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melwilWell, the alarm went off at 3am this morning and I didn't turn over and turn it off. Instead I went to Brisbane's Dawn Service.
Until this morning I'd never been to a Dawn Service. I was sensible though, putting on my big coat - the wind was blowing horribly - and making sure I had coffee before I went.
In Brisbane, the Dawn Service is held in ANZAC Square, infront of the eternal flame. They turn all the lights off around 4.18am, and the service begins at 4.20am sharp. Apparently, I was one of around 5000 people who showed up this morning. This number includes children, teenagers, and adults of all ages and even a few who looked liked they stumbled onto the Dawn Service after a big night of clubbing.
It was a very simple service, held in near darkness. A lot of silence, and some beautiful hymns. There are dignitaries speaking, but no one announces who they are. As far as you know, they could be anyone. And everyone seems to, unconsiously, move forward towards the eternal flame. It was really a service worth waking up at 3 am for.
After the Dawn Service, I made a quick drink home for more caffeine and a quick breakfast and went back into the city for the march. It lasted for more than two hours, but my personal highlights were seeing Ted Smout (Brisbane's last World War One soldier) and the reaction that the Korean War veterans received when they marched.
Then the badness:
Being a public holiday, and a busy one at that, there were huge line ups for the female toilets wherever you went. I was waiting about halfway down a line of thrty (for 8 toilets) today when this Girl Guide leader came up to the front and pushed in with about nine or ten little girl guides. She'd decided because they had to march today, that they had the right to push in front of a long line that included young children and elderly women - all of which had either marched or watched the parade.
What irked me the most was the complete lack of realisation that they were doing anything wrong. Neither the leader nor the girls (up to the age of 12 - old enough to wait in the line like everyone else) apologised or said thank you to the people they were pushing in front of. Instead they were loud, rude and obnoxious. They felt because they'd "volunteered" their services today that they had the right to shove their way in.
(As far as I'm concerned it's an honour to be asked to march in the ANZAC Day parade, not a chore. A lot of other youth groups would have loved to be there)
This really upset me. Not so much that I had to wait, but for the people around me who were obviously in more need than those girls (A mother holding a busting three year old for one.) The fact that those girls had no qualms about bringing their organisation into utter disrepute was also upsetting.
My mother and my aunt were both girl guides, and both of them as well as my Grandmother were leaders. They took great pride in the organisation and put long years of service into it. To see those girls have such disrespect for their organisation was both shocking and terribly sad.
Also - if I'd ever acted like that wearing my school uniform or dancing school jacket I would have been a) extremely ashamed of myself and b) in a lot of trouble
Cara - I have two free tickets to the Stitches and Craft show for your mother! Wibblers - would you like to meet for coffee on Monday? Say 11 or 12?
Until this morning I'd never been to a Dawn Service. I was sensible though, putting on my big coat - the wind was blowing horribly - and making sure I had coffee before I went.
In Brisbane, the Dawn Service is held in ANZAC Square, infront of the eternal flame. They turn all the lights off around 4.18am, and the service begins at 4.20am sharp. Apparently, I was one of around 5000 people who showed up this morning. This number includes children, teenagers, and adults of all ages and even a few who looked liked they stumbled onto the Dawn Service after a big night of clubbing.
It was a very simple service, held in near darkness. A lot of silence, and some beautiful hymns. There are dignitaries speaking, but no one announces who they are. As far as you know, they could be anyone. And everyone seems to, unconsiously, move forward towards the eternal flame. It was really a service worth waking up at 3 am for.
After the Dawn Service, I made a quick drink home for more caffeine and a quick breakfast and went back into the city for the march. It lasted for more than two hours, but my personal highlights were seeing Ted Smout (Brisbane's last World War One soldier) and the reaction that the Korean War veterans received when they marched.
Then the badness:
Being a public holiday, and a busy one at that, there were huge line ups for the female toilets wherever you went. I was waiting about halfway down a line of thrty (for 8 toilets) today when this Girl Guide leader came up to the front and pushed in with about nine or ten little girl guides. She'd decided because they had to march today, that they had the right to push in front of a long line that included young children and elderly women - all of which had either marched or watched the parade.
What irked me the most was the complete lack of realisation that they were doing anything wrong. Neither the leader nor the girls (up to the age of 12 - old enough to wait in the line like everyone else) apologised or said thank you to the people they were pushing in front of. Instead they were loud, rude and obnoxious. They felt because they'd "volunteered" their services today that they had the right to shove their way in.
(As far as I'm concerned it's an honour to be asked to march in the ANZAC Day parade, not a chore. A lot of other youth groups would have loved to be there)
This really upset me. Not so much that I had to wait, but for the people around me who were obviously in more need than those girls (A mother holding a busting three year old for one.) The fact that those girls had no qualms about bringing their organisation into utter disrepute was also upsetting.
My mother and my aunt were both girl guides, and both of them as well as my Grandmother were leaders. They took great pride in the organisation and put long years of service into it. To see those girls have such disrespect for their organisation was both shocking and terribly sad.
Also - if I'd ever acted like that wearing my school uniform or dancing school jacket I would have been a) extremely ashamed of myself and b) in a lot of trouble
Cara - I have two free tickets to the Stitches and Craft show for your mother! Wibblers - would you like to meet for coffee on Monday? Say 11 or 12?
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no subject
on 2003-04-25 05:09 am (UTC)Re: Girl Guides
on 2003-04-25 08:32 pm (UTC)That stinks and they (and certainly their leader) ought to know better. I've been in Guides for over fifteen years now. This year in Melbourne it was a case of "turn up if you want to march" and despite my general misgivings about ANZAC day generally, if I hadn't been so run off my feet, I probably would have kitted up and headed down there - probably to help keep the younger kids in line.
The sort of behaviour you describe is just poor and makes me want to distance myself from them.
End of rant...
Re: Girl Guides
on 2003-04-26 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
on 2003-04-27 01:54 am (UTC)I'm willing to meet, probably be there around 12 as I haven't had a good sleep for many days, but I will be there with bells on (unless I'm really sick, but I should be fine).
no subject
on 2003-04-27 03:45 am (UTC)I think Liz and I will be in around 11 or 12ish tomorrow