The year is 1909, the place is Crystal Palace in London, UK. Lord Robert Baden-Powell is holding a rally for all the members of the scouting movement. He is certainly impressed by the thousands of boys parading past him.
He is even more surprised when a group of girls file by. When asked who they were the girls courageously answered, “We are the Girl Scouts.”
History doesn’t relate exactly how many ‘girl scouts’ turned up, but they obviously made quite an impression as within months they had their own name and programme. Baden-Powell chose the name Girl Guides after the famous guide corps in India and it didn’t take long for them to make an impact. By 1910 Baden-Powell’s sister Agnes had adapted Baden-Powell’s book Scouting for Boys for the Girl Guides’ use and the Guide Movement was born. The same year a newly retired Sir Baden-Powell began to devote himself fully to Scouting and Guiding and it was during a promotional tour that he met and married Olave Soames who became the world Chief Guide.
By 1911 and 1912 Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting had been introduced in many countries around the world including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, South Africa, Sweden, Bangladesh, Poland, India and Cyprus to name a few.
Elaine Attard caught up with Malta Girl Guides Chief Commissioner LARA TONNA to discuss Girl Guiding in Malta and the 100th birthday of guiding in the world
How did Girl Guiding start and when did it start in Malta?
Girl Guiding started spreading throughout all commonwealth countries. Guiding was first introduced to Malta in 1918 when companies of British Guides were formed. In 1923 some Maltese girls became Guides and formed a separate division; the two divisions merged in 1938 to form one single body, although there were still some British Guides companies.
As Malta gained independence in 1964, Guiding activities continued to gain strength. Some years later, after the British Guides companies left the island, the association changed its name to become the Malta Girl Guides Association, becoming a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides (WAGGGS).
It’s the Girl Guides’ 100th birthday next year, how has guiding changed over the years? - Why is girl guiding still relevant today?
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting is still alive and kicking, 100 years later. The scope of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting is ever changing. Guiding is a movement, that moves along with the times. The challenge of this worldwide movement is to remain relevant to its 10 million members in 145 countries around the world. This is being done by making a difference where it matters most and dealing with issues that girls around the world are faced with in this day and age such as teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases including Aids, advocacy and the millennium development goals, just to name a few.
So, what do Girl Guides do?
One would ask “What is Guiding?” and “After all why be a girl guide?” Being a Guide is being a young woman who isn’t scared to take risks; can be an individual and commit to challenges; a woman who is interested in making a difference with her life and become stronger. Our girls are a bit deeper than their eyeliner and lip-gloss. That is how I describe Guiding. Guiding is education for life. It complements the school and the family, filling needs not met by either. It develops self-knowledge, the need to explore, to discover, the want to know. Our non-formal education programme is full of progressive activities based on the interests and needs of young people. Activities in contact with nature, a rich learning environment where simplicity, creativity and discovery come together to provide adventure and challenges.”
What is the Centenary of Guiding and how is it going to be celebrated?
On 10 April 2010, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world will launch their centenary celebrations. It will be the 100th day of the 100th year since the start of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. For 100 years, approximately 250 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have been changing lives and building a better world. In 1909 several girls demanded a place for girls at the Crystal Palace Boy Scout Rally. These girls were, in fact, the very first advocates for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts - speaking out and challenging the norms and gender conventions of the time.
Since then, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have continued to change the lives of those around them through community action, peer education and service to others. Creating worldwide peace, building world citizenship, our rights our responsibilities - these are just a few examples of how members of this world movement have helped to improve the lives of millions of others. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have often been at the forefront of helping people in conflict situations and in natural disasters. This is a tradition that we have upheld throughout our history; through two World Wars, civil unrest, conflicts, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.
As we celebrate our achievements and reflect on the lives we have positively changed, we also look ahead to the next century and how we can influence the things we care about. In many parts of the world, the situation for girls and young women has improved enormously since 1909. However there is still a lot to be done to ensure that girls and young women enjoy a world free from poverty, hunger, disease, violence against girls and women, lack of education, inequality and injustice.
This is why, in 2009, WAGGGS launched its global action theme - ‘Girls worldwide say together we can change our world.’ The theme encourages all our members, of all ages, to make a personal commitment to change the world around them. We are adding our efforts to help the world to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, which focus on ending extreme poverty, and its root causes.
Starting in 2010 we bring together the past and the future. A celebration day will take place on 10 April each year from 2010 to 2012. Each year will have a theme: Plant (2010), Grow (2011) and Share (2012). These celebrations will have four elements - of course it will be a party, it will be all about the number 100, there will be good deeds involved, and there will be an international flavour - and this will be happening all over the world!
We will celebrate the spirit of volunteering, which led women to set up Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting organisations in so many member countries along the years - and which continues to drive our leaders today. So many women talk about their leaders as role models who helped them develop into the individuals that they are today and made them believe that they could bring about change - that their actions mattered!
We have a lot to celebrate, both about the past and for the future!
How is Malta going to celebrate the guiding centenary?
The Malta Girl Guides will be taking up the global action theme project - Girls worldwide say “together we can change our world” - which looks at the millennium development goals and runs throughout the centenary celebrations; starting with poverty and hunger in 2010: girls worldwide say “together we can end extreme poverty and hunger.” In 2011 World Thinking Day - the day when guides around the world think about other guides, celebrated on 22 February, which happens to be the common birthday of the Girl Guides’ founders, will focus on gender equality: girls worldwide say “empowering girls will change our world”. And in 2012, World Thinking Day will focus on the environment: girls worldwide say “we can save our planet”.
Good deeds, internationality and parties will be present at our upcoming events. Examples of things being planned are tree-planting parties , exploring the world, sending good-will messages to others around the world, visiting our counterparts in different countries and celebrating Guiding!
You also co-operate with other NGOs, how important is networking during this day and age?
The international aspect of Girl Guiding is encouraged through international projects especially on World Thinking Day, through exchange visits and attendance at international camps and seminars. Partnership with other NGOs and councils, namely the Scout Association of Malta, the National Council of Women (NCW), the National Youth Council (NYC), the diocesan youth commission (KDZ) and also Soroptomist International Malta - all help us develop our work to reach out to the community beyond our movement. In the month of August 2009, a group of our girls joined members of the Downs Syndrome Association in a successful five-day camp. This was another successful joint event, which will surely not be the last! The Malta Girl Guides also hosted Girl Guides from Cyprus and Portugal on an exchange visit. During this event, supported by the Youth in Action Programme, the young women produced an educational badge curriculum on “Get Going - A healthy lifestyle!”
Our members also participate in fundraising activities for charities and badge days, namely Poppy Day Fund, the Annual Strina, and contributing towards the Charity Community Chest Fund under the auspices of the President of Malta and his wife, the latter being the patron of our association.
The guiding year is starting soon. How can someone join in your programme?
Becoming a member is easy. Women willing to dedicate some time to volunteer or young women who wish to have a more meaningful perspective on life can join us. Girls as young as five years old can become members. One can either contact us through our website, email or phone. Those interested can also approach our members during one of their meetings or activities. Our groups or companies are village based.
Website: www.maltagirlguides.com
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 9992 2888
Landline: 21 453725