ROUNDABOUT

Radio Record, Volume XIII, Issue 11, 21 August 1939, Page 23

ROUNDABOUT

'llleeting Reople ey Seeing Ilaces wvih MURIEL LEWIS

HAVE been to two patticularly interesting parties this week. Ill tell you about them. The first was a bridge-mah jong-500 evening given by the Old Comrades of the London Scottish jn aid of uniforms and equipment for the new Wellington Scottish, whereat cost for uniforms for three officers or 20 private soldiers was raised. The regiment is to be in ‘‘hodden grey," a aabrownish-arey which was opied from the coat worn by

the chairman, Lord Elcho, at | the first meeting in 1856. It would be a wonderful thing if we in New Zealand could have a ‘‘kiltie’’ regiment allied to one so famous as the London Seottish, and built upon their ‘ great tradition of service and loyalty. They won battle honours in South Africa (19001902), and were the first Territorial regiment in France, where they were attached to ‘the Gordon Highlanders, in 1914. In fact, a New Zealand Scottish regiment would bear the same relation to the London one that an American friend once claimed the United States bears to Great Britain. **No tradition?’’ she exclaimed indignantly to a tactless remark of mine, ‘‘Why, our bistory is the same as yours from | George I back!’’ * THE other party was one I felt it a privilege to at-

tend. Mrs. Knox Gilmer opened. the Girls’ Club of the Crippled Children Society at a happy, friendly gathering at Toc H. There was @ varied programme of items coutributed mainly by members, and spontaneous and well-delivered speeches were given by the newly-elected president and secretary in response to those by members of the Wellington executive. The quick appreciation of

noticeable; and most of the visitors seemed to employ quite naturally the more amusing turns of sentence to introduce little funny stories, as if the atmosphere called for them. There was a great deal of laughter. I never saw the true party spirit more quickly or easily achieved. A question was raised which seemed to me of vital importance-and which has evidently been in the minds of the executive before now. Could not the name of the society be altered? asked a speaker. It was surely 2 reasonable query. The clubs -both the boys’ club, which meets on Tuesday evenings, and the girls’ club, meeting on Wednesdays — have been formed principally with the object of minimising the mental aspect of deformity; to reduce the effect of the unavoidable loneliness imposed on those who are unable to

join in the normal life of other more fortunate young people. To stress that deformity in the title of the society which is doing so much to help them is surely to oppose the main interests of the endeavour? A SWING hanging from the rain-sodden branches of an oak tree, the hull of a toy schooner lying stranded at the edge of the drive, gave an opening note to my visit to Mrs. C. G. Scrimgeour that held throughout a very pleasant afternoon tea. Because Margaret, Joan and Garry, thoroughly well-behaved young people, but entirely without awkward shyness, were also present, I was able to realise that here was the atmosphere which surrounds the wife of Uncle Scrim. It is not easy to wear an Eton crop in these days of fantastic perms and ‘‘sausage’’ curls, but Mrs. Scrimgeour has the clear-cut features, the well-. poised head, that alone excuses it; and also a natural wave in thick dark hair softens the severity that is the usual effect of this style. Coming originally from Whangarei, she entered the Teachers’ Training College at Auckland at 17 and has not since returned to her birth- place. It may not be too wide a guess that her profession paved the way to success in her present occupation — that of

wite and mother, which Is] without doubt one that suits her to perfection. But whatever she essayed to do would be done well, to judge by the serenity, the hint of assurance, in her manner; and in her very blue eyes one may read her interest in other people-which is to say, she has the gift of friendship. I hope the photograph will convey to you the charm of Unele Serim’s wife, and that I have been able to show you a little of a very delightful personality.