DR. MARJORIE BOURDILLON
My first experience of Guiding was at Broken Hill (now Kabwe), in the days when African girls were Wayfarer-Guides and Sunbeams. The girls of St. Mary's Mission School had been longing to have their own company, and they were enthusiastic and quick to learn. I, as their captain, had to learn with them. The first time our District Commissioner visited us, she asked what the distress was about --- our Union Jack was up-side-down!
St. Mary's School specialised in needlework, and after a few weeks all our Wayfarer-Guides were in beautifully made uniforms with neat patrol badges embroidered by themselves. One patrol chose Kalulu the Hare as their emblem; the others chose Wagtail, Sunbird and Rose. They had no hats or berets; they wore bands of their pale blue scarf material tied round their heads.
When the company had existed 3 or 4 months, it won, with needlework and a collection of wild flowers, the Shield that was competed for annually by the local Wayfarer-Guide companies.
1947 Royal Visit
A few months later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, with their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret; were to visit Northern Rhodesia, and a certain number of 1st Class or 2nd Cass Wayfarer-Guides from each company were invited to go to Livingstone to see and greet the Royal Party. Our Wayfarer Guides voted for which of their number should represent them, and I had to get those chosen through their 2nd Class tests; there was not time to test the whole company. The day came, and we excitedly marched to the Railway Station, and boarded the train to Livingstone. It was about 24 hours journey. On the way, we were repeatedly joined by delegations from other places. We slept one night at Livingstone, in large hut-dormitories, and ate with hundreds of Guides and Wayfarer-Guides from all over Northern Rhodesia. In the morning we all trooped to the bank of the Zambesi, to await the royal arrival. Many small boats and barges were moving up and down the river. Presently a large barge came rapidly down the river, paddled by about twenty Barotse, in a uniform featuring skin loin-cloth and black skin headdress. A while after, at a more dignified pace, came the Barotse Royal Barge, with Barotse paddlers fore and aft, and a large canopy in the middle. The Royal Barge drew in to the landing-place, and the Royal Party stepped out from under the canopy, were greeted by V.I.P.s, and taken by road to Livingstone. We all followed on foot. In the afternoon there was a rally of thousands of young people on a football field, with the Royal Party on a platform in the middle -- the King quiet and gracious, the Queen with her radiant smile, Princess Elizabeth imperious in manner (she reminded me of pictures of Queen Victoria), and Princess Margaret the schoolgirl ready to be amused. When the rally was over, we trooped to the Railway Station and boarded the train home to Broken Hill.
Soon after these events, I left Northern Rhodesia with my family. One of the St. Mary's teachers took over as Guide-captain, helped and supported, as I had been, by the Headmistress Sister Barbara, and by our Guide District Commissioner Mrs. Elsie Thom. St. Mary's School flourished and grew, and I hear it has three Guide companies now.
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