Wednesday 29 February 2012

Be prepared


A switch and a bared, raised bottom. It looks like someone is about to get their just desserts. From the colour of that blouse I'd say that this penitent is a member of the Girl Guides (Britain's Girls Scouts) and she's wearing the uniform that was current in the 1980s.
The tent and the sleeping bag suggest summer camp. Someone has sneaked into town to stock up on cigarettes, which is not acceptable in a disciplined organisation like the Guides. The movement's motto is 'Be Prepared', so maybe the switch had been cut and trimmed on the day of arrival - a warning to anyone who dares to trangress.
Although, the scouting movement is all about making do in the great outdoors. So improvisation is all and finding bottom-spanking implements wherever and whenever would be part of that. 
If I can trust Wikipedia on this, the first handbook for Girl Guides was called How Girls Can Help to Build Up the Empire and it explained that the motto summed up how members have to be prepared at any moment to face difficulties and dangers by knowing what to do and how to do it.
Personally I passed on the whole uniform thing. The people didn't seem that cool and being bossed around didn't look like fun. But with hindsight maybe I missed something
If the danger is a whippy switch how can you be prepared? Surely, all she can do is clench, hold on and weather the storm.

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