Guides, Brownies, Rainbows Attend Thinking Day
During today’s [Feb 17] wintery bluster afternoon, hundreds of people including Bermuda Guides, Brownies, and Rainbows gathered in Hamilton’s Holy Trinity Cathedral to hold their annual Thinking Day Service. This year a small contingent of Cub Scouts joined the Service.
Governor Mr George Fergusson attended, and outside the Cathedral, after the service had ended, he spoke to several of the Guides, Brownies, Rainbows, and Cub Scouts who took part.
Thinking Day began with an early morning raising of the Guide Association’s World Flag on the yard-arm on the flagpole on Front Street.
Normally, the hundreds of young people would have assembled in City Hall car park, marched to the Cathedral, and then marched through Town to the flagpole on Front Street where they would have saluted their Island Commissioner, Mrs Shirlene Darrell, and their Honorary President, Mrs Margaret Fergusson. However today’s uncertain weather caused organizers to cancel the parade sections.
The theme for this year’s Thinking Day was “Every Mother Healthy, Every Child Healthy.” The local organization “Foster Parents Association” was selected as the recipient of this year’s fundraising effort. The overseas organization selected was “Feed The Children”.
Thinking Day is the day closest to the birthday of Lord Baden-Powell who was the originator of the now worldwide Scouting movement. Guiding started after Lord Baden-Powell’s wife Olave Baden-Powell, initiated a similar movement aimed at girls.
On 22nd February, the Guides, Brownies, and Rainbows will assemble at Government House for a ‘campfire’ and sing-along in the grounds of Government House.
Yeerday’s ceremony was very nice. Too bad they could not march. It would be nice to see more parents encouraging their children to join one of the above (incuding the boys to Scouts). It would surely put them on the path to learning good things for themselves and have good peers around them.
Oh, how I remember those days! Fifty plus years ago – the years have passed all too quickly. I still remember how to start a campfire, tie knots and give basic first aid. (I have often used, “if face is red, lift the head, if face is pale, lift the tail…)along the way when people have passed out or fallen over, unconcious.
We had a very wonderful leader by the name of Miss Ann Spurling. All of us would look forward to spending time with her and learning things she taught us. She made it such fun and she cared about us! Many a day we spent camping, hiking, cooking hot dogs over a fire on the beach, learning semaphore, games, etc. I remember (with a huge smile on my face and a tickle in my heart) when we were camping on the Island and one early morning we were divided into small groups. We were given a sack lunch and cloured yarn and were directed to trek here and there through the brush, leaving bits of the yarn on twigs and branches for the leaders to come find us. Well, our group was the last one to be found. We did a great job of hiding! Too great in fact, because it was later afternoon by the time Captain found us!! She was very concerned and very relieved to find us, (though I realized when I matured that she was probably terrified we had all fallen overboard and drowned!) I clearly remember the look of relief on her face when she popped over the rocks and found us. We were very proud of ourselves.
We learned a lot of life’s skills along the way. Thinking Day was always a great event for us and we loved marching in the parade, so proud to be wearing that Girl Guide uniform! Such good times..
Wishing Girl Guides continued success…thanks Captain for all the wonderful memories.
Big 1000 percent agree with you.