Matilda 1943 vol 20 no 02 sep

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All Official Treasure Hal: of Guider.' ["formation for Guiders of nctoria, Australia. l'ri~'e,

a/- (lCr )"rar.

4/ 6 [lo,tr<1.

Editor; Mrs. GUY BAKElWELL, 4 Stoke Ave., Kew, EA. Contrib utions silould rcnt h the EdHor not Inter than the 26th of p,(·h month.

VOL. XX.

SEPTEMBER 1943

No.2

VICTORIAN GUIDERS' CONFERENCE

"BE PREP ARED " To What End?

This year, in order tQ allow ample time for dealing with questions and business, the Guider,' Conference will be held in three sessions ;-the first at Guide Headquarters, 60 Mal'ket Street, on Friday, 15th October, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m., the other two sessions on Saturday, 16th October, from' 2.30 to 5.30, and 7 to 9 p.m., at the Mission Hall, 265 Spring Street, Melbourne. This hall has been made available by the courtesy of the Church of England Diocesan Mission; it is quite easy to fmd, being only a few doors beyond the Princess Theatre.

The following are among the questions already sent in;DoeR Guiding as at present constituted mcet the needs of the girl of to-day?

How are we to plan for the manner in which Guiding takes its part in post-war reconstruction?

Are our methods adequ~te in explaining the Law and Promise to Guides? rf not, how should Guiders approach this part of the Test?

The Guide as a Citizen.

Guiding in Victoria-Clrs it well?"

Other subjects for discussion will be t1w BaJen-Powell Memorial Fund and the fatc of "Matilda." Nominations for Guider Representatives on St.ate Council wlll be "received, each nomination must be signed by the nominee.

For fuller details watch for circular towa rds end of September. A special invitation is extended to all ex-Guiders who are now members of the Services. If you know anv !luch Guiders, please let them know about th~ Conference, O. G. M. KNIGHT. For Conference Committee.

We say that our motto as Guides is to "Be Prepared," but are we all certain for what we are preparing ourselves and our Guides '!

When the Chief laid the foundations of Guiding he was building fOl' a different world from that which exists to-day-and from the world of to-morrow. He built for the world as he knew it, and the fruits of his work are shown in the lives of the many splendid people who are and have been Guides.

To-day, however, the needs of the girl oj' Guide and Rangel' age are somewhat different. Can we honestly say that we are meet · ing these needs-indeed, that we have been meeting them for some time past? We COI~ ­ stantly hear the cry that we need more young Guiders-may not this in part be due to the fact that the girl who might become a Guider does not believe that Guiding offers a practical solution to the problems of the day?

This war has shown that there are numbel'i> of young adults eager to render serviceafter the war, will they feel impelled to offcI' their services to Scouting and Guiding, OJ' will they feel these are only a form of mak,,believe for the children, with little real foundation for the future'!

We cannot say that, as a movement, we were prepared for this war. In that, of course, we were not unique; but we also we!'~ not entirely meeting the needs of liviRg in the world as it was then. That this haSl bcell realised in England is shown by var~ous articles which have appeared in "The Guider" from time to time.

Looking, as far as we may, into the futurp. we must decide what will be the post-war situation, and what the attributes required.

There will be three classes of people from

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MATILDA.

whom our Guiders will be drawn, each with separate needs.

First, there is the nerson who must "find herself," after having been regimented-often she will have joined one of the Services before she is fully adult, and she must lea.m t o think for herself and make her own decisions.

Then there is the woman going from a long period of over-work and over-strain. At first she will not appreciate her leisure and will {eel she has "nothing to do."

Then there is the girl who has to fill in a period of waiting before she gets a peacetime job, or starts some form of training for a vocation.

The problem of each of these is different, and yet a partial solution to all may be found in voluntary service--service in some movement which they feel is worth while, and in doing which gives them a right to membership in the new order. If we can show that Guiding IS concerned with the growth of thi& new order, and is honestly facing the needR and difficulties of the post-war world, then our need for Guiders will be met.

The post-war world will be a povertystricken one, in which the present shortage!; will continue. Thousands of girls now em¡ ployed at relatively high wages in munitions factories and in the services will find themselves without work and, in a great number of cases, without a trade. After them will come the future generation of Guides, many of them growing up in homes psychologically wrecked by the effects of war.

What Jo these children need, and how can Guiding supply that need?

I would say that first of all they need belief in themselves-a belief based on sure foundations-eomposed of dependence on God, love for one's fellow-men, and understanding of one's capabilities.

Already we try to inculcate the first of these, though, judging by the struggles surrounding "the first part of. the Promise," we are not very happy in this.

As regards "love for our fellow-men," surely this covers all fields of service, as well as international friendship. English Guides and Rangers have realised this in their training for G.I.S. We cannot go abroad to render service, but this does not mean that we cannot prepare NOW for post-war opportunities of service.

Ther e have always been countless opportunities for service for Guides and Rangero;, but many of these have been missed, as they were not directly connected with Guiding. Surely, in the post-war world, we will realise that Guiding, good and far-reaching though it is, is not necessarily the answer for every problem, Those trained in Guide methods - Guiders, Rangers and Guide P .L.a-could do so much to help as play- leaders and helpers in social service projects, yout h clubs and community centres. I do not mean by this that Guide Companies should necessarily-be started-it must be realis'ed 'that , Guiding is NOT an all-

September, 1943.

embracing solution-but that Guide training should be carried into a wider world.

There are other project~, too, which could and should be continued in our post-war world. These include the gardens cultivated by companies and groups. Is there any reason why these should not be carried on in peace? Their products, if not required in the districts in which they are grown, could be sent to poorer suburbs-let us pray they will not still be slums-and sold at a reasonable cost. The gardeners who have been trained could spread the knowledge they have gained, and could help Guide companies and independent groups or individuals in these poorer suburbs with their own allotments.

Now we dig for victory-eannot we continue to dig for health?

In the same way, the knowledge of first aid and nursing could be followed up by volynt ary or part-time paid service at the various hospitals and childr~'1 homes.

So far, since the war has started, we have shown how Guides can help their country to win a war. It is equally important that we should show how peace, so dearly won and so greatly desired, may be merited by tho~e who share it. To many children of today the days of peace will seem dull and lacking in colour. It is for us to show that in peaCfl there is work to be done, with equal opportunity for hard work and sacrifice. Each of us, as citizens of our country and of the world, will have a task worthy of our high-¡ est capabilities.

But here the ehild of to-day, accustomed to direction and 1l'egimentation, will begin to doubt its powers. It is for us, as Guiders, to help to ensure that each child attains her m.a ximum potential, and that she realises her powers and her limitations.

So far as is possible, I consider that each Guide should be self-lmfficient--that is, she should be able to do domestic work without supervision, she should be able to amu<;e herself and others without artificial aids, she should be physically fit, and enjoy outdoor games and exercise, and she should have a knowledge of the functions of her body. The most important part of self-sufficiency is that one works for the satisfaction of getting work accomplished-not for outside rewards such as salary, applause or a badge--and it is fOT this reason that I consider the award of proficiency badges immaterial. So long as the leaders have t he right perspectiVe as regards the aims of Guiding, it does not matter whether a Guide develops her self-knowledge and capabilities by passing an exam or by practic.~l experience. I know that in theory all ba dges are passed only after practical work and on a practical test--in pr actice, h owev'~T . as with nearly all examinations, the Guidf! lear ns what she considers will enable her to "pass." The attitude of the Guide is far more likely to be "Will she ask me that?" rather than "Can I really do everything that this badge implies!" I know that I will be considered to be setting an unattainable stan-

September, 1943.

MATILDA.

dard. Guiders will say : "But how can we be expected to teach all t his in one meeting a week?" Surely the answer to this is that in our Guide meeting we concentrate on the collective activities of Guiding, giving each Guide the opportunity of carrying out her individual developm'e nt either with her patrol or by herself.

In our Guide meetings we can give so much in so many ways that it seems unfortunate we should encourage our Guides to " pass tests" with the conseqent implication tha t only a certain amount of knowledge is needed rather than that a Guide should seek to gain information for its own sake.

Again and again an adult is amazed at the passionate thirst for knowledge displayed by a child-a small boy's knowledge of modern aircraft types, for instance! If this joy in knowledge can be retained, the result is 8 far hapJ)ier personaJlitY', and a far bettel' citizen of the world, than the person who has gained some facts towards a material reward.

Can we not try, as Guiders, to retain this enthusiasm for the job, whether it be in that part of one's time in which one earns a liying or for the other part, in which one employs one's leisure.

Surely the aim of Guiding is that it produces a reliable and self-reliant girl, capable of taking her part in life, both as a citizen of her own country and of the wider world, wit h a dawniQg appreciation of the satisfaction of service, and a genuine love for God and hel' fellow men.

Is this, in fact, the Guide which our companies are at present producing?

-SYDNEY FOOTT.

ALTERATIONS TO PROFICIENCY BADGES The following alterations have been published in "The Guider" to the Cook, Needlewoman and Child Nurse Badges, the three Proficiency Badges required for the Guide First Class. The alterations will come into force in Victoria in three months' time, that is, after 19th December, but Companies may start on the new syllabus straight away if ~hey wish to do so.

Cook's Badg6.

Practical.

1. Show knowledge of washing up utensils, boards, etc., used in the test.

2. Cook any of the following dishes (one OT more to be chosen from any two groups by the tester).

Boiling. Soup, potatoes, fresh vegetables, porridge, custard, blanc-mange, Steaming. Puddings; suet mixture, suet crust, plain cake mixture.

Stewing. Mellt, fruit.

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Baking. Pastry, milk puddings, scones, rock or similar small buns, plain cakes.

Frying and grilling. :Sausages, bacon, eggs, herring or otlier fish in shallow fat , Make tea, coffee and eocoa, and understand the use of the hay-box.

Oral.

Answer questions on the food and disheli just prepared. Have a knowledge of the prices of the foods used, and their food values. Understand why special care is nec-¡ cssary when cooking vegetables, and how their value may most easily be conserved.

Before entering for this badge an undei't aking by the Captain must be given that the Guide has cooked out of doors.

Needlewoman's Badge.

Omit "in her free time" in clause 2.

Child Nurse Badge.

A Guide passing this test should be capable of taking care of a child between the ages of 2 and 5 for any part of its day.

She should be able to do all of the following, any two to be chosen by the tester to be don e practically at the test.

1. Dress a child, do its hair, and superintend washing in such a way that the child enjoys it.

2. Prepare a meal (not cook, but know quantities, kinds of food suitable, which need cutting up, etc.) and supervise the taking of the meal and table manners.

3. Get a child ready and take it for a walk.

Know which clothes will be suitable for the day. Be able to make the walk interesting.

4. Undress and bath a child, and put it to bed without fuss.

5. Amuse a group of small children for half an hour.

In addition, the Guide should be able to describe:1. How she would deal with such difficulties as: (a) Faddiness over food; (b) Refusal to clean t eeth; (c) Destructiv mischief, etc.

2. How Rhe would teach first prayers.

3. What simple apparatus children of different ages need to amuse and teach themselves.

4. How the rules of health apply to a child between 2 and 5 years old.

5, A day in winter or summer for a child of this age.

Domestic Service Badge.

Although the Domestic Service Badge has been cancelled for 18 months, requests still come in to the Guide Office for the Badge to be issued. Guiders and Badge Secretaries are asked to note that the Homemaker Badge takes the place of the Domestic Service Badge. It is hard on the Guides to work for a Badge that is no longer in existence .

All particulars were repeated in the leafiC't iss\leq by the Guide Association, Nov" 1942.

MATILDA.

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FIRE'S BURNING..

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Now that we have experimented with dif. ferent kinds of wood and know what will make a hot fire (e.g., w.attIe) and what will make a Elow-burning one (e.g., red gum) let us practice types of fires for different purposes.

On a hike, if you are moving off again after the lunch meal, you need to keep your fire small and compact, so that it will take a minimum of time to clear up after extinguishing. Make the fire just the size you need.

Quite a tiny one will do for boiling a bi.lly and grilling a chop, and baking a damper tWIst, and if you have judged cleverly, there will be nothing left but ash when you come to clear up (remember to remove the half-burnt sticks when you have finished the cooking). You could have a competition to see who can make the neatest littIe fire.

It is possible to boil a billy on such a fire without any gadget to hang it on, but there are so many exciting ideas for suspending the billy over the fire. to keep the fire under the billy all the time, that I hope you try a different method each time you hike. Captain will lend you books with illustrations; Scout books are helpful, too.

If in one spot for the day, and wishing to keep a fire alight all the time, try a hunter' s fire. III really needs two GREEN logs at lea"t as thick as your arm, and about 2 ft. long. Lay them side bv side, closer together one end; thip makes a kind of funnel for the smoke, so have the wider end facing the oncoming wind. Light one or two little pyramid fires between these logs, and stand the billy so that it rests on both logs. If you have a tomahawk with you, first cut a piece off the top of each log to make a fiat base for the billy to stand on.

You will find this type of fire very useful, es-JM!ciallyae a toasting or grilling fire later when the inside part of the logs has charred and begins to glow. You will need water to extinguish the logs unless you have time to let them eool. and to chip oil' the burning part. The latter method is, however, not safe in summer, when water is thQ only aafe method of extinguishing any fire.

The trench-fire has many advantages, but of CQurse you need a small spade to dig the trench

September, 1943.

and you would hardly carry one with you on a hike! However, you may be able to adapt a suitable hollow in the ground, with a piece of twisted hoop-iron or fencing wire to lay across from side to side to hold the billy. On a windy summer day, a fiat piece of tin across the hollow will prevent sparks from fiying, but be sure to leave a space open for the smoke to get away.

When you have decided on the type of fire you want, set out to gather the required fuel.

Good and adeqate punk, of course (a very wet day provides a challenge, but it's such a thrill if your woodcraft knowledge triumphs!); and then sticks for the intermediate layer which ig¡ nites from the punk; and then larger and larger sticks and chunks and knobbly bits to work up that grilling fire that means good cooking and good eating.

I expect you know already from experience that a fiame does not grill, toast, or bake well ?

A fire that on a sunny day may look "dead" to a tenderfoot will be the perfect fire for a damper twist, for you can hold the stick quite near the embers and turn it slowly, and the damper will cook without charring. Over such emberfires, you can fix a gadget that will hold your damper-stick so that you only have to turn it every now and then, while you eat your first course.

Do not be satisfied with your hike-cooking until yoa can have a restful meal, although you cook it yourself. You know how inexperienced hikers seem to be rushing round all through lunch, hunched round the fire or dashing off a few yards to gulp something down, and then back to the fire to finish cooking the next mouthful, and so on! And then they remember the billy isn't on yet, or they have left the baked apple in too long, and cannot find it, or the potato will have to be eaten as des¡ sert because it isn't cooked! Careful forethought will gradually obviate most of these complications. If you know the kind of fire needed for the cooking of whatever you have brought, and have learnt from experience the a verage time it takes to cook various food!;, you will be able to time-table your culinary activities as cleverly as mother does at home when she is having guests to dinner! But of course it takes practice, and each hike will bring you nearer to carrying out our Motto: Be prepared!

In the fifth paragraph above, I have mentioned wire and iron and tin, and you may say "I don't call THAT woodcraft!" You are quite right, but on the other hand, it seems to me that, if you see something lying about anrl can use it to invent a useful gadget for ~he moment's need, you are not only being "bright," but are practising well ahead for the Pioneer Badge, which requires you to improvise gadgets "without strings or nails," among other things. So why despise anything that looks promising as a gadget? All the same, I do think you will all agree that it is more satisfying to a Hiker's sense of the fitness of things to use ~omthing that God has

September, 1943.

MATILDA.

made and left ready for you to choose, rather than something Man has thrown out on a rubbish-tip!

If any of you are really following these articles and practising the ideas in them, do write and tell Tul-Kara!

"YABINGA."

SHE WHO LIVES TO STEAL A PIN Would you have done This?

A Guider, Miss A., was to visit a company in another District. Two Guides were to meet her at the tram stop by the station at 7.30.

Miss A walked from the junction, arrived at 7.30, but no Guides were there.

She caught the next tram back.

What had the Guides done?

On their way to the station one had said: "I know the next tram does not arrive till twenty-five to eight, we can go round the side street and make up some observation questions for the patrol challenge."

They arrived as the tram drew in, but Miss A was not there. They waited for two more trams and returned to the hall feeling defen sively self-righteous.

What did Captain do?

She found out what they had done, said little, but sent them to telephone Miss A's home. She was not there. Other Guides had gone back to the station and had to be recalled; but Captain saw the opportunity for an experience far more useful than nny smoothly running programme could be, for Captain had said: "Miss A may walk," and the Guides had not been attending to her.

S~e left them to fe~l the full results, and they dId not find out tIll the next evening that Miss A was safe and well.

Was it useful?

Yes, tremendously, for a Captain would know that this was not the first time.

Often when Guides adapt directions to their own line of thought, results are personal to Captain, or within the Company. Often, others feel that they can prove themselves useful by the opportunity to put things right; "We'll lend her one"; "We don't mind missing the tram," and so on. A Captain Ip.ay know that she should deal with such a tendency, but only a definite result, affecting the whole company, such ,as the standard of behaviour towards a guest ,can make it seem important and call out the team spirit to put it right.

What could one do next!

Here is a suggestion.

Prepare a sheet of paper, with these words written in chalk: She who lives to steal a pin . . . ."

At the next meeting fix it up out of sight,

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and place a hidden letter for each patrol, something like this. "The name of the meeting to-night is on the North-West wall of . . . .

If you know the second line, keep quiet; if you do not, let each one of the patrol Vf.rite one. Choose the best and bring it to Captain at . . . .

Note. If anyone rushed off to find the paper and called out the well-known second line (May live to steal a greater thing) the event would be spoiled. This is a test in listening to full instructions before acting upon any. The letter could continue"Weare all sorry for what occurred last week; can your patrol make a plan that might avoid such happenings in future? Think one out and come to C0111pany Council at. . . ."

At Company Council, read the lines brought by the patrols and have general discussion.

The introductory activity is to focus interest.

Questions and points for discussion.

Is it wrong to steal a pin? Was it right to transport people to Australia for stealing food and a few clothes? Should judgment depend on the value stolen or upon the act of stealing? Should we be lenient with thieves because of their reasons (hunger, ignorance, weakness) or because of the smallness or bigness of the thing stolen? Does the amount depend on opportunity? Does a thief take ÂŁ100 the first time he ever steals?

This must lead on to importance of obeying orders strictly in things that seem small for ability to obey must be learnt-it is habitnot instinct.. Have patrols thought of a good idea for preventing mistakes?

Guider should make Guides feel that she and they are working together to tackle a real problem. She could take a certain responsibility, on the grounds that she has failed them; she has ~ailed them in not helping them to understand Importance of exact obedience and in not teaching them the "silent code'; that would ?I~ke sur.e they heard everything and were gIVIng theIr whole minds to it. .The m.ethod listening to orders can be linked ":Ith whIstle and hand signals if it is called the SIlent code. ~,t is: . "I am listening. . . Stand at ease."

I. thInk you have finished. . . Come to attentIOn and repeat orders."

"I will carry out your orders. . Salute."

Thoughts for Guiders.

Obedience is a habit of mind. . Practice is needed to accept as one's OW1l a lIne .of conduct given by someone else, and to dIrect energy and resource to carrying it out, ~ath~r t~an .to considering the order itself and JudgIng Its Importance. ~ne must put out o.f min~ ?ne's own projects - I ~hought I could Just- IS a common cause of faIlure.

In general, allow actions to bring results wheneve~ we can do so. We sometimes feel that GUlde~ may not be fully responsible (Mo~er saId I WIUI not to ....ear my uniform to-mght, I had to go a message at the last min¡ ute) and sometim_es we are more anxious for

MATILDA. them to have the training that can be given by a hiKe, than to take the consequences of bE<ing late at the appoiutment. }jut no child can be influeJlced by imaginary resulte, nor by a result which is only captain's annoyance and anxiety.

Wrong action should have results that can be seen and felt at once, and our Company life is t ne grand opportunity to make those results fe lt within our own limits, where no harm can be done. The company is the practi_ ground for 1ife.

Practice for Obedience. Announce that cer¡ tain articles will be needed for the next meeting, for instance, needle and thread. No su!;stitutes to be allowed. Then have a needlethreading race on the programme. Ask Patr01 Leaders to co-operate in having a mystery.

Oot!dieRce means lIonfidence, IOYlj,lty, the beet way to get things done, achieving a definite personal standard and ability. Disobedience meaRS isolation; it is a profo~nd truth that disobedience is the source of sin.

Discussion: Could any cirCUn1iltances have .Justified both Guides in failing to meet the visitor?

Was Miss A right?

-G.H.~.

LONES SINGING IN THE COMPANY. Although one of the Guide Laws says "J\.

Guide smiles and sings under all difficulties," sometimes I think we Lone Guiders f eel that t eaching songs to Lones is one of those difficulties that. make singing impq~ible. The reason I hold this opinion is that in all t h e Budgets I "call in" for inspection from time to time there has practically never been a mention of singing. And I think that we are disregarding an important item of Guide t raining, besides excluding Lones from a vcry r eal joy.

We all know how much singing affects the minds of people. This is illustrated clearly by th e use that is made of it in the army or a t any large public 2'athering. Troops a rc en':!ouraged to sing as it is good for their mor a.le, besides be!ng a healthy recreation.

Community singing creates a friendly atmosphere, a nd has a satisfying appeal for a.ll sor ts and conditions of people. Church sQrvices would lose half their effectiveness if t here were no hymns in which everyone could join to express praise, joy or thankfulness.

Singing is a natural health-giving factor an d should be encouraged at all times.

And yet Lone Guiders are neglecting it because of the difficulties of teaching it effectively in tReir Companies. The main difficulty, of course, is the copyright laws which forbid the copying of any music, even fot: private consumption. The second is that even if the notes were able to be written down, unless the Lone had access to a piano, and could either read music or get someone to

September, 1943.

read it t o hw, she would still be no nearer to warning the tune. :l"et it is a pity to deny her the joy of ex¡ pressing her fee lings in song because of these drawoacks. There are innumer able wl:lll known tunes to which suitable words for Guides have been set. Personally, we may find t ne t unes hackneyed but because our own mu sical tastes may be on a higher plane, it docs no t necessarily follow t hat there should. not be any virtue in the simpler more universal melodies.

Let us remel!lber that in leading anyone t o the pinnacles one has to g o gent ly step by s tep along the easiest route, and not by leaping and straining over t he boulders. A child learning to read has first to learn to know a nd re~ognise each letter, and gradua lly to put them into simple words. In th (: same way t he methods of a child learning to walk may seem crude to us as we watch her cra wling about on the floor, or stumbling from one outstretched hand to another, and yet if she did not start in this primitive way s he would probably never gain the self-confi dence which is 1J.he incentive to ultimate success.

Remember, too, that we are working for t he child's benefit-not for our own. To give to her t h e joy of expressing her feelings in no matter how simple a way should mean more to us than our own satisfaction in impressing on her mind something that is impossible for her to absorb, and that therefore not only fails in its object but might prevent her ever r aaching the goal we are aiming at. r have often been impressed by the hig h slandard of singing in some a.c~ve Companies, and have envied the patience of both Guide~s and Guides in attaining it, but I ha v(: also noticed the gusto and evident delig ht wit h which the Guides also turn to a popular familiar tune! .

This being so, why should we neglect somet hing which in its simple way will give them a iaste of satisfaction, even if it is not t h l' so rt of . feast we ourselves have grown a ccustomed to? "Half a loaf is better than no bread." If the half-loaf is merely a hackneyed tune, a t least it is something that is within th~ir ;8"rasp, and something that they can enJoy m the company of others without being out of their depth.

The Guide words t. many of these tunes are in themsorlves enough inspiration to ma ke th'O!m worth while. A list of these adapted t unes with their words has been colll' ~ tcd by Miss Thurgood at Guide Headquarters, a nd could be copied on request. The ~umber is formidable and is well worth studymg.

It is also possible to teach original tunes by passing round the Camp Fire Song books b.u~ of course thi~ is ~ longer or more expen~ Slve method, and It still means the Guide must have access to a piano and someone who can play, in order to learn the tunes. However nothi~g is impossible i~ the mind is willing: Certamly not more .dlfficult than teachin~

September, 1943.

MATILDA.

signalling effectively to Lones, or in fact much of the practical work.

In discussing with a friend ways to encourage singing for Lones, she suggested having a Company competition to see how many people not connected with Guides eacn member could teach a certain song to within a certain time. Rather a bright idea, don't you think? Can't you imagine the Guide teaching her pals as they rumble along to school in the bus each day? Or surrounded by a knot of children in the playground during recess? She might even be asked to conduct the singing session during school hours! What propaganda jor the Guide Movement! M.R.F.

BROWNIE GUIDERSt' CONFERENCEl Have you any problems to solve or any questions to ask?

D'O you want to learn some new games!

Wol,!ld you like to know what the Brownie Branch is doing?

Then come to the Conference on Friday, November 5th, from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30, at Guide Headquarters, 60 Market Street, Melbourne. A conference fee of 3d. will be charged to help defray cost of postage.

Owls who have pro}lems to be discussed should send them along to Miss D. Holtz, 25 Grange Road, J(ew, E.4, by Monday, 25th October. Questions may either be sent in beforehand or handed in at the Conference.

Last year there were only about fifteen at the Brownie Guiders' Conference. Can we double the number this year?

VICTORIAN GUIDERS' CONFERENCE. Brownie Guiders are reminded that this has been arranged for Saturday, 16th October.

For further details see notice in this issue of "Matilda." Brown and Tawny Owls should make an effort to come to this as it is one way of keeping in touch with the other branches of the Movement.

IDEAS. The first two are from South-Western Division and the others have been held over from previous months owing to lack of space.

Ceremony, Magie Dust.

Brown Owl has a tin with large holes punched in the top, filled with flour. Brownies form Fairy Ring and sing Brownie Song.

Brown Owl walks slowly round Toadstool shaking magic dust on floor, and recites"The road to the Toadstool is sprinkled with magic dust, Round the Toadstool the dust lies thick, If you walk through the magic dust, you will take it away on your feet, And for ever after your footsteps will lead you to where cheerfulness, helpfulness and kindness are most needed."

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Brown Owl then looks around the Pack and says: "Where are the people who wish to walk through the magic dust?" Brownies to be enrolled come forward through the magic dust and are enrolled. Then each Six sings its s.ong and skips round the toadstool, and Fairy Ring ends with the Brownie Song.

(Afterwards they invariably collect in corners and examine their shoes for the magic dust, and it does stick on, too.)

M.McG. Game. Aeroplanes.

The blinds and curtains are drawn, and lights put on. All players except one sit on floor. The odd Brownie stands in the middle of the circle, and is given a torch. Then the lights are switched off. The seated players are aeroplanes, and each has a number. The player with the torch is the searchlight.

V{hen everyone is ready the searchlight calls out any two numbers, such as 1 a~ 8.

Immediately aeroplanes 1 and 8 get up and change places by creeping very quietly round the outside of the circle. If the searchlight thinks she hears a sound she flashes the light in that direction. If it reveals an aeroplane moving, then the plane is out of the game. If it is a false alarm the searchlight chooses an aeroplane to take her place. After every change of searchlight the players are re-numbere4.

E.S. TEACHlNG HEALTH RULES. Give Brownies a Pow-wow on Health Rules and teach them the rhyme from the Brownie Hand-book.

"Only Feed on Wholesome Fare, etc."

When they know this, let them draw pictures that represent the rhyme. Brownies who are not good at drawing can draw stick figures. .When ~he drawings are finished let the BrownIes hang them up and have an Art Exhibition, and Tawny and Brown Owl can be the judges.

B.M. OPENING CEREMONY. (Tune "Clementine) 1. Brownies, Brownies, here we come, Softly, softly, one by one, Come join hands and let us sing, Come join hands and let us sing.

2. In our sixes, here we stand, Happy, smiling, hand in hand, In our sixes, h~!:J! we stand, Happy, bmiling, hand in hand, ? Brown Owl, we have come to wake you, IBrown Owl, we have come to wake you, In our Pack now here we stand, Happy, smiling, hand in hand.

Brown Owl is asleep by the Toadstool.

1st verse.

Browni.!3s creep from their homes in single file and make a circle around Brown Owl and the Toadstool.

2nd verse. Each six forms its own small circle.

3rd verse. The Sixers creep forward and place two fingers on Brown Owl's head to waken her.

The whole Pack then makes one big circle ready for Fairy RiDg'.

G.T.

MATiLbA.

BADEN·POWELL MEMORIAL FUND HEARTY THANK-YOUS. Good work, Guides and Brownies, Rangers and old lluides. Your appreciation of the Ghief and all his works is showing itiielf in a steady stream of gifts flowing into Headquarters. The treasurer is as busy as a beein f.act, a whole hive of bees!

You became grandly international at the end of July, and on the lalOt two days of that month £93 came in for our F und. The Chart Painter is running hot! Before this goes to press you might have reached the goal that was set-£1000-by September instead of October. I believe you will. Now, what about accepting Matilda's challenge of making it £1160, because of her mistake. Can we do it? The Guides of England have officially closed their appeal with £89,000-but they rather think they might as well make it £100,000 while they're about itr-so let's do things in the same spirit.

Begin to make plans now for our final effort for December, when you will be goin~ to . the camps that the Chief made possible for you.

M. HOFFMEYER, Convener.

THIS MAN BADEN-POWELL. One day, while walking in London, he noticed, walking ahead of him, a girl with a spaniel. From this rear view, he observerl, from the girl's gait, that she had honesty of purpose, commonsense and the spirit of ad· venture. Two years later, on board ship, he saw a girl walking the same way. As, apparently, girls with the above three attdbutes are not usual, the Founder made a point of being introduced to this one. In the course of the conversation he asked: "You live in London?" No, she lived in Dorset.

"You have a brown and white spaniel?" Yes, she had. "You were near Knightsbridge Barracks two years ago?" Yes, she had been visiting a relative there!

That girl is now our Chief Guide, for he married her.

LIST OF GIFTS TO 24th AUGUST, 1943.

Previously acknowledged .. .. .. £755 17 i 2 0 0 1st Caulfield Guide Co. . . .. ..

200 1st Echuca Guide Co. .. .. . . ..

Sunshine L.A., 1st and 2nd Sunshine Guide Cos., 1st Sunshine Brownie Pack .. .. .. .. .. ..

15 2 0 1st Brighton Pack, Fairy Six (Cert.) 1 0 0 Dandenong L.A. .. .. ..

2 2 0 16th GeeJong, St. John's 0 10 0 1st ArmadaJe Guide Co. . . .. ..

1 0 0 Miss Habel .. .. . . .. ., .. ..

0 10 0 Sunraysia Division .. ..

0 16 0 1st East Malvern, 1Corowa, G.ide Co. 0 16 0

September, 1943.

lit Echuca Guide Co. .. .. .. ..

1st Bendigo Guide Co. (Certifs.) 'th Caulfield Brownie Pack ..

1st Stawell Guide Co. .. .. ..

1st Terang Q.uide Co. .. .. ..

Miss Dorothy Britten (Certit.)

2nd Hawthorn Brownie Pack (Certificates) .... . . . . . .

3rd Hawthorn Guide Co. (Certs.)

1st Lilydale Guide Co. (Certifs.)

1st Nyah District Brownie Pack 2nd Ormond Guide Co. .. .. ..

2nd Ormond Guide Co. (Certif.)

4th Malvern Guide Co., Koala Patrol 4th Malvern Guide Co. .. ..

Lone Branch .. .. .. .. .. ..

1st Richmond Brownie Pack . ..

Miss H. Carnegie .. . . " . . ..

1st Moe Guide Co., Holy Trinity 1st Ivanhoe Guide Co. .. .. .. ..

East Malvern-Glen Iris District .

1st Richmond Guide Co. .. .. ..

Benalla L.A., Guides and Brownies (Certificates) .. .. ..

1st Canterbury Brownie Pack 3rd East Malvern Ranger Co . . .

Miss P. M. Russell .. .. .. ..

1st and 2nd Benalla Guide Cos ...

Bendigo and District Ranger Co. (Certificates) .. .. .. .. ..

Bendigo and District Ranger Co. Miss E. H. Purnell .. .. ..

3rd Bendigo Old Guides .. .. ..

3rd Bendigo Guide Co. .. . . ., Mrs. K. Hoffmeyer .. ., .. ..

1st Hawthorn Guide Co. (Certs.)

2nd Canterbury Guide Co., Robin Patrol (Certificate) . . . . . . . .

1st Moonee Ponds Brownie Pack 1st Hopetoun Guide Co. .. . . ..

1st Metropolitan Cadet Co. (Cert.)

Miss C. Fraser (Certificates) ...

Maryborough Guides .. .. . . ..

Caris brook L.A., Guide Co. and Brownie Pack .. .. . . . . ..

1st Colbinabbin Brownie Pack .

1st Ascot Vale Guide Co. 1st Glenmore Guide Co. ..

Dimboola L.A . . . . . . . . .

4th Brighton Guide Co. ..

Hawthorn L.A. (Certificate) Mrs. C. H. Edmondson ..

1st North Fitzroy Guide Co. .

1st Drouin Brownie Pack ..

5th Caulfield Brownie Pa'ck (Cert.)

Dr. and Mrs. G. Keys Smith 7th Prahran (Deaf and Dumb) Guides (Certificate) ..

3rd Post Guides (Certificate) 3rd Post Rangers (Certificate) 3rd Post Rangers .. .. .. ..

1st Post Rangers .. .. .. . .

"An Extension" (Certificate) 2nd Heidelberg (Austin Hospital) Guides (Certificate) . . . . . . . .

Old Post Guide Group and Friends Rupanyup L.A. .. .. . . .. .. ..

2 3 1 1 3 1

0

0

0 0 0

0

3 0 9 0 2 0 1 10 5 0 1 0 o 10 o 12 15 10 5 10 5 0 2 2 2 16 28 12 5 0

0

4 0 1 0 o 15 0 5 311

0 0 0 6 0

3

0

0 0 6 6 0 0

0

o 10 5 2 1 2 2 1

0 0 0 0 0

0 0

0 0 0 Ii

0 0 0

0 0 6 19 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

o 10 o 10

0

0 0 0

1 0 0 0

0 0 0

2

1

1 1 3 1 13 1 3 8 2 1

o

5 2 14 5 0 10 0 3 0 10 0 10

0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 6

1 1 1 0 0 5

0 0 0 5 1 0

0 0

0

1 0 011 o 10

Grand Total at 24th August, 1943 £954

0 0

0 0 0 0 0

2 6

September, 1943.

MATILD

A.

RINGS OF COLOUR CHART. Has your Company it's own Chart yet?

There is a large supply at Headquarters so, if you have not got yours, get one when nelCt at 60 Market Street.

If you are in the country, write to the Secretary, B.-P. Memorial Fund, 60 Markp.t Street, asking for the number you require and giving name and address to which they are to be posted. The Charts are available at one penny each, so please enclose stamps in payment for Chart or Charts. . The big, original Chart at H.Q. is looking extremely gay. Two more rings have been added since we wrote last for "Matilda," a pink for the eighth £100, which was reached on 2nd August, and a deep green for the ninth £100, which was reached in record time, :1n 10th August. So you can see that the Inte:national Day on July 31st was a brilliant success.

For fear some of you are puzzled about the H-Q. Chart having a complete Ring of Colour for every £100, while the small Charts for Companies have only a Half-Ring for every £100, we should explain that the latter will be usable until the Fund reaches £2000, while the present H-Q. one will be fully coloured in when the Fund reaches £1000.

However, we have thought out a plan, so those in town must watch what happens to the H-Q. Chart when our total is £1100. 01 course we will tell the country people later on -THE CHART-PAINTER.

BRIGHT IDEAS SYNDICATE. 1st Richmond Guides held a Bazaar for which t.hey started making arrange~ents only three weeks beforehand, And they had a grand result, £5 for the B.-P. Fund.

Benalla District were original, they had a Handcraft Exhibition. Members of the L.A. sold War Savings Stamps, which entitled the buyers to afternoon tea. The Guides sang songs to entertain all who came.

Hawthorn people seem to be good at Charts! One of the Brownie packs has a lovely one on the lines of the Daisy Chain suggested by the Commissioner for ,Brownies in March "Matilda." The Brownies love it. And one on the lines of the Daisy Chain suggesthe big Rings of Colour Chart at H-Q., so that they would have one for themselves.

Wasn't that a bright idea?

Bendigo and District Rangers also have a bright idea. They have two tins at their meetings and in one they put sixpences, each one of which buys a War Savings stamp. In the second tin go all their odd pennies, and these,. too, buy stamps when there are enough pennies. So far they have bought three War Savings Certificates, and these, with an extra ten shillings, have been sent in to the Fund.

-R. DENNY.

(Editor: Elsie Sydes)

KEEPING A NATURE DIARY .

On asking the Guides to keep a Nature Diary fo r one week, the best one to go .in "Matilda," I found to my surprise that they did not all know what a Nature Diary was.

The dictionary gives the meaning of "Diary" as "daily record kept of events or thoughts," hence a Nature diary is a daily record of events in the field of nature, or, in other words, a record of your nature observations.

Y:.ou can keep this record as a diary, when it is usually done in note form, e.g., August 4-Yellow-winged honey eater on japonica again.

Very showy bird-noticed beautiful yellow on wings-much streaking in black and white.

Heard its loud, piercing, single note.

You can add sketches if you are good at thai sort of thing. If you want a more elaborate record, then keep a Log book, but more of this later.

Perhaps you think it a waste of time and paper to put down in black (lnd white all these small happenings, all these too familiar things!

But in twelve months! The real joy of a Nature Diary is when you have kept it for twelve months and you find that the same things are beginning to happen again. That's when your interest quickens, when you begin to sit up and take notice. You can compare dates ann see if there is much variation in the return of migratory birds or in the flowering of trees or plants. If there is, has the weather got something to do with it, or perhaps your record is not over a long enough period yet.

You can add new things about old subjects, old friends. You can 1001< up dates and places, and so know when and where to look again to add to your knowledge. (And there is al· ways something to .a dd, no matter how old a hand at the game you are.) There will be some strange bird note to discover the own~r of; some new beetle or insect; a different sunset to record. If we already know a thousand things there are a thousand more to discover.

But supposing the things we see from day to day seem horribly familiar? I have seen a spinebill hovering at the flowers a hundred times, yet my pulse still quickens at the sight; I have seen the silver poplars standing leafless winter after winter, yet a thrill of admiration still goes through me; I seE: the starlings waddling about, bathing and so on almost every day, yet I still enjoy them and laugh at them.

10

., ,,

MATILDA.

GUIDES AND GUIDER TOGETHER. If you get your Guides on this track, do keep one yourself along with them. You need not be afraid of IQsing prestige by not knowing or not seeing things, because the diaries will all vary, ang the fact that the Guides each see different things will naturally show them that Captain, too, has different things. If you have read this article from the beginning, you won't worry either. I told a small Guide the other day that her observation about the rlo!d-backed parrots on the plane tree was new to me, and then a few days later I too saw them. She was very proud, you can gl4ess. I think it encourages them to find out that Captain is also find)pg out things, and not just a Nature know-all. It gives them the correct idea of finding out things by looking and seeing, smelling and hearing. This same observation then led on to "What were the parrots eating?"

LOG BOOKS. A Nature Diary is a personal and intim,ate record, brief as I have already said, but p~r­ haps the Patrol or the Company would like to keep a Nature Log when they really get going.

This i'ives much scope for ingenuity, brain waves and the like, as well as Nature Lore.

There is the matter of the cover and its de~oratiQJl; the contents can run to all sorts of brain waves-dried grasses, pressed flowers, pictures, photos, drawings, life stories, any mortal thing the Guides like to invent, and if I know anything about it, their young brains are pretty fertile if they like to use them. Given the enthusiasm, they'll do the rest.

A GUIDE'S NATURE DIARY. Saturday, July l7.-Saw male and female red-backed parrot strutting along the bough of plane-tree. Noticed they walked with their toes turned in and so lifted their feet quite high, which gives them such a waddle. Also saw male and female Eastern rosella. Noticed the way they screech when flying. The moon was rising behind the pine-trees as we were coming home-it was a ball of gold and looked about ten times as big as when high in sky.

Sunday, July IS.-Eastern .pinebill gathering hone'y fro~ red japonica. He darted so quickly from flower to flower we wondered how he had time to stick his long beak in the Bowers and gather the honey.

Monday, July 19. Found a last year's thornbill's nest in a prickly bush. It was luspended on a twig and made of twigs, grass and pine needles, and lined with feathers.

Tuesday, July 20. Fungus growing at base of old stump-it was grey-trod on it and water oozed out.

Wednesday, July 2L A wattle tree held several nests made of leaves held together with spider's web. The baby spiders would have a CQSY home.

Thursday, July 22. Found a rock 3 ft. long covered with seven different kinds of mosses

September, 1943.

and lichens. Grey, pink, white and green lichens a,nd three different types of moss.

Friday, July 23. Found that scissors-grinder s love to sing in the rain. One hops about our garden-such a busy little chap-and he loves to be admired, doesn't he? -M/!ry Hodge, Blue Wren Patrol, 1st Castlemaine.

July, 1943.

Saturday-From bedroom window I caught a glimpse of several blackbirds devouring the r ed berr ies on a shrub in the garden. Chirped merrily and within five minutes some more birds had arrived who had been called by their friends.

Sunday.-Noticed the privet hedge and many shrubs are sending up tlteir fresh green shoots, also the wattle is in bud-a sign of spring aptJroaching.

Monday.-Fed the goldfish at lunch-time today-they are very dreamy during the winter and do not eat much, but once the warm weather comes the are very active, and eat daily.

Tuesday.- This evening our cat Fluffy was sitting still by the rock garden, his eyes glued on something. After a while he got up quietly and sneaked along a little further, his pads enabling him to move silently, then suddenly he sprang on to a mouse.

Wednesday.-A spider-web had been spun a.!<ross our g~teway, and it looked so pretty as the sun shone on the dewdrops, making them sparkle.

Thursday.-A number of honey eaters on the loquat tree, very busy with their long beal$:s. getting the honey from the blossom. I took a flower oft' and tried it, and it had a 8we~t flavour.

On cloudy mornings the smoke from the foundry hangs low. but on clear sunny mornings it rises straight up. - Esme Heather, 1st Castlemaine. ~aturday, July 16.-Saw a pretty little robin redbreast.

Sunday, July 17.-Walking in the bush 19pied some mistletoe.

Monday, July 18. When playing in the grass to-day I noticed a little clover leaf. This is very important to agriculture, as it has small swellings on the roots that put nitrogen inte the soil.

Tuesday, July 19.-Walking np a hill to-day I looked a couple of feet ahead and saw two b.irds which I recognIsed as parrots as they had hooked beaks and were brightly coloured.

Wednesday, July 20.-To-day I noticed that our wattle-tree has started to Bower. It ill covered with tiny hard little yellow balls.

Thursday. July 21. - In my window box I have some primulas growing. To-day I noticed emaU pink buds on the plants.

Friday. July 22.-The Lachenalia or, as it is known in South Africa, the "Cape Cowslip," is now in bloom. It has handsome. waxy, bellshaped blooms drooping from a spike somewhat res!l.mblin~ the hyacinth. Barbara Fricke.

Kookaburra Patrol, 1st Castlemaine.

September, 1943.

MATILDA.

EXTENSION (Editor: Sydney Foott) A Post Brownie becomes a Guide.

Four years ago a little girl called Elaine became a Post Brownie--that is, she got a "Brownie Budget" from Post Brown Owl each month and had a Baloo, who visited her and taught her Brownie work. . .

However, she was a very active httle girl, although handicapped by a short leg, and as soon as she was well enough to be at hQme she wanted to go to Guides.

Now she is in an active Guide company, ami "only has two more things to pass" be!ore she can be enrolled. She and the other ~uI?es in her Company were very. busy ~nJoymg themselves and showing their gratitude . to the Chief when 1 saw them. They were havmg a concert, which was the greatest fun for them and their audience.

The audience was largely c?mposed . of mothers and little sisters and friends (e~ght new recruits turn.ed up at the next meetmg) and the Company raised ÂŁ10. . .

And in a few more weeks Elame Will .become a really truly Guide in 1st North Fitzroy Company, OM more link in the chain of Guiding.

RANGERS VICTORIAN RANGER CONFERENCE,1943.

The 15th Victorian State Ranger Conference wa!! held on Saturday, 17th July, 1943, at .

Girl Guide Headquarters, Melbo~rne.

Present: Miss Broadhurst (m ~he chair), Secretary, Conveners and appro?C1mately go Rangers, representing 14 Compames.

The Conference was opened at 2.20 p.m. by Miss Broadhurst, who reminded the Rangers of their Motto "SERVICE," and asked that those present apply the motto during t~e aftern<?o,n by bringing forward any suggestJOn or Crltl' cism which would benefit the Movement.

The Minutes of t he previous conference w~re read by the Secretary, ~reta Roach. Apologies were received from Mlsses Boyes, Cameron. .

Foott, Moran and Patience.

A debate on Home Emergency ServI~e was Introduced with a reminder that the ob~ect o.f the speakers was not to criticise, but pomt. out weaknesses for which the C!onfere~ce might tind a remedy and also to display Its advantages. .' " d Valerie Shernff, takmg the negative, S~I three months was not a long enough. ~erlod for a girl to get the true ~ang~r spmt, although she might be profiClent.1n other . requirements. The aim of H.E .S.. IS very hlgb and to some might seem unattamable because the test was created for war conditions, and i. inclined to push Ranger Badge Test work

11

into the background. This speaker also pointed out that insufficient stress is put on out-do<lr work, which is the essence of Guiding. The history of the Movement should be thoroughly anderstood even while the Ranger is studying the Law and Promise.

Valma Bell, taking the affirmative, said Ii Ranger Ilhould have a thorough knowledge I)f the Law and Promise when enrolled. Rangers are attaining a wider outlook at the age they feel the urge to join the Movement, and understand to seek more than mere words iu anything they determine to study. The H.E.S, fits a Ranger for anything that may arise, but the World Flag could be stressed more fully frO l )1 an international point of view. More work could be done out of doors, but this depends on the Captain snd circumstances of meetings. This speaker summed up her views and declared the test is not too difficult, but useful for peace as well as war.

When brought before the Conference it W:.lS found that Companies are each training in a section of the work, and although the extra outdoor work and an earlier knowledge of the Movement could be included, the standard can be attained, and H.E.S. was voted to continue on the same lines as previously.

At 3 p.m. we were given a very interesting talk on "Hygiene for Women" by Dr. Mona Blanch, who illustrated her lecture with clear and compreh~sive films as she concluded. The Rangers present all felt they had gained con!!iderably by the Doctor's generosity in addressing them. A vote of thanks was proposed by Flora Craven.

After a short break for afternoon tea, each Ranger providing her own, Miss F. V. Barfus gave a three-minute talk on Camping Badges, urging Rangers to remember how useful these Badges are to their holders, and how interesting they are to gain.

The Future of the Victorian Ranger Committee was brought forward by Flora Cravell, who mentioned the work of the C,ommittee in the past, comparing it with the very small number of functions and different type of fixtures chosen by Rangers of the present day.

War-time conditions make the Committee's work rather difficult, as social functions must be limited, but more could be done as in the early days of the Committee on educational lines. Companies, from tbe point of view of the present Committee Members, do not support the girls they elect to fill the positions, and if the Committee is to function it must have whole-hearted support and co-operation throughout its term of office.

The Conference later voted that the Committee continue to function, members to bp. elected at the conclusion of the afternoon, and thought it advisable to include more educa¡ tional itemR in the year's programme. From a large variety suggested the following were lelected:-"Talks on H.E.S.," "Lecture on Health," "Lecture on Architecture," as well as .. "Country Dance Party," "Week-end Camp," "Combined Hike," "Rangers' Own Service" and the 1944 Conference.

12

MATILDA.

A representative of the Post Rangers, Miss N. McDougall, asked the Rangers present to remember their sisters who were not in suc:h fortunate circumstances as themselves, and after pointing out the hardships to be over come, asked for co-operation by sending pictures and items of interest to her for use in circulars. Help would also be appreciated in the form of assistants to push wheel chairs when Post Rangers had outings.

The business meeting was opened by the Secretary's report, which was accepted, also the Treasurer's report. In view of the fact that the new Committee to be chosen would have had no member in office for the period of one year previously, it was voted that a Secretary be elected from the Committee at an early meeting.

Beryl McNee, of 3rd Melbourne, read th!c Prisoner of War Report, a.nd stated that the amount collected from fourteen companies to date was £57/1/7. In view of the fact that 3rd Melbourne is at present in recess, it was the Fund in future. Miss Broadhurst thanked Beryl for her good work in taking charge of the Fund.

Voting.-The new Victorian Ranger Committee elected on this day comprise Vivienne Lowe (.Kew), Anne Carson (2nd Caulfield), Patricia Williams (2nd Caulfield), Lorna Ballenger (1st Melbourne), Joan Shillington (3rd East Malvern), Valma Bell (Yarraville), Margaret Williams (S.R.S. "Invincible") and Madie Hoare (Toorak and Armadale).

Valerie Sherriff was elected member of the Guide House Committee.

Sister Julian kindly offered the use of her Guide Hall in Spring Street, City, for our neJ.:"1: Conference, as the gathering of eighty-one Rangers could not get sufficient seating accommodation at Headquarters.

A reporter from the "Age" called near the conclusion of the Conference, and we were gratified to have a paragraph in connection with our ~nger Work in the morning paper of Monday, 19th July . .Miss Broadhurst thanked the Committee for their work during their term of office, and especially our Secretary, Greta Roach, for her sple'ftdid work and keen interest in the Committee.

The Conference was then closed.

To Miss Broadhurst go the thanks of the 1943 Committee for her unfailing interest and assistance in making our Conference a success.

FLORA CRAVEN, ELSIE KEMP, Conveners .

MINUTES OF THE VICTORIAN RANGER COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT HEADQUARTERS ON THURSDAY, 29th JULY, 1943, AT 6.30 P.M. Present: Miss Broadhurst (in the Chair) , Rangers Anne Carson, Pat Williams, Lorna Ballenger, Joan Shillington, Valma Bell, Mariaret Williams, Madie Hoare, Flora Craven,

September, 1943.

Greta Richardson, Elsie Kemp, Audrey Machin, Joan Drowley, Beryl McNee ant!

Greta Roach.

The Minutes of the Previous Meeting were read and confirmed.

Business Arising TherefraID: A report on the Conference was read by Flora Craven, and this showed that approximll-tely eighty Rangers were present, representing fourteen Companies. A profit of 1l/4~ was made on this fixture.

Although the question of the future of th" Victorian Ranger Committee was discussed, the Confel'ence decided that the Committee should continue to f unction, and eight mem bers were elected.

Election of Office·Bearers.-In view of the fact that no member of the new Committee has held office for one year previously (as stipulated in By-Law No.3) the conference voted that the Secretary 'be elecMd from the Committee, and the following were electeJ as Office-bearers: Secretary, Lorna Ballenger Clst Melbourne); Treasurer: Joan Shillington (3rd East Malvern). Prisoner of War fund' Margaret Williams (S.R.S. "Invincible").

Fixtures for 1943-44: Combined Hike and Rangers' Own Service, 26th Sept., Valma Bell; Talks on H.E.S., Oct., Anne Carson; Health Lecture, Nov., Madie Hoare; Week-end Camp, March, Lorna Ballenger; Talk on Architecture, April, Joan Shillington; Country Dance Party, June, Margaret Williams; Conference, July, Pat Williams.

Prisoner of War Fund. - Beryl McNee reported that £8/7/6 has been received since the last meeting, making a total of £60/117.

Correspondence.-A letter was received from Hazel Sampson regarding the first aid case, and asking if a member of the present Committee could take charge of it. Anne Carson agreed to be responsible for the case during th'J coming year.

Finance. The Treasurer reported a balance of £3/0/4, and 1l/ 4~ on hand.

Date of Next Meeting. Friday, 20th August, 1943. The meeting then closed.

GRETA ROACH, Secretary.

DISTRICT NEWS. 1st Bendigo Guide Coy. celebrated its 2l<5t Birthday on August 22nd. The old Guides and Guiders were invited to the celebrations, and everyone spent a very happy time. On Friday, evening, at the Coy. meeting, the birthday cake was cut, the Coy. spent a fun night-a hike to Somers Hill, our Guide Hill. was held on Saturday afternoon, then Saturday evening Miss Bush invited all the old Guides and Guiders to her home, where looking through the Coy. Snap-book, Record books and Log book brought bac~ many pleasant memories.

On Sunday, the Coy., with the old Guides, went to Church Parade.

September, 1943.

MATILDA.

Training . and Camping (Elaine Moran) GUIDERS' TRAINING CLASSES. Brownie Guiders' Elementary Classes.

If applications warran t it, a course of six

classes and one Saturday afternoon will be held, commencing at the Guide Office on Monday, 27th September, at 7.45 p.m. Guider-in ¡ charge, Miss H. Gross.

Fee 1/ 6, payable in advance or at the first class. Guiders not previously nominated for trainin g should have a signed nomination form from the District Commissioner. Application forms are obtainable from Miss Macartney, Hon. Training Secretary, at t he Guide Office.

(Please send a stamped addressed envelope. ) ApplicAtions were asked for by 7th September, but late applications will be considered.

Uniform is worn by all Guiders. Guiders should be not less than 17 years of ag ~.

Equipment required: sandshoes, notebook an,i pencil.

Guiders' Training Week-End at Gipton.

For training in general woodcraft ami c.ampcraft, this camp will be held under canvas at "Gipton," Frankston, 2nd-3rd October, 1943. Fee, 7/-, plus fare 3/-. Application., were asked by 11th September, if there are any vacancies, late applications will be considered. Please apply with 3 / 6 deposit to Miss B. Macartney, Han. Camping Secretary, a t the Guide Office. Further details will be sent to s uccessful applicants. Guiders must be at least 17 years of age.

Guiders' Training Week at Guide Houst'.

Have you been to the Guide House ? Have you been to a Training Week recently? Can you wangle your holidays to fit in with the date of the summer Tr aining Week? It will be held from 31st December to 8th January.

Guider-in-charge, Miss M. Hoffm eyer. F ee 30 / - ; return fare, rail 518, bus 2 / . All Guiders a r e invited to attend, stating which t ype of tr aining will help them most, e.g., Brownit!, Guide, Ranger, First Class, and if you are a new Guider or an old hand. As well as general training in Company and Pack manage¡ ment, and new ideas on test work you will enjoy the swimming nool on a hot day and the campfire singing in the cool of the evening, to ~H\y nothing of the good co mradeship !

It will help considerably with arrangements if Guiders will write as soon as t hey think there is a possibility of their going to this ',rraining Week. Application forms are available from Miss Macartney at t he Guide Offire on receipt of a stamped addressed envelope.

Guiders' Campcraft Training.

Camper's Licence; Quartermaster Certificate; Campcraft Badge; Pioneer Badge. Training will in clude all these, so if you want to widen your knowledge of general campcraft, come

13

to this camp at the Guide House from 3ht December to 8th January. A certain number of Guiders who have been nominated by their Commissioners will be tested in the above subjects. If you are a new Guider or have never been to Camp before, do not be frightened to come because you do not know anything about Camping! Don't you see that it is f or people like you that we are holding the Camp ? As well as the bushcraft, you will enjoy t he swimming and the Campfire singing, and will learn lots of things to take back t o your Rangers, Guides or Brownies. Guiderin-~harge: Miss E. Moran.

Fee 30/-; return fare: rail 5/ 9, bus 2/-. Guiders attending should be at least 17 years of age. It will help very much. if Guiders hoping to attend will let Miss Harrison, 126 High Street, Glen Iris, SE6, know as soon as they think there is a possibility of their attending, and state if t here is any particular training or testing required.

Land Work Camp.

This Camp for members of the Guidt!

Movement of 15 years and over will be held during January. Guides will attend in shifts of a week or fortnight. Guides will work 4 RaUl'S per day. The Camp will be under canvas, and campers will do the cooking and ordinary camp chores, in patrols. A staff of qualified Guiders will be in charge. Application f orms for all are obtainable from .Miss V. Harrison, 126 High Street, Glen Iris, SE6, on receipt of a stamped addressed envelope, or at the Guide Office. Guides f rom the same Company should not apply individually, but all applications should be on t he same form and must be sent in by the Guider.

Guiders!

Camping with Guides in war-time is diffiult t o arr ange mainly owing to the fact that so few of us can get our holidays at the r ight time, and we c;annot get staffs for the ca mps. But "every difficulty is an opoortunity," so will you make every effort to come to a Gu ide Camp next summer, both to help and to get exper ience so that you can taKe yo ur ;Camper s' Uicence Test later on? If every Gu.ider ;who ~ ossibly can attends 11 Camp next Summer we shall be able to take the greatest number of Guides under the ciru'nstance5, and will have a good crop of Licences to harvest the following year!

R.A.N. RELIEF FUND ESSAY F or t he Schools competition in connection with the Royal Australian Navy Relief Fund appeal. the second prize for the essay on "What the Navy does for us" has been gain~d

by Jean Dickins, of 1st Canterbury Guide Coy.

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MATILDA.

PRISONER OF WAR FUND. The 1943 Conference decided that as 3rd Melbourne Coy. is now in recess, the Victorian Ranger Committee should be responsible fOI' the above fund. At this juncture it is desired to thank 3rd Melbourne, and especially Miss Beryl McNee, for their good work in taking charge of the Fund during the last 18 months.

In future all donations and enquiries should be sent to Miss Margaret Williams, 63 Altona Street, Heidelberg. Phone JL1361.

G.R. "MATILDA" SUBSCRIPTIONS. Receipts are . held at Headquarters for the following subscriptions: --' Dandenong Local Association, Warragul Local Association, Mrs. G. Procter, Miss J. Reseigh, Mrs. Pedretti.

-G. O. THURGOOD .

ON AcrIVE SERVICE. We have re2eived the following names:W.A.A.A.F.-Miss Feniby, Preston; Phyllis Binks, Shirley Sterrett, ErQ.ily Smith, Kew; Leslie Green, Toorak and Armadale Rangers; Thelma Wood, Georgina Penny, Madge Vinecombe, Echuca.

A.W.A.S.-Myra Farley, Norma Heiz, J. Anderson, Preston; Dorothy Haywood, Annie Dunkinson, Olive Newman, Kew; Mavis McLeod, Gladys Hardy, Coleraine; Valda Smith, Betty Evans, Florence Koch, Gletta Oakley, Heat her Maddich, Bernice Dickson, Jean Campbell, Echuca.

A.A.N.S.-Margaret Philps, Clare Beer, Echuca.

A.A.M.W.S.-Joan Rutledge, Echuca.

M.E.B. WARRANTS AND REGISTRATIONS. Capt ain- 7th Prahr!ln, Mi ss P. Barrett; 1st Brighton, Miss J . Boxall ; 6th Caulfield, Mrs. E. Beaumont; 2nd Ascot Vale, Miss M. George.

Lieutenant-1st Hopetoun, Mrs. R. Patrick, 1st Hawthorn, Miss J. Richardson.

Registrations-13th Malvern, 1st Macedon.

CANCELLATIONS. Tawny Owl-Miss M. Harris, Nyah District Brownie Pack.

M. E. BUSH .

WORKING BEE. A Working Bee will be held in the Guidt!

House Grounds and Garden on October 2nd and 3rd. Applications accompanied J:?y a deposit of 2/ 6 should reach G. Thurgood at the Guide Office not later than Sept ember 23r.d.

-G.O.T. MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HELD AT THE GUIDE OFFICE ON 15th JULY AND 5th AUGUST, 1943.

Present, 15th July: Lady Chauvel, Mrs. Edmondson, Misses Cameron, Holtz, MacLeod, Swinburne and the Secretary.

5th August: Lady Chauvel, Mrs. Edmondson, Faulkner, Littlejohn, Pearson, Spring-

September, 1943.

thorpe, Misses Cameron, Holtz, MacLeod Mating, Ritchie and the Secretary. ' Reported that meetings of Committees al'ranging the Commissioners' and Guiders' Conferences had been held.

That great appreciation had been expressed by the authorities for the use of t he Guide House by the W.A.A.A.F. That the dates of the Federal Council had been altered to 23rd, 24th and 25th November, when Lady Gowrie would be able t o be present.

Agreed that the Annual Reports and Alterations and Additions to P.O.R. should be printed this year.

That a Thanks Badge should be granted 1¡0 Mr s. Ross Smithies of Mildura.

To ask Mrs. Eddy, Representative on the Victorian Baby Health Centres Association, to attend next Executive Committee Meeting.

That the Church of England Girls' Grammar School should be allowed the use of the Guide House.

That a letter of thanks should be sent from t he Executive to Dr. Mona Blanch for her t alk at the Ranger Conference.

Routine and financial business was tran-M. E. BUSH. casted.

CALLED TO HIGHER SERVICE. It was with great regret that the Division of Hamilton and Coleraine learned of the death of Mrs. Pearl Rodgers, who for many years was a Guider in the Hamilton District.

As Pearl Scoullar, she enrolled as a Guide at Murndal in 1923, and was appointed Captain of 1st Hamilton Guide Coy. in 1925, and in 1926 became Captain of 1st Hamilton Rangers, which position she held until she resigned prior to her marriage in 1932.

Undoubtedly Mrs. Rodgers' influence will live on thr ough the lives of t he Rangers, to whom she gave such willing and unseltl.!:;h service.

SPECIAL NOTICE. Would givers of cheques please make these out t o Baden-Powell Memorial Fund, and so simplify matters for the Hon. Treasurer?

RECEIPTS. Please read CAREF ULLY. To save postage, receipts may be obtained a t Headquarters on application. They will be posted only if stamped and addressed envelope is f orwarded.

Contributions and progress tot als will be acknowledged in "Matilda" each month. You will r eceive a Give-Lend Voucher when your tinal amount comes in.

1. Make out cheques, postal notes or money orders to Baden-Powell Memorial Fund.

2. Address letters to Secretary, B.-P. Memorial Fund, Girl Guide Association, 60 Market Street , Melbourne, C.1.

3. Please send money in round sums (If pounds and shillings (not pence).

M. HOFFMEYER. Convener.

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September, 1943.

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MAT I L D A.

15

Patrol Leaders' Page.

I

(This Page has been divided into four 110 as to give you suggestions for activities with Tour Patrols for each week in the month.)

"Before being awarded the Second Class Badge the Guide must show that she is trying hard to keep the threefold Promise."

1st Week.

On the day we were enrolled we promised each and every one of us that we would do our best to ke~p the Guide Promise, and it was the actual making of that Promise which changed us from recruits into Guides. Not the fact that we wore uniform and were dressed like the rest of the Cempany for the first time-it is possible to be enrolled without uniform-but. just those few words we repeated, a pledge taken in the hearing of the whole Company.

You can see then why this Promise is so important. It is the foundation on which our whole Guide life is built. If you erected a house on flimsy foundations made of threeply it would collapse in the first storm, but if it is built on solid cement it will last out all types of weather. Our Promise is the samc.

It must be something real and vital in our lives if we are going to be worth while. Guides are not the sort of people who give up at the first difficulty.

You must help your recruit to realise this.

When she comes into your Patrol you tell h~r about the Promise and Law with the rest of the Tenderfoot, and she notices how the Patrol and the Company are trying to carry .qhem out. For her Tenderfoot she must "know the Guide Law and the threefold Promise," but there is more to it than that.

She is going to promise to do her best to keep them, so you will have to be really surp that she understands what they mean. Thrift, courtesy, and loyalty are rather difficult words for a young recruit or an ex-Brownie. Can you think of a simple explanation for eaeh of them and ways in which she can bring them into her life? She will have to realise, too, what an important thing a promise is, and that if she makes it she is trusted to do her best to keep it always-not just when things are ea!!y, ~ut when everything goes wrong, too.

She will fail at times, we all do, and must learn to pull herself together and start all over again if she i!! really going to do her best.

Next we come to the Second Class. You will see the new wording for this section at the top of the Page. It will probably appear to be the last section that the Tenderfoot tackles, but in r~ality she is working on it from the time of her enrolment and finding new way!! of living it all the time. Then. when she has completed the rest of her SecOftd. Class, Captain and ehe will have a talk

about the Promise and Law, and the Tenderfoot will tell Captain how she has been trying to live them, how they have helped her, and what she has found specially difficult. Do impress upon your Guides that Captain will want to know what difference the Law has made to them. For instance, a Guide will often say that she feeds her dog regularly and &ives him a warm bed because "a Guide il a friend to animals." But if you quelttion her you will find that she has always <lone this. Now if she had said that since she had been a Guide she had thought about the sixth Law and had brushed him daily or taken him for a reirular walk, that would be different.

Do you agree? Get your Guides to take each part of the Promise and think of new ways in which they could keep ti. Do you know you will never come to an end? As you get older and go to new schools or leave school altoge1!her you will find "new WJ!.Ys" cropping up all the time. They really are never ending!

2nd Week.

Let us think of the Promise for a few minutes. Take the word "duty." At first sight ~t seems rather a dull and drab word, but it IS not really. One definition of it is "something we owe." Every Guide would pay whdt she owed to another person as a matter of course. But what about the first part of the Promise? Do we pay what we owe to God, or do we forget all about it? A Guide will o!ten brush this part of the Promise aside by ~!lmply saying that it means going to Church or Sunday School, and saying prayers regularly. Isn't there more in it than that 7 For instance, God has given us our bodies, much more wonderful than any motor car or aeroplane. ShOUld . we not keep them as fit and healthy as possible to use in His service? And what about our minds and brains? Some of us have talents in one direction and some in another, but, whatever they are, unless we use them they will deteriorate. Just as a railway line which is not used becomes corroded and rusted, and one which is in constant use s~ys bright and shjny. Take two men, each WIth a talent for drawing. One forged bank notes and ended up in gaol; and the other painted beautiful picture!! which were hung up in a gallery and gave joy to thousands.

Which man was using his talent for the benefit of his fellow-men, and so doing his duty to God? How can we do our duty to the King "{hen he is so far away on the other side of the . world-someone we may never see? Your Tenderfoot may say by standing up straight ~t attention during the playing of the NatIonal anthem and by not walking out of the pictures i. the middle of it. That is one way ye8; but there are Iota ot other.. Even if

16

MATILDA.

tJle King is not here, we have his laws, and the rules and reg-ulations of the town in which we live, that we can obey. Wait until & tram stops before getting off; always have a lil&ht on your bIcycle aftel dark; put tram tickets in a rubbish basket instead of drop~ing them round the streets, obey the traffic code and black-out restrictions; don't light a fire in a prohibited area during the summer. l'hese are just a few ideas to set you on the way. See how many others you can think 01 for yourselves.

"Help other people at all times."

To do this we must be ready and willing to Ilelp; you know the difference there is when someone offers cheerfully to do something for you instead of waiting to be asked. Then you must be observant to see where help is needed, and lastly know how to help so that we really will be a help and not a hindrance. It takes quite a lot of thought to keep just that one tiny section, doesn't it?

3rd Week.

"Obey the Guide Laws."

We will take each one in turn and think of one or two things about it.

Honour. Do we sometimes cheat quite unintentionally at a game because we have not listened properly to the explanation? Do we return borrowed books or library books promptly and in good condition? Do a whole Patrol weigh themselves for the one penny?

Loyalty means !ticking to something. Show loya: :;y to your Patrol by turning up punctually to meetings with a neat and correct uniform. Try and rid yourself of some bad habit so &8 not to let them down.

Usefuln ess. Don't miss the little thing!: lJecause you are waiting for the big ones to turn up. Start at once at home and at school. Helping other people is another way of doing our duty to God. Friendlly. To be a friend is to be ready to help, to be kind and thoughtful, ready to see the other person's point of view even if you don't agree with it.

Courteous. More than politeness and good manners. Means consideration and unselfishncss-others first and self last. Takes time and efforL, often we are rude because we arc thoughtl·~ss or in a hurry. How often do we say thank you to those at home?

4th Week.

Friend to animals. May be unkind by thoughtlessness or lack of knowledge., A Guide should know how her pet should be fed and car ed for properly. What about flowers?

Could they come in here? Train your Guide~ not to pick flowers and drop them, not to pull up wild flowers by the roots, and not to break down branches of trees.

Obedience. How many times were you told to go to bed last night? When you are asked to do anything, how often do you say, "When I have finished this chapter," or "I must listen to this serial first."

Cheerful. Grumbles and cheerfulness are both catching. Which do you want to spread,

September, 1943.

an d "hich of the two sort of people do you wan t 10 be with?

Thrift means careful spending as well as careful sllving. Not only money. Take care of books, switch oft' lights not in use, take care of your eyes by always reading in a good light.

Purc. Unless we keep our bodies ano minds as fit and healthy as possible and take care of our words and actions in a similar way we are not keeping the first part of our Promise.

This is just a very brief outline, P.L.s, to give you a few hints and ideas to start on.

Perhaps you could get to work with your Patrols and make a scrap book full of pictures and stories to illustrate each Law. Or you can have a competition and let the Guides watch for a week for ways in which the Law can be kept. You will find that the Law has a different meaning for everyone. You may be able to apply other people's ideas to your own life, or you may not. That does not matter. What does matter is that the Promise and Law should really mean something to you and to the Guides in your Patrol. It mU'lt come into your lives at all times and on all occasions. It is not just a Promise to be made and forgotten, or to be thought of on('1) a week at your Guide meeting. So think about it very hard, decide how you have been keeping it and where you have failed, talk it over at Patrols in Council, and find out what the other Guides are thinking about it. Then all set to work again with renewed vigour, having found added ways in which to "do my duty to God and the King, help other people at all times, and to obey the Guide Law." "TUL-KARA."

ANGLICAN GUIDERS. A Weekend for Anglican Guiders is being <. r r a nged by th'e Anglican Youth Council from F r ida y, 29th October, to Sunday, 31st October, /!.t Berwick or Seaford. Fee 10 /-, plus fares. The programme will include a cor·· porate Communion, direction on prayer and l'!leditation, discussion groups, time for thinking .over and talking over problems, singsongs. Applications, together with 2 / 6 deposit, to be sent to Sister Julian, C.R.N., 265 Sprin:; Street, Melbourne, C.1, not later than 7th O~tober.

ANGLICAN YOUTH RALLY 'fhe Rally of Anglican Youth of 13 years and over will be held on Saturday, 18th September.

2.30 p.m. Service in St. Paul's Cathedral.

3 p.m. Procession from the Cathedral to the Town Hall.

3.30 p.m. Pageant in the Town Hall.

Girl Guide Headquarters have I!'iven oermission for Anglican Guides to a-ttend this Rally fn uniform. Further particulars may be obtained from Sister Julian, 265 Spring Street, Mel bour!1 e. C.l. Telephone Cent. 1833.

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