Page:Scouting for girls, adapted from Girl guiding.djvu/261

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PSYCHOLOGY
247

such as self-restraint, good temper, obedience to leaders and to rules, unselfishness, pluck, moral endurance, fairness, esprit de corps, etc., as well as physical hygiene. Further, they teach soberness in success, good humour in defeat, and repression of show-off and hysterics.

For example, if a girl faints on parade it should be a point of honour almost to take no notice of her beyond allowing her Corporal and one other Scout to look after her. The business of the moment should go on as if nothing untoward were happening.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE SCOUTER

There are two fundamental points to be considered in dealing with Scouts. The first is that the only woman who can hope for real success as a trainer of Scouts is the one who can be their elder sister. The "Commanding Officer" is no good and the "Schoolmistress" is doomed to failure (though in neither case probably would the woman recognise it herself nor admit it). This fact is being proved daily by the successful results already gained by our Captain. By the term "elder sister" I mean one who while commanding their respect can place herself on terms of comradeship with her girls, entering into their games and laughter, herself thereby winning their confidence and putting herself into that position which is essential for teaching, namely, where by her own example she leads them in the right direction instead of merely pointing the way.