Queensland

Steal Away to Bed!
Visiting Brisbane at the time of Camp Kumanka in 1967, rovers and rangers put on a dinner for Lady Baden-Powell at Riverside Ballroom. After dinner she took part in the campfire, taught and conducted one song which was well known to all the rovers and rangers present. None of the boys or girls let on they already knew it, such was her magnetism and charm. She conducted it standing at the front edge of the stage, vigorously waving her arms much to the con¬cern of the two rovers who stationed themselves nearby ready to catch her should she fall. They tried very successfully to hide their concern but told me afterwards that they were sure she would launch herself off the stage in her vigour.
Visiting the camp, she spent the whole day there and with reluc-tance took a short rest after lunch. She was determined to meet every one of the 500 guiding people in camp. She stayed on for part of the campfire to which busloads of guiding and scouting people had come from as far away as Roma, Gladstone and northern New South Wales. Several thousand had gathered for the event. At the campfire she told a story about 'Hands' and what they could do, with everyone present hanging on her every word. At the end of the talk she mentioned that during some of the subsequent singing she was 'going HOME TO BED' — she 'DIDN'T LIKE IT anymore than any of YOU DO when you are TOLD TO GO TO BED! BUT I am going to STEAL AWAY during your singing AND I DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO GET UP OR EVEN NOTICE THAT I DO IT. JUST KEEP ON SINGING WHILE I STEAL AWAY TO BED!' (She talked in 'capital let¬ters') Lady B.-P. did just that and not one brownie, cub, guide, scout or older person stood up or waved. It was magic!

-----oo0oo-----

< Back                                                   List                                             Next >