GIRL GUIDES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 661, 13 October 1933, Page 2

GIRL GUIDES

ADDRESS TO MOTHERS' • LEAGUE BY MISS HARRIS. HISTORY AND AIM'S. A bi-ief resume ?s given belcw of an interesting address given by Miss E. Harris, division commissioner, at the monthly meeting of the League of Mothers held last Friday afternoon. History. The girl guide movement was first conceived by Lard Baden-Powell in 1909 at a large rally of sconts at the Crystal Palace; and acting on a few brief suggestions a committee of ladies rallied about 500 girls interested in the movement together under the heading of igirl guides and thus was born this noble institution which has rapidly grown until it has reached the mighty universal ' movement that it is to-day. During the war the guides played admirable parts as V.A.D.'s, ambulance assistants and in various other humbler capacities, and their praise is sung yet for the admirable and efficient way in which they carried out their duties. Guide Law. The guide laws lare taken from the ten commandments, simplified to the understanding of children, the main statute being that a guides' honour is to be trusted. It teaches them to be loyal, to help others, to ■be a friend to all, and a sister to every other guide, and to. be thrifty and obedient. These are only some of many things that a guide must learn. Branches of Movement. There are three branches of the movement, namely, the brownies, whose ?^?es range from 8 to 11; the guides, from 11 to 17, and the rangers, who are over the age of 17. Each company is composed of p.atrols and each patrol is commanded by its own separate leader, which' helps to further the development of self-disci-pline and selflessness_ in each individual. Competition between the patrols makes for a higher standard of efficiency and collective discipline and helps the girls to cultivate responsibility for real life later on. There is also a court of honour, which is really the executive body of the company which' meets to arrange the programme of meetings and discuss the affairs of the company. Principles of Movement. Four principles are embodied in the movement, which are based on, health and physical development by means of games, dancing, drill, etc; handicrafts. such as knot-tying and other forms of manual work; intellectual training in observation, concentratipn and reasoning power; and lastly, servic'e, which is the igreatest id'eal of the guides. In these four principles a splendid grpunding in all that will be useful to the girls in adult life is assimilated, for it is through their guide training that girls are taught to be unselfish, tolerant, tru^tworthy and self-reliant. • Post and Lone Guides. These are tyro sub-branches of the movement, the former consisting of crippled infantile patients and th'ose physically unfit to attend the meetings, while the latter are girls who for various reasons, such as living in the country, are unable to attend regular guide rallies. Both these branches receive their training through correspondence; and it is largely due to the activities of Mrs. Huntingdon, the head of the Post Guides in New Zealand, that it has been possible for the less fortunate enthusiasts of the movement to become members. ( Conclusion. , The movemeni is entirely undenominational, and it is its aim to help thje parents and teachers to infuse into these girls a high moral sense such as will affect the nation as a wh'ole gn.d make them worthy citizenS of the future.