The St. John Camp Cadet No. 5 (Wednesday 5th August 1953)

no PRINCESS, no @ENERAT BUT THE GOES OTI

How they took the sad news

THERE were tears among many of the younger Cadets when the news that the Royal visit would not take, place was given out yesterday o{/er the Camp's loudspeaker ne.twork.

_ Disa-ppointment was keenly felt throughout Stutrbers, and even some of the older people in camp were seen dabhing their eves with their handkerchiefs

The reason for th,e caricellation was understood. and appreciated by everyone, from the Camp's medical officers to the smallest Cadets. but no one was any the happier for that.

Perhaps the most keenlv disappointed were the Cadets and Cadet Officers from overseas. who had built up their hopes on what had seemed a wonderful opportunity for meet;ng Her Royal Highness. -

The Saddest of All

But no one could have been more crestfallen than Pat Lewis herself-- the girl from Southern Rhodesia whose illness has caused the visit to be cancelled-

Pat is c'ne of those.who had been chosen to read messages of greeting to Princess Margaret on behalf of the Cadets of their own countries. so that her disappointment is doub'leedged.

Another overseas representative, Emma Ignacio, from Kenya, told a reporter: "My people have all seen pictures of the young Princess and they told me specially to look out and see if she is really as beautiful as that."

PUBLIC, PARADE

FINAT preparations for Princess lVlhrgaret s visit were in full swing yesterday when tho dissapoinfing ne,ws reached, Stubbers that Her Royal llighneso wo,uld not be coming to the Coronation Camp after ail.

A statement put out frorn Clarence House during fhe evening said she had regretfully cancelled her visit, on medical advice, owing to a case of meningitis in the camp.

The case referred to occurred in a girl of l6-Pat Lewis, of Salisbury. Southern Rhodesia.

She was admitted to rthe Camp Hospital on Saturday. the day altei her arrival. and was-removecl to the Rush Green Isolation Hospital at Romford the following da1,.

It was stated at the hospital yesterday that she was "slightly bett-er."

Pat's parents were immediately informed bv cable and her mothei is due to arrive in England by air today.' The St. John Ambulance Brr'gade will take care of her.

Two other campers with whom Pat had been sharing a tent have been kept under close observation since her illness was diaqnosed. Thev are both in good health.

The Camp's Chief medical officer, Dr. Walker. said yesterday he was satisfied that everS; precadtion had been taken to pre\rcnt the spread of infection. Dr. Richmond, in charge of the Camp Hospital. said there was little danger .of this, in view of the healthy outdoor lives the campers are living.

The Medical Officer of Health for the district has paid several visits to the camp and has expressed satisfaction with the health arrangements.

It is p'lanned to carry on with the parade arranged for this after- r:.! noon when the inspection will be carried out by the Commissioner-inChief of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Lieut-General Sir Otto Luid.

The general public will not be admitted, but parents who arrive to see their children in camp will not be turned away.

iCADETS iFREE TO GO ! oN ToURS

CADETS MAY THE CAMP AT LEAVE WILL To Reassure Parents

Although the Camp has been ** banned to the general public, it has been officially decided that no risk of infection will ensue if Cadets are allowed to move in and out 6f the gates.

The Camp Commandant has given his sanction for this, in agreement with the Ministry of Health.

The programme of tours 1o Places of interest in London and elsewhere will therefore continue. Tonight 500 Cadets are off to WembleY Stadium to see a performance of "Chu-ChinChow" on ice.

First Cadet to leave the CamP under the new dispensation was our old friend Emma Ignaci.o, from Kenya. The Daily Sketch sent a car for her this m,orning 10 take her to tr-ondon Airporl.

No! Emma is not ieaving the country. She is already back in Camp. She was taken to London to see the Quee,n Mother leaving by plane for Scotland.

The proprietors of the Sketclt thoug\t this would compensate her for the disappointment she has shared with all other Cadets.

Cno, Wurn

'}HE Post Office is trving to I 1r... the senders of i*o postcards, one signed David and lhe other Don. Both are neatly written, and'duly signed and stamped, but neither bears any address.

This is what Don writes to his Mum:-

"Arrived here alright. The gruss whiclt wus green is nor mud in places. But the lood is good and I can have as much as I like.

"Thcre are seven boys tn our warm tcnt. lle are hating a good time. There are cctdets front all over the place, the unilornts are a'll different, ooGoodbYe for rtott,"

Last night the following letter was dispatched to the parents of all children attending the camP:

"DEAR PARENT, You will Probahly have heard that we had. un(orhrnately had a case o,f cerebrospinal mentingittis in the 'Carryr and folthis reason fler Royal Highness (he Princess Margaret has cancelled her vlsit rto us 'tomorrow.

"As I feel you may tre anxious, I am writing to reassure You.

"Ths girl who confiacted the illness is one of the Rhodesian con' tingent. She was adrnitted to rthe Camp Hosplta'I on 'the second day' before she had hail time rto rn{x rtith many people, and You will be Pleased to know thart silre is now much bet' ter.

"The hygiene arrangements of this calnp are excellent and all possible precautions have 'been taken. Having oftained the adrrice oif 'tlhe Medical Officer of Health for the locality and that of the med[cal officers of the carnp, I feel lthat any risk o,f infection is very rernote.

"If you desire to 'take yomr ch'ild away from the CamP, it will' of course, be quite permissible for yoq [o do so, but unless I hear Lto the contrary, he or .She will return home on Friday as arranged."

The letter was signed bY the CamP Commandanl, Dr. F. R. B. H. Kenned1,. It was dispa,ched during the night and arrangements were madg with the General Post Office for the earlies possible delivery.

CAMP CADET

Circulation 1,700 and Still Rising. Target-2,000.

Already we can claim the highest sales and greatest circulation of any other newspaper in the CamP! You can't allbrd to miss anY coPY. Back numbers are still obtainable. 2

STAY. AT . HOME CADETS SAU| FILH CAMERAS AT ulORK

I-\ADETS who stayed in the camp v yesterday, instead of joining any of the tours, had a special treat of their own. They saw a cinema newsreel in the making-the one that is being prcpared for the Children's Film Foundation by Wallace Productions.

On the job again were cameramen Jimmy F.v7i65 and Ralph de Larrabeite, who won our admiration last Friday by their cheery nranner with the Cadets, and their stoic indifference to the hardships of the Great Deluge.

Cadets surrounded them yesterday as they took shois of a team Practising tirst aid drill, This was carried out in good style, and a touch of realism was added by Mr. Rodway's effective use of make-up on the patients.

r\ext, the cameramen focussed on a group oi Ambulance Cadets who were practising bed-making. The boys wer.e evidently in need of practice. Matron's face as she watched them tryrng to mitre the corners was a picture-but she held her tongue.

Perhaps she would have been less ,forebeanng had it been girls rVho were ler{timg the sheeis fly atrout so in the wind.

Mr. Ewins informed us that the film would be on show in the cinemas within the next six months. So tie a knot in your sheets, boys, and remember to look out for it.

LE JOUR DU LAYAGE

fi VERY day is washing day at

! Stubbers. so the lolk back home in Guernsey'can rest assured that the flags are kept flying on their behalf by the -lads and lassies from that golden isle.

On both days that the public have bebn admitted to the Coronation Camp, the. Guernsey contingent have been actively engaged in the entertainment field.

They have sung with effect the ancient Guernsey folk song, Le Jour du Lavage, and we have seen them perform the Broom Dance. La Bebbde and Double Double 1a Violette.

Another time, we must remind them to bring their seaborne ambulance, the Flying Chrisrine.

CADETS TOTE INJURED GIRL IDOWN 375 STAIRS

()NE of thb Cadet partie visiting London yesterday from the - Coronation Caimp had a drarnatic opportunity to dernonstate ;their skill at first aid.

Tlis occurrbd when a nine-year-old girl fell down a short flight ,of steps leading to the outer gallery of St. Pauls Cathedral, and broke her leg.

The Cadets, who had just climbed up, to the galiery, at once took rrneasures to keep the stairway clear .and got the cathedral authorities to _phone for an ambulance.

They then improvised a stretcher ,out of a mackintosh, and carried the ,unfortunate girl down the winding stair to the Whispering Galler-v-175 steps down.

But there were still anotb.er 200 Bteps to negotiats and a Robinson .rescue stretcher was procured for this second part of the journe.v.

By the time the stretcher party had reached street level, an ambul.ance was already waiting to iake the patient to hospital.

Those concerned in this exempiary piece of rescue work lr,'ere Cadet .Superintendents E. Jenkins, of Bodrlin, and L. Brimcombe, of Brixham, with six Ambulance Cadets from ,Devon and Cornwall and one from M ontgomeryshire.

The Editor Regrets

IHow Come So Many Pototo Peelers

Camp Competion Results

ROAD SAFETY

The flnal round was judged by Mr. T. Lorell. Mrs. Buckingham and Mr. F. P. Tesrel {Road Safely Organisers).

i

For several days we have noticed an interesting little stall near the Chapel. It was not until a visitor asked how much the jumble sale had made pointing to this stall, that we decided to look into the matter.

We advanced upon .Mrs. Harris casting wildly about in our imaginations for a reason to explain yhy we should wish to buy anything on view. We found ourselves absentmindedly offering to buy our own knives and forks. (rvashed-up) rvhich we had handed to l\4rs. Harris to hold while we found paper and pencil.

We stredied the prospect before us. "Strange" we thought "to have so many potato-peelers and toothbrushes."

TOOTHBR.USHES, TOO

It was stranger still to see so many oid and flattened toothbrushes and we presumed that their prospeciive buyer vranted kit-cleaning materials.

'fhen we saw it-a beautiful uniform cap. In perfect condition and it was accompanied by a brand-new pair of gloves.

"How much?" we asked, fumbling in our cetton bag full of plates, and bits of paper and-we hoped-money.

You may ask why we wanted to buy a cap which would never be of any use to us-except as a collector's item.

A1l we can say is-you try and resist a bargain.

Actually, you'd be right in resisting.

Thls was no bargain-'-lrt was Lost Property.

Eileen Radford (N.55) was placed first, with M. Calldw (i.t.65) a;d E. O'Brien (N.61) second and third respectively.

FIRE FIGIITING

Station Offcer A. W. Norrnan and I.eading Fireman F. Zebedee judged the fi,nal round. The test included a 3-man hydrant drill and both judges expressed satisfaction at the smartness of al1 competitors.

The result was: l. A.6 (seniors: Sergt. F. Price. Sergr. J. Price, Student B. Penney, ali members of Grays A.D.); 2, ,4.6 (juniors).

A team of officers composed of Area Commissioner B. Robinson (Surrey). County Cadet Othcer R. Ruck (Hereford) and Cadet Officer D. Parker (Grays) endeavoured to lower the world's recold for the drive-but age told.

Wiil finalists for the First Aid and Bed-making Competitions please note that the final rounds will be held on Thursday afternoon, on the Sports Arena, trme 2.30.

Talent Competition

-fhis popular event, was arra,nged by Cadet Superintendent Hunt, of the Activities Section, and the judges were Cadet Superintendents Jones, Symon and Ranes, and Cadet Ofiicer Brassett.

Winners were: 1, Nursing Cadets Hanstrord and Hoey (piano duet); 2, Nursing Cadet Anne Gould (dances); 3, Six Nursing Cadets from Wales ( part-songs). Among other itcms r.lere comic sketches by Cadet Sergeants Price and Williams, and da,nces by Nursing Cadet Mary Little.

That today's issue of the CAMP CADET has heen delayed. Tomorrow's issue \r,ill be published later than usual

THE DAILY POINTER

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

IIIIHAT is ouritv of heart? Bv W - n.rri hei" is'meant. as we now think of it. heart and mind-three parts, morals, thoughts and emotions. There is in each of us so much mind and heart to make and keeP "Pure."

We speak of our emblem. the White Cross. as being a sYmbol of purity. We think of "whiteness"ihe hemories from the lines of hvmns of the whiteness of ange'ls, the dazzling white of the saints; then we link purity with cleansingthe homely thought of clean white freshly-laundered linen, sweetly smelling.

And indeed purity is a word which seems to indicate something having been cleansed. having been rendered pure by a process. "Rirrsomed. healed, restored, forgiven"-the words of the h-vmn we sang last Sunday.

Somehorv as we, step by steP, rise up in the number of the Beatitudes. so we achieve that clean, white pureness of mind which has been gradually cleansed by our inward struggle; cleansed of mean, petty thoughts, of miserableness. of jealousy, of selfishness. of all those inherent. subtle small feelings to which the human nrind is heir.

And those that have won this battle for purity within their hearts shall see God. This is hard to imagine, for God is to most of us in life a vision, always with the inward hope of this vision manifestine itself to us, as it does often in times of trouhle. Thus the realisation-of this dream at the end musf mean the crowning reward for a lift of effort in trying to see Cod and bring him nearer to us.

Those of us close to life and death, as so many are in the St. John Ambulance Brigade, must have sometimes been privileged to see those who have suffered. suddenly and most peacefully meet their God in His Glory and be blessed.

What the Camp Flospital

Owes to S.omerset

pital.

Towels. dressing bowls, jugs, wash hand bowls and other articles were' sent from Essex, by courtesy of NIrsSmellie.

MOST of the excellent equip- The London District of the St. ment which visito{S will see John Ambulance Brigade, by courtes-v - of Mrs. Romer-Lee, supplied a great in the Camp Hospital has been deal of the enamel *uri'fo. the"hoslo,aned by Hospitals and St. John Ambulance Brigade, centres in Sornerset.

Much of it came from the Couniv Cadet Camp Stores at Taunton, and from two Taunton hospitals.

The Management Committee of Musgrove Park Hospital most kindly lent the 28 hospital beds and spring mattresses. Holmoor House Hospital for the Chronic Sick lent all the bedspreads and the Pre-Nursing Unit of Taunton Technical College supplied a number of instruments.

From the St. John County Stores came mattresses, blankets. pillows, all the bed linen. first aid haversacks, hot water botties, dressings, lanterns. screens and so on.

On each of the 28 white bedspreads is an embroile.red. plagur bearing thg white cross irf St.-fotrn on a 6lack background. These were stitched personally by Lady Violet Wilton, viceqresident of the Taunton Nursing Cadets.

ll is hoped thus to give the hospital some resemblance to a ward in the Hospital of the order in' Jerusalem, for which a large number of similar plaques were exquisitely embroidered some years ago by St. John ladies in the County of Somerset. ruilililil1ilil1ililililililililililililililililililil

SOPORIFIC

n-tHIS newspaper awards its Special I Diploma for Courage to the Ambulance member from Wales, who yesterday escorted ten Nursing: Cadets over the National Gallery"

He must surely be one of the' most courageous Cadets in tho Camp, if not in the Principalit,ru. Reports that he slept all the waY home are treated with reserve. If we are forced to believe them, there is still no cause to impute a sense of discourtesy. trYe alw:+ys yn-wn' our own heads off in picture galleries.

Overheard . .

When the news was broadcast that Princess Margaret would not be coming to the Car.np, from the bigger of two boys on a litter-collecting fatigue:

"Okay, she's not coming. Sling it all back."

Hil ilililililililililililililililllllllllllllllllll,5