Ascension : NEW STAMP ISSUE - Centenary of Girl Guiding
Submitted by The Islander (Ascension Island Government) 15.04.2010 (Article Archived on 29.04.2010)

Girl Guiding, now ten million members strong, celebrates its 100th anniversary in a year of worldwide events that began 4th September 2009.

NEW STAMP ISSUE

Centenary of Girl Guiding

Release Date: 10th April 2010

Girl Guiding, now ten million members strong, celebrates its 100^th anniversary in a year of worldwide events that began 4^th September 2009. This date is generally acknowledged as being one hundred years since the day girls first publicly expressed their desire to be part of the World Scout Movement.                    

Lieut-Gen. Baden-Powell (B-P) had used his fame as a hero of the Boer War 1889-1902, to promote his Boy Scout Scheme culminating in the first edition of Scouting for Boys in January 1908. Boys read the work avidly and immediately formed themselves into patrols without any adult intervention. There is much evidence that the sisters of these early Boy Scouts also wanted to take part in Scouting activities. In the May 16^th 1908 edition of The Scout magazine B-P wrote that he had several letters from girls asking if they too could take part. He replied that of course girls could get as much fun and as much value out of Scouting as boys could and, referring to a recent Scout Competition on Wimbledon Common, stated that he had seen girls … who had proved themselves to be good Scouts in a very short time.  He concluded ...as for pluck, women and girls can be just as brave as men, and have over and over again proved it in times of danger.  

B-P confirmed that girls could be Scouts, in the July 25^th edition of The Scout; …there are already many girl Scouts and successful ones too. Having received this ‘seal of approval’, girls formed themselves into ‘unofficial’ patrols’ and in their own approximation of Scout uniform followed the template for Scouting laid down in Scouting for Boys. 

At the Crystal Palace Rally on September 4^th 1909 when inspecting his Boy Scouts, B-P noticed a patrol of un-invited Girl Scouts in the crowd. The girls pleaded to be allowed to take part and they were permitted to join in the ‘March Past’. Veteran Girl Scout Sybil Cardine was later to write … from that moment, I knew we were in”.

Unfortunately B-P had not reckoned with the ‘conservatism’ of the middle classes and particularly the ever-strident voice of the Anti-Suffragist movement who were opposed to ‘mixed activities’ for young people.  The Founder bowed to the inevitable and asked his sister, Agnes, to write a manual for a ‘girls only’ branch of the Movement, the Girl Guides, which started with the formation of an Executive Committee, led by Agnes from May 1910.  B-P’s young wife, Olave, became Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides in October 1916 and Chief Guide from February 1918 until her death in June 1977.

Girl Guiding has grown to be the world’s major youth organisation specifically for girls, and is a completely independent sister movement to Scouting.  The fact remains that like their brothers, girls did not wait for adults to tell them what they could do, but in one of the earliest demonstrations of ‘Girl Power’, simply made their own uniforms and joined in ‘the Great Game’.

Text by Colin Walker                                  

Girl Guiding on Ascension

Brownies and Guides were introduced on Ascension Island in the 60’s and Rainbows in the 70’s. Then, with a population of over 3000, units were healthy in numbers.  Currently, with the population around 1000, the units have reduced to 10 Guides, 9 Brownies and 13 Rainbows. 

Girls are welcomed into the Guide Unit from the age of 10. To become a Girl Guide you are set a series of pre-promise challenges based on the 8 point programme that all Guide Associations  follow:-  Enjoyment of the outdoors, Keeping Fit, Thinking for Yourself, Exploring the Arts, Giving Service, Becoming a Homemaker, Keep the Guide Law and Getting to know People.  Once this has been concluded the Enrolment will take place in which you recite the Promise and Law and become a Girl Guide.

The unit’s Leadership is Guide Guider Cheryl Anthony MBE, Asst. Guide Guider Kirsty Anthony and Unit Helper Andrena Duncan.  Meeting every Friday in their own Guide Hut they undertake practical and manual work at alternate meetings, based on the 8 point pre-promise challenges.

The 1^st Ascension Girl Guides has been extremely busy with fundraising since May 2009 to reach their target of £10,000.00 to allow 5 Guides and 2 Leaders to camp in Leeds with International Guides as a commemoration to their 100 years of Girlguiding.

They have performed in public shows to raise money for their Guides’ mini bus and International camp in 2002 and the forthcoming camp in 2010.  They attend Church Parade once a month and takes an active role during the service e.g. collection and leading prayers.  Their activities consist of abseiling, community services, synchronised swimming, walking, and Patrol Agility and much more………

Text by Cheryl Anthony, 1^st Ascension Girlguiding Unit

The Guide Promise is;

I PROMISE THAT I WILL DO MY BEST

TO LOVE MY GOD

TO SERVE THE QUEEN AND MY COUNTRY

AND TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE

AND TO KEEP THE GUIDE LAW

    The Guide Law is;

A GUIDE IS HONEST, RELIABLE AND CAN BE TRUSTED

A GUIDE IS HELPFUL AND USES HER TIME AND ABILITIES WISELY

A GUIDE FACES CHALLENGES AND LEARNS FROM HER EXPERIENCES

A GUIDE IS A GOOD FRIEND AND SISTER TO ALL GUIDES

A GUIDE IS POLITE AND CONSIDERATE

A GUIDE RESPECTS ALL LIVING THINGS AND TAKES CARE OF THE WORLD AROUND HER

The set of 4 values (40p, 50p, 90p & £1.25p) depicts members of the 1^st Ascension Girlguiding Unit on duty.

The three £1 stamps within the souvenir sheet depict signed photographs of Olave, Agnes and Robert Baden-Powell. The border surround includes some of the earliest images of Girl Scouts.

Technical Details

Designer                                                                Andrew Robinson

Printer                                                                   BDT International 

Process                                                                   Stochastic lithography

Stamp size                                                             28.45 x 42.58mm

Sheet layout                                                          20 (2 x 10)

Souvenir Sheet size                                             160 x 80mm

Perforation Gauge                                               14 per 2cm

Release date                                                         10 April 2010

Production Co-ordination                 Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd

We acknowledge with thanks the help and assistance of the 1^st Ascension Girl Guiding Unit and Colin Walker, author of “The Dawn of the World Scout Movement”.

                                     For further information, please contact John Smith,

                                       Pobjoy Mint Ltd, Tel: (44) 1737 818181 Fax: (44) 1737 818199

                                     email: jcs137@pobjoy.com

These beautifully designed stamps and official first day cover will be on sale at the Post Office for a period of fifteen months provided stocks last. Overseas customers may view and purchase them by visiting out web site www.postoffice.gov.ac  or enquires may be made to the Philatelic Bureau, Ascension Island Post Office, Georgetown, Ascension Island, ASCN 1ZZ or telephone + (247) 6260 Fax + (247) 6583