Groups of Girl Guides soon started in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and South Africa.Ī year later, the Girl Guide Association was officially established in the UK under the leadership of Agnes Baden-Powell, Lord Baden-Powell’s sister. Guiding was introduced that same year to respond to the specific needs of girls and young women. Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts, decided that there should be a movement too for girls. In 1909, a group of girls appeared at a Boy Scout Rally in the UK declaring themselves to be Girl Scouts. Historically, Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting were hailed as among the earlier feminist movements in the world. “It involves various age groups, and people from all walks of life,” she elaborated.Īccording to her, apart from being one of the uniformed movements in schools, there are three other Girl Guiding sub-groups with members doing community services: the ‘Trefoil Guild’, the ‘Clovers’ and the ‘Friends of Girl Guiding’. “Girl Guiding has everything – from working in and as a team and taking up leadership roles, to speaking out on issues that they care about. June described Girl Guiding as being ‘more than just a school’s co-curricular activity, done to add merits to one’s curriculum vitae’. “For myself: ‘Once a Guide, always a Guide’,” she said. “This is an organisation that embodies diversity and strives to contribute to society through volunteerism.
“I encourage all women to join GGAM, where the members are global citizens. The movement did not stop during the Covid-19 pandemic, said June, adding that they were able to coordinate the preparation and delivery of food baskets and pet aid to various communities throughout Malaysia. The working committee was able to produce a journal for the Trefoil Guild, so as to make it more accessible to the communities and at the same time, inspire more people to be part of the guild. “In holding my post and being one of the members, there have been many changes and plans taking place, all meant to improve the programme and activities in the Trefoil Guild under the leadership of GGAM’s chief commissioner Dato Jeyadhevi Subramaniam,” she added. She attributed the recognition to the guidance, inspiration and knowledge from many Guiders whom she had met throughout the years. June could never have imagined that one day, she would become the very first Iban to be elected to the GGAM’s national executive board. “The Guiding light was ignited in me as a Brownie, and it continued on when I became a Girl Guide, a Ranger, a Leader, a Guider, and a ‘Guide Mom’ – it still does up till this very day,” she told thesundaypost in Kuching. There’s never a dull moment each experience was a joy. “I always looked forward to tagging along whenever they went for any Girl Guide activity or camping trip. “I started at the age of four, having been introduced to it by my aunties and sisters – all very good in tying the rope knots and adept in survival skills. She remembers the fun and the adventure that she had being a Girl Guide. In fact, the Girl Guide Association in Malaysia (GGAM)’s national executive board member and the holder of the National Guild Commissioner’s post regards it as a ‘legacy’. THE Girl Guide movement is still relevant today as it has been over the past 100 years, insists June Angking. June (seated, centre) with participants of a course that she facilitated recently at the Selangor branch of Pandu Puteri Guild Trefoil.
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