How Guiding began
In the early years of this century Robert Baden-Powell was involved in the siege of Mafeking during the Boer War. On his return from war he wrote a famous book Scouting for Boys, about a training method for boys and in 1907 held an experimental camp on Brownsea Island, Dorset. His book was an instant success and the country took up Scouting entusiastically. The Boy Scout movement was formed.

In 1909 the Scouts held a rally at Crystal Palace, and Baden-Powell was faced with a small group of girls calling themselves Girl Scouts. They represented hundreds of other girls nad wanted to be involved in Scouts too. The idea was outrageous as this was an era when skirts were ankle length and girls never ran.

However, (thankfully for us today), the girls won! In 1910 Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to look after the new organisation called Girl Guides, and a few years later his wife Olave was appointed Chief Guide.

The original girls who had turned up at Crystal Palace had called themselves Girl Scouts, but B-P decided that, in order not to antagonise the boys for whom he had developed Scouting, a separate movement should be started. The girls' movement was called Guides after a corps of Indian soldiers who had impressed Baden-Powell during his army days.

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This page is maintained by Lesley Adams and was last updated in 16-Jun-99.