THE WIGWAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 949, 16 April 1930, Page 16

THE WIGWAM

Here ice gather, here ice meet in powwow friendly and discreet, To taltc of earth, and tea, and shy, and icatch the world of men go by.

EASTER IN' the old days there were various disputes as to when Easter should be held. In Asia Minor it was celebrated on the >ame day that the Jews kept their Passover, while people in the West kept Easter on the Sunday following the Passover day. Finally set rules were laid down so that Easter would happen simultaneously in all places, taking March 21, the time of the Equinox, as a base to work from. If the moon is full on that date the next Sunday is Easter Day, but if the full moon happens on a Sunday, the following Sunday is chosen. Easter Sunday always follows the first full moon after March 21, and thus the date differs from year to year. This year Easter falls late, as the moon was not at its full until Sunday, April 13. The latest it. can possibly be is April 25, and Easter Sunday in 1943 will be on that date. In 2285 Easter Sunday will be on March 22, the earliest date on which it can fall. The query, “When is Easter?” lies in the lap of the moon, though Christmas is a set date on the calendar. . . . Happy holidays, Chiefs and Braves. ? EEDFEATIIER.

GIRL GUIDES’ CORNER Bird Call reports for the Birkenhead Company: “We resumed our meetings on February 3, and the rest of that month was spent on revision and miscellaneous subjects. •On March 1 the Girl Guides and tho committee held a picnic at Takapuna Beach. It was a beautiful day. and wo all enjoyed ourselves, despite the fact that we were all burnt raw. As quite a number of the girls are entering for the swimmers’ and athletes’ badges, we have been including jumping and resuscitation drill in our programmes on Monday nights. Tin* patrol- leaders have been taking charge of the meetings in turns for the last few weeks. “On March 22 another picnic was jield at Fitzpatrick s Bay, the Brownies being present this time. On Sunday, March 30, a church parade was held at the Presbyterian Church. • On April 5 the examination for the athlete’s badge took place, and on April 7 it was the annual committee meeting and re-election of officers. We intend to give a social in aid of the local dental clinic in the near future.’* • • • Golden Pine, of the Manurewa Company, writes: “Our company has again united after tho pleasures of the holidays with as much zeal as before and its membership undiminished. A few more badges have been earned since we last appeared in print, among which featured several cook's badges, their value not in the least being impaired by the fact that their proud owners innocently wore them upside down! “We are now devoting ourselves to »iur concert, for which three plays are diligently being learnt, under the guidance of a worried captain and hardworking lieutenant, our highly accomplished and elegant dance, entitled ‘lf all tho world were paper,’ having been committed to memory.’* • • Forest Hover reports for the First Otahuhu Company: “We started our Guide meetings again on February 3, after spending a very happy holiday. “At present we are having lectures on tire drill, and go fc'’ery week to the fire station, where we learn all sorts of useful hints on the prevention of fires and means of assisting at fire outbreaks, under the supervision of the superintendent. “On Wednesday, March 19, our company said good-bye to our lieutenant. Miss Gilfedder, who has had to resign on account of ill-health. Our captain presented her with a pair of gloves from the company. After the presentation we had a camp fire, and sang Guide songs for an hour or so. “On a recent Saturday we went for hike to East Tamaki.” * • • White Squirrel forwards the following Papatoetoo Company news; “During the month of March we had three recruits from the Brownie Pack. As they have all attended for four weeks, we hope that soon they will have their tenderfoot badges. “Our captain was away for two weeks last month and. instead of closing Guides for the fortnight, we leaders decided to take the captainship in turns. We had quite a lot of fun, and it was much better than having no meetings at all. I have heard a whisper that the committee has a scheme in hand, which, I believe, will make a very busy time for us all soon. “it was suggested that last Saturday we should have a day out at a beach, but as the school sports were being held then, we decided to put it off until after Easter.”

Northern Star supplies the following Kaitaia news: “On February 15 a large number of Guides gathered at the hall at 2 o’clock for the first meeting of the year. We had with us Miss Matthews, who is back in Kaitaia and who is going to instruct us in different handcrafts. “On February 22 we gave an exhibition of the dances we had learned the week before. Afternoon tea was provided by the grandmother of one of the Guides. At the next meeting Miss evening punctually at seven o’clock. Matthews taught us a new dance, and we had several competitions. “On March 15 we had an outdoor meeting. Several girls went ahead to lay the trail, and after a short interval the remainder set out to follow their tracks. After some time, some wide-awake person spied someone moving in the grass, and the ‘hares’ were captured. We were now on the riverbank in the shade, so Captain suggested we should have some quiet gam© to cool off. After ‘Land, sea. and air.’ we played ball games, which were won by the Bluebell patrol. On returning to the hall we had roll-call and then were addressed by our Guide Mother. She told us about a party which she is giving us in the May holidays and to which we are all to wear old-fashioned paper dresses. After discussing means for procuring the materials, we were dismissed. “Our first church parade of the year was held on Sunday. March 3 6, at St. Saviour's Church, with a good muster of Guides and Brownies, the flag being carried by members of the Red Rose patrol. “At our next meeting we had knottying competitions, won by the Red Rose patrol, with the Primrose second, and relay races, most of which were won by the Primrose patrol. The materials for basket work having arrived, Miss Matthews instructed us in the rudiments of that art. We were each given a piece of cane and some raffia and told to try our hand at it, at home. “A stall was held in the main street on Saturday, March 22. Nearly every Guide and Brownie brought some confc, tributicm, either a cake, vegetables or Wk preserves. There were many willing

helpers, and while some looked after the stall, others took round‘a rooster in a basket. All we knew were asked to guess the weight at 6d a guess, and soon over £1 was collected in this way. When we had sold out in the afternoon, the total result was found to be £7 ss, which will go to general company funds.” Sea Maid, of the Russell Company writes: —• “We have had our usual Guide meetings, revising our Tenderfoot and Second Class tests as we went along. “Our friend Mrs. Dod is back from England, and she has promised to help us get a new clubhouse of our own, as we have our meetings in the Town Hall. “Seven of us obtained our Swimming badges last week, and we hope to have our Cooking badges by the end of next month.” WITH THE BOY SCOUTS The Gilwell training camp for Scouters to be conducted by Major F. W. Sanford and Commissioner Cooksey at Puriri Farm, at the mouth of Hunua Gorge, will be run from the evening of Thursday, April 17, until Sunday, April 27. As far as possible Scouters are requested to spend the full time in camp or as many days as they can spare. Tho following is the list of personal gear to be taken by each Scouter as set out by Major Sandford: —Ground sheet (bedding provided), pillow, if desired. stave, blankets, pyjamas, tooth brush and comb, soap, towel, shaving gear, extra socks, underwear, etc., tea towel, eating utensils, notebooks and pencil. The expenses for camp are 25s from each Scouter, and a special conveyance will pick up Scouters and their gear at Headquarters office at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday. The cost for this will be Is 7d a head. Commissioner Boswell and Scoutmasters Oxley and Stralen will leave for Puriri Farm this evening to erect the camp and make preparations for the influx of Scouters tomorrow. * * # Prairie "Wind reports for the Mount Albert Troop: “At our first meeting this year we heard that Assistant - Scoutmaster Featherstono had left Auckland, and also that our Scoutmaster, Mr. Louiid, was to leave soon after for Hokianga. Our previous Assistant-Scoutmaster, Mr. Hyde, is now Acting-Scoutmaster. “We received a visit from Mr. Boswell. who gave u% an interesting talk on Scouting. Mr. Boswell has been a Scout since the movement began, and he says he regrets only that ho was not a Scout when he was a boy. “One week-end, those members of the troop who possess bicycles went for a ride to Ferndale, and from there to Sharpe’s Bush. It has been decided to form ,a bicycle patrol, as nearly half the troop have bicycles. “Wo have received from Mr. Norwood, the first Scotmaster of the troop, who is now in Australia, a trophy in the shape of a boomerang, with three silver shields on it, to be competed for among the patrols annually. Last Saturday we went to Mission Swamp to give those members of the troop who have not yet done so a chance to do the cooking and tracking tests for the second class badge.” 4» * * St. Aldan’s Scouts St. Aldan’s Scouts going into camp are requested to be at the hall this

THE SPRING GIRL AND THE DAFFODILS Spring it was in the world, so long ago, ever so long ago. The sun and the moon were very new and very shiny; apart from the clouds that drifted across the sky, they had the heavens to themselves. “The moon was growing lazy, sometimes she would pause behind a black cloud and hide her face in a veil, sometimes she would not come at all, and on these nights the world was left in darkness. Twilight, grey mystic twilight, had lingered from the sea, and the daffodils were pools of light in the dusk, where the pines leant against the sky, whispering songs to the passing wind. From somewhere, no one knows where, a girl came—not an ordinary human, but a tall person with dark hair and strange amber eyes that glowed in the half light like tiny candles. She came softly to the clumps of daffodil and, stooping low, gathered the fragrant blooms in her arms. In the still night her laugh floated to the hills and, loath to let the sound go, they flung it back and to the waiting daffodils it came, like a host of golden bells lilting their tiny notes. So to the world the girl brought the first echo, but she had a still more precious gift to give. When her arms were full of daffodils, tho girl rose high above the world and floated to the sky. There she flung her flowers at random over the dark clouds. Some went far away, some nestled in groups, but all of them lay there, gleaming gold in the night. So stars came to the world, came to turn the long hours of night to a time of beauty instead of ugly blackness. Always they bloom in the sky, these spring daffodils. They are up there laughing and dancing in all their young loveliness, and they flirt with the wind just as they did so long ago on earth. Up there they never wither, they are fresh and fragrant, sweet as when the girl picked them and floated away with them. —Flying Cloud (Lesley du Fauf).

AROHANUI (Big Love) Second-prize Story Piri Rangoa sat at sunset by a little lake surrounded by ferns and bush. Here she came every evening as the day was dying. The air was cool, and a tui whistled melodiously. A splash on the opposite side of the lake caused Piri to jerk her body erect. She stood gazing across at the handsome Maori warrior who paused by the lake. His spear, thrown at some object which it had missed, floated on the water. For a moment he gazed, then turned and went into the bush, but before he went Piri saw the single black feather in his hair, and recognised him as Rangi Riro, son of a chieftain whose tribe was at variance with Piri’s own, which her father ruled. Yet every evening Piri still came to the lake, and Rangi, too, felt drawn toward it. One day he skirted the water and came to where the brown girl stood. Declaration of love was unnecessary, for each instinctively felt the other’s adoration. One sad day the lake was stained blood-red by an accusing sunset, for that day the tribes of the lovers had sprung into conflict against each other. Piri was anxious, but after some days, Rangi came unharmed to where she waited sad-eyed at the lake. As they stood there together there came upon them a tohunga of Piri’s tribe. He was a friend of the maiden, but when ho learnt that she loved Rangi Riro his heart burned with rage. “His love is false,” the tohunga told tho girl. “They of the tribe of Rangi are false of heart!” She would not believe, and at last the tohunga went to Piri’s father and told him all, with requests for mercy toward the girl. “She shall stay in her whare, unless she promises to meet I.angi Riro no more!” said the angry old chief. So Piri was placed in her whare with stalwart guards around to prevent her escape. When Rangi heard of this he was besido himself with rago and grief. Every evening he kept tryst at the lake, hoping that Piri had managed to escape her guards; every day he planned for her escape, but in vain. And as each sunset shed its glory, Piri, in her close confinement, grew more hopeless and sad-eyed. Tho old tohunga saw her condition, and his heart was sad. “She will die,” he thought. “But what can I do? The tribes of Rangi Riro and Piri Rangoa must be at variance until the world ends. Yet she will die.” A hope lingered within him that he may still b© able to convince Piri of Rangi’s unworthiness, and one day he went to the chieftain and asked that the girl be allowed to accompany him at sunset; and he took her to where tho faithful Rangi still kept tryst. The lovers greeted joyfully, then the tohunga stepped forward. “Listen,” ho said, “as the children of your tribes you cannot mate. You would be outcasts and pariahs, so you would not be entirely happy, but if I prove your love to be true, you shall belong to each other, for I shall make you free, feathered folk of the air. As your love is, so may the colour of your plumage be ... ” As the last red rays of sunset fell across the lake, two beautiful snowybreasted birds (w© call them native pigeons now), rose into tho air, circled above the heads of the tohunga standing among the ferns, and flew westward toward the bush land. —Red Star (Jean Mclndoe).

GROWTH OF SCOUT MOVEMENT

From announcements made at the annual meeting of the Council of the Bov Scouts it appears that membership of the Scout Movement is greatly on the increase, the total number in the British Empire now being 690,586. Great Britain and Ireland have a membership of 397,648, an increase of 27,392, and British Scouts oversea total 290,977. There are 46,559 officers and 2,782 commissioners, increases of 4,540 and 161. In countries recognised by the International Committee the number of Scouts definitely registered has increased by 122,212, the total now being 1,907,772. Among younger boys, too, the Scout movement is increasing in popularity, for in the United Kingdom there are 143,541 Wolf Cubs, compared with 123.841 the previous year, and United Kingdom Scouts increased by 24,000, the total now being 213,630. THE LIGHTEST WOOD Balsa is the lightest wood known. It grows in South and Central America, and weighs 7* pounds a cubic foot—about half the weight of cork. Owing to its lack of strength it is of very little commercial value, although recently uses have been found for it in airplane construction. OBLIGING Mrs. Smith was interviewing a new maid. “And now a word about rising,” she said. “Do you have to be called in the morning?” “I don’t have to be, madam,” said the applicant, “unless you happen to want me."

FOR WISE HEADS

Hidden proverbs: Here are five jumbled proverbs. Who can solve them? Each w'ord is separate. 1. —A tethis ni meit svsea eni. 2. —A gonilrl neots hretsag on soms. 3. —Mite nad deit taiw rfo on nam. 4. —A ribd ni het dnah si rohtw w T ot ni etli shub. 5. —Leppeo ni ssalg-husseo lhdsou ton wroth sosnet. Word square: 1. —A musical instrument. 2. —An open surface. 3. —Genuine. 4. —Pallid. Answer to last week’s word square: Roost, Ovate, Oasis, Stint, Testy. Riddle-me-ree: Scout. THE LARGEST ANIMAL The largest animal in the world is the sulphur-bottom whale, some specimens of which arc over a hundred feet in length and weigh nearly a hundred tons. It is the largest and heaviest creature that has ever been known to exist. Even the prehistoric reptiles such as the Diplodocus weighed only 50 tons.