Girl scouts’ move a concern

Press, 30 April 1988, Page 3

Girl scouts’ move a concern

SUZANNE KEEN

By

The decision to allow giills into scouting has caused concern for girl guide leaders. The Girl Guides Association national director. Mrs Susan Gallagher, said that in other countries where girls had been admitted to scouting there had been "drastic” effects on the guiding movement.

“There was a lot of confusion here at the start about what effect it would have on guiding — would ail the girls run off to join the scouts and that type of concern,” she said. As yet there has been no trouble about girls leaving the guides to join the scouts. However, Mrs Gallagher said the effects would probably not showup for a few years, when girls were making the decision whether, to become cubs or brownies. To boost both the con-

fidence of leaders and girls along with the image Of the, guiding movement, leaders are being asked to explore the more advenlurolis options in planning programmes, i A: newslettei 1 to mem>ers of the Guides Association suggests that leaders work towards girls taking calculated risks in their activities and not i“mother” them. i Other suggestions are to show girls, parents and the public that guiding is the best and most exciting place for girls to be involved. The one thing that will not happen, however, is boys being incited to join the: girl guides. The Guides Association believes that one of the advantages of staying single-sex includes girls being free from the need to compete with boys and to be able to develop their rself-esteem. H