for Patrol L e aders. What is hOPt'u is that Guiders and Patrol Leaders from th .. same Companies will come. The syllabus is being worked out in SUCll a way that the Guiders will know and understand what has been planned for the Patrol Leaders; and each group will tackle the same activities and discussions from its own a ngl €,o
August, 1941.
Th e onl y successful way in which a Pat rol Lead e rs' Training by a ny oth e r Guide l' than th eir Captain can be given. is when the Ca ptains concerned know and a pprove of the programm e. Oth e rwise the Patrol system is short-circuited, a nd when th €' L ead e rs r et. url to their Patrols th ey are hampered, e ith er because they have learnt things or b ecauso> their Captain , through no t und e rstanding. does nto allow them e nough scope, nor g i Ve them further h e lp on th e same lin es. Gtlidel's' TI'IIhling \Veek. At the Guid e House from December 27 to January 3. Guid e and Browni e Training will be given. F ee will b e between 25/ - and 30 / .. according to th e numb er a tt e nding. Far, from M e lbourne: Rail r eturn 5/9, bus 1 / ~ Th e Guid e r-in-Charge will b e Miss E. MOI''1. ' : a nd the Brownie Train e r , Miss A. Searle. Pall'ol Leaders' Week. At the Guid e House from J a nuary 17 to 21 . 194 2. Patrol Leaders should: (1) Be Secon·l C lass ; (2) h ave at least one year's Guid,' se rvi ce ; (3) b e not more than 15 years age on July 1 , 1941. Th e fee will be 22 / ,: F a r e from M e lbourn e, rail r eturn 3/10. In..; 1/3. Th e Guid e r-in-Charge will b e Miss .~ MacLeod. Applications must b e made 1»1 special form obta inable from Miss Macartn,; at the Guid e Office . (Please send stampf'11 a ddressed e nve lop e) . AppUcatlons. For both Training W eeks should reach Miss B. Macartn ey, Guid e Office, 60 Markl't St.. Melbourne , C.1, not !tae r than Novembe r 21, 1941. Five shillings deposit should be> sent with application; this will not b e returned if withdrawal is mad e late r than thre €' week~ b efore th e b eginning of th e training. I f rail tick e t IS re qui red from M e lbou rne at c oncession rates the mon ey for this must b€' sent. too. N.B.- Patrol Lead e rs: If six or more an' travelling in uniform from a country station to the Guid e House a speci al concession can ? e obtain ed. A special form should b e asked 101' wh e n app li cation is m a d e. SmllrnR C~IPS. Guldel's' Cwnpcl'aft Training. . Training and Testing for th e Camper's Lice nce and Quartermaste r Certificate. R efresher training for season ed campers. All th e latest ideas of sanitation and Scouting games. If YOU have no camp ing experien~' I' whatever, come and learn all about it. Jr you have b ee n camping for years and a,·" ~ossiblY in a rut, come and get some np',,' tips. D ecember 26 to January 3; fe e 22 /(; to 30 / - (according to numbe rs). Fare frorn Me~bou~ne, rail return , 5 /9; bus 1/3. Th p GUIder-1l1-Charge will b e Miss C. Broadhurst. C',ombtned Guide Camns. '1'wo Combined Guide Camps will be helu under canvas at the Guide House during th,. summer. Th ere will be vacancies for 32 Guides at each of these camps. The dat!\~ are: December 27 to January 3. and Jan" ary 5 to 12.
0,
SUPPLEMENT TO MATILDA. August 1941. Girl Guides Association Vi ctoria .
60 Market Street , I":ELBOURNE. C . 1 .
Miss E. H. Purnell as you will read in Matilda, is going to India soon as a Guide Trainer for two years. So that Guiders may have an opportunity to see her before she goes , we have asked her to be at Headquarters on Wednesday, 13th Augus t between 5 and 6 . 30 p . m.
We are also glvlng Miss Purnell a small gi ft with our good wishes . Those who would like to share in this, are asked to leave a penny at Headquarters before or on the 13th. We hope you will be able to come to give Miss Purnell your good wishes .
M. E. Bush .
August, 1941.
15
MATILDA
1. Not more than six Guides or fiv e Guid es a nd one Guid e r m a y apply from a nyon e Compa ny. 2. Guid es must b e und e r 15 years of age on J a nuary I, 194 2. 3. Guides must h a v e had a t least on ye ar's Gui de se rvi ce. 4 . A ppli cations must be mad e on spe ci a l a ppli cation form , and must be in not late r th a n Oc tob e r 16 . 194 0. l' lease s e nd sta mped addressed e n velope for Application Form to Miss E. R eev e , Assis t a nt Camping Se cre tary. 1 3 McKinl ey Ave , M a lv e r n. S.E.4. Combined Rangel' Camp. B ecause of the uncertain t y most Range rs a re e xpe ri e ncing at pres e nt of g e tting tim e off f or camps, a nd the difficulty of knowing s om e tim e ah ead, it has b e en d ecided not to hold a Cambin e d Range r Camp this summ e r . L a st summ e r the numbe r of R a nge rs w a s too sm a ll to wa rra nt holding th e ca mp site fr ee a ga in t his year . An y Range rs who a r e una bl e to join a Company Camp, and who ar n a nxious to qualify for th e Pion eer or Campc r a ft B a dge, a r e ask e d to write t o Miss Mora n. a nd if possible a rrange m e nts will be m a d e for the m to join a camp. OPEN WEER-ENDS. Vaca n cies.- Se pte mbe r 19 ( 20) ; Nove mbe r 2 1 ( 20) : August 15 ( 2 ). Any Guid e r wish ing to ta k e h e r Guides on a noth e r date m ay a pply. a nd th e Company will b e acce pte d should anoth e r withdra w. Camp Flt'st Aid Test. A c ourse of lectures will comm e n ce a t th e G u ide Offi ce on Mond a y, August 11 , at 7.5 fi
p.m. Th e re will b e fiv e le ctures a nd th e examina tion on th e sixth night. Full particulars of preliminary qualifications will b e found in P.O.R., Rul e 70 , p a g e 162. Nomination forms are obtainable from Miss H a rriso n. 126 High St. , Gle n Iris, S.E.6. \
GUIDE HOUSE GROUNDS AND GARDEN!,; WORKING BEES.
Th e n e xt three working b ees will tak e pla ce on the followin g dales : -August 9 and 10, at th e Brownie Cotta g e ; Se pte mb e r 13 and 14 , at th e Brownie Cottage; O c tob e r 11 and 1 2, a t the Brownie Cottage . B ecause w e are using the Browni e Cottage for th es e three worldng bees. space will b e limite d , so applica tions are invite d as early a s possible . Would ea c h p e rson writing in e nclose h e r 5 /9 for train far e , sta ting what tim e sh e inte nds to trave l and 2/ 6 as d e posit for food. In future th e r e will b e d e finit e c h a rges of 1 0/ a nd 10 / 9. Those c oming on th e ea rly morning train on Saturday will b e charged 10 /~1 a s full cost, and those an th e afte rnoon train 10 /- as full c ost. Se nd your a ppli cations to Miss C. Broadhurst, Girl Guid es' Asso cia tion 60 Marlte t Stree t , Me lbourn e, C.l.-Clar; Broadhurs t. BROWNIE COTTAGE FET..".
October 18. Und e rlin e this date on your cale nd a r as th e Brownie Cottage Committee proposes to hold a fe t e at 457 St. Kild a Roa d, t h e resid-
Printed by the HILTON PRESS Ln., 223-27 Moray SlIreot, South Mellteurne. S.C.â&#x20AC;˘ .
16
MA TIL DA
August , 1941. of Mrs . Broadhul'st, who has kindly put the grounds at our disposal. There will be stalls of a ll kinds and fun for e\'erybody. Admiss ion-6d. for ad u lts and 3d. for children. Proceeds are for the Brownie CottagC'.-Debb ie Bradshaw, Acting Secretary.
('IlO
SHELTER It is easy enough to take cover when it rains-if you happen to be near cover.
GUIDE
There are two new books available:6th Bie nnia l R e port, price 1/6. This comeR out evel'y two years. and g ives a report of world Guiding. This copy unfortunately has been cut down very much this year because of the world situati on, but what is there makes very interesting and inspiring reading. T h e N('w G uide Compan y, price 1/-. This small book will be usefu l to new Guiders especia ll y. but it w ill a lso interest the Guiders who have been going some time as it covers the fo ll owing chapters:-The Child Training, Uniform and Organisation, PI'('liminal'Y Meeting, Guide Uniform, Company Management, Testing and Teaching, and a very good arti cle on games. We have also been able to acquire COIlI [lasses. These are 3/6, plus postage. These are not like au r old stocks which came from France and Germany, but are made in America and the design is different, but they are quite reliable and are well \\'orth having. -Clara Broadhurst.
The best "cover" from life's rainy¡ days is a bank account. BE INDEPENDENT! Build yours up in theSTATE
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