232 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Camp Fire Girls took possession of 

 Arcadia, and made every department 

 and every building cheery with their 

 voices, and then gathered around the 

 fire in Arcadia's grove. We commend 

 their example to The Agassiz Associa- 

 tion, to the Audubon Society, to the 

 humane societies, yes, even to the 

 churches. Realize that work is worth 

 doing in itself, and that the more you 

 bring the more benefit you will be 

 able to take home. What if you do 

 not take home any personal benefit? 

 If you have aided a fellow being, isn't 



that joy enough for one day? 



***** 



The Elective Honors or the real 

 work of the Camp Fire Girls comprise 

 a long list of Health Craft — swimming, 

 boating, bicycling, horseback riding, 

 mountain climbing, tramping, automo- 

 biling 1 , dancing. 



Under Home Craft there is much of 

 cooking, marketing, washing, house- 

 keeping, entertaining, caring for the 

 baby. 



Camp Craft tells us how to care for 

 the camp, how to build a fire, cook, 

 follow the trail. 



Patriotism tells of our principal na- 

 tional holidays, and the history of our 

 country; it includes attendance at 

 church, and the giving account of reli- 

 gious leaders, missionaries, great wom- 

 en and others. It is a good idea to nut 

 that under the heading of patriotism, 

 for what is love of countrv but love of 

 God ! 



There is much of Hand Craft and 

 Business, but perhans we like best of 

 all the list of Nature Lore, which con- 

 sists in identifying birds, making note- 

 books of observations of trees, birds, 

 habits of animals. There is a long 

 list of work to be done in the garden, 

 including much of exoerimental and 

 some of technical scientific interest. 



Stars have a prominent place, and 

 at least seven constellations and other 

 stars must be learned. Under the 

 heading: of Birds there is the identifica- 

 tion of wild birds, the erection of bird 

 boxes, caring" for the birds, keening 

 notes of observations and managing a 

 lunch counter. 



Under the heading" of flowers, the 

 members are renuired to identify twen- 

 ty-five wild flowers. With bees one is 

 to do all the work on a successful hive 



of bees for a season, and to know the 

 habits of honeybees. If that means 

 to know all the habits there is no need 

 of going any farther. A lifetime will 

 be required for that alone. In the study 

 of animals there is much of heredity 

 and environment, and it is especially 

 commendable that the common animals 

 are taken as, for example, chickens and 

 dogs. 



We say Godspeed to the Camp Fire 

 Girls. We shall be glad to give them 

 aid, encouragement and co-operation. 

 They have much common sense. They 

 believe in taking the things that come 

 first at hand. They believe not only in 

 studying, but doing, and not only in 

 receiving but giving. That is their best 

 point. 



Science Stimulates Wonder and Rever- 

 ence. 



With such wonderful facts facing us 

 on every side it is madness to assert 

 that the progress of Science means the 

 destruction of the spirit of reverence 

 and of wonder. 



***** 



Indeed, owing to the advances of 

 Science, how much more wonderful a 

 world we live in than that of Milton 

 or Shakespeare? How dwarfed the 

 mental vision of all who lived only a 

 few hundred years ago appears to us 

 now. Where our predecessors saw but 

 gleams of light and shade, we see bil- 

 lions of ethereal vibrations flashing- 

 swifter than eye or brain can follow. 

 AYhere they saw grev walls and gentle 

 breezes, we see myriads of atoms and 

 all the wonders of the atomic universe 

 streaming and flaring about us. Truly, 

 every fresh advance of science makes 

 us only more forcibly realise the truth 

 of Minshull's words: 



"Land, Sea, and Sky! What mystery and 



what wonder 

 Lie hidden in the old familiar sound! 

 From surging wave and roll of mighty 



thunder 

 To the white daisy nestling on the ground." 



— Geoffrey Martin in "Triumphs and 

 Wonders of Modern Chemistry." 



Fond of Flowers. 

 'Are you fond of flowers?" 

 'I iust love the'^." 

 '\\ nat are your favorites?" 

 'Those that are out of season." — Ex. 



