LONE AND POST GUIDERS' WELLINGTON CONFERENCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 110, 26 May 1937, Page 11

LONE AND POST GUIDERS' WELLINGTON CONFERENCE

During last week-end a group of Lone and Post Guiders with their commissioners were in residence at the Frederic Wallis House for the purpose of discussing their own special problems. The Guide movement is divided into three groups in New Zealand ; the active companies are those jvhose Guides, Rangers, axxd Brownies meet weekly at company meetings to- play the game of guiding. The Lone Guiides are those who, usually because of geographical isolation, are not able to meet other guides axld play the game with them and who thereiore have their guiding by means of tbe Company Letter. Post Guides are crippled guides who, becausd of their disabilities, are not able to join the ordinary company meeting. They also receive their guiding by letter. This may not sound very exciting, but these 'company letters bring a feeling of friendliness and do give personal contact with the outside world. The correspondence school staff is very interested in both the lone and post branches. About 80 of the pupils of the school are Lone or Post Guiders. This is the first conference of the kind ever held in New Zealand, and every minute oi the time was occupied in discussing ways by which the game could be put on paper in the most interesting, instruetive, and friendly manner. Letters from different companies were inspected and hints for new ideas exchanged. Greetings were received from the Loile conference in England, from Mrs Archer Absolom (commissioner for Rangers), from Second Southland Lone Company, and from Miss G. McKenzie (Lone secretary), Southland. One Guider present had never before worn nor ever seen anyone in uniform. Those present were glad to welcome on different occasions Miss Rut?i Herrick (chief commissioner), Mrs Martin Tweed (provincial commissioner, Wellington), Miss J. Puthie (diplomate Guider), and Dr A. G. Butchers (headmaster of the Correspondence School). All these addressed the conference on various subjects of Gnide interest. Miss Herrick spoke particularly of .the organisation of Dominion headquarters and also of her contact with Polish Guides at a big international camp. Mrs Tweed stressed the fact that Guides were all sisters. and that therefore tho branches should not keep themselves in watertight companies. Each branch had something to give the other and all could help each other. Miss Duthie took her listeners to Sweden, and in a thoroughly delightful and entertaining way told them of her contact with Sweidish Guides and witli Guides and Guiders from 20 countries at a conference in Sweden. Dr Butchers cx plained to the conference the social clubs in connection with his schoo]. wliereby scholars were encouraged to join pen-friend, meccano, stami> clubs. Many practical thiugs also were attempted, such as games, Nature work. and a hike. All kinds of Guide ceremonial were taught, followed bv discussions as to how to make. these special occasions of value wlien transferred to paper. Not less interesting were the camp fires each evening, when song and story made a happy ending to each day. No Guide camp or training is complete withoufa Guiders' Own — a church strvice conducted hy the Guiders themselves. This was held on Sunday morning in the beautiful chapel at Frederic Wallis House, and an inspiring address was given by Mrs Wallis, ''The Guider; A Leader." On the last evening the conference thanked Mrs Wallis for her care of them and gave her a small gift for the chapel fund.