A Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some
Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. Girl Scouts and Girl Scout organizations already existed in Britain and other
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
countries when Robert Baden-Powell founded
The Girl Guides Association in 1910. There are many Girl Scouts organizations, e.g. the
British Girl Scouts and
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad.
It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...
. The two terms are used synonymously within this article.
Girl Guides are organised into
units/troops averaging 15–30 girls under guidance of a team of
leaders
Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations.
"Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the c ...
. Units subdivide into
patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area.
Etymology
The word "patrol" is derived from the Frenc ...
s of about six Guides and engage in outdoor and special interest activities. Units may affiliate with national and international organisations. Some units, especially in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, have been
co-education
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
al since the 1970s, allowing boys and girls to work together as Scouts. There are other programme sections for older and younger girls.
Foundation
Following the origin of the Boy Scouts in 1907, many girls became Girl Scouts. A group of Girl Scouts were prominent at the
Crystal Palace Rally in 1909.
The
British Boy Scouts
The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association (BBS & BGS Association; also known as The Brotherhood of British Scouts) is an early scouting organisation, having begun as the Battersea Boy Scouts in 1908.''The Scout (magazine), The S ...
expanded to include Girls Scouts in 1910. After Robert Baden-Powell formed
The Boy Scouts Association
The Scout Association is the largest organisation in the Scout Movement in the Scouting in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scouting, Scout Movement from 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 ...
in 1910, he formed
The Girl Guides Association and asked his sister Agnes to look after the Girl Guides organisation.
A few years later Baden-Powell's new wife
Olave St. Claire Baden-Powell became involved in the Girl Guides Association and, in 1918, she was appointed as its Chief Guide.
Activities
Most activities are now similar to those of Scouts but when the Girl Guides started two central themes were present: domestic skills and "a kind of practical feminism which embodies
physical fitness
Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, modera ...
,
survival skills
Survival skills are techniques used to sustain life in any type of natural environment or built environment. These techniques are meant to provide basic necessities for human life, including water, food, and shelter. Survival skills also sup ...
,
camping
Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
,
citizenship
Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state.
Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationalit ...
training, and
career
A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways.
Definitions
The ...
preparation".
Unit affiliation
Troop
Local groups, called variously units, companies or troops, are the fundamental unit of the Girl Guides. These are run by an adult, normally a woman who is between 18 and 65 years of age. She has responsibility for the girls in her group and plans out activities for the girls as well as leading the meetings. These leaders are supported by assistants. Meetings are held anywhere from weekly to monthly depending on the commitments of the participants and the activities in progress.
See also
*
World Thinking Day
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girl Guiding And Girl Scouting