GIRL GUIDE NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22149, 2 October 1935, Page 18

GIRL GUIDE NOTES

[By Guides.]

FIRST CLASS TESTS. The half-yearly test for first class will be held in the Guide Rooms on Saturday, October 12, at 2 o’clock. The usual practice will bo followed—namely, Guides will como supplied with test forms, and will bring , with them the required certificates and testimonials. The requirements as set down in the 1935 P.O.R. will be followed. It is not necessary that all the badges should be bold before coming for the practical test. They can be completed any time ’within the next six months, as can other parts of the badge not finished at this first test. If, however, six months lienee the test is not cqmpleted, the whole must be taken again. As regards ambulance and sick nurse badges, the secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association states that the test for the preliminary certificate is entirely an oral one, and the certificate is issued to those under 16 years of age. In country districts the association-will arrange with the doctor to_ take the test, and will issue the certificates on his recommendation. For those over 16 a course of lectures is stipulated. Any Guiders who are concerned about this senior section are asked to communicate with Miss Hay, wdio will then seek the advice of the St. John Ambulance Association as to how the situation can be met. PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE. The monthly meeting of the Provincial Executive of the Otago Girl Guides’ Association was held on Thursday last at the Guide rooms. The provincial commissioner, Miss V. ,M. Barron, occupied the chair; present were Mesdames A. Cameron, W. K. Cameron, P. Milne, W. H. Borrie, H. K. Wilkinson, Misses A. Stevenson, D, G. Blackmore, and the secretary. Miss Stevenson reported that the St. John Ambulance Association had very kindly consented to supply examiners at their rooms for the ambulance and sick nurse badges. The secretary was instructed to write thanking the association for its interest and help. .Miss Barron gave to the meeting the remits for the Commissioners’ Conference to be held in Christchurch at the end of November. These were accordingly deal with. Arrangements were made for the visit of the chief commissioner, Miss R. Herrick, during October. It was definitely decided to hold the Dog Ribbon parade at St. Hilda’s on Saturday, November 23. A sub-com-raittce was set up to deal with this. It was- decided to hold a special meeting on Monday, October 7, to arrange details for the annual meeting. The tentative date for this is Tuesday, October 15, at 2.30. Nominations for positions on the executive .close with the secretary on Saturday, October 12. OWLS’, MEETING. A meeting of the Brown and Tawnv Owls -was held in Knox Sunday School. The Brownie picnic was discussed, and it was decided to hold it on Saturday, November 23, at Woodhaugh, at 2.30. The Brownie races are as follow: —One relay of eight brownies, straight-out race for the whole pack, one crocodile of Six, with one Brownie holding the hands of the front one and counting, dressing the Brownie (one Brownie from each pack), to put on tie, belt, and hat. The games this year are to be ‘ Little Ball Pass Along ’ and ‘ Wo Make a Merry Ring.’ Brown Owls are asked to see that all Brownies know these games. It was also decided to hold a treasure hunt. In view of this Brown Owls are asked to see that each Brownie, makes three butterflies, by tieing cotton round the middle of. a small square of coloured paper. There is also to bo a race for Brown Owls, Tawny Owls, and pack leaders, details of which will bo given at the Brown. Owls’ meeting in the club rooms tomorrow. All packs must bo represented. CAMP AT FOXLEASE. The following is an extract from a letter received from a Dunedin Guidcr who has recently attended a training camp at Foxlease: — At Waterloo Station I met Guiders from London, all over England, two from Finland, one from Palestine, and an Australian. We all travelled down to Brockenhurst together, and then by car to Foxlease all through the Nea Forest. Thrill after thrill! We were met by the Guider in charge, Miss Dalton, and various other people. ' Tlx house is white and square, and all tin rooms are named after counties in England. schools i or companies that fur nished them; and the bathrooms arc named after rivers—Ganges being a< the foot of our flight of stairs. Om room looks north-west over the front oi the house with the colours flying in the breeze, a field full of cattle in the distance, and glorious _ English tree* around. We are divided into four patrols—34 of us in all named Rooks. Chaffinches, Chiffchaffs, and Greenchaffs. Nearly all the lectures arc out of doors under the trees or in the barn The barn is about 60ft long and about loft wide, with latticed windows, a thatched roof (inches thick), and a fire place nearly as big as the ones at the Savoy, if not bigger. There is also a green tennis court, where we played games, and a swimming pool which had not been filled owing to the drought. Then there are the Cottage and tho Link. The latter was furnished bj American Girl Scouts and presented to Foxlease. , One can rent both for camps. We meet in tho hall, which has blue wallpaper with golden fleur do lys on it by accident, but they haven’t been changed. Then to the right is the office and a passage to- one of the garden doors, with Scotland and London leading off it. Scotland is all genuine Adams with much gilt paint everywhere. We had Guides’ Own there on Sunday evening; there is a lovely piano, masses of .music, and the patrol log books, in which each patrol does some thing before leaving. London is through folding doors from Scotland, and is used as a staff room by the trainers. _ It contains the New Zealand desk, which really is a rather marvellous piece of work. Scotland faces east and London south. Upstairs are the various bedrooms—all very attractive some single, some double, and a few with three or four beds. South Africa lias a balcony, and Berkshire, which 1 shared with another New Zealander, is the room the chiefs have when they stay at Foxlease. At the very end of tho house is Wiltshire, the library, a lovely room facing west and lined with books—novels travel, history, reference, and so on. There is an outside staircase leading from it down to a walled garden and through _ to the auncXj Hampshire is the writing room, and is to the right of tho hall. It has an' enormous carved board on one wall telling bow an American gave Foxlease to Guiding, and how Princess Mary endowed it with moneys given her as wedding presents in 1922. The garden room is where everyone goes for tea, before meals, and at odd times. It contains a chest full of gar-

den cushions, rugs, and chairs. It opens right out to the lawns. Next to it is the dining room. India has six tables, seating six at each, though more can be squeezed in when necessary. It was originally an open loggia, but had to bo transformed when Hampshire got too small. To get to the kitchen one goes through the garden room, down some stairs, and round a corner or two. The patrols take it in turns —“ mess,” which is collecting food from tire kitchen and returning the dirty dishes to the scullery and laying tables; “washeys,” “ house ” dusting Hampshire, Wiltshire, Scotland, getting wood for the camp fire and tidying the barn; “ rest,” which is colours. Canteen is down a passage past Hampshire, afhd is open at 11.30 a.ra. and 9.30 p.m. every day for everything from apples to overalls. Wo thought the quiet room was the nicest place, though._ It is upstairs and (hen up an attic stair, twisty, old, and dark through a door leading of! the main passage. All the hangings and carpets and furniture are Royal blue, and the woodwork is a dark brown stain. There are two rooms, both qujte tiny, with no view at all, as the windows look on to a rampart place. There is a large, deep_ sofa with brown cushions, two chairs, and a window «eat, a fireplace and reading lamps, a heater in one room and marigolds or other flowers in a vase, and it is absolutely quiet. The other room is a tiny chapel with four praying stools, also a fireplace and a beautiful picture_of the knight watching his sword over it with a lamp specially placed to light it up. Princess Mary did it all, and I think everyone who ever visits Foxlease goes there at some time or another during the week, and is glad of it. The annex was originally the stable and the hav loft. There are three or four rooms in the loft and a bathroom. It’s very pleasant, but not nearly so nice as the

bouse. There are about_ 80 acres of grounds all round, including five camp sites with shelters, pumps, and permanent wash places, large kitchen gardens, an orchard, stables, flower beds everywhere, and a little bit of wood with » natural chapel in a clearing where the campers hold Guides’ Own sometimes, and in about 15 minutes one can be right in the New Forest with nothing but trees to be seen anywhere! A Guidcr from China and I spent a day with a map and compass m the woods. We got where we intended and back the way we had meant to, more or less, but rather by luck than good judgment, I think. We sat under a convenient bridge for half an hour during a* thunderstorm—all the rivers seemed dried up. We took lunch with us, and had great fun reallv. The trees are marvellous, enormous oaks, beeches, and silver birch, and then patches of open heath land, streams, and herds of wild ponies, and so on—lovelv even in tho rain! Camp fires were fun. The Guiders from other countries were so interesting, and I enjoyed every second of my stay. I leave Foxlease very regretfully, ouite determined to go back again soma day.