Irish Girl Guides

Irish Girl Guides
Country Ireland
Founded 1911
Chief Commissioner Emer O'Sullivan
Website
http://www.irishgirlguides.ie

The Irish Girl Guides is a Girl Guides organisation in the Republic of Ireland. Together with the Catholic Guides of Ireland, it forms the Council of Irish Guiding Associations. Whereas the Catholic Guides are an all-Ireland body, the Irish Girl Guides are not organised in Northern Ireland, where Girlguiding Ulster, the branch of Girlguiding UK, operates instead.

History

As a soldier, the Founder of Scouting and Guiding, Robert Baden-Powell discovered that boys could be trained and used to help in emergencies. He held an experimental camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset in 1907 at which the boys were divided into patrols and trained to be self-reliant.

The first big rally for Scouts was held at Crystal Palace outside London in 1909. At this there were 10,000 boys as well as some girls who dressed in a uniform and called themselves "Girl Scouts".

In 1910 Girl Guides were officially formed with the founder's sister, Agnes Baden-Powell, in charge. A syllabus for girls was drawn up for their training similar to that for the Scouts.

Only a year after the Girl Guide Movement was founded the first official company in Ireland was formed, in 1911 in Harold's Cross. Guiding quickly spread to Cork and Wicklow. At this time there was no border between North and South so Guiding was run as one organisation for all Ireland.

In 1921 Ireland was partitioned into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland, by the Government of Ireland Act (1920), and a separate organisation for the Free State was created from the whole, the Irish Free State Girl Guides.

Ireland became a separate member of WAGGGS in 1932.

In 1938 the name of the organisation was changed to the Irish Girl Guides

In July 1993 at the 28th World Conference in Denmark, the Council of Irish Guiding Associations was ratified as a full member of WAGGGS. The Council of Irish Guiding Associations consists of The Irish Girl Guides and the Catholic Guides of Ireland on behalf of their members in the Republic of Ireland.

The World Conference was held in Dublin in July 1999. An International Guide Camp known as "Solas" was held in Charleville, Co. Cork in July 2002. Another International Camp known as "Campa Le Cheile" was held in Tattersalls, Co. Meath in July 2007. The Most recent international Guide Camp: "Camp 101" was held in 2012, in Lough Key forest park, Boyle, with visitors from 14 different countries.

Age groups

The Irish Girl Guides has four different age brackets: Ladybirds are girls aged 5-7 Brownies are girls aged 7 - 10 Guides are girls aged 10 - 14 Senior Branch are girls aged 14 - 30 (Rangers are usually the younger group of girls - 14 - 18 years) And from the age of 18 onwards, you can be a Leader with the Irish Girl Guides.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds are aged 5–7 and make a two-part promise, which is reflected in their sign which uses only two fingers, unlike the Guide and Brownie sign which uses three.

Brownies

Brownies are aged from 7 to 10. Their guider-in-charge is called a Brown Owl and her assistant guider a Tawny Owl

The girls are divided into sixes, each header by a sixer, for the purpose of many activities.

Guides

Guides, aged 10 to 14 years, not only enjoy active weekly meetings, but also have the challenge of surviving in the outdoors without their parents!

There are heaps of opportunities to earn badges for your favourite pastime and activities range from camping & adventure sports to sleep overs and pyjama hikes.

There is a huge international dimension to being a Guide, and girls have many opportunities to go on trips abroad to various camps and events. They also have the opportunity to participate in home hospitality in foreign countries where they can really get to know the culture and way of life in that country. Many foreign groups visit us here in Ireland as well.

The Guiding programme gives the Guides an all round education and development.

Senior Branch

The Senior Branch of IGG covers the age grouping 14 to 30 years of age. This branch incorporates:- older Guides, Ranger Guides, Young Leaders and Young Guiders. Guiding has something important and valuable to offer these young women which can help them to be tomorrow’s leaders in Guiding and wherever else life takes them. Senior Branch offers them the opportunity to experience adventure, enjoy international events, develop self-confidence and grow in independence.

Older guides
When a Guide reaches 14 years of age she is eligible to attend Senior Branch events, follow the Senior Branch programme within her Guide Company (as a senior patrol or on her own) and she can be registered at National Office to be put on the mailing list for the Welly and Trefoil News. By the time she finishes Guides the natural progression will be to join a Ranger unit, become a Young Leader or both depending on the choices available to her locally.
Ranger guides
Ranger Guides range in age from 14 to 21 years. Becoming a Ranger Guide is often the natural progression after Brownies and Guides, however girls who have never been involved in Guiding are also welcome. The aim of Ranger Guides is to enable the individual to work towards her full potential as an adult, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Ranger Guides organise activities and events that are of interest to them and with the help of a leader they are encouraged to be independent and self-sufficient and overall to enjoy themselves.
Young Leaders
Young Leaders range in age from 15 to 17 years. Becoming a Young Leader is often the natural progression after Guides, however girls who have never been involved in Guiding are also welcome. The Young Leader section is for girls who have a particular attraction to leadership and the aim of Young Leaders is to provide the opportunity to work with Ladybird Guide, Brownie Guide and Guide units thereby developing leadership skills which will stand to them wherever life takes them. The secondary aim is to provide active, experienced and enthusiastic young Guiders for the Irish Girl Guides. As well as giving service and commitment to Guiding as a Young Leader all the opportunities of fun, friendship and adventure that Senior Branch has to offer are available to her.
Young Guiders
Also included in Senior Branch are any guiders aged 18-26.

See also

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.