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Here's Unusual Explanation for Giving Presentsý The u.sual explanation' of why peo- ple give *'presents. at Christmas bas just received a severe joît,,fromn an industriaus Girl Scout wbo bas been delving deeply into the season's lore.: Most Christians seem to believe that: the custoni originated witb the three wise mnen who camne from the East, bearingj gifts for t he infant Christ in tbe stable at Bethlehem. The Gi rl Sc out, however, wanted to know why, the Girl Guides, teEg lish' counteipart.:of her ownorgani- tatiôn,. talked so persistently of Christmas boxes instead of presents. Was it because preents ...camne 'in boxes? The Girl -Guides didn't know.. Be sides, -presentg don't always cornie in boxes. Itideed, larger hampers-car,- r y the food whicli is such, a fav.orite Cbristinas gift froin ones country relatives. Girl Scouts cati be as good staîkers indoors as out, and this particular, girl took to the trail and stuck tô it closely. It led ber far afield back through the centuries and across sev- eral seas, to Arabia, ini tact. Shie discovered that rnany' centuries ago the Arabs developed a customn of re- warding once a year those wbo had served thenii faitbfully. The reward was alwavs giveni about the timie tbat Christians wére later to Celebrate thé feast of tbe Nati'vity. It often took the forai of moncy, and was cotise- quently called "baksheesh." The Ar- abian customi, with many others of pagan origin like the Yule log, was. carried over into the Christian cele- brations, the word meantime having corrupted into the. English "box." No laws are- so well observed as those which remain unwritten, and that wbich ordains present-giving at Cbristmas titne runs almos.t aroutid the globe. B~ut the Girl Scouts whc, are wrepping five thousand gifts in7 Honoluilu to distribute to poor chil- -Here's A id to Santa ClausI When i! cornes Io.Çuppling childrent in orphanarges and other institu- tions witia proPerfy splected Presents this Christmnas, Santa Claies wilI hazve thoius<zds of able and cpiergetic assistants who, because they thecmselves range inz age from tzvelvc Io etghtcen, will knouw what yoitemgpeo plc like and who. bec.ause ti:cv are Girl Sýcouts, zï 1! know, saine way 1 supplyîngk4 it. JTroop News, flnTROOP 13 book. On Dectinher 21 this troop had a l-uncheon meeting at the Christ Church Parish Hlouse. Each girl brought her own sandwiches and cocoa and dessert were cooked by the' "Stay in School," Say Girl Scouts, for 'his District The ,"Stay - in - School" movement, sponsored. by the, Presidenit's Organ- ization for_ Unemployment. Relief,. has been adopted' by, the national. Girl Scouts as one f orm of. cooperation ini which social érganizations cati very. definitely engage. Twenty tbousand "Keep Them in School" posters, showing a Girl, Scout escorting two younigstérs to scbool, have becti sent out f rom national headquarters of the Girl -Scouts in New York City, to leaders and counicil members through- out the cuty Literature urging Girl, Scouts of working age to stay i il school themselves, and to urge other to do so wNhen neeessary, lhas been 4istributed, and. much of. the clothing wvhich hias been collected and repaired by them this. Christmas, will indirectly aid this campaign.. According to reports f romn varieus. par ts of the country, lack of adequate winuter clothing hias been keep- ing many cbildren at home. Troop 9 meeting at the Parishi House of Wininetka on Saturday n-orning lias beeni helping with the "Stay-lii-School" niovement. The School Children's Aid has furnished the niaterial and the Singer Sewing Machine comnpany has furnisbed the machines. The girls have worked hard and made many attractive dres-ses. The movement to keep youtig people in school bas already proved of value,, flot only in reducing unemployment fig-, uires, .but in assuring to girls and boys of school age a more thorough educa- tion. Had it, not, beenii naugurated there miight now, according to a report of the U. S. Departinent of Education, be. some six. hundred thousand more poten- tial competitors on the eniployment mar- ket. - '1his 'is to me essentially a sea- s0 many children in the hospital are. now.- Betty. Garroîl was elected trea- sop of bornely family -gatherings, of're- not strông enough to hold a coxnplete surer. Margaret Taylor,1I<athleen Reis- I oclng over what is received, however ner and Mary liomenicli were elected I small, and of givimg without stint of us who cannot afford to put some little new Patrol Leaders. We sane "TaPs" I tinie and trouble. We cao aIl give good thing in- wbat might otherwise be a limp and had court of honor.Betty Cleve- J hum r, and there a re 'fot s0 many of, sto cking." P. land, scribe, protem. J ~. After that we sang Cbristmias car- ols. We are very sorry that this was to be the last meeting With the Sing- er Sewing, machine people and we ail thank Mrs. Chandler and Miss Lindgren for giving up their; tinie for- us.-Na»iyMoulton, Troop 9 Scribe. l'