THE GIRL GUIDE MOVEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3648, 7 June 1927, Page 1

THE GIRL GUIDE MOVEMENT.

A most comprehensive address dealing with history and aims of the Girl Guide Movement, was delivered at Palmerston Xorlh last week by the Deputy Commissioner Behrens, who holds olTi'ee in North England. The speaker said the movement was world-wide. It was not merely a national movement within our own Empire, hut was, in the widest sense, an international movement. -It was found as far north as Ireland and''Finland; Poland’s Girl' Guides numbered 10,000; it was well established in Northern, Eastern, and Central Africa and North and South America, .had its quota of girl guides, and Australia also contributed to swell the numbers. Though only an infant of 3 years old in our Dominion it yet numbered its Girl Guides as 8000. At a world conference held in l!)24. 32 different nations were represented. The little l delegate from Hungary thus expressed herself at the conference: ‘T had thought the League of Nations a dream, now 1 see it as a reality,” and C/.ccho Slovakia’s representative cried in broken Enplish: “Oh! 1 am so happy to be here.” Every delegate no matter what her nationality expressed her feelings by the cue English word in her vocabulary “Nice,” all had learnt that word. It was a family gathering. Dividinglines were broken down, and essential oneness of humanity was recoynised. Now, we ask, why has this movement grown to such international proportions? Because it rings true, it appeals to every girl. Why was it started? Because the girls wanted it, not because grownups thought they ought to have it. Girls saw their brothers as Scouts and wanted to imitate them. Girl Scouts! The -leader of the Boy Scouts saw the danger of allowing girls to become poor imitations of their brothers; he saw how they needed channels into which to direct their super-abundant life; and decided to use it in the right direction. The need of the day was for home makers. So the Girl Guides were started and a call sounded out. to the girls to tit themselves in body, mind and spirit to be Guides and Leaders. Their motto was the same as the Scouts: “Be prepared.” Prepared for any emergency, small or great, to cook a dinner, mend a sock, give first aid in case of accident and in every emergency to kelp her head, and show her courage and be ready to act. Badges decorated the sleeves of their uniform, not ac decorations, but as certificates of merit. You see a gridiron on a sleeve and know you have a capable cook, a pair of scissors, distinguished the expert needlewoman, the dustpan marks the neat housekeeper. On the left arm are worn the service badves, first aid, and if a girl wears that badge you are safe to call on her for efficient aid in case of accident. What is the aim of the movement? (1) The development of intellect of every girl, of course this is partly done both at home and at school, but the Guide movement uses the time between these to assist each one to become more efficient, to develop a thinking personality. There are too many human sheep whose favourite pursuit is “Follow my Leader." Games and work each are chosen with this object in view to make the girl think for herself. Take morse signalling, what else can teach a girl such selfcontrol, such concentration —can make her equally alert. To those objecting to morse signalling for girls, the chief scout said: “What can you suggest in its place?” And they could suggest nothing as effective. (2) To teach each girl skill in homecrafts and handcrafts. It is objected here that X.Z. girls can use tlmir hands and in a sense this is true, but guiding brings new point of view to old duties. Once she bad visited a Girl’s Home in South Africa, found girls weary, listless, bearing the cooking, laundry and housework as a heavy task. She bad returned there many weeks later and found girls formed into Patrols. Such a change in spirit was there. The different Patrols took different duties by turn, the Bed Bose Patrol saw to it that they excelled all others as cooks, the Violet "Patrol were proud of their skill in the laundry, and so right through the work was done with a joy and a keenness. Instead of a long drab dining table, each patrol had theii own small table decorated with the name flower of their Patrol. Eveiy day duties had been touched by the magic wand of romance. The aim is to make this feeling world wide. To let girls know that they are doing a big piece of useful work in the world. (3) To develop physical fitness

ip every member. To teach laws of hygene and encourage their practical application. (4) To inculcate the spirit of service for others, they are to give not to get—to serve not to be served. The Girl Guides of to-day like the famed knights of romance arc to help the weak and downtrodden, and to fight the dragons of evil for others. To fight a fight with all your might for truth and justice. To break-down old dividing lines, and build again the broken shrines. To serve your day and generation. A Guide’s duty is to honour God and the King; to help others and to obey Guide law. Not an easy thing, but the girls want to do good things. Sometimes is said the Guide movement is a movement without any religion. Not at all the truth. The Guides take in girls of all creeds, but they afl put God first, and a girl should serve her own church better because she is a guide. To realise her high ideals she must have faith in God and look to Him as the source of all strength. Guides are not out for a good time, they are a sisterhood for service.

service. They are divided into 3 classes. Girls under 11 years are Brownies, and are the useful little fairies always helping' about the home. From 11 to 16 or 18 are the main body of Guides, who are training as good citizens. From 18 to 61, the rangers, these are practical citizens taking out into the world their guide promises:— , (1) They must obey Guide laws, these are all positive, not negative. Thou sluilt is their law and there is no Thou shalt not. (2) Guides honour must be trusted. They are not angels, but are girls trying to do the best they know and to be loyal to the highest. (3) They must be useful, not expecting to be thanked for doing good turns. (4) A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to all other guides. It is a family which numbers 800,900. They wear the uniform, so that there is no destinetion of dress in their gatherings. Our late Royal visitors the Duchess of York as Deputy Commissioner of Guides in Scotland wore exactly the same uniform as every other Guide; all are the same in their uniform members one of another and breaking down old dividing lines. (5) Guide is to be courteous and not to hurt another’s feelings. To do and say the kindest thing in the kindest way. (6) To be kind to all. To live the life of joyous service and to show thanks for beauty of world, not only by lips but in their lives. (7) Obey orders. Discipline is a very necessary training. (8) Smiles and sings under all difficulties. Ever takes Nil Despeyandum as her motto. (9) Thrifty not only with money but spends her time wisely. (10) i Pure in thought, word and deed. “Sow a thought and you reap an act; sow an act and you reap a habit, sow a habit and you reap a character;.sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Leaders are wanted. Girls are attracted to the movement, but not so much the grown ups. It teaches girls not to exist, but to live at their best. It. is a means to an end reconstruction, to make our country worthy of the lives sacrificed for it in the Great War. It is a tool to help re-construct, there are many other tools, as a means to an end. (1) It attracts its own materialgirls. (2) It works along the line commanded by the great Master Builder —viz. love and service. Only such lines can make the dreams come true, and realise the ideal, to hasten the coming of the Kingdom of Righteousness.