GIRL GUIDES’ CORNER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 41, 11 May 1927, Page 14

GIRL GUIDES’ CORNER

Says Sir Robert Baden-Powell: “The Girl Guides are a sisterhood. This means that members of it, from top to bottom, are working together as sisters —elder and younger sisters — from joy of the -work . . . It is no fun to them to walk by easy paths; the whole excitement of life is facing difficulties and dangers and apparent impossibilities, and in the end getting a chance of attaining the summit of the mountain they have wanted to reach. “Well, I think it is the case with most girls nowadays. They do not want to sit down and lead an idle life, not to have everything done for them, nor to have a very easy time. They don’t want merely to walk across the plain, they would much rather show themselves handy people, able to help others and ready if necessary to sacrifice themselves for others just like the guides of the North-West Frontier. And they also want to tackle difficult jobs themselves in their life, to face mountains and difficulties and dangers, and to go at them having prepared themselves to be skilful and brave . . . When they attain success after facing difficulties, then they feel really happy and triumphant. It is a big satisfaction to them to have succeeded and to have made other people succeed also. That is what the Girl Guides want to do, just like the mountaineer guides up among the mountains. Then, too, a woman who can do things is looked up to by others, both men and women, and they are always ready to follow her advice and example . . . And later on if she has children of her own, or if she becomes a teacher of children, she can be a really good guide to them.” In these wise words lies the essence of all that goes to make true womanhood. Not only should a guide pledge herself to the welfare of the movement —her interests should be bound up in the common good of all mankind. Guiding should broaden the outlook and rise above class distinction, so that its influence can breed women who are worthy to be mothers of the coming generation. It is no secret society of guide to guide, for its object is the spread of good-fellowship, assistance and kindliness wherever human beings are living and striving and seeking the manifold blessings of an all-too-brief world. Life must always have it 3 pitfalls, its vexations and disappointments, but whether our skins are white or brown, we can yet have as our motto the simple words, “I serve,” or the slogan of the guides, “Turn to the right and keep straight on.” —REDFEATHER.