For girls starting out their Guiding journey or if you're just curious, here is a brief story of how Guiding started.
How Guiding started
Lord Baden Powell joined the army to India, and then to Africa. It was in Africa, during the Anglo-Boer war, that B-P was in charge of the town of Mafeking (now Mafikeng) which was under siege. He was so short of adult manpower, he used boys to run messages and found them to be very reliable. When he returned to England, he ran an experimental camp for boys on Brownsea Island, taking boys from very different social structures, poor, wealthy and middle-class. This camp proved to be hugely successful.
Because of this success, B-P started a fortnightly magazine called 'Scouting for Boys'. All over England boys joined together and started putting these exciting ideas into practice. A couple of years later, B-P decided to hold a rally at Crystal Palace in London to see how many Scouts there were. It was very moving to see how many boys had joined in such a short time and the enthusiasm they showed for Scouting.
At the end of the parade was
a group of girls with long skirts and their brother's hats and scarves. B-P was
horrified, as in those times, young girls were not
expected to enjoy the rough and tumble of Scouting - they were expected to do
'womanly' things like sewing and cooking. Remember, this was ten years before women were allowed to vote in England.
The girls insisted that they were 'Girl Scouts', and realising that these girls were very serious, B-P asked his sister. Agnes Baden-Powell, to start a sister organisation. The name ‘Guides’ was chosen after the Corp de Guides Reconnaissance in India. The badge chosen was a softer, more feminine trefoil.
Since those humble beginnings, Guiding has spread all over the world and there are presently over 8.8 million members.
The Founders
Lord Robert Baden-Powell
Lord Robert Baden-Powell was born on 22 February 1857 in England, He went to Charterhouse school and joined the army when he left. He left the army many years later to organise the Scout Movement and whilst on a cruise to Jamaica he met Olave St. Claire Soames. Although she was 32 years younger than B-P. they married in 1912. Lord Baden-Powell died in l941 in Kenya.
Lady Olave Baden-Powell
Lady Olave Baden-Powell was born on 22 February 1889 in England. She led a sheltered life at home and never went to a formal school but had tutors. She loved music, tennis and animals. When on a cruise with her father she met B-P on the ship and was fascinated by the things he talked about. They married in l912 and had three children; Peter, Betty and Heather. Lady B-P died in 1977 in England and was buried in her husband's grave in Kenya.