The Girl Guides Association of Jamaica (GGAJ) is the Guiding

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...

 organization of Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

. It served 5,903 members (as of 2006). Founded in 1915, the girls-only organization became an associate 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...

 in 1963 and a full member in 1966.

History

Girl Guiding was introduced to Jamaica by Miss Clare Messias in 1915. After Jamaica's independence in 1962, the Jamaican Girl Guides remained a branch of the United Kingdom's 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...

 until July 17, 1967, when the Girl Guides Association of Jamaica was incorporated.

A scission of the association led to the formation of the Girl Scouts of Jamaica

Girl Scouts of Jamaica

Girl Scouts of Jamaica is a Christian faith based Scouting organization for girls in Jamaica founded on August 5, 2008. The girls-only organization is a member of the Order of World Scouts....

 in 2008.

Program

The association works in three age-groups:

• Brownies - ages 7 to 11
• Guides - ages 10 to 16
• Senior section - ages 14 to 20

One focus of the program is the prevention of AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

.

Ideals

Guide promise

Scout Promise

Since the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout promise or oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribed to a Scout Law. The wording of the Scout Promise and Scout Law have varied slightly over time and from country to...

I promise that I will do my best

To do my duty to God

To serve the Queen and my country and help other people

And to keep the Guide Law.

Guide Law

Scout Law

Since the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout Promise or oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribed to a Scout Law...

1. A Guide is loyal and can be trusted.
2. A Guide is helpful.
3. A Guide is polite and considerate.
4. A Guide is friendly and a sister to all Guides.
5. A Guide is kind to animals and respects all living things.
6. A Guide is obedient.
7. A Guide has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties.
8. A Guide makes good use of her time.
9. A Guide takes care of her possessions and those of other people.
10. A Guide is self-controlled in all she thinks, says and does.

Guide Motto
Be Prepared