Girlguiding BGIFC
Encyclopedia
Girlguiding BGIFC is part of Girlguiding UK
and is for British nationals living overseas. Administratively it is based in Commonwealth
Guide Headquarters in Victoria, London
. Members in this section of Girlguiding UK follow the normal programme very closely. Girls make the same promise as girls in the UK. In 2007, Girlguiding BGIFC had 3697 members, including adults and the Commissioner was Ruth Sara.
In 2004, Girlguiding BGIFC had groups in 31 countries, in places such as Prague
, Dubai
and Riyadh
.
Girlguiding BGIFC also supports Lone Guiding
. If a British girl living abroad wishes to be a member of Girlguiding UK at any age level and has no group, then she may become a lone guide. Girlguiding BGIFC's lone guides interact by post and email
and are encouraged to attend the biennial camps.
sailing across the ocean. The colours of the Union Flag
, red, white and blue, are all present. The ship symbolises Guiding overseas. The red cross on the white mainsail
is a crusader cross
, symbolising the adventurous and crusading spirit of the people who leave their home country to live and work abroad.
Originally the metal Galleon badges were hand-painted, with the country's name displayed on a scroll beneath the blue waves of the sea. Later, as BGIFC spread, individual hand painting was no longer possible and the galleon badges became mass produced.
, Portugal
. This company started in 1911, but was not registered until 1913. The majority of Units
have been registered since 1950, although many go back much further than this. The first Lone Unit was formed in 1985. On 1 April 1986, BGIFC was established as a Region of the Girl Guides Association (now Girlguiding UK), similar to the nine UK Countries and Regions. This move gave BGIFC its own Commissioner, Advisers and Secretary.
, Episkopi Army Garrison and Nicosia
. Each district has its own District Commissioner. The British Armed Forces
community provides the majority of girls, but Guiders are often from the expatriate
community.
to Munich
.
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...
and is for British nationals living overseas. Administratively it is based in Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
Guide Headquarters in Victoria, London
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
. Members in this section of Girlguiding UK follow the normal programme very closely. Girls make the same promise as girls in the UK. In 2007, Girlguiding BGIFC had 3697 members, including adults and the Commissioner was Ruth Sara.
In 2004, Girlguiding BGIFC had groups in 31 countries, in places such as Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
and Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
.
Girlguiding BGIFC also supports Lone Guiding
Lone 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....
. If a British girl living abroad wishes to be a member of Girlguiding UK at any age level and has no group, then she may become a lone guide. Girlguiding BGIFC's lone guides interact by post and email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and are encouraged to attend the biennial camps.
Galleon badge
All Girlguiding BGIFC members wear the galleon badge on their uniform. The badge depicts a galleonGalleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
sailing across the ocean. The colours of the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
, red, white and blue, are all present. The ship symbolises Guiding overseas. The red cross on the white mainsail
Mainsail
A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
is a crusader cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
, symbolising the adventurous and crusading spirit of the people who leave their home country to live and work abroad.
Originally the metal Galleon badges were hand-painted, with the country's name displayed on a scroll beneath the blue waves of the sea. Later, as BGIFC spread, individual hand painting was no longer possible and the galleon badges became mass produced.
History
Girlguiding BGIFC traces its origins back to the 1st Peninsular Guide Company in PortoPorto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. This company started in 1911, but was not registered until 1913. The majority of Units
Scout troop
The Scout troop is a unit of Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts that usually meet weekly. Girl Guides often use Unit or Company instead. The troop is the fundamental unit, which a Scout joins and via which he or she participates in Scouting activities, such as camping, backpacking, and...
have been registered since 1950, although many go back much further than this. The first Lone Unit was formed in 1985. On 1 April 1986, BGIFC was established as a Region of the Girl Guides Association (now Girlguiding UK), similar to the nine UK Countries and Regions. This move gave BGIFC its own Commissioner, Advisers and Secretary.
Counties
Girlguiding BGIFC has three Counties: Benelux and France, Cyprus and Germany. Not all Units are organised into one of these Counties.Benelux and France
There are seven districts in the Benelux and France county, but not all Units are in one of these districts.Cyprus
There are three districts in the Cyprus County, based around RAF AkrotiriRAF Akrotiri
Royal Air Force Station Akrotiri, more commonly known as RAF Akrotiri , is a large Royal Air Force station, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a...
, Episkopi Army Garrison and Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
. Each district has its own District Commissioner. The British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
community provides the majority of girls, but Guiders are often from the expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
community.
Germany
In 2007, Germany had 4 Divisions, 12 Districts, 1 Senior Section, 15 Guide Units, 22 Brownie units and 18 Rainbow units, ranging from HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.