Girl Guides Association of Cyprus
Encyclopedia
The Girl Guides Association of Cyprus (Σώμα Κυπρίων Οδηγών) is the national Guiding
association of Cyprus
. Guiding in Cyprus started in 1912 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) in 1962. The coeducational organization has 2,763 members (as of 2006).
in the years following 1912, the first functioning units were formed in 1930 as an overseas branch of the British Guide Association
. In 1960, after the independence of Cyprus, the Girl Guides Association of Cyprus was established.
In 1962, the new association was admitted to WAGGGS as an associate member. It became a full member in 1978.
The association hosted the 6th European Scout and Guide Conference in 1989, cooperating with the Cyprus Scouts Association
.
The Cypriot Guides have an active partnership with the Association of Belarusian Guides. They trained Belarusian leaders prior to its admission to WAGGGS in 1996 and are still supporting the development of the Belarusian Guides.
The Girl Guide emblem incorporates elements of the earlier flag of Cyprus
. The copper
color represents the mineral wealth for which the island is named, the K is the first letter of the name of the country in both Greek
and Turkish
.
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
association of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Guiding in Cyprus started in 1912 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
(WAGGGS) in 1962. The coeducational organization has 2,763 members (as of 2006).
History
Although there were Lone GuidesLone Guides
Lone Guides or Lones are those Girl Guides and Girl Scouts who do not attend group meetings for a variety of reasons. They are organised into groups that keep in touch, for example, by letter or email. Members carry out their organisation's normal programme on their own as much as they are able....
in the years following 1912, the first functioning units were formed in 1930 as an overseas branch of the British Guide Association
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
. In 1960, after the independence of Cyprus, the Girl Guides Association of Cyprus was established.
In 1962, the new association was admitted to WAGGGS as an associate member. It became a full member in 1978.
The association hosted the 6th European Scout and Guide Conference in 1989, cooperating with the Cyprus Scouts Association
Cyprus Scouts Association
The Cyprus Scouts Association is the national Scouting organization of Cyprus. It was founded in 1913 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1961. SPK has 5,926 members.-History:...
.
The Cypriot Guides have an active partnership with the Association of Belarusian Guides. They trained Belarusian leaders prior to its admission to WAGGGS in 1996 and are still supporting the development of the Belarusian Guides.
Program and ideals
The association is divided in five age-groups:- Chrysalis (ages 5 to 6)
- Butterflies (ages 7 to 9)
- Guides (ages 10 to 12)
- Sea Guides, Air Guides, Forest Guides (ages 13 to 15)
- Senior Guides, Prospective Leaders (ages 16 to 18)
The Girl Guide emblem incorporates elements of the earlier flag of Cyprus
Flag of Cyprus
The flag of Cyprus came into use on August 16, 1960, under the Zürich and London Agreements, whereby a constitution was drafted and Cyprus was proclaimed an independent state. The flag was designed by Turkish Cypriot art teacher İsmet Güney....
. The copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
color represents the mineral wealth for which the island is named, the K is the first letter of the name of the country in both Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.