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34 Woodciaft Mamud for Giflf symbol for fire, the gift of the Great Spirit and a help to ber Him. The four corners of the earth, the green patches on the outer rim, indicate that the Woodcraft Girl is prepared to meet life on every side, even as "the tower, four square to every wind that blows." The dark circle, encircling the whole, denotes continuity and completeness, but it is open at the bottom to symbolise that there is always an entrance for a new thought or growth. Salute The salute is given with the right hand with all the fingers closed to the palm, except the little finger and the thumb and the hand raised level with the head. The hand sign of the girls is the "Sun in the heart, rising to the Zenith," given by the right hand being placed over the heart, the first finger and the thumb making a circle then swinging the forearm so the hand is level with the forehead. The Meaning of the Council Ring Why do we sit in a drde around the fire? ThatisanoldsttHy and a new one. In the beginning, before men had fire, they were forced to sit up in the trees and shiver all night as they looked down at the shining eyes in the bushes below— the eyes of fierce creatures ready to destroy them. But fire, when it was found, enabled man to sit on the ground all night, for the brute beasts feared it and stayed afar. It afford- ed him protection, warmth, a place of meeting and comfort. All the good things that we think of when we say "home" belong to the place around the fire. And when man began to think of such matters, he accepted the fire as the Great M3rstery. Still Uiter, as he realized that the Sun was the Great Mystery by day, he reasoned that there could not be two great mysteries; therefore, Ve. Invisible Cause bdbind these two must be the cme Great lih -^ey ; and in this was the first thought of true religion. All of these things are deep in our nature, ground m thro the ages as we sat about the fire of wood that was our nighuy guardian in the forest. And all of these ancient thoughts and memories are played on, whether we realize it or not, when we gather ir; a circle about the Council Fiie. Ther. , ^oo, a circle is the best way of seating a group. Each has hei ^ 'a>^ and is so s^t^d ?is to see everything and be seen