Girlguiding in the 1920s

With the Girls Guides continuing to spread across the U.K., new units were opening up across the country. The uniform was evolving and booming recognised, with a navy blue dress, skirt and a necker folded into a necktie accessories with a broad-rimmed hat with a hat ribbon on it.

1920

Photo From LesliesGuidingHistory

With the new decade starting, Senior guides decided that it was time for a name upgrade, suggestions at the time included Citizen Guide, Pilot, Pioneer and Rover, but the final decision was made by Lady Baden-Powell, who deiced that Rangers was suitable. Rangers officially came into the Girl Guides as the new names in 1920. Around this time the section was also beginning to evolve itself into the Land, Air and Sea Rangers, which depended on where the area was based swell as the general units interests.

The Sea Rangers were formed to provide girls over the age of 16 with naudical skills, creating new activities and supply ex-members of the Women's Royal Navy Service with a way of continuing their service to the nation. Sea Rangers later merged with the Cadets in 1927. Activities included Canoeing, Sailing, knots and more.

Air Rangers and Land Rangers were actually formed a lot later in 1943

1922

Prior to the year 1922, Hampshire Girl Guides had contacted the owners of Foxlease house, which at the time was for sale, to ask for permission to use the house as a camping site for training, to which they were allowed.

The owners, whilst Foxlease was still for sale, decided to flee Britain and cut all ties with the country, upon leaving the county the owner contacted the Girl Guides Association, offering Foxlease to the Girl Guides, along with 60 acres of land, for training purposes, sadly with nonsufficient resources for the upkeep of the house and grounds, Girlguiding could not accept the gift.

With financial help from Princess Mary, who was the President of the Girl Guides association during this time, Girl guiding ended up being able to take Foxlease, briefly named The Princess Mary House.

With Foxlease officially being apart of the Girl Guides, it was officially opened in June of that year and training courses could begin.

1924

Foxlease house held the first World Camp as well as the 3rd World Conference, both being held at the same time. Countries around the world with Girl Guides travelled to England for the event, the first large scaled events are the property.

1926

In 1926 a program called Thinking Day was started, the idea was for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world to be able to dedicate a day to think about the spread of the movement around the world.

Hosted on February 22nd, Robert and Olave (Lady) Baden Powell's Birthday, and every February 22nd continuing in present day, the activities started at the 4th World Conference which was being held in New York. At the 7th World Conference it was decided that something could be done as well as celebrating, the idea of gifting and giving back was suggested, such as raising money to support the movement further. Here is a letter from Lady Baden-Powell suggesting the idea;

Photo from WAGGGS

In Modern day, the name of the day is known as World Thinking Day.

Typically one country is chosen to be the focus of the day, along with a theme. It later also became about advancing knowledge on girl guiding around the world, the cultures and the countries.

1927

With the success of Foxlease House in Hampshire, Girl Guides opened a second Guiding Training Centre, renting the estate for the next two years before officially buying the estate and land in 1928. This was Waddow Hall based in Lancashire. With the growing needs for more training the location was perfect being based in the North, showing just how much Guiding had spread across the country.

1928

1928 saw the Fifth International Conference based in Hungary. At this conference the World Association of Girls Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) was formed. With a World Bureau as its secretariat to be located in London, replacing the International Council which had been created in 1919. The 26 founding members consisted of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, India, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and Northern Ireland, USA and Yugoslavia.

1929

In 1929 the Girl Guiding headquarters moved out of the rented rooms from the Scout headquarters. With the help of individuals and units around the country, enough money was raised to buy a new building on Buckingham Palace Road in London - which is still the Girlguiding National HQ today.

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Countries who joined the Girl Guides and Girl Scouting movement in the 1920s;

1920

Kenya

Liberia

1921

France

Ghana

Latvia

1922

Costa Rica

Guyana

Iceland

Slovenia

1923

Gambia

Namibia

Paraguay

Turkey

1924

Botswana

Fiji

Sierra Leone

Swaziland

Zambia

1925

Grenada

Lesotho

Saint Lucia

1926

Belarus

Kiribati

Mauritius

1927

Republic of the Congo

Papua New Guinea

1928

Bangladesh

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cook Island

Romania

Sudan

Tanzania

1929

Monaco

Spain