Women's Institute

The cheerful warmth of a wood fire greeted members at the February meeting. Mr. Jim Rice gave a demonstration of the Bamix food mixer and was thanked by Mrs. Douglas. The competition for a "Happy Holiday Snapshot" was won by Mrs. Kinslow.

Names were taken for a one-day conference at Canterbury on; "The Changing Countryside" and for a performance of "The Gipsy Baron" at Maidstone. Please remember to bring a contribution to the bottle stall at the next meeting, when Mr. Gipson will speak on Kentish Byeways.

N.M.

Guides and Brownies

Guides

Having got a "slipped disc" and so unable to walk, Captain has been forced to retire - temporarily.

Julie Montgomerie and Christine Davis, our two Lieutenants, are running the Company, with help from Mrs. Chick and sometimes other kind people.

As previously mentioned, twelve guides are trying to pass the tests for their 1st Class, before it is withdrawn on 18th March. If all twelve succeed, as we hope they will, we shall have a Divisional, if not a County, record, by having twelve 1st Class Guides in the Company at one time.

I am glad to report that Angela Knight is the first one to gain her 1st Class; she is a very reliable Guide, who has hardly missed a meeting in four years, and well deserves it, congratulations. Kay Buchan and Anne Kendrick are hard on her heels, followed by Judith Melville, Diane Graham, Leslie Ambrose, Jennifer Watson, Jane Kinslow, Penny Johnson, Stephanie Morris and Anne Maitland.

E.T.

Brownies

There are now 20 Brownies in the Pack. The Sixers this term are Hazel Kyle, Deborah Geoghegan, Jane Seymour and Carole Goulding. Mandy Ward and Sandra Hales were enrolled as full members of the Pack. A special party and ceremony was held to celebrate Thinking Day (February 22nd) and pennies were given to be sent to Guide's and Brownies overseas.

Rehearsals have begun for a play, which it is hoped to produce later in the year.

B.C.

A NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK

The politicians have finally dropped their axe on Greenwich Mean-time, introducing us to the new British Standard Time and as usual, whenever the human race has to face "change", a certain amount of controversy is provoked. I personally do not wish to go into the "pros" and "cons" of B.S.T. in this short article, except to say that .... (cont.)