The Girls' Brigade is an international, interdenominational Christian

youth organisation The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted otherwise. ...

. It was founded in 1893 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The modern organization was formed as the result of the

amalgamation Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan am ...

of three like-minded and similarly structured organizations in 1964: the Girls' Brigade of Ireland (1893), the Girls' Guildry of Scotland (1900), and the Girls' Life Brigade of England (1902). The international headquarters are currently based in Derbyshire, England. The organization operates in over 50 countries worldwide and is divided into five Fellowships: African, Asian, Caribbean and Americas, European, and Pacific. International conferences have been held every four years since 1998, when the conference was in Australia. It was in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

in 2002,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in 2006,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

in 2010, Australia in 2014 and

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

in 2018. The

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also u ...

and Princess Alice were Girls' Brigade's patrons until their deaths in 2002 and 2004 respectively. There are, at the moment, no living patrons. From 1983 until her death in 2020,

Olive Hilda Miller Olive Wright Miller (9 November 1921 – 19 May 2020) was a British missionary, journalist and philanthropist. Known as "Cayman's own Mother Teresa", she was the Cayman Islands' first paid journalist and established its first retirement home. ...

was Vice-Patron of Brigade International.

Girls' Brigade Vision statement, principles, motto, and aim

The international vision statement is "Girls' lives transformed, God's world enriched" The Girls' Brigade's principles are to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and seek to fulfil his aim, witness to the standard set by Jesus Christ and give positive teaching on Christian values, and promote a just society where all people are equally valued. The motto of the Girls' Brigade is "Seek, serve and follow Christ" and its aim is "to help girls become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through

self control Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one' ...

, reverence and a sense of responsibility to find true enrichment of life". Because of the youth development aspect of its work, the Girls' Brigade is a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS)Full list of NCVYS members
and has been since 1936, when it was one of NCVYS's founding organisations.

Girls' Brigade programme

The Girls' Brigade programme in many countries follows four themes: ''Spiritual'', ''Physical'', ''Educational'' and ''Social''. These words spell ''SPES'' which is Latin for Hope. It was said that each girl in Girls' Brigade was a ''hope'' for the future. The four themes of the program are based on a Bible verse in Luke " And Jesus grew in body and wisdom, gaining favor with God and men " (Luke 2v52). Physical is in relation to Jesus growing in body, educational in relation to Jesus growing in wisdom, spiritual is in him growing closer to God and the social is the way that Jesus develops in his relationships with men. Also the girls are encouraged to participate in activities other than just badge work. These include leadership courses for 14- to 21-year-olds, and most companies or districts arrange camps or holidays, usually one per year. Moreover, the Girls' Brigade helps its members with the

Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...

Girls' Brigade projects

The type of activities the Girls' Brigade provides ranges from weekly activity-packed programmes to social engagement projects. Summer camps, activity days, residential training events and mission trips are also common.

Sections in Girls' Brigade

In Ireland, the Girls' Brigade are divided into the following sections * 4 to 8 years - Explorer * 7 to 11 Years - Junior' * 10 to 14 Years - Senior * 13 to 18 Years - Brigader * 18 Years + - Leader, Lieutenant or Captain ''The Main leader is called the "Captain" and her next in charge is the "Lieutenant" '' In Scotland, the Girls Brigade is divided into the following sections: *4 to 7 years - Explorer (Primary 1 – Primary 3) *8 to 11 years - Junior (Primary 4 – Primary 7) *12 to 18 years - Brigader (1st Year – 6th Year) In England and Wales, the Girls' Brigade is divided into the following Sections: *4 to 8 years - n:vestigate *8 to 11 years - n:gage *11 to 14 years - n:counta *14 to 18 years - n:spire *Optional 14–15 years ''(Year 10 in English school's system)'' - n:fluence 14–18 (''foundation'') *Optional 15–16 years ''(Year 11 in English school's system)'' - n:fluence 14–18 (''intermediate'') *Optional 16–17 years ''(Year 12 in English school's system)'' - n:fluence 14–18 (''advanced'') *Optional 18+ years - Leader ''(Can take only after completing the three above stages of n:fluence young leader training)'' Girls cannot carry onto the next section of n:fluence 14–18 training without completing the previous section. They may however start at a slightly older age. If someone joins Girls' Brigade later in life and has not previously participated in Girls' Brigade they can complete n:fluence 18+ training in order to gain Leader status. As of 31 March 2005, there were 6,109 n:vestigate members, 7,534 n:gage members, 4,016 n:counta members, 1,913 n:spire, 405 young leaders, 124 helpers, 1,967 leaders in 707 Companies within England & Wales. In other countries, the names of the Sections (sometimes called Units) may vary, as may the ages of girls in those units. These age variations are usually based around the local schooling ages. Explorers may be called Cadets. Brigaders are sometimes called Pioneers. In some countries, there are 4 different Sections or Units. In Australia, the Units are: *Cadets - 5–8 years (Prep – Year 2) *Juniors - 8–11 years (Year 3 – Year 5) *Seniors - 11–14 years (Year 6 – Year 8) *Pioneers - 14–21 years (Year 9 – 21 years of age) In New Zealand, the Girls Brigade companies are divided as follows: *Juniors - 5–8 years old (New Entrant/Year 1 – Year 4) *Seniors - 9–12 years old (Year 5 – Year 8) *Pioneers - 13–17 years old (Year 9 – Year 13 i.e., during High School) In Malaysia, the Girls Brigade companies are divided as so: *Cadets - 5–8 years old *Juniors - 9–11 years old *Seniors - 12–14 years old *Pioneers - 15–18 years old Girls who have reached 15 years of age can become Young Leaders. A girl can become a Leader after they are 18 years old.

Crest

The crest is a registered trade mark of Girls' Brigade England & Wales. However, all Girls' Brigade companies around the world have the right to use it. In the centre is a Cross, the symbol of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

and his

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

. Below the cross is a Lamp, which represents the light of the Girls' Brigade shining upon the World. Above it is a Crown, of

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

. Behind it all, is a Torch, the flame of Christ's living spirit. The badge incorporates symbols from the three original organizations and is, therefore, in itself a symbol of union, as well as faith and allegiance to the Lord

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

. The Girls Brigade which formed in Ireland in 1893, brought in the Cross. The Girls' Guildry which formed in 1900 in Scotland, brought in the Lamp. Lastly, the Girls' Life Brigade, which formed in 1902 in England, brought in the Crown. They amalgamated in 1965. A competition was held to design the crest for the amalgamated organisation, which was won by Constance Fasham.

International

The International President of the Girls' Brigade is Priscilla Penny (Africa). The International Treasurer is Joyce Evans of (

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

). The International Vice-Presidents are the Chairmen from each Fellowship. All figures next to country names are of the number of Girls' Brigade members within the country, they are accurate as of 2004:

African Fellowship

''Bridget Leher'' (

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

) is the Fellowship Chairman.
There are 14

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n countries that have Girls' Brigade companies: *

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

(149) *

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

(6,000) *

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

(4,050) *

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...

(184) *

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

(14,961) *

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

(338) *

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

(1,664) * Swaziland (125) *

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

(600) *

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

(1,217) *

(3,090) *

(671)

Asian Fellowship

Tay Poh Imm (

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

) is the Fellowship Chairman.
There are 12

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n countries that have Girls' Brigade companies: *

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

(215) *

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...

(65) *

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

(1,700) *

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

(125) *

(3,145) *

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

(55) *

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

(1,100) *

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

(20) *

(3,695) *

(1,205) *

Western New Guinea Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, or Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the Melanesian island of New Guinea which is administered by Indonesia. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region ...

(43)

Caribbean and Americas Fellowship

Andrea Stevens ( Cayman Islands) is the Fellowship Chairman.
There are 21 countries in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

that have Girls' Brigade companies: *

Anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The terr ...

(132) * Antigua (210) *

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

(653) *

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

(67) *

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

(20) *

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

(216) *

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = " Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Bri ...

(181) *

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(20) * Cayman Islands (299) * Curaçao * Dominica (82) * Haiti (40) *

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

(1,032) * Montserrat (24) *

Nevis Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and ...

(92) * Sint Eustatius (28) *

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis cons ...

(296) * Saint Martin (215) * Saint Vincent (64) *

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

(86) *

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

(105)

Europe Fellowship

Claire Rush (

) is the Fellowship Chairman. There are six (see below) countries within the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

fellowship that have Girls' Brigade companies: *

(600) *

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

(1,868) *

(22,540) *

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

(92) *

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

(13,753) *

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

(15) Currently England & Wales run as one country for Girls' Brigade even though they are distinct countries.

Pacific Fellowship

Renelle Neale (Australia) is the International Vice President for the Pacific.
There are 13 countries within the Pacific Fellowship that have Girls' Brigade companies: *

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...

(67) * Australia (3,051) *

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

(355) *

Kiribati Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati
''The Wor ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

(1,907) *

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...

(161) *

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

(435) *

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

(3,299) *

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

(114) *

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...

(116) *

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

(75)

References

{{reflist

External links

The Girls' Brigade International Council

England and Wales

Scotland

Australia

New Zealand

Malaysia
Christian non-aligned Scouting organizations Derbyshire Dales Organisations based in Derbyshire Religious organizations established in 1893 Youth organisations based in the United Kingdom