Of Guiding And Guitar

Music

Prom Our Own Correspondent MANGAIA, Cook Is.

THE Girl Guide Movement on Mangaia Island was one year old on August 18. On that date they held a birth day party, with appropriate celebrations, which included a giant cake, probably the largest ever baked for an occasion upon this island. It towered above the table on which it was displayed. The eggs for the great cake were provided by Guides. The cake-materials, icing, etc., were the contribution of the local Guide Mistress, Mrs. W. H. Ryan, wife of Major Ryan, OBE, who is Resident Agent of the island.

Even allowing for the inevitable falling out of girls whose interest declines with the wearing-off of the novelty of being in uniform, or whose behaviour has not been Guide-like, the strength of the Company keeps up, the number of Man gaian damsels in it never going below 100.

School-teachers form the commissioned officer group, under the authority of the Guide Mistress, who has brought them to a commendable stage of efficiency and smartness.

The Anniversary party was followed by an evening social and dance, the music for which was supplied by the Guides’ orchestra of guitars and ukuleles.

Mangaia has not yet acquired a band of instruments capable of leading the ac companiment of bases and ukes, the solo portions of the melody being taken by vocalists in chorus.

Since the showing locally of the talkie, “Waikiki Melody,’ featuring Hawaiian hula-dancing of genuine artistry and re finement (plus good music), our local

virtuosi have lost face a little—a state of affairs that might be remedied by the training of a few players upon mandolin, banjo, etc.

Mr. Peter Hughes, secretary of the BSI Government, accomplished the first sec tion of his journey to the UK on six months’ leave, in HMAS Bataan, which called at Honiara on her way from Japan to Brisbane.

Mr. Charles Barrett, well-known naturalist, with Mrs. Barrett recently re turned to their home in Melbourne after several months in Papua-New Guinea.