The ABC's Young Argonauts

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 902, 16 November 1956, Page 15

The ABC's Young Argonauts

SK any Australian child "Are you an Argonaut?" and even if he (or she) does not reply in the affirmative, he is almost sure to know what you are talking about. For there are between 60,000 and 70,000 Argonauts in Australia, all children between the ages of seven and 18. They belong to a nationwide club-they think of it as a fleetwhich originated in the ABC children’s hour alnd has been constructed around the legend of Jason and the bec Fleece. The members of the club, all listeners to the ABC children’s hour, are given a name from Greek mythology and a number (between 1 and 50) signifying one of the 50 oars of Jason’s ship Argo. Argonauts: are given marks for contributions, a record of which is kept in a logbook, and the ultimate aim, when the requisite number of marks is reached, is to’be awarded a Goiden Fleece and Bar. One of the most important people in the club is Argus (the eyes of the fleet), alias Leslie Luscombe. Mr. Luscombe spent several days in Wellington recently on his way to England, and told The Listener about the organisation of the Argonauts. His particular concern is literature, and every Wednesday night he appears in the children’s session; on Mondays, "Tom the Naturalist" discusses nature study; on Tuesdays, "Phidias" tells his young listeners about art; on Thursdays "The Melody Man" discusses music. Mr. Luscombe has a number of theories about children’s literature, one of the most interesting of which is that‘ children are not interested when adults review their books. So instead of this Mr. Luscombe’ has on his session panels of children, or single child reviewers from all over the Commonwealth, and also from Papua and New Guinea, who give their opinions about books they have read. Mr. Luscombe found that at first his reviewers were inclined to talk about the plot of a book only, but now, after a little directicn, they tell why they liked or disliked it, whether they

liked the print and the presentation, and even give their opinions on the dustjackets. Mr. Luscombe has also revived what he calls the lost art of reading aloud. He pointed out that we are read to when we are very young, and then forget about it until we start reading to our own children. He has had groups of girls and boys on his session, reading to each other, and their listening audience, and has been told that the idea has been introduced in many homes. Every seven weeks he runs a literary quiz, when children ask and answer questions. There are a number of correspondence school Argonauts, and also numerous blind children, who ate Mr. Luscombe’s particular concern, and whom he occasionally visits. Contributions in Braille are frequently received from blind children, to whom, Mr. Luscombe pointed out, radio is a very real thing. Mr. Luscombe intends when he is in England to visit a number of book publishers, and discuss with them his work with children’s books, and also to study television in England. When TV starts in Australia, a number,of the features now on the radio children’s hour will be introduced to viewers,