Scouting ‘no problem’ for top girl

Press, 26 August 1987, Page 1

Scouting ‘no problem’ for top girl

Christchurch’s first girl air scout to receive the Chief Scout award says she had no problem fitting into the traditionally male movement. Lesley Buick, aged 15, said at her award ceremony last evening that she had wanted to become a scout since she was young, as all her family were

.K'.invoived in the movement. When the Wigram Air Scouts were chosen two years ago as one of the groups that would allow girls to join as a trial project, Lesley decided to take part. “It was hard at first, but I soon got used to it and they soon got used to me,” she said.

The Chief Scout award is the highest given to scouts, and Lesley intends to continue on to venturer level where she will aim to attain the Queen’s Scout award. The Canterbury area commissioner, Mr Dougall Love, who was influential in having girls introduced to scouting, and the

District Commissioner for the Wigram area, Mr Lindsay Buick, Lesley’s father, also attended the ceremony last evening. Mr Love said he was pleased that the two-year trial was now over, and that from September 1 girls would be allowed to

apply to join any scout group. Eleven groups throughout New Zealand, including three in Christchurch, were used for the trial, and Mr Love said that people had accepted the idea quite well. “It’s a gradual process, but it has been a very smooth transition.”