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1. History of Girlguiding in the UK

Robert Baden-Powell was born on 22 February 1857.

Whilst serving in the Army during the Boer war, with his garrison under siege, he had enlisted the help of a number of boys to carry important messages around the town. They were organised into groups or 'patrols' and each patrol had a leader. The scheme was so successful that on his return home Baden-Powell decided that boys in England should be taught the skills of camping, team-work, leadership, pioneering, stalking, orienteering; to prepare them for when they were older. He wrote a manual 'Scouting for Boys'. Not only boys, but Girls too read this manual and some wanted to take part in this great game of scouting.....

At a boy scouts rally at Crystal Palace on 24 August 1909, Baden-Powell wasn't quite prepared for bands of girls dressed in variations of the Scout uniform who came along too, this made Baden-Powell realise that he had to provide a similar game for girls too, and he remembered that he had been particularly impressed with some 'Guides'  in India; and so together with his sister Agnes he came up with a manual 'How Girls can Help, .the Handbook for Girl Guides' and in 1910 the Girl Guide Association was formed with Agnes as it's first President..

1914 saw the birth of the Brownies, as the younger sisters of the Guides wanted to join in this great game.

In 1918 Robert Baden-Powell got married and his wife Olave became Chief Guide. After the war Girl Guiding became even more popular and Princess Mary daughter of King George V became President in 1920. The Guiding movement spread to other Countries and in 1919 two councils came together to for the WAGGGS - the World Association of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouts. This association meant that many friendships were formed between Guides around the world whilst meeting at International camps.

Princess Mary was not the only member of the Royal Family interested in Guiding. A unit was set up in Buckingham Palace and in 1938 the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were seen for the first time in their Guide and Brownie uniforms. Princess Margaret was a member of the Leprechaun six, whilst Princess Elizabeth (our present Queen) was the Patrol leader of the Kingfishers. Princess Ann was enrolled as a Brownie in 1959.

In 1965 Princess Margaret becomes President of the Guide Association following the death of Princess Mary., and in 1977 Olave Lady Baden-Powell dies. On the death of the Princess Margaret , the Countess of Wessex - Sophie took over as President, and she still is today.

In 1968 a new Uniform, new handbook and new programme, was brought in to reflect the changing world. In 1974 the millionth copy of the Guide Handbook is sold, and in 1976 the millionth copy of the Brownie handbook.

In 1987 the Rainbows were born, they wear a tabard in one of the colours of the rainbow, have a promise badge with a Rainbow on it and follow the eight point programme like all the other Brownies and Guides.

The uniform was to be redesigned again in 1990 and became more practical and versatile whilst still looking good; and the new Guiding Manual, which we use today; containing policy, rules and setting out the organisation of the Association was published. The Association is renamed Girlguiding UK.

On February 22nd (Lord and Lady Baden-Powell's birthday) every year Guides, Brownies and Rainbows all around the world hold World Thinking Day , which is when they come together to think about their colleagues all around the world.

In 2008 the Rainbows celebrate their 21st Birthday and

In 2010 the Guides will celebrate their Centenary with a big world Party already in the planning.

At Stockton Brook we have the following packs making up our Guide Unit:-

• One Rainbow pack: :- taking girls age 5-7. This is a very popular unit, so if you would like your daughter to join please contact the leader to put her name down on the waiting list, even if she is not yet 5
• Two Brownie Packs : - taking girls age 7-10. Brownies are very popular hence we have two packs, again please visit the Brownie information pages and speak to one of the Leaders to put your daughters name down on our waiting lists.
• One Guide pack: :- taking girls age 10 to 14. We are currently waiting to take girls when they are 10 1/2, this is because our pack is full and very popular, however, we do have a waiting list and places do become available. Again speak to our Leaders if you are interested in becoming a Guide. 
• We do not as yet have a Senior Section pack. This would be for girls 14 -26. This is simply for lack of a willing Leader...... However, we do have an increasing number of Guides over the age of 14 who do not want to leave us, life with us is too much fun.... they stay to act as Young Leaders with our Rainbow, Brownie and Guide units, and some go on to take the Adult Leadership qualification and become Leaders in their own right.

The Guiding Section at Stockton Brook is joined with the Scouting Section to form Stockton Brook Group. We are very lucky to have our own Headquarters building, which was built because of generous donation of land, and fundraising by former members.

However, because of the boundary between Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands and the way Staffordshire is divided up the Scouts are a Member of Potteries North District, whilst the Guiding section are part of a Moorlands district called Marshes Hill District.

In Guiding a number of Guide Groups join together to form a District. They meet regularly to exchange ideas, have fun, go on trips together, camps together, and share resources.

Our district is  Marshes Hill District, its quite small, and contains the following Groups

A number of Districts then join together in a Division. We belong to Leek Division which contains the following Districts:-.

All of the Divisions join together to form Staffordshire, their website address is:-  www.girlguidingstaffordshire.org.uk
Visit this website for information on events happening around the County as well as International and Young Leaders pages

Within the Country there is then Regional - we are in Midlands, their website address is:- www.girlguiding-midlands.org.uk

The current strap line for Girlguiding (the message appearing beneath our logo)  is Women in the Lead. There are many women, both past and current members of Girlguiding, who have gone on to achieve success in their lives, through business, politics, the media, charity work etc; all of which attribute part of this success to their experiences in Girlguiding ....Girlguiding UK has recently carried out an extensive survey .....follow this link to Girlguiding UK's pages to  read more ........