Deputy Lord Mayor Mr Brian Bermingham

SW Region of the IRISH GIRL GUIDES

010623

Introduction

It is with particular delight that I find myself acting as Deputy Lord Mayor representing the City of Cork at this special ceremony to day.

I take such delight in welcoming you, into ‘your’ City Hall and to be amongst members of the Irish Girl Guide - sisters of the Scouting Movement in Cork.

To day we celebrate the presentation of

‘Gold Awards’ to Guides from Cork –

City and County, & Kerry.

This is the highest Award that can be achieved by Guides up to the age of 16 years.

Congratulations to all, you have shown skills of Leadership, Initiative, Teamwork, Social and Personal Interaction.

These are qualities most sought after in to-days social and economic society.

The Girl Guide Movement began, in the early years of this century.

Robert Baden-Powell, [B-P] a famous army general, developed a scheme for training boys.

In 1907, He tried out his ideas at a camp on Brownsea Island, and in 1908 he published these ideas in his book, Scouting for Boys.

The book was an instant success and boys throughout the country enthusiastically took up 'scouting'.

As a result Baden-Powell soon found himself organising the Boy Scout Movement.

 In 1909, at the Scouts' first rally, at the Crystal Palace, Baden-Powell (B-P) was faced with a small group of girls, representing hundreds of others, who insisted they wanted to be Scouts too.

In an age when skirts were ankle length and young ladies never ran, the idea of girls being involved in camping, hiking and similar activities received a mixed response.

Angry critics denounced 'girl scouting' as a 'mischievous new development', a 'foolish and pernicious movement', an idiotic sport'.

However, the girls won.

In 1910, Baden-Powell formed the Girl Guides and asked his sister Agnes to look after the new organisation.

A few years later his wife [Olave] became involved and, in 1918, was appointed Chief Guide.

Such was the enthusiasm for Guiding that it soon spread worldwide, and since those early days countless millions have made ‘the Guide Promise’

Today, there are 10 million girls and women in the Girl Guide Movement Worldwide.

The girl pioneers who turned up at the 1909 Crystal Palace rally, called themselves ‘Girl Scouts’, but when he founded the girls' movement, B-P decided the name should change.

This was partly because

·        He thought it would antagonise the boys for whom Scouting had been developed and

·        He thought it would alienate parents, who would not welcome such a tomboyish image for their daughters.

·        He wanted to create a separate identity for the girls, so that they could work for self-development, independently, not imitating the boys.

He had to think of a name, and soon he remembered that he had been particularly impressed with some 'Guides' in India.

These men had operated on the North West Frontier and their main task was to go on very dangerous expeditions.

Even when they were off duty, the Guides were still training their minds and bodies.

With this in mind, B-P decided that 'Girl Guides' would be a good name for these pioneering young women developing a sense of identity and self-worth.

Personal History

I joined the 4^th Cork oh! So long ago now, that when asked to attend to-day, the images and memories flooded back to those golden days in the Scout Hall, on so many hikes most Sundays and of course the thrill of the summer camp in larch hill, Shirkin Island, the Isle of Mann and so many other places.

Like, so many others Youths throughout the years, I benefited from great Leadership

The quality of Scouting & Guiding is reflected in the quality of its leadership, and I would very much like to mention Mr Johnny Hurley who has “crossed over” and of course Mr Walter McGrath, fine gentlemen and wonderful Scout leaders.

The Irish Girl Guides is a voluntary organisation and the adults within it, work unselfishly with young people week - in week - out.

It is a serious commitment for an adult.

It involves intensive training, time, and personal interaction, which illustrate the type of impact that the Girl Guide Movement can have on the complimentary education and development of young people in Ireland.

The SWRegion was and is, so fortunate in its Leaders - inspiring with incredible commitment.

 May I, as Deputy Lord Mayor and on behalf of the City of Cork, thank all who were and are involved in - The Girl Guide movement - down the Years?

Indeed on such occasions, let us remember those unselfish colleagues, who have retired or crossed over.

In this the year of the volunteer no praise from civic leaders can be high enough, for the enormous good and value added, your voluntary efforts are impacting on society and on the very many young girls, in your movement.

Venturer

In time I moved on to become a Venturer

My Investiture ceremony was on the summit of Carrigtwhoill in County Kerry.

Indeed it was a damp rainy day, mixed with the excitement of youth, having climbed the highest mountain in Ireland and sensing and experiencing such an important event in our lives.

That event, represented a mark in our development, as yours is, to you, to day.

 You have become part of a team which will plan programmes and activities that will challenge you and develop your talents.

You will begin the very rewarding work of teaching others, younger then yourselves, the skills you have acquired to-date.

As part of  the Girl Guide Movement you will assist the school and family, in developing, in our Youth

·        self knowledge,- the need to explore, to discover, to want to know.

·        A spiritual dimension seeking a commitment to a spiritual value of life, beyond the material world.

·        A social dimension seeking participation in the development of society, respecting the dignity of others and the natural world.

·        In promoting local, national and international peace, understanding and co – operation.

·        So through a programme of Fun, Adventure and Challenge, Guiding achieves its purpose

to help young people to develop physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually to their full potential.

Members are involved in a great variety of traditional activities and in Conservation, Community Development, Drug Abuse and socially orientated Programmes.

The Girl Guide Movement, will continue to appeal to young people and push out the frontiers as it has done in the past.

The movement is essential in society, where the most urgent requirement is the transformation of  negative peer pressure, into positive youth peer leadership.

Finally then,  How to grow a “Girl Guide”

 1st - plant 7 rows of P's:
Promptness, perseverance, preparation, participation, presence, purity, and performance.

2nd - plant 3 rows of squash:
squash unfairness, squash criticism, squash indifference

3rd – Plant 4 rows of turnips:
Turn-up for meetings
Turn-up with enthusiasm
Turn-up with new ideas
Turn-up with a smile.

 4th - plant 7 rows of lettuce:
Let-us delegate responsibility
Let-us give assistance whenever necessary
Let-us recognize the importance of pooling and encouraging full and free ideas and encouraging full and free discussion before decisions are made.
Let-us appreciate and respect the attitudes of others
Let-us encourage cooperation
Let-us arrive in advance of scheduled meetings, with all materials needed.

And as the Boy scouts would say Let-us “be Ulaibh” – “be prepared”

 The harvest is – One terrific Girl Guide

 Well done to all, and thanks.

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