Ten years ago, the World Chief Guide, Lady Baden-Powell, visited Rhodesia.  The itinerary for her visit was planned to take in the larger centres of Rhodesia and Wankie was not on the list of places to be visited. I had only been District Commissioner for Wankie area for a matter of months and had just renewed my acquaintance with the Chief's daughter, the Hon. Betty Clay, whose home at that time was in Livingstone.  On a January evening Mrs. Clay telephoned to say that her mother had expressed a wish to visit Wankie, prior to her official visit to Rhodesia!

Imagine the excitement!  And imagine the problems!  The date she gave as February 6th, and the African schools didn't start until Jan. 29th.  It would be impossible to get in touch with the Guiders until a few days before the visit.  No time for any kind of rehearsal because of transport problems. Here was a real challenge, and the Guides and Brownies, Cubs and Scouts rose to the occasion magnificently.

Sir Humphrey Gibbs School was chosen as the venue, as it had a large grassy quadrangle and facilities for making tea in the Domestic Science room. None of the Guiders and Scouters knew the school as it had only been opened the previous year, so every group was sent a plan of the grounds clearly marked with the area they would occupy.  Each group was to prepare an activity suitable for the small space allocated to them.  All activities were to take place simultaneously and the Chief would visit each group in turn so that no one was left out. At that time there were 7 African Guide Companies, and 7 African Brownie Packs, 1 European Guide Company and 3 European Brownie Packs. We invited the Scouts and Cubs from all over the District, so it was essential that instructions were followed in detail or chaos would result.

We had recently received our District Colours from Guide Headquarters in London (no sanctions then!) and the Chief was asked if she would officially present our new colours.

The Colliery Company gave us a small replica of a miner's lamp to give to the Chief as a memento of her visit.

At 11 a.m. on the Wednesday I took the old strip-road out of No. 2 Village and went to meet our visitors at a pre-arranged spot on the old Falls Road so that I could guide them into Wankie.  The grass between the strips was long and the little Mini was brushing grass all the way. At that time we had the only Mini in Wankie!  I felt that something larger and more dignified would have fitted the occasion better. However, the Chief jumped out of her daughter's car and insisted that she came with me in the Mini, said she'd never had the chance of driving in one before!  I'd only had a driving
licence for two months so she probably found my answers to her questions almost incoherent!

We arrived at the Guest House, via Four Mile Drive, and left our visitors there to rest before lunch.  Lady B.P. asked if she could have a pre-vlew of the Miners Lamp and I promised to bring it in when we collected her to go to the Baobab Hotel for lunch. She was due to address the Rotary Club.  I fetched my husband from Sir Humphrey Gibbs School and we were all ready to go into Wankie again when he decided that there was something at school he must have.  "Only a couple of minutes," he said  Ten minutes later I went to look for him.  We had five minutes left to get to the Guest House and he was on one side of the railway line and I was the other, with the usual coal trucks shunting in between!

We did manage to get the Chief to the Boabab in time. She gave one of her inimitable talks, prefaced by the words, "Look at me!  I'm a museum piece!" She is a brilliant speaker and held her audience without effort.

At 2.30 we came again to the Guest House to collect the Chief for the Rally.

When we reached the school, Guides and Scouts lined the path and gave her a rousing welcome. Everything seemed to be going without a hitch when the Hon. Betty Clay informed me in a whisper that the Miner's Lamp had been left at the Guest House. Off went my son to make the fourth trip into Wankie in the Mini, and he arrived back in time for the lamp to be presented without anyone being the wiser.

The ladies of the local association prepared tea and had an opportunity to meet the Chief and talk to her.  The children were supplied with cool drinks in the quad and when we rejoined them I was delighted to find that not a bottle or bottle top was in sight.  Quite an achievement, with about 200 youngsters.

In the evening Lady Baden-Powell and her daughter dined with the General Manager and his wife, and the following morning they left for the return journey to Livingstone.

It had been a visit to remember, and proof that, given the opportunity our young people do rise to a challenge.

 

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