THE WIGWAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 651, 1 May 1929, Page 7

THE WIGWAM

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STORY TIME WHAT are you reading:, Redi'eather asked the wind, whirling about the Wigwam with a rustle like the sound of drifting leaves. “Ah, I thought as much. You are reading about those coloured ribbons I gave to Youth so many years ago. Little Lone Pine has told their history well. And there is something else about a sprite who gave all he had to leave happiness in the world. Have you read that one / That looks like Flying Cloud’s writing on the next manuscript. There, I thought I could not be mistaken. How fortunate you are. I should like to linger here and read all those stories, but I am due to blow in another quarter. Until the morrow, Redfeather. . . And away he went. REDFEATHER.

WITH THE BOY SCOUTS Three hundred and eighty-one Scouts attended tlie Anzac Day service in the #"» n the parade being in charge ot Assistant-Commissioner E. B. B. Roswell. The Commissioner, Air. W. J. noldsworth, was also present. On behalf of the Auckland district, ? m reath ' vas placed upon the Cenotaph, and several troops also paid their individual tributes. • * * At the last Scouters’ and Cubbers’ called by the Commissioner and held at District Headquarters last inursday, there was a record attendance, forty-seven members of all ranks peing present. Throughout the even>ng a Scout-like atmosphere prevailed. Much of interest was discussed, the Principal matters dealt with being the jjeout Day organised by the Farmers’ trading Company, which will take Place on May 21, and the Rally to be neid on August 3 to celebrate the twenty-first year of Scouting. It is nuped that his Excellency, the Gov-crao^-Oeneral, may be present. This Rally will be a most important °ne. and all those connected with the sllull ld endeavour to make •t the most successful event in the history of Auckland Scouting. , r - Fred E. Walls. Scoutmaster of m° West Street Church of Christ troop, has been appointed District Scoutmaster. and notes from the Domin°a cad quarters’ Bulletin for April: The following cablegram has been re»plved . trom Sir Robert Baden-Powell: to Scouts. Hope they up r^TL follo ' v a tnt George.” tne Chief Scout expresses the opinion ,; at movement should overcome the . culty of officering the troops by appointing officers from the ranks of the Tn? ment itself - The following figures speak for the sr 2 wt *> of Scouting: fccouts Cubs and Rovers Sea Scouts J, n dta 125,970 117 Canada .... 45,956 101 X.S.W 12. SOI 30 victoria .. .. 16.636 1 82 S. Australia . 3.SSI ISO j Queensland . 2.042 7 1 JY- Australia 2.041 166 1 * Ne w Zealand 10.073 357 | A letter from Imperial Headquarters , •Bering New Zealand a White Ensign, j

which had been hung on the Cenotaph in London, was read. It was decided to accept the offer with thanks. The flag will be reecived on behalf of New Zealand by the Jamboree Contingent. New troops have been formed at Muheno, Hampden, Waipukurau, and Port Albert. Others are in rlie process of formation at Rawene, Kaitaia and Putaruru. A Rover Crew has been formed at New Plymouth. The list of entries for the Giliwell correspondence course for the Wood Badge closes with the General Secretarv, Box 487, Christchurch, on May 7, 1929. tt was decided that the Chief Scout be recommended to grant a letter of commendation in the case of Patrol Leader Fraser Robertson, of Wellington. for his Scout-like action in rescuing an eleven-year-old boy from drowning in the boat harbour at Wellington on January 24. 1929. Commissioner Dredge, of Palmerston North, has resigned his appointment as District Commissioner, and his resignation has been accepted with regret. Mr. Hogarth, of Westport, is not connected with the Boy Scout movement. The annual meeting of the A lata mat a Scouts was held on April 22 .when the officers lor the year were elected. During the evening presentations were made to the retiring Scoutmaster, Mr. R. B. Simpson, and Messrs. Allan and Edward Bowler, who will reside m future in Te Aroha. Big Sea Water reports for the Calliope Sea Scouts: •‘The week-end parades were held as usual on Friday night, and advanced instruction classy were busy at work. ••Saturday afternoon was spent in the boat. It being the last day of the season. many pleasure craft were on the harbour. A fourteen-footer had the misfortune to capsize and. as the gig was hard by at the time, the company helped to tow her in and eight her. White Cloud, of the West Street Church of Christ Troop, writes that a new patrol, the Tuis, has been formed The troop has recently lost, th.ee or its members. The boys desire to congratulate their Scoutmaster on his appointment to the Pof ™ s ‘ n Scoutmaster. The first annive-sary of the troop will shortly he celebrated.

GIRL GUIDES’ CORNER Dark Flower, scribe for the Onerahi Girl Guides, writes: “We are called the Robin Hood Company, and the colour of our ties is green. We have about twenty Guides and they are very keen, so we are trying hard to make our company the best in the North and some day we hope to succeed. We have three patrols —the Tui, the Thrush and the Robin. “On the first Saturday in May we are having a ceremonial afternoon, and one new Guide is to be enrolled. We also intend to try and pass the test for the Laundress badge.” Sunset Hill, of the Ruawai Company, reports: “We, the Ruawai Girl Guides, held our third birth day picnic on the first of Aprli, at Matakohe Beach, about seventeen miles from our district. Each girl in the company asked another who was not a Guide and twenty-five in all attended. A paper-chase, cooking, swimming and games occupied the day. “Last month one of our patrol-lead-ers was appointed lieutenant, and another left to prepare for her approaching marriage. Two new patrolleaders were invested by our new lieutenant and, on April 23. our late patrolleader was married, the Guides forming a guard of honour at the wedding. Some of the girls attended the reception, and in the evening we spent an enjoyable time at the wedding dance.” Still Pool, of the First Whangarei Company, writes under date April 26: “On Saturday, March 2, the North Auckland Girl Guides held a rally in honour of Dr. Buckley Turkington, our Provincial Commissioner, who was passing through our town. It was held here in Whangarei, as this was the most convenient place, and Dr. Buckley Turkington was staying here for some hours. On Friday 20 Guides arrived by* bus from Ruawai and Raupo, and were billeted for that night in Whangarei. On Saturday 7, companies from Russell, Ivawakawa. Kaikohe, Onerahi, and Brownies from Russell arrived by express. They , were taken to the Y.M.C.A. hali. where lunch was provided. “At 1 o'clock all Guides and Brownies (about 140 altogether) met and marched into formation in the Triangle. At 3.15 p.m., when Dr. Buckley Turkington arrived, the Rev. Mr. Steele began the dedication service of the tiags of the First and Second Whangarei, Onerahi and Raupo Companies. After the service was over we had a march past, Dr. Buckley Turkington taking the salute, and the Whangarei Boys’ Band providing the music, which was greatly appreciated. We then marched to an adjoining field. where demonstrations and competitions took place. After a fire-lighting and billy-boiling contest, won by the Second Whangarei Com v pany. the different companies gave demonstrations of life-saving, ambulance, i figure-marching, gadget-making, club I swinging and poi dancing. At 3.30 p.m.. when refreshments had been handed round. the visiting Guides, after expressing their thanks for an enjoy able time, left to catch their train and bus for home. “In our company we hold a ceremonial evening every month, when badges and ribbons are presented The ribbons, of different colours, are given j to the best patrols for work, ins.pec- ; tion. attendance. patrol corners, j games and competitions. At the end of every three months a silver cup is

presented to the best patrol, judged on all the marks. On Friday, April 12, we had our ceremonial evening, when one Tenderfoot was enrolled into the Pansy Patrol. The Lily 7 Patrol won the attendance and patrol corner ribbons, the Pansy Patrol the games, inspection and competition, while the Red Rose Patrol won the work. Seven swimmers and three home-makers’ badges were presented to 10 delighted Guides. After the captain had given the dismissal salute, the Guiders, Leaders and Seconds held a very interesting court of honour. “On Friday 7, April 19, after roll-call and inspection, the Guides went for a route march. “Anzac Day was wet. A beautiful service was held in the Town Hall. Then the Territorials, Scouts and Guides paraded at the Triangle, where the wreaths were placed on the monument. Before every 7 one was dismissed. Colonel McCarroll took the salute in a march past. “On Sunday we are going to march up to Kensington to attend an openair camp service of the Mounteds, who are in camp. “Just now the are busy working for badges. We are all anxious to win our Pioneer’s badges, for we must have them before we can attend the Dominion camp, to be held in Wellington next January. Then, too. we all want to win the cup, which is to be presented at our next ceremonial evening, to be held in two weeks’ time.” The Devonport Guides combined in a parade with the Scouts on Anzac Day 7 and placed wreaths on the Soldiers’ Memorial, also attending a service in the parish hall. Sea Bird reports for the North Shore Company: “North Shore is feeling rather cramped. We are a large company, and now that the big parish hall, which we usually use, has been turned into a picture theatre, we have been forced to go to a much smaller one, so that patrols always seem to be overflowing into one another, though when we are all lined up we fairly fill the little hall and feel larger than ever. “The patrol rivalry 7 is very keen because captain does not let us know when we are gaining or losing marks, and we are all the time -wondering if we have just acquired or lost a few. We won’t know until the end of the month.” This company made laurel wreaths for placing on soldiers’ graves on Anzac Day. Fluttering Leal', of St. John’s Company, Ponsonby. writes: “On March 5 we celebrated our third birthday with a party 7 to which the Rangers, Brownies and ex-mem-bers of the company were invited. “Instead of an ordinary company 7 meeting on March 19, we held our meeting at Western Springs, where we cooked our tea. “The company attended a church parade on April 14, and an Anzac service. on April 21. “At present all the girls are learning second-class work, as the company is repassing second-class badges. “Recently two of our Guides left, on© transferring to North Shore, and the other, a leader, leaving. Second patrol-leader. Rona Attenborough has taken her place and is leader of the Buttercups. We have seven recruits, three of whom are Brownies who have ‘hopped up’ to the company.” Little New Leaf, a Kakamai Ranger, writes: “The first meeting of this year took the form of a combined Brownie, Guide and Ranger gathering. Several Brownies ‘flew up’ to Guides, while four Guides, Lilias Emery 7, Kathleen Gilmour, Moon Moth (Dorothy Worthington) and Little New Leaf (Ethel Crawford) went to join the older branch of guiding, namely 7, that of Rangers. “The ‘going-up’ ceremony was a very 7 impressive one. and made us all feel how wonderful it was to belong to the Great Sisterhood of Guides.

“The rest of this month was spent in training new recruits for their Ranger, Tenderfoot and second-class badges. “The great feature of March was the Easter week-end camp, held at Piha. “Easter Friday 7, the day 7 of departure, arrived at last. The day 7 dawned cloudy 7 , but that did not dampen our spirits. Eleven merry 7 Rangers and Captain, with their luggage, clambered into the back of the motor-lorry 7 which was to take us to Piha. “We climbed Waitakere’s muddy 7 slopes, passed Otiniai, the beautiful home of Guiding, and went on until we reached the Auckland Tramping Club’s hut, about 6i miles from Piha. The roads were too bad to dare going further. “On Easter Saturday 7 we hiked on the long, muddy road to Piha. When we reached Gentle Anne, Piha’s highest peak, a most wonderful view rewarded us for our tramp. Miles upon miles of the Tasman sea came rolling and thundering into the little bay 7. The mighty waves would break when about half a mile out, and the pure white foam would come swirling in upon the beautiful, hard, shell-less sand. “The Lion Rock and Praying Nun Rocks, stood out black against the deep blue of the sea. It was indeed a sight that made us want to stay there for ever. “Easter Sunday 7 and Monday were spent in going small hikes. We all returned home very 7 happy 7, ready 7 to start work again with renewed vigour. Last Saturday 7 the Kakamai Rangers held a combined birthday party 7 with the Guides and Brownies.” RAINBOW RIBBONS (First-prize story). a £s i r hlllt °p above the misty t alley a boy lingered. He was the Sony h £bUt by Lt? o 1 ■ I,id been called Lethe. He stood poised on the hilltop—the great rugged hilltop of the road of Youth tTme h i he w ad climbed simv?y. some? wS ini ne - SOmetimeS seri ° us * nd This was the old grey world he saw the , valley ' srey and careworn of ln the dlrn ’ llazy distance of the heavy nnst lying below he seemed to see Father Time with his sickle poised and his long white beard merging into the mist. The steelv blue eyes of Father Time glinted. There "as malice and not mercy in his face as though he would tell the world that never would he turn back for one moment, never glance back over his shoulder. Over the world he held his sickle poised. the tall, slim boy stood wondering on the hilltop. In his hand he held long coloured ribbons that the wind had given him along the road. Lethe had smiled and taken them. little guessing how wonderful the.v were. The wind-god had seen this laughing carefree boy with fair hair ruffled and a blue cap in his hands, and had given him the ribbons coloured with the glow of sunsets, the gay blue of harbourwater, the deep purple of violets and the green of young fern fronds. Into these l'ibbons Lethe had woven the multi-coloured memories of the road of Youth. Lethe thought of the careworn world there in the valley below the mist. Suddenly he felt sorry 7 for all those who had nothing to remind them of the happiness of youth. The wind stirred his hair, and the bright ribbons rippled in his hands. All at once he laughed aloud and jumped from one hilltop to another, away 7 over the valley 7. There from hill to hill spread an arch of coloured ribbons in the sky 7 and, when the mist drifted away, there was a rainbow of memories for all the world to see. But. on the far hilltop over the vailey where great white clouds drifted by. a little boy 7 in blue lay 7 dead with the other end of the rainbow in his hand. That is why no one will ever find the end of the rainbow. It belongs to Youth: it is what Lethe gave to the old grey 7 world, and Youth will guard it for ever. —Little Lone Pine (Phyllis Agar).

THE LITTLE DARK FAIRY (Second-prize story). Once upon a time, ever so long ago, before man had claimed the wild, where the wooded mountains rose up to snow, there lived a Little Dark Fairy, and he was the Tiappiest-Person-in-the- World. He chattered all day long in the mossfilled crannies of the woods, finding nuts for the squirrels, and collecting twigs for the birds. He was brown, as the creatures of the woods were brown, and he had shining black curls which bobbed and nodded as he danced upon his way. Unfortunately, he could not sing. When he sang his voice sounded hoarse and cracked, and when he tried to laugh he had no voice at all. He was gentle, and fearless; the creatures of the wild were unafraid of him, and the fiercest animals protected him from danger. One day, he grew tired of his home, and wished to rove. “Good-bye,” he said gently to the wood-creatures, as they gathered round the trees. "I am going to see the world.” “It is not a happy world,” said the trees sadly. “Do not go.” “There are sorrows and dangers." | sang the birds. But the Little Dark j Fairy laughed. 'I will not stay long.” | he said, and with a toss of his head ! he was gone, on the wings of the wind ! —away—away—until he had disappeared. He passed over gardens. where i fragrant petals lay deep and drifted, and on he went until he came to the sea. There on a great grey rock, he found the sea-spirit weeping. “Why, what is the matter?'’ asked the Little Dark Fairy. “I have no voice,” whispered the Sea spirit. “I cannot sing, and so I am unhappy.” “Oh!” laughed the Little Dark Fairy, “my voice is cracked, but I shall give you some of it. Perhaps it will help you.” And he leant forward and laughed his cracked laugh into the sea. and the echo hovered, hovered, and then dropped into the green depths. Up rose the sea spirit, crying “I can sing! I can sing!” and turning to the Little Dark Fairy; but he had gone with the wind. From that day to this, the sea haroared and laughed and sung all through the nights and days. On went the Little Dark Fairy until J he came to a hill-top, where grew a i clump of pine trees, tall and strong. ! But all day long they creaked and

moaned. “Why do you sigh?” asked the Little Dark Fairy. “Wo have no voices,” moaned the pine trees: “we cannot sing.” “Ah —mine is cracked, but perhaps it will help.” and the Little Dark Fairy laughed a low deep laugh through the trees, and the echo caught in the branches, and hung there. “We can sing!” cried the trees, as the wind went through them, and they sang and sang. Perhaps they are singing still. On he went spreading his happiness throughout the world, until he grew tired of roving, and longed for the sunlit woods on the mountain, and the wild creatures and the trees. But. oh, he had lost his voice altogether. . . . He went slowly home to the wild creatures, sad at heart. “Where is your voice?” sang the wind. T —l gave it away,” sobbed the Little Dark Fairy. The wind crept through the woods with the echo. and gleaming eyes shone through the gloom, and soft creatures with velvet tread, drifted past like dreams. Then a murmur, soft as the quietest lullaby, stole lirough the trees. “Little Dark ~ Fairy, vou have the Kindest-Heart-of-AH. Vou gave away all the voice vou had. therefore you shall be rewarded. Vou shall have the loudest and longest laugh in all the world; you shall sing, even as the pine trees sing, and even as the sea sings. ...” Away danced the Little Dark Fairy, singing, along age-old trails that man has never found. And a great wind sang in the tree-tops and the stars sang, and the clouds went singing past the moon. , . . . Harvest Moon (Alma Chamberlain). FOR WISE HEADS Word Square1. —Ajar. 2. —To peel thinlv i 3. —Cupid. 4. —a home in a tree. Answer to last week's word square: Moth. Oboe. Toll. Help. A POCKET SCREWDRIVER It frequently happens that a hoy breaks a blade ot his penknife, but this does not necessarily render the knife useless, for. by grinding the remaining piece of tile blade it can be made into quite a useful screwdriver. Of course it will not be strong enough to deal with big screws in hard wood, but nevertheless it will often be found very handy. THE JUMPING HARE The strange little South African rodent known as tfie jumping hare is similar in size to the common hare, but it has a furry tail about two feet long. It is found at the Cape in large numbers, and feeds chiefly on vegetables. In its small forelimbs and powerful hind legs the jumping hare resembles a kangaroo. It can easily cover six to nine feet in one spring, and has even been known to leap a distance of 30 feet.