Matilda 1942 vol 18 no 11 may

•

a I

MAY,

1 942.

MATILDA

2 EXEClTTIVJ£ COl\lMITTEE

::l

Meetings of the Executive Committee, held t the Guide Office on March 19 and April 2,

1 !J42.

Present.-March 19: Lady Chauvel, Mesdames Edmondsqn, Bakewell, Blaclnvood, Bennett, Littlejohn, Misses Cameron, Moran, Ritchie. Swinburn e . and the Secretary.

Present.-April 2: Lady Chauvel. Mesdames l~a1l1kner, Buckley.

Edmondson, Pearson, l\fiRRCS ('anl('ron. McKellar, Moran, Ritchie.

Swinburne, and the Secretary.

AgI'Cccl.

To "enew our nwmbl'rship of the National Theatre Movement.

That we should agree to the suggestion from the Federal Secretary that the date for o"!'ning Ihe proposed Chi l'f Scout Memorial l"un d should b e d efe rred for six months, To suggest to thl' Federal Secretary that all t hC' suggC'stio ns from States for the form the Mpmorial sr,ou ld take. should be sent to 1mpC' rial HC':ldquarters.

To a ~ ('e')t the recommendaton fr om the ("or,11lli~~ion!' " for Brownies for a temporary ultemti on to a clause in Rule 32. P.O. and R.: "Only Golden Hand Brownies may earn Proficiency nadges." by substituting "Brownies peT'lilitt!'d to I'arn two badgC's bC'fore they :'l'\' Golden Hand."

Th at the Rec,'ctary should communicate with th!' Diocesan Scou t Advisory Council in r!'Ference to the St. George's Day Service.

Th at permission could not b., g ranted to ("u io ('s t o march in the p,'ocession on Rivet

a,'.,

Th at money from nisbano.,o Companies ""nnld b., held by the Guio!' ,\ 880ciation f or "(',u id e purposps in the sa III (' District in "hich the Company was disbanded " (see TIule 29 (e) P .O. and R.) for a pl"'ion of five years, after which it should be paid into thC' general funds of thl' Associa tion.

That thl' proposals from the Guide House Commi tteI' in rpga,'o to rai fl in g money fO!' th e Gui(11' HOllSI' f und s hI' accepted.

To h ave a ml'('ting of Comm ission e rs and " ep r esentativ('s of Guioers and L.A.'s to disruss th e future of the Guide War Appeal and ("'uiding at thl' present tim e.

To rep ly to the Federal Secretary that th(' \\'orld Rl1rl'au and F ede ral Council quotas and Emergency L E'vy be paid by Rtates this ~'ear as usua1.

That Miss Cameron ue appointed ('onv(';1('I' of a sub-committee to d eal with trust d eeds.

That t he recommendation from the Training Committee that the "shortened Second Class T est as adopted in England for the dUration of th e war should be adopted by Victoria," be approved.

RePOl'ted.

That a lette r had been r eceived from Mrs. Rtanley B lo e r, Acting P"esldent of the Cllil-

dren's Hospital Auxiliary. ('xp r ess ing great app reciati on of th e help given by the Guid e Movement in the sorting of silver paper, and hoping that this h e lp would b e continuE'd in Districts.

Routine a nd financial busin ess was trans acted.-M. E. BUsh. State Secretary.

BQlTTP~[EN'1' l'rge-nt-R~

NO'l'ES.

Guide

Belts.

Owing to war conditio ns. w(' sh a ll not be able to import a ny furthe,' supplies of buc\<les: a nd each oay it bE'comes increasingly difficult to get an ~' \eath E' r.

Tt is thereforl' urgent that Districts m a k e local plans t o call in all availabl e b e lts (oldstyle bl'lts whose lpather is in bad condition can b e renE'wed--we have at prE'sent a small stock of leatlH' rs for this purpose at 1/9).

Rl' lts thus obt a in e d can then be used for ne'" recruits in the District. It is strongly r('commended that belts bpcoml' District l'athp r than ("ompany propE'rty. nistricts may be able to eo-operate with othl'r Districts in th('ir Division. w ho may happen to have \a r g-e r supplies than they n('en.

Tn l\istricts wllf'l'(, (",uiding has been establish!'d fo,' some time. there must b e a numbe r of Guides who have ll'ft th e Companies withou t hanoing in theil' b e lt!'!.

(A!'! thl:'se a r e reg-istered eq uipm e nt . thl' Loca l Association and Guillers are re!,!ponsihl", to see that the bf'lls do not r emain in the possl:'ssion of those no lon ~p ,' h1'10n -r to A Company).

Th l:' VERY small fHlnply of b E' lIs on hand at Headquarters must bp l, ept for ('ompanil'!'! in n('1Y Dist";cts where belts hayl' not PI'Pviously been issued. and for Comnanies "'ho find it impossib le to g"et a ny old ones lo ca ll ~' PI(,!lS'" do '''It ask us for belts lin less "on JUI"!' I'pal1~' e~'haust('i1 ('very possible- SOl1t·(,~ tn hoth J)lstl'lcts and nlvlsfon.

"'''n

NA;\ffi-TAPES. \lITe h avl' bel'n informed that thc manuFnrtllrprs will no lon g<> r b l:' permit ten to m ak!' name-tapes. so fu rth l'r or(1pr!'! for thl:'se C!tllnot bE' acreptl'd.-C. Broadhurst. Commi ssion!' r for Equipment.

" 'AnnAXT<; Al\"]) REGI<;TnAT10XS.

Dis h·tet C'ommissfoner. -Sot:th Yarra, Mis!'!

V. Brett. 41 Walsh st., South Yarra. R.F..1.

Bt'own Ow1.-1st Benalla. Miss S. Birlol!': 2nd B e nall a. Mrs. D. K. McMillan .

Packs.-ls t Rutherglen Pack. ('ompanleR.-lst Metropolitan Can!'t Compan y; 3a Hawthorn Company.

Clmcelln.tfons. nistrict Commissioner: South Yarra, Mi sR J . Ritchi".

C'antaln: 1st Moe. Miss M . Fle\\'in; 1st Seymour. Miss D. J .

Wickham.

"Matilda "

,\" o Ilici. I

Trealure Bag of Guidera' Information for Guiders of Victoria, Australia.

Price, 3/- per yea 1'. 4/- Posted. Single Copies 6d. each.

Editor: Mrs. GUY BAKEWELL, 4 Stoke Ave., Kew, E.4.

Contributions should reach the Editor not later than the 18th of each

VOL. XVIIT.

mOD'

h.

MAY, 1942.

GUIDE WAR WORK.

1st Cohuna Guides collected 581b. of cleanIng rags for the servi('es. and 361b. of whilp linen suitable for dressings. These were delivered to the local branch of the Red Cross.

Tn addition, a large carton of scraps was sent to the A.C.F. loeal depot.

Th e Guides of 1 st Lockingtol1 set out to collect rag fol' thp A.C.li'.; to date they havp ,\espatched 251b., but hop e to be able to gE't morE' a littl e later.-N.M.

SOCTAT, SERVTCE A)rONG WO)fEN OF THE SERVrCES.

Thl' Girl Guides' Assoeiation has b een asl,ed to make known among OUI' members the opportunity offe r ed by thl' Y.W.C.A. nf Australia to women trained in group worl, fl"d l eadp r~h i" for social welfrlrâ&#x201A;Ź' worl, among women of th e services.

Th e Y.VV.C.". h aR und ertal(pn to pxtencl social service aplivitips. and thp need for thE'111 is increasing rapidly. A pplieations for Ipadel'shin positions ar'p invitpr1. alld nualifieations Include Girl Guide, Club 01' Roeial wOI'k. AnpOintmentR will carry a salary. anr1 in thp serviee unifR. officers' rank; applieants must be prepared to worl, In any part of Australia:.

A hrief eoul's" of tl'ainin~ "'ill be givpn In Melbourne.

ApplieationR should be made immediatply to Y.W.C.A. of ""stralia. fifi Co llins Plaep.

Melbourne. Age. Qualifications and pxperipn('(' should be stated, anrl Ipslimonials should bp pl1elosE'd.-M.RB. PAPF.R SORTING pon THF. ('HTT,DRF.N'S HOSPITATJ AUXIT.JTARY, ~'p h:1.vp har'! a letter from Mrs. Stanley Eldel'. Acting- Prpside'lt of the Child r pn's Hospital A uxlliary, p'{p r'essin'~ hel' Ih~nl{s for all the "splendid heln giv('n hy Gllidps at the Childr('n's Hos.nital ,\\Ta.~tp Df'not last year on Saturday afternoons." Shp sayl' that with this help "a tr('men<lol1~ n.n1l)unt of unfolding an<l 'first sorting' of silvN paper and tubes was done."

Commission('rs had offe red tl,p help of the Guides again lhis YE'ar, but no'\' that the Auxiliary has moved to much smaller premises at 50 vVilliam At.. practJc>ally only the flnal sortln/!' ean bE' done there.

In ord e r to carryon thill VE'I'Y n ecessary

N o. 11.

work. the Auxilial'y is forming Distriet Groups for thp preliminary unfolding and flrst sorting of the silver paper. etc.

Mrs. Elder writes: "Should a ny Guiders be able to 01'ganise worl{ing parties to carry out this worl, we would Indeed be grateful. Our work has becom e of vital national importance owing to the great call for aluminium by the Defence Department. 'rhE' greater part of silver paper is eomnospd of aluminium, and Is n eeded fol' thp maldng of patterns and jigs for tank tl'aeks, BI'en gun carriers and aircraft parts."

Here is a job which could be undertaken locally by any Guide Company. and therp would be something- fOl' pvpl'yone to do-som(' to collect the foil. etc., some to unfold and flatten , and some 10 sort. Guid('rfl eould pro hnbly obtain permission from someone with a spa./'(' room to use it as a "dump." or even as a wor\noom for the job. Those Guiders who helped with their Guides last year will know what is required: others may apply dirpct to MI's. Eldel'. 15 Jaekson st.. Toorak.

[01' instructions .

Any of this wo rk clo n e bJ' the Guides will not only augment th(' r evenue of the Chllrl r f'I1'S HOAl1ital. but ca n also help in provi<ling- an urgently n eeded and vitally Important produet.-M. 1':. Rush.

0A.'lOlTFIJAGE NF.TS.

The Girl (1uides' Association has returned 300 complet('d nets to the Country Women's

\ssociation.

Worl, is continuinR' steadily.

TTnfortunate ly, owing to difficulty In obtaining twine the C.W.A. has been fOI'e er'! to limit thE' number of Depots to the existing onE'S, and cannot issu E' to them more twine than they have ben using hith erto . Thu!'i the situation has changed sln('e my last article in "Matilda" urging- mOl'e people to takp it up as theil' war effort.

Those who have already b('('n r('gistel'('r1 at the C.,\V.A. can, of course, continue, and we will be glad to hear of an~' ne ll'! Ihat arp returned there, so that we ('an add th('l'n to our list. ny the way, pleasp re(lIl'n a ll eml)t~' spools. a.s t h ese are used agai n.

'We r E'gl'pt having lost Mrs. PottE'r-onp of our most indefatigable workers-who has moved to Geelong. Mrs. Tremlett's depot at Janpfield has b ee n another pnergpti(' eontributol¡. as has been Malvern a.nd Easl Malvern. and Burwood and Hartw ('l1. PI'pilton. Northeole and Hpidelberg have also bE'en s('ndlng in a steady flow. We are indl?bted to all our workers fOl' their loyalty and support.-'M. R. Fai.rbairn.

4

MATILDA GmT, GUIDE CYCLE CORPS.

On Saturday, February 28, nine Guides trom the Kew Division of the Cycle Corps rode from Kew to the Forrest Hill Kindergarten Holiday Home to hel p the kindergarten teachers with the black-out preparations.

When the Guides had finished half the black-out screens, they built a fire and cooked their lunch and had a well-earned rest after their long hilly ride.

In the afternoon they continued their work and finished before 3 o'clock. There were still several jobs they found to do, such as apple picking and peeling fruit for the children's tea.

After an early tea they rode home through Tunstall and Box Hill, feeling very tired but very happy.

Two weeks later the same girls rode out to the "Ware" Holiday Home outside Ringwood. At "Ware" they lVeeded, dug, raked, and hosed a very large weed-covered vegetable garden.

The day was very hot and at inten'als the girls paddled in the large wading pool- and "'ere soon reFreshed.

Lunch and tea were cooked oYer an open firE' oVE'rlooking hills and orchards. But this time the Guides were far too tired and hot to ride home. so they packed their bicycle's into th!' train at Ringwood and relaxed in thp.ir seats. Theil' work was very much appreciated bv the Holidav Homes. who sent a letter of Ihanlo; to the Kew Cycle Corps.-Pat Wells.

K!'w Cycl!' Corps.

HEADqUARTERS

ANNUAl,

LEVY.

Tn 1939 it was agreed by Districts that. in o"der to sunnlE'ment Headquarters funds. there Rhol11d be an annual levy on all F'acl,s. Comnanies and Local Associations. 'I'he amounts suggested were 2/ 6 pE'r Pack. 5/- per GuidE' or Ranger ('ompany. 10 /6 per Local Association.

Last yea,'. this levy brollP'ht in ÂŁ76/15 /6. but. owing to th!' chang!' of n a le of th e financial year. th e p!'riod cov!','eil was only nine months.

The financial y('ar !'nds on 30th June. and it would help us if donations were not all left until thE' last month . hut were sent as Roon as possible.

In explaining to the vnriouR groups (h!' need for this levy, Guiders may find it helpful to refer to the printed balance shcet. showing itE'ms of receipts and expenditur!'. as p"intE'd in the Victorian Annual Report and Suppl e mE'nt (3d.).-M. E. Bush. Stale Spc,'ptary.

COUP Al',' PROBTiF.MS.

Thl' GuidI" ' Vho Has GOlll" to thl'

COllntl¡~,.

Many Guid e rs al'P finding that odd Guides in their Companies are going away to live in the country. either with their schools or to live with relatives. Wherp thE're is a Company in t11E' District to which the Guide has

May, 1942.

gone, no time should be lost in sending an official transfer, and if time permits a personal note to the Commissioner or Captain in that District, so that the Guide will link up with Guide friends in her new home town without loss of time.

But what to do with the Guides who have gone to Districts where thE're are no Companies? A request has been received by the Training D e partment for help in this direction. So. we a"e sending into "Matilda" the copy of a letter which has actually been used.

This letter. which will explain itself. was attractively decorated with traCings from pictures in "The Guider." The Court of H onour should have a part in planning it, and the Patrol Leader's section to each individual Guide can be attached. as wel! as letters from any individual Guides who care to write, 19th Calrngorm Guide Co. April, 1942.

Dear GUides,Several of the schools have been taken over hy the Army. and so have had to transfer most of them to the country. That mean!! that some of thE' Guides are now living in the countl'y out of reach of a Company. (llhers have moved privately to the country. often to places where there are no Guides.

This has happened to some of 19th CairngO I'm Guid es. and that is why you are getting this letter. Would you like to belong to thE' ('ompany just the same. carryon with your Second Class. and receive a letter every month with suggestions and ideas for things that you can do? If you would like that, and if you answer your letter before the end of each month, you can still belong to 19th Cairngorm and qualify for your service star at the E'nd of the year. Lieutenant or r will write to you each month . probably during the first week. and send you a letter something 1iI,e this one. and also a perRonal letter for each Guide. r hope you took your Guide badge with you. If not. ask your mother to post it after you. Wear it as much as possible. and keep it bright and polished all the time. \'I'ith best wishes, From Captain.

COMPANY NEWS.

Goan na Ptal'ol .

Peggy vVill<ins has chos('n .Jennifer as her Recond.

Daisy Patrick has gone to live at BE'ndigo. but is going to join a Company there.

Anne has gone to Warburton with her school. but has not left the Company.

Jane. Winni e. Susan and Lavender arE' four new recruits.

Polly has received her second sE'rvice star.

Spldl"t' Ol'cltld Patrol .

Daisy has chosen Nona as her Second. .Judy has gone to live at HealesvilIe, but has not left the Company.

Edith and Maisie are two new recruit!! in Ihis Patrol.

\

'May, 1942.

MATILDA

PCl'iwll1kle Pub·oJ. Lola has transferred from the Spider Orchids to be the P.L. of the Periwinkles.

Cath and Janet have left.

Their school was taken ove r. and they now have gone to another school and are too late home.

Betty has transferred from the Robins to the Periwinkles.

Hatti e has passed her Morf;e and Bleeding, and Marjorie her Mile.

Robin Patrol.

This Patrol has closed down.

Elsie and the Twins now go to school at the Technical School and are too late hom e.

Elsie has transferred to 7th Cairngorm and the Twins have joined the Salvation Army Guards.

Gen eral News.

It was decided by the Court of Honour that in future P.L,'s should be elected from among Second Class Guides only, as the Company has now b ee n going long e nough for this.

We had over £4 in Company funds , so the Guides decided to give 5/- each to the Red Cross and Comforts Fund and £2 to the Guide House. Th e Guide House needs money for its upkeep , usually it gets rent from camps and weel{- ends. This year most of the camps were cancelled , and not many weekend visitors go there, as they cannot get a train home on Sunday night from Wesburn.

The Company is going for a hi1{ e on Saturday, probably to Blackburn Lake.

MESSAGE-CARRYING.

This month we have been trying to practise carrying messages in our heads: none of the Patrols are very good at it. I think that the Periwinkles have been the ·best.

This is what an English Guide paper /!ays about message-carrying: "In the days when people had no mechanical means of communication they generally devised ways of spreading news through even thinly populated country almost as quickly as if they had telegraphy at their command. Now that communication is not so easy, thanks to petrol restrictions, many Districts may be evolving s ome means of communication of their own.

Something like the old Highland method of the Fiery Cross may be considered. though this was. of course. only used for the gathering of the clans. The cross was roughly made of untrimmed wood lighted in a fire, and quenched in goat's blood.

Th e Chief's swiftest runner carried it to the nearest vil1age. sh owed it at every window, and called out the name of the meeting place; then he handed it to the best runner of that place, to be carried on: so the new/! was pas!!ed on. ani! very soon the wIlDIe clat1 was at the ;;:tlheri ng pl/lce."

In an emergency. telephone wire!! might be 40,,-n IU1Cl p~op)e l1e sent round on foot to

5

d e liver urgent messages.

Wouldn't it be dreadful if a Guide forgot h er message or got it mixe d'! The only way to prevent this is to practise now.

Here are three messages. 'l'al, e them on e at a lime, starting with the shortest, memorise on e when you get up in the morning. write it down before you go to b ed that night, then compare it with lhe origina l message.

If you are right go on to the longe r one next day; if you had even on e word wrong, mak e up another short on e for yourself, write it down, memorise it, and repeat it before you go to bed. When you are right, go on to the longe r one. Th ese are tho m essages; let me know how you get on : 1. "Canoll people living their hom es fOI' them at

Creek is in flood: noti fy all south of Renson road to leave immediately. Ca rs are waiting Dent's Corn er."

2. "Message to be broadcast immediately: 'Three tige rs, a panther and four leopards have escaped from Wirth's Circus; last seen heading north- east from Lilydale.

Anyone knowing anything of their whereabouts, please ring Lilydale Police immediately," 3. "Message from Miss Pratt to Whoop Whoop Gene ral Store: prease give bearer three pints of milk, one small tin of cocoa, ~ lb. of sugar, and two large tins of biscuits.

Charge to Area Y Emergency Canteen. Also forward six pairs of blankets, four pillows, and 10 lanterns by carrier to-morrow."

(N.B.-Here fo llows diagram from "The Guider," February, 1940, page 33).

Fold a square of paper in half as in 1.

Fold one corner across as in 2. Turn the paper over and fold over other side as in 3.

Tuck flaps as in 4. \Vould you lil{ e to make a paper drinking cup to carry with you On a hike? It is useful. too, to cook an egg in. When cooking an egg, make the cup out of several laye rs of greaseproof paper, Or else grease your paper well. Put a piece of butter about lhe size of a walnut in the bottom and breal{ your egg into it; p ut a green stick through two holes in the top of the cup, and hold it over the ashes. If you hold it over flames your cup may burn, which would be the end of YOUI' egg.

If you like cheese, grate a little a nd sprinkle it over the egg.

Have you ever seen a horse's footmarks on a muddy road or track?

I'm sure you have , hundreds of times. Do you know that you can tell by them if the horse was walking, trotting or galloping? See if you can find any this month and discover how they are different.

You should b e able to find plenty of tracl{s after all the rain we have had. I expect you see plenty of birds about, too.

Have you eve r noticed their beaks?

You can ( €' Il by the shape of them what the birds eat. Choose any three birds, look at their beaks, guess wha.t food they live on, and then watch them to see if you Were

MATILDA

6

I·ight.

L e t m e know hOlY you g e t on. It does not matter it you do not Imow th c name of the bird, find out if you can ; if not, s e nd m e a d escription of it. 'l'e ll m e in th e description its size compa r ' d wi t h a bit'd you do know, its colour, shap e a nd a n y thing e lse that you noti ced about it.

(N.B.- Th e drawings that w e r e traced to d ecora t e this le tte r will b e found a s follows: "The Guid e r," Decembe r , 1939 , p. 442 : Jun e, 1939 , ps. 213-214: January, 1940. p. 2 : June .

1940 , p . 151; Se pt e mbe r , 1 9 39. p . 332 : Se ptc mb 1', 193 9, p. 331).

SEAf,l;;D ORDERS,

Based

011

the Tendel'foot Tc"t,

Suitable for a P a tr o l m ee tin g at whi c h no Gnid e r can b e pres e nt. Th es e ord e rs can b e pre pare d by th e Guid e r b e fol'e hand and g ive n to th e Patl'ol L ead e r with instructions to place th e m a t a p P I'opriate places round th e paddock, ga rd e n or h a ll-or they can b e pre p a red by th e Patrol L e ad e r and Second. In the latter case the L ead e r and Second would not tak e part, but could practise som e oth e r tests, e.g .. First Class, or h e lp n e w r e cruits with th e ord e rs. e t c. Guid es work singly or in p a irs. each starting a t a diffe r e nt ord e r and passing on to anoth e r wh e n one is complete d.

Time, approximately on e hour. Tim e should b e allowed at th e e nd for discn ssion. c omparing points, etc.

Order I, Th e answ e rs to th es e Qu (' stions will g ive you 10 jumble d le tte rs , which , if th e y are c orrec t. wil give you the pa ssword wh e n YOU sor t th e m out. As soon as you know th e password op e n the enve lope and go on to th e n ext ",ec tion. If you cannot get th e pass wot'd, look up in th es e bool(s to mak e sure that your a nsw e rs a r e correc t . The n op e n th e e nve lop e .

1. If t h e tlrst Guid e Law is A G U IDE IS LOY AL, write G . If not, write B. 2. If you salute while th e N a tional Anth e m is being sung in Church . write U . If y ou sta nd at atte ntion only, write R .

3. If th e "Red Australian Fla g " is used b y th e Merchant Se rvice . write A. If it is used by th e Navy, write O. 4. If Guides should salute m e mb e rs of th e Air Force, write E. If not. writ e D .

5. If St. Patrick was born in Ireland , writc U. If h e was born in Britain , write E. 6. If you would run to Captain if sh e ble w a s e ries of short blasts, write R. If y ou would sUll, write D. 7. If St. George was born in Asia Minor. write P . 1;f h e was born in England , write I. 8. If the Australi a n Flag w a s ftrst flown in 1901. write E . If 1903 , write P. n. H the Union Jack was first flown in 1605, write E. It 1802, writ~ S. 10. Jf there were seven points in th e Federal Star in 1907, write H. If there w e r e six poln is, w,rlte ~.

In an e nvelop e is the follolVing: -:" A nSIl'e r to 1st qu e",U-o n B

May, 1942.

2nd R 3rd A !th D 5th E 6th R 7th P 8th P E 9th 10th E P REPARED- th (' Th e pass word is B E Guid e motto .

On e point for each le tte r right and a n addition a l fiv e points if you h a d th e password corre ct.

Mate ri a ls re quil'ed : Any books or pamphle ts su c h a s GIRL GUIDING a nd AUSTRAL[AN F LAG PAMPHLET which will give th e a nsw e rs The m a p in a Bibl e is som e tim es use ful for findin g out wh e r e Cappadocia is.

O.'dl'r n.

Draw illustrations of two diffe l'en t Guid e Laws, show th e m to a noth e r Guid e . If sh e g u esses whi ch L a ws th ey a r e m ean t to b e. tal< e two points for each .

Ol'del' TTl. Ti e up this jal' of wate r s o th a t it is h a n g in g from som e thin g such as th e bough of a tl·ee. without s pilling any w a te r . When y ou h a ve d on e it. or if you can 't do it , op e n th(' (' nve lop e .

In e nve lop e : Did you u se the Fish e rm a n ' s Knot ? See the g ree n book. p a g e 1 9; and t ry again if ~' ou we re not righ t . T a k c fi ve points i f ~' ou w e r e righ t.

Mate l' ia ls r eQu i r E' d : On E' ja m ja r p a rtly fill ed with \Va t E' r . On c long pi ece of rop e or cord.

Cop y of "How To Do It"-Pa t rol C harts.

01'(11'1' " ' ,

Moor t hi s boat to pi e ". As t h e t id e goes v c r y lOll' a l this l)iace. you will have to join two rop es first. "Wh c n fini sh e d . op e n th e e nI' e lop e.

111 e l1l'E' lop e : To join I·op es . F ish e rm a n ' s . To j oin rOl'e to boat, Shee tbc nd . To join rope to pi E' !'. Clove -h itc h.

Tota l. t hree points . If wron g practi se until con·ect.

Ma te l' ia ls reflu ired: On e to), or pa p e r boa t pl'ond ed with loop. Two pi cc('s rope.

Order V, ,"Vith these m ate rials m a l{c a U nion J acJ{ ~ in. x . 4in.

Th e n op e n e nve lo)1 ('.

In e nvelop e : Correc t b y t his nag.

Sta rt lI'ith 1 0 points a nd t a k e on e off for e ve r y mistak e .

Mate dals r equil'e d: Pi e ces of blu e, r ed, and white pap e r. Se v e r-al pairs old sc issors. In e nve lop e on e a cc Ul'ate c opy of U nion Jac k Sin . x . 4in.

Order VI. Mak e th e t l'acldng si g n y ou would use a t th e e nd of a tra il showing oth e rs your propose d ca'm ping s pot for th e night.

In e nve lope: Did y ou m a k e a si g n s howin g wh e r e and how far away you had hidd e n a le tter saying wh e r e you had ' gone and when you would b e baci, to m eet th e m?

Two pointl!.

Mate rial re quire d: Sticks a nd s ton es if t h ey a r~ not a lt'ead y lyin g about,~·E . l\'[, ·

May, 1942,

MATILDA

THE PA'l'ROL LEADERS' PAGE, "NO GUIDE MAY BE A PATROL LEADER UNTIL SHE HAS PASSED HER SECOND CLASS AND SHOWS A GOOD KNOWLI~DGE OF PATROL DRILL." That is what w e r ead in P.O. and R. (Policy, Organisation and Rules) .

Borrow a copy from Captain or from your Company library and see what e lse it has to tell you ab out P.L.'s.

Don't you think that it might b e a good id ea of each L ead e l' cond ucted a p ersonal self-examination to mal,e sure that she c,ould rullfil that op e ning sentence?

Som e of you will have been Leaders for many months; make sure that you have not got a littl e rusty on your drill and test worl,! And what about all you n ew L eade l's who have just b een elected? Perhaps you I,now your drill in theory, inside out and bacl, to front, but what happens \yhen you drill YOUI' Patrols?

Probably at first your memory and your voice will both leave you! Don't worry about that, it is rather disconcerting, but w e have all been through it.

Practice, and plenty of it, is the only cure, and h e r e a r e a few hints to help P.L.'s, old and new, with that practice.

First, why do we drill at all? 'I'hink it out ror yourselves; there are many r easons, but the following quotation gives a good summal'Y: "Discipline is something we must all learn , for life demands it.

To take part in drill is to accept discipline from without and at the same time to exe rcise self-control. To be of any use at all, drill must b e well don e; then it will be entered into wilh zest and enjoyed by everyone."

Whether it IS well donc Or not depends largely on you L ead e rs who ar(' taking it.

If you give your ord e rs in a lazy. go-as-youplease tone of voice, your Patrol will obey in the same slovenly. casual manner: but snap out your commands briskly as if you really meant it, and see how your Guides will respond. Always stand at attention when taking drill, and make sure t hat your Guides come to attention before making any movement. If they make a mistake. pull them up immediately and r epeat th e ord e r. Don't let anything pass until you are satisfied wiih the manner in which it is done.

Your Patrol will never drill as you would wish if you say "It's good enough" or "It will do"-it must be perfect. It is better to do a little really well one week than to try and do a lot and do it badly. Remembel', too, never push your Guides into position, stand quite still , and TELL them what to do: do not touch anyone.

Now for the actual drill. The cor r ect position for a Patrol to fall in is in line with th e P.L. at one end, the Guides on her left , with the Second last in the line ; th e thir<l senior Guide is next to th e Leader, working down . to the newest recruit n ex t to the Second. . Those are the positions if spmeone else-such as the Guid e r - is going to take pver the Patrol. If the P.L. is responsible

ror the whol e drill; then the Second should fall in in the Leader's place and No. ¡ 3 at the rar end of the line, The Patrol Leader will give the ord'er, "Patrol Second, fall in!" anu the Second WIll c om e to attention, run up (notice that, RUN, not walk 01' stroll!) and fall in in front of the Leader, two paces away from he:,; she falls in at "attention," and comes to stand at ease" imm e diately.

At the next order, "Patrol, fall in!" the remainder of the Patrol come to "attention" anu fall in at th e doubl e 011 th e left of the Second, falling in at "attention" and coming to "stand at ease" in the same way.

Perhaps your Patrol is new and their line is a little wobbly, then gIve the orders, "Pat rol , attention!" and "Right dress!"

At the latte r command the Second does not move, the others taJ{e a step forward (always move the left root til'st) , turn th eir heads Lo the right, and take little ste ps h ack until they are all shoulder to shoulder and absolutely in line.

Th e Leader then gives the order, "Eyes front! " and all h eadS turn to the front again. .

You can give your Patrol extra practICe with right and left turns, about-turns (always by the right) and marching. Add more n.s they become smarter and more profici~nt, but do not keep them standing at attentIOn for too long.

You do not want to have . to rf'l1der first aid to six fainting Guides!

Re: member, too, that ' this is not the time fOl' conversation; allow no taIldng during yOt~r drill. Bach P.L. has a roll bool, in which IS H list of the names and add resses of h e l' Guides and in which she l,ceps a record of their ;Uendances and subscriptions. Take a pride in kc e ping your book well. Captain or JJieute nant will want to see it once a nJ'Onth , alld will co mpare it with the Company Roll Book; it does not say much for your r eliability as a Patrol Leader a nd is an extra trouble for them if it is incorrectly marked. \V atch and see if any of your Guid es are attending irregularly; it is your job to find out the wheres and whyfors. '\' h en you are marking the I'oll th e Patrol s hould be standing in line in front of the P L as I 'have described previously.

Call e~ch gil'l's name in turn. She comes to "attention," salutes, says "Present. L eade r ." and h a nds in h e r money. .

Next we come to inspection. Last month I sPok'e to you about the appearance and smartness of your Patrol. Are they all perrect now? It is a good thing sometimes to vary i nspecti on- look for the most perfect Guide ab ove the neck (i. e., hat well brushed . hatband neat, hat marl,ed with name, no soloured ribbons or clips, etc.), or the . one with the best equipment in her pockets. Keep your Patrol guessing so that they never know what you wit! inspect next and th"ir standard w ill im prove all the time.

A little word of warning. though; you must be above fal)}t yourself.

At the words, "Patrol, dismiss!" your Guides will right turn, turn their heads ieft-that is, to face YOU-full salute, turn their heads back as-ain ap.d break off', Y<)ur l'ecl'uits. of COU l'se , will not salute.

8

MATILDA

You see, there is quite a lot cove red b~' those five little words "good knowl edge or Patrol d rill," isn't th e r e? And I r epeat what I told you last month, "Don't forget YOUI' Second." You may suddenly get a bad cold or stay home to h e lp mother.

Have you made sure that your Second can carryon?

Can she step into your shoes a nd lake Patrol drill? It is h er r es ponsibility. but it is YOUI·8. too.

Th e n a P.L. must be Second C lass, but she must be more than that-she must be able to teach h e r Guides Second Class and Tendel'foot.

Spe nd this month brushing up your test work, and later I will give you some hints on teaching it to your Patrol. Are you quite sure that you could turn all the test!! that you have passed to good account at any moment? C ould you lead the poli ce to capture an escaping spy or to find a lost child because you had practised observation so well that nothing escapes your notice? W e cannot learn this In a day; it needs practice train yourselves now in obse rvation.

H e re are a few questions to ask your Guides to :see how observant th ey really are: you can mal<e up oth e rs Iilt e them: On which side does my moth er part hel' hair?

How many etairs are there at school?

Is the hot tap on the right or left hand !!ide on the bath? Is it the sam e on the kitchen sink ?-"Tul-Kara."

THE GUIDE HOUSE. We are most heartened by the respon!!e of the Local Association , Companies and individuals who have, on r ealising our need, quickly sent us amounts ranging from 1/3 to £25 to help liquidate the d e bt or th e Guid e House.

At the moment of going to press th e total received is £104/19/3.

Th e re are still 10 days to go before 30th April. and it will be splendid if we have by that date rece ive d all " 'e need , with no prospect of the "blight" setting in again.-Mal'y Littlejohn, GfFTON T.JOG BOOK. Gipton has a Log Boole Does that surprise you?

The Gipton Committee has e nd eavoured, as far as possibl e, to keep a history of the Companies and Guides who have camped at Gipton , but for the last fl'w years it seems that many Guides and Rangers have forgotten to record their stay.

Th !' two Ranger r ep r es e ntatives on the Gipton Committee have been asl,ed to be responsible for the Log Book. Will you help them-it should not be hard to remember to write It up if you appoint one member of your Company to do It. The fjnished hlstol'y may be left at HeadClual'ters.-M.S.

May, 1942.

BROWNIES. Guide House.

V3451()9 Private Niquet, L., resigned from the Guide House Committee, owing to her work in the Australian Women's Army Service. She will be missed by h er many friends in th e Girl Guides' Association.

Th e new Brownie Branch representative on the Guide House Committee is Miss Greta Roach, 22 Neville st., GlenhuntIy, and she will take her place at the next m ee ting.

131'owllJe ~Iats.

Once upon a time there was a Brownie Pack.

This Pack made fOl' itself 18 little cushions.

Each cushion was stuffed with something soft and nobbly to feel, yet quite comfortable to sit on. And on one side of each cushion was stencilled a design o f an Owl or a Sprite, etc. Th en the Brown Owl went away to another country, and the Pac I< scattered far a nd wide. a nd the c ushions lay in a box for a long time wishing the Brownies cou ld corne back. It is not possible for that to happen. but perhaps there is anoth e l' Pack just longing to have 18 rather dusty b ut still useful cushions.

Write 01' telephone Mrs. F. T ate, 54 Harp rd. , East Kew, so that the story may be ended , and the littl e c ushions can li ve happily eve r after.

BI'ownlc Unil'ol'lns.

Brownie ov el'a lls do not often langu ish for lack of use, for in nearly every Pack a good deal of passing- on takes place.

But every now and then oddments a r e hand ed in to the Bt'ownie Branch. As far as the overalls are c once rned , they usually show signs of wear, and are always faded from washing, but might still be mad e use of if Brown Owls knew just where to find them.

The oddments on h and at the moment a r e in the ca r e of Miss H. Gross, 39 Kooyong road, Armadale.

P"otic-Iene)' Badgcs for Brownies.

In Our Book o f Rules is to be found nearly 20 different Proficiency Badges which would appeal to Brownies, yet ,ye very seldom see a Brownie wearing on e of these badges on h e r arm. The absence of these badges ha!! been large ly accounted fOI' by the rule which says that "Only Golden Hand Brownies may earn Pl'oficiency Badges." ])0 T h ear some say that they cannot find that rule in the book? It appeared as a clause in Rule 32 until a few years ago. and then it was omitted, but last year H eadquarters in England published in "The Guider" a r eminder that the rule still existed and was to be inse rted once again. Golden Hand Test is beautifully thought out. and it is of the greatest value for eve r y Brownie to be thoroughly familiar with the 20 items in it. But ' h ere we find a difficulty. It is only a small p e rce ntage of BI'ownies who arrive at the high standard required to e a.rn the Golden Hand , and of those that do obtain it most have but little time left to remain in the Pack before Flying

UP. Brown ,Owls who have ob!!erved thi!! state

May, 1942.

MATILDA

of affairs, and pondered wistfully on the badges which might have been won had Golden Hand not come first, please now take notice. The fo llowing alterations to the Rule is permitted by the Victorian Executive Committee: "Brownies are permitted to earn two badges before they are Golden Hand."

Fi "st Class.

'W hile we are on th e subject of Gold e n Hand, I should like to repeat the alteration to the Book of Rules to which the Victorian Commissioner for Tests and Badges drew attention in "Matilda" last month.

Owing to the rationing of milk and the difficulty in obtaining fruit in some places, clause 3 now "eads: "Cook a useful dish such as mill, pudding. porridge, potatoes or other vegetltb les. or prepare a mixed salad." nllttOlls, As In Golden Bill' Test.

I had never been able to see anything really amusing in sewing on buttons until by a lucky chance my eyes were opened by a paragraph in an old "Matilda."

A Geelong Guider had written: " . . . I drew with crayons a number of faces, fat, thin, laughing, scowling faces with beards (these were in grpat demand) on calico or any such stuff.

In drawing these faces, I omitted the eyes. I gave each Brownie a face and a large and small button. These they sewed on as eyes.

The effect was most comical, and created much amusement in the Pack.

After the meeting the buttons were taken off and used again later."

Although a very poor artist, I also drew my faces and offered them to the Pack with trepidation.

The Brownies were just all amused as those Geelong Brownies had been 1 (\ years ago.

This useful little hint indi cates the opportunities we can cultivate to produce plenty of Brownies' smiles.

These smiles are the antidote to the gloom of the war.

The Sign Post Editor: MARJORIE NICHOLSON. "'.rhe secret of happiness is-something to - John Burroughs.

SIGNALIJING (Continued).

Special Points.

The following points require ca refu l attention:(a) The caller IIhould speak the groups distinctly, spelling out any difficulty, e.g., "yew" should be spelt out to ,,<!tetlngulsh it from "you" or "hew." He should tal,e care that the sender is supplied with the next group immediately the answer reader anno\lnce!! that

9

the distant station bas answered last.

H e must supel'intend generally the send·· illg- of a mes8age, and ord er the "erase" if he notices any group being incorrectly sent. (b) The sender must act without delay on th e word of the caller, and must take his order from him only, and not from the answer-reader, except where the answerreader wants a call for light, when working with lamp 01' heliograph.

It must be impressed on the sender that if a group is not answered he must go on sending until it is answered. (c) The answer-reader must not allow his attention to be distr'acted from the distant station for an instant, or he mar miss an answer 01' an interrupted signal. \Vllere the distant station sends the general answer (T), he will merely call out to the caller "Answered," but where the distant station sends some other l<ind of signal, e.g., the reply to VE (th e calling-up signal), or the alphabetical check for numerals , he will call out what he actually reads, fo,' example, in the case of VE, it would be "K" or "Q," and in the case of figures the letters of the alphabetical, "BeF A" (or whatever the checlt letters sent may be). (d) The writer should satisfy himself that so far as it is possible to tell, the group has been correctly received before he directs the answerer to reply. If he merely wants the "general answe,'" to be sent, he will only say "Yes"; but if the group has been one requiring on e special answer he ,viII sa~' to the answerer exactly how to reply, saying. for examp le. "K," or "FDGB," or whatever are th e cor rect check letters in the case of numerals.

It should be impressed on the writer that if he is not satisfied with the group as he has it down, h e must not say anythi n g. The utterance of such remarks as "Don't answer" or "No," may cause confusion. (e) The reader must, like th e answe,·reader, Iteep his attention continual1~' on the distant station. He should call out each letter. figure or sign as sent. and must say "Group" at the conclusion of each group as sent by the distant station, i.e., whenever the ftag is lowered or the li ght obscured.

The reader must on no account try to guess any letter that he cannot read.

And he should say "Miss" and the writer-down will leave a space to be afterwards filled in . (f) The answerer must act promptly on the word of the writer and on his orders only. with the exception of when the reader want~ a call for light. ''\Then using a light he will stand at the "Prepare to signal." (g) All calling out must be done in a firm, clear voice , particularly if there is much wind or other disturbing noises. (h) The members of any station should place themselves in the most convenient positions, with regard to each other, taking care, however, when worl<ing with flags that there is no obstruction to th e view of their ftags. as seen from the distan t station, e.g., no Guide sh ould stand so that she forms a L!:td background to the l!ender'/! flag.

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MATILDA

(i) A good Guide signaller should always be prepared to blame herself rather than the distant station fol' any delay or failure, (Note,-AII signallers when performing thc:;e duties shou ld be carefu l to use the phonetics. ) l3ackgl'oUlUls. "W ith flags the question of the bacli:ground is most important, and the great point to bear in mind is that, though it is desirable to have a uniform background, at the same time every effort should be made to secure as great a contrast as possible between the flag and the background; when working with a white flag the darl, background of a wood. a hedge or e ven a ploughed fi e ld will be most suitable, whilst a blue flag will require a ligh t background as where read against the skylin e or against water.

It should be r emembe r ed that the less the dista nce between the flag an d the background. the sharper will be the c ontrast, whereas a very distant belt of trees appear almost as light as th e sky itself. It must also be remembe r e d that it is often very difficult to tell at a s en ding station exactly what particular features of the background will form the background. when viewed from the distant station, but from the distant station the flag may b e seen partly against the h e dge and partly against the sky or the light sides of the far distant hills. It is particularly easy for such a case to arise, since the flag at its highest point of the sweep is considel'ably higher than the leve l of the eyes when one is inspecting the background of the sending station, and the distant station m ay be quite possibly on a n angle entirely differe nt to the sending station. In the case of lamp or h e liograph. care must be taken that there are not oth e r lights. r e fl ections from "'indows, etc .. in the close vicinity.

Editor:

S~-(hlC ~'

Foote

. ros'r GUmHiG-FOR THOSE KO'r DOING IT, Those who are engaged in the more active froms of Guiding may thinl, that Post Guiding is a duller and less 'vital affair-but this is far from being the case. To the physicallyhandicapped or invalid girl, whose h"ealth pre-

l\.iay,

191~,

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her from attending meetings, Post Guiding has just the samc appeal as active Guiding has to h o I' strongcr sisters.

It appeals to her imagination , to her desire to achieve, to her wish to be a usef ul m emb er of soC'iety, a nd it satisfies that great longing she has to be likc OUICl' gids of lier own age, either as Ranger. Guide or Brownie.

'Vhat is it that the active Guide expects to get thl'ough h er Company meeting?

Plenty of fun and games, tests to pass and badges to win. and opportunities of "doing things" for hersE'1f and other pE'ople, in C'ompany with a c h ee rful gro up of girls out on the same thrilling adventul'e as h erself .

All this is exactly what the Post Guide gets-NOT through a weel,ly meeting, but through a monthly "Company Meeting Letter" drawn up by hcr Guiders with the" h e lp of the P. L. 's and the Guides themselves. and c ircu lated round the Compan y by post.

H is a real "Cornpany-Meeting-on-paper" with Roll Call. Inspection. Patrol C orn ers, Games, Competitions. Badge Work. Woodcraft. Camp-fi re , etC', These Company lettc rs are illustrated. if possible, and are as light-h earted and full of fun as an active C ompan y meeting, and at the same t im e they try to create (just as a Guid(' meeting does) a real spirit of friendsh ip and co-operation am ong the Guides and to train t h em along the four main lin es of Guiclinp,' to take ilieir place in the world more usefully and happily.

'YhE're physically possibl('. Post Rangcrs.

Guides and Brownies pass the same tests as uC'liv(' C'hildren. If pal't of a test is not possib le or quite useless to her, an alternative test is used, but they a l'C nevcr simplified or cut out.

A phYSically handi cap ped child neC'cssarily gets so much done for it that a tE'st which gives it r eal ditnculties to overcom e ,,'i\'('8 thE' ch ild a d efi nite sense of achievement.

Post Companies are run on ilie Patrol system, and a C ourt of Honour is h e ld about four times a year. Sometimes it can be arranged that th e P.L.'s and Captain meet but otherwise it is managed by post.

Questions ar sent out to the Leaders, who discuss them in lettcrs to th ei r Patrols; the P,L.'s then Rend in the r esults of these discuss ions to the Captain who "TitE's a summary of them into the Court of Honour Book.

This is then sent to the P.L.'s. who initial it and act on It as r equired. This is just o ;,e way of having "Post C. of H .... every C ompany works out theil' own way.

Every Post should be attached to a local active C ompany. This, _unfort unate ly, is not always possible.

Sometimes she can go to meetings, and active Guides will be surprised to find what a lot of activities she can sha.re .

However. visits t o Company meetings are not always practicable, but active Guides' visits to Post Guides are nearly always possible, and are a terriflc thrill to the Post.

Sometimes it is hard to uqderstand e verything in the Company meeting letter. bu t when ' it is explained and dehlonstrafed ' by' an active Guid e or Gtt·ider. it · is 'ciu{te different.

• vent~

11

MATILDA

May, 1942.

So, please, Commissioners and Guiders, will you find out the Post Range rs, Guides or Brownies in your D istricts and let th e m join with you in your activities?

If you h ave read this article, thank you!

If y ou will h e lp, twice than I, y ou!

-J.A. TnE '''rHAl\"I{ YOU"

FUl'\D.

Do yo u usually subscribe to this fund?

P lease don't forget us on ~' OUI' birthd ay !

Our Post Companies are expanding rapidly owing to evacu ation of some city institutions. and our stamp. paper and e nve lop e bills al'e also ex panding!

So will you remember to send us you I' 2/ 6 on your Compan y or Pac I, birthday as a thanl<-offering for your ability to e njo~' active Guid ing?

Th e Treasurel' is: M iss A lston. 5 Struan st..

To o rak, S.E.2, and there is a lso a "Thank Y ou" Fund box at Headquarters.

EXTENSION BRANCH NEWS. 2nd H eidelberg Guides h c ld their birthday meet in g on Tu esd ay, April 14 . This Company has several Sec ond Class Guides and one tri<'I' for First Class.

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2nd H ei d elberg Pack has quite a numb er of Gold e n Bars. including t.wo B I' owni es in lhe r esp i rator wal'd. Th ese two are now going for their Gold en H a nd. using a l ternative tests for those wh ich are . impracticable.

To date. Post Rangers have contributed £1 /2/6 to the Prisoner of War Fund.

Mrs. Grant Coutts (nee E lsie Armstrong) wh o was Captain of 1st Post Rangers for many years, h as h ad to r esign owing to laek of spare time. Those who knew h e r will bl? interest e d to h ear she had a s on born early this year.

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Extension Guid e rs-pl ease note that the "Uniform Dump" is no Iml/CeJ' at 41 Spring st. Miss Alston has it at the moment, and anyon e wanting uniforms can haye them by send in g her t h e required measurements.

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Extension Guid ers' Training. - This will be held at the e nd of Mayor the beginni·ng of June.

Will Guiders wh o have not already done so, please let Miss Alston know what subjects they ' want at the sessi on s.

Th e Training will take place on a Saturday afternoon and· evening.

WANTED, . A Post Ranger Capta,ln for 1st' Victori an Post Ranger· .Company. A small Company o f very young Range: !·ecrults. a nd one enroll l? d Ranger.

All offers thanl, fully reccived by Miss ,T. A lston. 5 Struall st.. Toorak . 8.E.2.

THE HANGER PAGl'';.

" I know not whe l'e the white I'oad I'un , nol' what the blue hills are.

But a tuan may have the s un fol' friend , and for W s gUide a s tUI', And there's no e nd of ,"oyaglng whe n on('e the voice is h eal'd, Pm' tlte I'he l' ('aUs und the 1'0ad culls, and oh! the c ull of a bird," ON l "OOT I GAII,Y 'J'AKF. ~n' WAY ?

Th e morning of Friday, April 3. found three Hnng"f'rs 'letting out on a walking tour. Having I'eac h ed theil' starting point. C roydon, a huge map wa" produced. a nd the three began their long wall, a lon g Oxford road.

At 2 p .m. a hall was call ed. and a h l?arty lun ch partaken of by the wayside.

After lunch they arose and hit the tmi l again. The weath pr " 'as rather unsettle d , a nd tl1C littl e party madl? C!l1 it e a picture as they trudged along, clad in raincoats and Bou'-westers a nd carrying la r ge and weighty rucsacs upon theil' bael,s. As the miles sped by packs became h cavil? r , legs a littl e wpal'i e r. a nd thl? I'ec r pation r eserve they "-ere sl?eking seemed very fa r away.

At last, as tw ili ght was falling. lhey d ec id ed to pocket th('ir pride and e nquire at a n earby house where the reserve was to be found.

To th eir horror the occupants seemed only vaguely aware that such a thing existed and pointed to th e top or onl? of the sUI'rounding mountains. Th ey gave up hope of reach in g the r ese rve at tha thou r of the night and e nquired whethel' there was a suitahle camp ing spot nearby. Th l? man of tl)e house suggest I'd that as h (' would be taking his truel{ out in a fl?w m inutefl. the threl?

Pionee rs should get in ancl be c1riYe n to a suitable spot.

They needed no second invitation. so hopped in, and after a very hair-raising drive dUI'ing which they exp('cted to go hurtling ovc r th e bank at th e I·ondsid e. ' they at last found themselves on terra firm a again. However, they found that the spot whi ch had been recomm e nd ed hy their friend had bl?en f ou nd by a party of Scouts. so the three had some more hunting to do befol'c a su it al} lp camping place was found.

Soon they had a fire crackling merrily with a tasty . meal of c hops , tomatoes. aprico ts and .sago, and coffee well on the wa~·. Hik e tents were. e rected, and having partaken of a som ewhat belated dinner they rl?tire.d to bed. During the night the baby of the pal'ty, wno waS sleeping in a te.nt by herRelf, was aroused h~­ a loud thump just outsid e the tent. Instin ct direc ted her to retire beneath the b edclothes, but she plucked up enough courage to pok e an e nquiring n ose ou t into th e moon li ght 'to find tne crruse thereo f.

Of COUl'se. nothing was to be seen. so in much disgust shc lay d own again, onfy to b e aroused again by the

12

MATILDA

sound of footsteps approaching. This was not so good, and as in fear and trembling she again poked her nose (just the tip this time) outside. She fully expected to see some beastie of the wilds, but again nothing was to be seen. Then-came a loud e r thump , at which baby almost jumpe d out of the tent with fright, and shot down into h e r bed, where she lay and shivered for some time.

(The cause of the thumps was not discovered).

The Pioneers awoke n ext morning to the steady patter of rain on the tents. and an atmosphere at least 20 degrees below zero.

A cooked breakfast was out of the question. so after delving in packs some dried apricots and some chocolate became breakfast.

As the tents became wetter. they decided to arise. and with the greatest possible difficulty and many moans succeeded in dressing and pacl;:ing in the hike tents, and e m erged to a wet and dreary world.

Having struck camp they werc soon on the trail again, and as they approached the house Of their fri e nd of last night they could heal' the sound of his cal'. As they rounded th e bend they saw the fam ily about to start out on a shopping excul¡sion . H e informed them that he was going to Olinda, and If they'd care for a lift--. Th ey accepted. pil ed into the van, and were soon jogging along the high road once more. At Olinda th ey bade their friend farewell. and moved on again und e r their own steam this time, discussing as they went the possibility of accommodation in somebody's barn for the night.

One of the party had some friends at Sassafras, so in that direction they wended their way. in hopes of being invited to lunch. On their arrival, the prospective hosts were seen to be on the point of departure. and to the joy of our Pioneers th ey placE' d the house and contents at th e ir disposal. with instructions to make themselYes at hom p. This they did with much gusto , and soon had some bacon, tomatoes and c hips s izzling on the etove.

As the own ers would not be returning until the following evening they had the house to thpmselves. and made thpmselvE's comfortable.

Aftel' lunch they had I'pst hOUI', and went down town to buy something for tea as the menu had become rather disorganised . They din ed in state on tomato souP. camp pie and tomatoes and apple pie, and having washed up and performed their toilets, retired to bed.

Next morning they awoke an d lool< e d out the window to find a heavy mountain mist enveloping the countryside. Bed was a very god place, so the Pioneers stayed there until about 12 p.m. Breakfast at 1 p.m .. and dinner of tomato soup, steak and kidn ey pudding, stewc d plums and apples and cream at 3 p.m.

As the mist had hung about all day. and it had rained quite a lot, the thrcc Pioneers decided to take the bus to Fern Tree Gully, so 5 p.m. found them waiting outsid e the Gene ral Store for ~ame. The train W!L5 'very

crowded, and by the time the city \vas reached limbs were cramped to such an extent that their respective own e rs felt that neve r again would they be able to stand upright , much less walk.

They bad e each other a sleepy farewell, and dragged their weary bones hom e wards, worn out after such ¡an exhftustive w eek-end.-"Three Pioneers."

I,ONES. Dear Lones,Here is n ews for you. The Lone Exchange is on cc more in b e ing!

This was inaugurflted in 1933 with the following aims:(1) To h e lp n ew Guiders plan a good Company mee ting.

(2) To give ideas of interesti ng and effective ways of presenting the various subjects.

(3) To give experienced Guiders n ew id eas.

It was not designed for the purpose of doing the thinking for Lone GUiders, or for supplying all their needs. but should b e regarded as a bureau for r efe r ence a nd an exchange of id eas.

Although it has apparently not been mad e much use of for some years, its material is sti ll good, and conttains many bright ideas in practically eve ry subject of Guide teaching.

Th e conditions for making use of it are the following:(1) The Guider should give details of the subject required , stating whether it is wanted for teaching or testing.

(2) Th e material is only available for a month, and In ust be returned at the end of that time.

(3) '.rhe Guider must send a stamped and add ressed envelope with h e r request.

(4) Each time an idea is borrowed the Guider must send one in exchange. It does not matter on what subject.

The Bureau contains such valuable material as Th e Introduction to the Second Class; First Part of t he Second Class; Letters to Parents; Hints and Explanations to Leaders: ('o urt of Honour; Suggestions for Raising Funds; Sample Tenderfoot Test Paper; Specimen Company Meetings; and '.ralks-as well as the various subjects of Tenderfoot and Second Class.

Some subjects are sadly lackin g. however, the principal on e being Nature. I think the Nature folder must have been mislaid , because there just wasn't one at all, until I put a Rmall collection of my own into a folder '" nd labelled it.

I cannot think that Lone Guiders haven't been able to contribute something t o this important and fascinating section. from their own expcrience, particularly when dealing with country girls to whom Nature is part of their very existence.

I am so anxiouA to rectify this omission that I hereby announce a competition for all Lone Guidere fol' the 1;>est contribution, suitable for using in a Budget, for either tea.ching or testing NatuF\ll.

The time limit will

May, 1942.

be t1nee months- th at is, the e nd o f July. as a prize a year's subscription to "Wild Life."

So put on your thinking caps, and show that the Exchange Bureau of 1942 inte nds to keep up its original stand a rd.

Anotl1er fold er whi ch is e mpty at present is Handcraft.

H as none any id eas of presenting hand c raft e ffective ly to Lones?

No diagrams or patte rns for u seful articles or goi fts? If so, please send them a long. Th e r e a r e no a rticles on camp gadgets, which would be such fun for th e Lone to practise in pre paration for camp when happi e r tim es come again, b esides giving h er a practical use for h er knots.

R e m e mb e r that the Bureau belongs to each on e of you, and its success d epe nds on your co-operation.

Library.-Last month T r ecomm e nd e d several books use ful for app lying to Lones from my own Guide Libra ry, which I am r ea dy to le nd to anyon e who applies. Besides these [ have a very comprehensive collection on all subjects of Guidin g.

Wh e n applying, you should state th e s ubj ect y ou require.

As thi s libra r y contains 110 bool,s. I think I can g uarantee to fulli! y our need w h atever they nwy b e !

Conditions for borrowing from this will b e: (1) A fee of 2d. will be ch arged on each book.

(2) Books should not be kept for more than a month.

(3 ) Postage or ('arriage on e way should be' paid.

Budgets.-Another means of gaining knowledge is by borrowing Budgets. 1 h ave a g ood supply of t h ese. w hi ch I can send on applicat ion . 1 would lik e to r e mind Guid ers, too. th at 1 want two of their Budge ts a year.

The r easons for this a r e twofold.

Firstl y, so that I can see how th e Company is prog '·essing. and, secondly. so that they can be used as ex change. In thts way, each Guid er can see how someone else manages h e r Company. and ca n probabl~' glf'an s om p IIse ful information and id eas.

Incid entally , a very precious Enro lm e nt Budget which I le nt to some Guid e r has not been r eturn e d to m e. 1 sent it in the d ays before r l, e pt a strict account of the d etails. and do not know who is the culprit. Will Ihe guilty on e on seeing this. please r et urn it ?

Tl was the Enrolment Budget of the 7th Lone' Guides, a nd wa s don e s p eciall y for me by M,'s. Freshwate r.

T think this is the mom e nt to remind GuidC'rs that the n ext Budget I have "called in" is the May on e. This m eans doing an ext ra (,OPY. so that there is on e to spa,'e for m e.

Added to my Iibra,'Y I h avc just star ted a subscription to "Wild Life" which. as YO ll know. is an Australian Nature magazin e. d elig htfully set up and full of articles an d illustrations of absorbin g interest to NatUre lo\'(> ,'~ .

1 will donate

13

MATILD A

I h ave a lso copies of "The Guid e" from February. 1941. Although this is a m agazine primarily for Guides , the re are many articles Ilseful to Guiders. These two p e riodicals are available a lso, but b ecause they have soft covers. care shou ld b e tak e n that they are "eturn e d in good orde r.

H e r e are your ch a n ces th e n to h e lp m e to h e lp you. Yours is the n ex t move !-M. R. F'ai,'bairn.

fJONES IJOCAL ASSOCIATION,

Minutes of m eeting of Lones' Local Association h e ld at Guide Headquarte rs on April 14. 1942.

Apologies.-Mrs. K eble . Mrs. McNa ughton , and Miss W eppner.

Present.-Mrs. Fairbairn, in th e chair; Mesd a m es HUll. Higgs. Harley, J a rdin e and the Hon. Secr etary.

BnsinC'ss AI'!sing From Minutes, Guide Library. -Agreed. that this was not a worl,able id ea. postage b eing too h eavy.

Guid es usu a lly have access to good IIbrarle!! in schools and centres. Mrs. Fairbairn has a (' ompreh e nsive library for use of Guiders.

Badge Worle-Although Guides could not obtain badges until they had attained Second ('lass, they eould take adva ntage of first aid a nd Junior Hom e Nursin g lectures in th e ir centres.

Correspondence.-Letter r eceived from Mrs. Moo,·e . of K e rang. promiSing int e r est in It Lone In h er District.

A circular lette r from Mrs. Littl ej ohn asking for financial support for Guid e House.

Gen e r a l Busin ess.- R e Commissioner's postage: The sum of £1 2/ 5 / 5 had b ee n paid la st year.

As this was very h eavy. Mrs. Fairbairn suggested that in futur e a sum Of. say, £5 a y ea,' should b e paid Commissioner who would m eM a ny extra h e rself. She felt that Companies needed suppo,'t more urge ntly.

Aft e r mu ch discussion, it was referred to an n11 a l me et ing.

Annual T..evY.-A sum of £1/]/- would b e paid to this.

Badge Corresponde nce Work.-Mrs. McNaughton r e ported having completed the course for Laundress.

Th e N eedl ewoman's was fllmost completed.

Next Meeting.-As n ext m eetin g would be th e annual on e . and as Guid e rs had asked that it might b e h e ld on a Saturday afternoon, ~o t hat th ey might attend. it was d ecid ed to hold it on Saturday. July 11. at 3 p .m .. at the hom e of Mrs. Fairbairn, 236 Kooyong road, Toorale Guiders and membe rs of active Loca l Associations are invited to attend . Decided t o have an Opportunity Shop at annual m eeting to assist Lones' L.A. funds.

Mee ting then closed .

14

MATILDA

Editm': ELSIE SYDES.

NIGHT NOISES. We r ead of the voices of birds being stilled in sleep. but does not the willie wagtail sing at nigh t, and the plover and oth e rs, such as the reed warbler. who gives of his best in the evening.

Watpr birds freq u ently mov(' about at night. and give a few calls as they pass. I have eve n h eard a magpie warbling on a bright moonlight night. But what of aU those other little whisperings and sometimes raucous noises? These latter, of course, emanate from the pond , and we can all guess what they are. Th e mole cricket cannot h e ove rlook e d as he deafens us on a warm night; h e is having his op e ra season now . Have you ever tried whistling when on e of these is shrilling-the effect is most peculiar!

T think we know the squeak of the bat, too . and the harsh noise of the opossum.

But there is a soft clicking sort of noise that you could easily overlook I was doing some late watering-it was dark-when quite near I heard this little c1icklng noise. I had often heard it at night in the bush or outdoors, so h e r e was my chance. I stalked it to some little pink bell flowers, rich in honey, then wpnt inside for a torch. What do you think I saw?

There. sipping honey and making little clicks, was a handsom e green grasshopper-th e long-feelered grasshopper, or "I,atydid." H e had a hard pair of wings the ('OIOH' of gum leaves, and they w e r e made to look like them, too, evcn to a little brown patch. Th ese covered his fat short body untll he flew. then were revealed the thin wings under these and th e beautiful striped bodyblue-gree n colour with rich reddish-brown stripes. All his legs were thin. even the hind ones (he hadn't the strong well-develope d jumping legs of the short-feelered type) . His head was mantis-shaped, and he had two long thin feelers which were It pal e yellow ('olour.

Stm'1fng c ¡-Cl('an 01' Dh'ty?

Are starlings clean or dirty?

I'm afraid we have to class them in the latter ('ategory when we take into account their n esting habits and the fact that they become infested with lice .

But taken by our own standards of bathing you will have to ('lass them as clean.

For every afternoon they visit our magpie's bath dish and have a really good dip-coming out quite wet. Sometimes th e r e are two in together , and then there is a fight, and one is driven off. Thpy do e njoy their evening dIp , there's no donbt.

A Handsoml' Fellow-But Restless.

On e of our most e lpga nt and most hnn.l-

May, 1942.

some bi l'ds is the restless flycatch e r. Thinn e r and more streamlined than his "double," the friendly little Willie Wagtail, h c can be distinguished quite easily from th e latter by his white "underneath" which goes all the way, i.e., his throat is white, while "Willie" has a black throat and upper breast. The restl ess flycatcher is more shining, too, and has no white eyebrow, and certainly h e is not such a friendly littl e fellow, but more " Ioof, as befits his elegant appearanc e.

How does h e ('atcb his dinn er? I watched on e for some time the other afternoon, and noticed for the first time that he has the same hunting style as a kite, in that h e looks down f,'o111 a height most of the time, and then makes a quick dive on to his prey. I have seen and admired them hove ring on tbe wing about two yards or so above the ground with head always down watching for insects.

But tbis time the h ead-down watching attitud e was constant from post and fence, always followed by a swift dive and a full beak.

When watching lik e this and especially when hove ring, the bird makes that peculia" noise lik e "scissor griding," hence on e of its common nam es-"scissors-grind e r."

Th e willie wagtail's favourite method in our I"arden is to hunt on the ground. H e runs across the lawn at top speed, and you can hpar his beak snapping on the small fli es a nd insects-back and forth h e goes. Sometimes ft family of blue wrens sharp the hunt, and fL utumn seems to be> a rich time for insects.

In the eve nings the air is fill ed with birds on the \\'ing catching- their supper-starlings don't do so badly in their imitations of hon eyoate rs and su('h clever "hunters on tbe wing," but when the poor humbl e sparrows ('mulate thei" clever brothers they npvc,' fail to look slow ann clumsy. I expe('t they catcb their prcy pre>tty often. tbough even if not alway!!.

Have you noticpd what imitators they are?

Tf a honeyeatpr Or somp strange bird visits the garden, thp sparrows arp always there nosing round and doing th eir best to imitate.

Th e woodswallows are alRo kepn hunters on th e w ing these eve nings, a nd give fine displays of whepling- and gliding. Th ese 1 saw a night Or two ago we,'e thp dusk~' woodswallows.

In the mornin gs the bird world is eq u a lly a live and busy th esp lov e l~' autumn mornings , too. This morning 1 heard in a short spac(' of time a thrush. the chough's mournful whistles. a grey currawong's clear single note, and I wished that bed had not been such a ('os ~, RPOt and that there were no oth e r calls upon my time. Do g('t out in the morning i f ~' ou ('an- it ti m'passes all oth er ti1l1(,s in the bi"(1 "'01'10. "~rArl'TTjDA"

" TRAPPERS.

vVe should lik e to thank Miss Joan Harvey fo,' typing "Matilda's" wrapp e rs , and also to Ray "Thank you" to Miss Greta Roach , who hag agreed to take her place now that Joan ('an no longer continue this very helpful job.-M. E. Bush .

'1'I-tA I~ING

15

MATILDA

May, 1942.

AND

C'allll)("l'l\ ft

CAi)fPI NG .

H eadqnarters Training Cla sses.

TI'ainin !:;" Classes will b e arranged at Headq u arter s or elsewhe l'e as requested.

It is proposed to J"lold a course of elementary classes for both Guide and Brownie Guiders commencin~ in August.

It has been suggested that t h e usual classes shou ld be h eld a t a different hour, e .g .. 6.30 to SOl" 8.30 p.m ..

(II' at some tim e to suit th e majority of Guiders who wish to atte nd . ThCl'efol'C'.

Commissionel's a nd Guiders are asked to make a note or this. a nd a r e asl<ed to wl'ite to Mills Macal¡tney at Headquarters.

Tf sufficient nomin a tions a r e received, a class will be star te d at a tim p a nd p lace to s uit thE' majority.

P lf'ase do not be put off by this va~ u eness!

You seE'. i't is not much use arran g ing a c lass for , say. 6.3 0 p.m. when t h e majority of Guiders cannot possibly get t h ere bf'fore 7.30. On the oth e r hand, the majority might prerer 6.30.

Wh e n (' nquiring, p lease sta te th e times and week n ights that su it

Ball~c .

Arc a ny Rangers or Guid e rs anx ious to h:1.Ve trainin g f or th e Campcraft or Pi onee r Badges th is year ? Usually. we hold a course oC thr('e classes and three week-ends with an add ition a l week-end for the test.

Anyone interested is asked to w ri te t o Miss V . H a rrison , J 26 High st., G le n Iris, S.E.6. stating Camp ing exp el'ie nce, before ]\fay 31.

Guide Second Class Tes t.

Thf' Executivp Committee has a pproved the USf' in Victoria of t h e w a r-tim e altern ative Second Class T est which was ad opted in Great Britain sOllle months ago. 'rhis test is s imilar to th e ' ordinary G uid e Second Class Test. but is shorter.

From now on until further notice. Compan ies may adopt this test if they wi s h. T h ose that prefer to contin ue with the o ln test may do RO. Th e syll abus of the shortened Second Class T ps t is us follo,,"s: -

~¡ou.

llld oOl' Camp Cel'tlf!(ollte Pacl.

Holl<lIl~'

]'('rmit.

The same alTangenH'nts as for the Training C lasses wjJ] b(' curr ied out for classes for thl' a bove Campin " Certi ficates . 'Vill a ny Guider or Commi ssionel' intel'ested, pl(,M;e \\'rit l' to Miss V. Harri~on. 126 High st.. Glen Iris.

S.E.6 , b efore May 3J. Before app lying, please r ead TIulp 32. P.O. and R ., 1939 pages 38-39. P.O. ann R .. Victorian Supplp'1'"nt. J 940-41, page 24, undl'r h eading "Ca r:lping. "

-----_._- - --

T.-Tnt('lltg(,llc('.

1. As in P .O . a nd

R.

2. Have shown by p rac ti ca l ('xamp ll' thal shp has don e her best to I, eep lh e Law .

3. As in P .O. and R. 4. Make two d fsco\,pries f l'om p en;onal observa tion about threE' li v in g things in t h e il' natural surroundings.

5. Know how to stall, a nd t r ael" or (fol' t own g irls onl y) slrE'E't observation of shops and peo p le.

------

Printed by lhl! HILTON Fm:ss LTV .. 22(' "!7 l\lol"ay Stn:-cL, So uth MtduOUl"Ut:.', S.L :,

16

MATILDA

May, 1942.

IT.-HandcI·aft.

1. and 2. as in P.O. and R.

III.-Health.

1. Through h er knowledge of the Health Rules !lhall hav e learnt to: Carry h e rself well, 1001< neat, and prove that she has don e h e r best to maintain a high standard of fitn ess.

2. As in P.O. and R. 3. Deleted. Incon)orted into No. l.

TV.-Service.

1. As in P.O. and R. 2. Make some article usefu l to others.

3. As in P .O. and R. N.B.-Th e followin g footnote, P.O. a nd R .. page 42 , to be moved to the e nd of the Tend erfoot Test, in both the old Second Class Test and in til!' shortened form :-"Before ('ompleting this test, the Guide should have been told the leg-ends of the Union Jack 8aints."-E.E.M.

. ~

The best "cover" from life's rainy days is a bank account.

BE INDEPENDENT! Build yours up in the-

STATE ,

OF VICTORIA

"The Victorian Scout."

"Le Trefle Rouge et Blanc," Switzerland.

"Adventuring," South Australia.

"The Trail Maker," U.S.A. "Waratah." N ew South Wales. " Te Rama," New Zealand.

"The Girl Scout Leader," U.S.A.

USE IT AT

It is easy enough to take cover when it rains-if you happen to be near cover.

SAVINGS BANK

PUBLICATIONS RECETVED.

YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD-

SHELTER

221 BRANCHES - - 387 AGENCIES

Head Office, Elizabeth Street. Melb.

N . R. WILLIAMS. General Manager.

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Your old furniture, player piano or radio will be accepted at its full present day value as part payment on any new requirements. Trade in and save at Christies.

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Central 4526.

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