SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
19 
on. But they have to be a skilful lot of men, brave and enduring, 
ready to turn out at any time, winter or summer, or to sacrifice 
themselves if necessary in order that peace may reign throughout 
India while they keep down any hostile raids against it. So they 
are true handymen in every sense of the word, and true patriots. 
When people speak of Guides in Europe one naturally thinks 
of those men who are mountaineers in Switzerland and other 
mountainous places, who can guide people over the most difficult 
parts by their own bravery and skill in tackling obstacles, by help- 
fulness to those with them, and by their bodily strength of wind 
and limb. Thev are splendid fellows those guides, and yet if 
they were told to go across the same amount of miles on an 
open flat plain it would be nothing to them, it would not be 
interesting, and they would not be able to display those grand 
qualities which they show directly the country is a bit broken up 
into mountains. It is no fun to them to walk by easy paths, the 
whole excitement of life is facing difficulties and dangers and 
apparent impossibilites, and in the end getting a chance of attain- 
ing the summit of the mountain they have wanted to reach. 
Well, I think it is the case with most girls nowadays. They do 
not want to sit down and lead an idle life, not to have every- 
thing done for them, nor to have a very easy time. They don't 
want merely to walk across the plain, they would much rather 
show themselves handy people, able to help others and ready, if 
necessary, to sacrifice themselves for others just like the Guides 
on the North-west Frontier. And they also want to tackle diffi- 
cult jobs themselves in their life, to face mountains and difficul- 
ties and dangers, and to go at them having prepared themselves 
to be skilful and brave ; and also they would like to help other 
people to get their difficulties also. When they attain success 
after facing difficulties, then they feel really happy and triump- 
hant. It is a big satisfaction to them to have succeeded and to 
have made other people succeed also. That is what the Girl 
Guides want to do, just as the mountaineer guides do among the 
mountains. 
Then, too, a woman who can do things is looked up to by 
others, both men and women, and they are always ready to follow 
her advice and example, so there she becomes a Guide too. And 
later on if she has children of her own, or if she becomes a 
teacher of children, she can be a really good Guide to them. 
In fact, if one caricatured a Guide one would draw her thus : — 
“Turn to the right and keep straight on.” And for these reasons 
the name Guide has been given to them. 
By means of games and activities which the Guides practise 
they are able to learn the different things which will help them 
to get on in life, and show the way to others to go on also. Thus 
camping and signalling, first aid work, camp cooking, and all 
these things that the Guides practise are all going to be helpful to 
