Girl Guides

1907 Girls were in 'Boy Scout Patrols' too. They were taking part in the new adventure along side their brothers. Some formed 'Girl Scout' patrols. A few groups of girls were following the 'Scouting' ideas under their own devised names such as 'Girl Peace Scouts' in New Zealand.

1909 After the Crystal Palace, the girls met with Baden-Powell. What they wanted was to join the boys in Scouting. Baden-Powell listen to the girls, but was adamantly opposed to permitting them to join the Scouts. He did, however, offer to assist them. He did not want them to use the Scout name. Rather a new term was chosen - the Girl Guides. There were some differences in ethos. Guides had patrols like Scouts, but the patrol names would be flowers or birds, not animals like wolves or other predators. Baden-Powell convinced his sister Agnes to take on the task of organizing the Guides.

1909 Agnes and Robert together published "Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls" and "Pamphlet B: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls". These were precursors to the handbook.

1910 In September, Miss Baden-Powell writes:- I am very glad to hear that the Girl Guides have so useful and active in ambulance work and First Aid at the field days recently held by Boy Scouts. Although the Guides would never think of marching with the Scouts, and do not join with them in any of their pursuits, they proved themselves very capable and businesslike in binding up the wounded, and also in carrying despatches when required. A Guide would be horrified to think she was mistaken for an imitation Scout, or that she was mimicking boys’ sports, and the girls have decided to give up all the fleur-de-lys badges that they got from the Boy Scouts, and are returning them, and getting the Guides’ pretty ‘trefoils’ in their place. The badge for a Tenderfoot Girl Guide is a nice gilt brooch with the B.P. G.G. on the trefoil leaves.

1912 Agnes established the 1st Lone Company.

1913 Agnes planned an Overseas Committee to help link together Girl Guides and 'Kindred Societies' in different countries.

1914 The only other fact of permanent interest which emerges from the records of the first half of is that Lady Baden- Powell (who had by this time been married to the Chief Scout for nearly two years) was gradually becoming interested in the Guide Movement, and in The Gazette of July 1914 she sends a message to the Girl Guides, the first she ever wrote to them. In this message occurs for the first time a mention of the younger members of the Movement, who were first called ‘Rosebuds,’ and who as ‘Brownies’ have become so very important a branch of the tree of Guiding. Dear Guides, I cannot write you a long letter, I’m afraid, as I have not very much time to spare, as you probably guess, because I nearly always go with the Chief Scout when he goes visiting Scouts in different parts of England. I am so very glad often to see little companies of Girl Guides at some of these places, and I only wish I could see double the number. Of course I don’t want to see them with the Boy Scouts because, although you are all working to the same end, that of fitting yourselves up like a wireless installation to send out good electric currents to those about you, you are doing it in a different way. In our sphere of life we do not want to do boxing and running or fencing and that sort of thing, do we? But the way to be useful and happy is to set to work on our own particular feminine jobs and do them well, and to show others, too, how to make themselves useful and handy in many ways. That is why I am so glad to hear that some of you are taking up the work of training Rosebuds to follow in your footsteps. I heard the other day from a company at an Ealing school who had formed a company of little sisters, and I am proud to say they have asked to be allowed to call themselves by my name. I hope many more of you will start too. When you are teaching others you absorb such a lot of knowledge yourself, and I am sure you are all anxious to get badges and carry your splendid character on your sleeve! I saw a fine muster of Guides at Liverpool last week. I don’t think I have ever seen so many girls together before, and I only wish I had had longer time, and could have got to know you all more personally. Good wishes to you all for the best of good camping these holidays. Yours ever, Olave Baden-Powell The Story of the Girl Guides Rose Kerr

1916 Olave was enrolled by her husband and appointed County Commissioner for Sussex.

1916 Where the Scouts had been given a recreation hut in France, (Olave was the first staff member on the list) the Girl Guides raise £2,348.00 for their proposed hut. The fund was more than first expected so extensions were added. A billiards room, a quiet room for letter writing, extra store rooms, and accommodation for the Guiders who were working in the canteen.

1916 The first Commissioners' Conference was Matlock. (England) Many of the Commissioners had not been enrolled then but they came to the conclusion that they should make the Promise before asking the same of others. It was Olave who enrolled these women at the Conference. It was unanimously requested for Olave to be appointed as Chief Commissioner.

1917 Olave sets up an International Committee and an Overseas Council

1917 Miss Agnes resigned the Presidency in favour of Her Royal Highness, Princess Mary, who was an enthusiastic supporter of the guides. She remained in the office of Vice-President until her death in 1945.

1919 Olave forms the International Council - the forerunner of WAGGGS

	1924 First World Conference held at Foxlease in England

	1926 Thinking Day founded. To be held on the birthdays of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell Photo: 1969 Thinking Day Westminster Abby

1926 Representatives from several countries approached BP to ask whether an association should be formed.

1928 BP sought the opinions of all known Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations on the matter above and asked them to consider the proposition seriously. Conference delegates from 26 countries finally decided that the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts should be established, with a World Bureau in London as its secretariat. It was decided that the World Association should elect a World Committee, and that Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, and the Director of the World Bureau, would be ex-officio members. A draft Constitution was agreed and the Girl Guides had a central association.

1930 Olave is elected World Chief Guide

	1932 Opening of 'Our Chalet', Switzerland

	1945 French Guides in Paris Olave toured Europe to make contact with Guides and Scouts after the war

1945 Agnes Baden-Powell, Vice-President of the Girl Guides, died.

	1966 Opening of Our Cabana, Mexico

1977 Olave Baden-Powel died peacefully in her sleep.

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