GIRLS’ MARCHING MAY SOON BE REVIVED HERE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 38, 14 September 1949, Page 5

GIRLS’ MARCHING MAY SOON BE REVIVED HERE

Another determined effort is being made to revive the Whakatane Marching and Recreational Association, this time with every prospect of success. It is stated that there are enough girls interested for the Association to get right back into work with eight teams to train, and a meeting is being organised next week for the purpose. First big need will be coaches. On Saturday, a marching contest was put on following the basketball tournament, and indications are that the basketball girls will take an active interest in marching to keep their-teams together throughout the summer months.

Perfonnances on Saturday were reasonably good, but the need for competent coaching was apparent. The general view of the girls themselves is that they are prepared to do any amount of training needed, if . the Association can find the coaches to guide them the right way.

' These coaches will need to be men or women who are prepared to put a fair bit of time into the work, but they need not necessarily be experienced, because there are amongst some competent to put volunteers through a course of training to make sure they interpret the handbook corectly. Those who have had experience of this type of work have found that their enthusiasm grows as their teams develop, and that there is a very real satisfaction in getting a smart team ready for competition. Those snappy uniforms are not as a rule expensive. The average cost works out at about £2. It is the usual practice for a business firm to sponsor a team, in'which case it supplies a banner bearing its name which, at a big competition, has considerable publicity value. One of the principle advantages of this type of sport from a parent’s point of view is that the girls are encouraged to take pride in their uniforms and to conduct themselves accordingly. Moreover, when teams travel, the Association insists that they be accompanied by two chaperones per team, who will be selected by a parents’ committee, elected usually from the mothers of the girls in the teams.

Usually there are Association trophies for competition, and in addition leaders and coaches of winning teams receive gold medals. Each member of a winning team also receives a medal, and it is every marching girl’s ambition to collect enough to make a belt.