Girl Guides, Brownies and Rangers

out the new Brownie House at Camp Fairhaven in 1971.

The first Mother and Daughter Banquet was held in 1964. This event closed out the year’s activities and every effort was made to make it a special occasion for the girls and their mothers. The Provincial and Divisional Commissioners, local Clergy, WI Executive and Local Association Presidents were guests. Golden Hands and Golden Bars, were presented to Brownies, and All Round Cords and Gold Cords (later known as the Canada Cord) were presented to the Girl Guides.

The 1St Dunstaffnage Girl Guide Company was formed in 1965 and meetings were held in Central United Church Hall and many events were held in Marshfield Hall. The first Girl Guide leaders were Captain Isobell MacCallum and Lieutenant Ethel MacCallum and included girls from Marshfield, Dunstaffnage, Bedford, Suffolk, Frenchfort and York. As in earlier times, the Court of Honor was given the responsibility of program planning, therefore the weekly meetings had a good balance of education, leadership training, and lots of fun and music at campfire. The Court of Honor consisted of the Patrol Leaders, Seconders and Guide Leaders.

Annual Events

To honor the joint birthday of World Chief Guides, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, February 22, an annual Thinking Day Tea was held. A feature of this event was the giving of pennies to the Thinking Day Fund. This was the children’s own fund and was used to encourage guiding wherever the need is greatest. Invitations were extended to people from other countries, who were living in the Community or attending University on the Island. The 15t Dunstaffnage Girl Guides were honored to welcome guests from Guinea, Hong Kong, Japan, France and the West Indies. The Guides would dress in costume and the occasion took on quite an International flare.

A Christmas Carol Sing was held for a number of years in Marshfield Hall with Sheila Fobes, Betty Gay and Mrs. McQuaid as accompanists. The Guides and Brownies offered Christmas crafts for sale and entertained the audience with music of the season.

Baden-Powell Sunday was observed annually with the 1st Marshfield Boy Scouts and Cubs. The

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service was held at York United, St. Columba Presbyterian, or Central United and Religion and Life Emblems would be presented by the local Clergy. When the service was held in York, the CGIT would form the choir.

In June of each year, a Mother and Daughter (later parent and daughter) banquet would close out the year’s program, as afore mentioned.

Special events would not have been possible without the parent support group known as the Local Association. Members of this Association tested the girls for badges, raised funds, provided food for teas and banquets, made fudge for Carol Sings and provided transportation.

Local Association Presidents: Sandra Birt, June Boswell, Velma Carmody and Maud Thompson.

Special Events

In June 1969, a simultaneous flag-raising ceremony was held at both Marshfield and Dunstaffnage schools, at the time of amalgamation of the two school districts. The Guide program placed a great deal of emphasis on flag etiquette such as raising, lowering, displaying at ceremonials, church services, and how to present and receive a flag and how to fold them for storage. The gold and blue of the World Flag is familiar to all Guides and is referred to as the Company Colors and displayed along with the Canadian Flag at Guide functions, including weekly meetings.

In July 1969, the 1st Dunstaffnage Girl Guides entertained a group of American Girl Scouts. They visited the Jolly Yankee Stock Farm, Marshfield, for horseback riding in the afternoon and a barbecue at Wood’s farm in the evening.

In the fall of 1969, the lst Dunstaffnage Rangers Group was formed under Captain Ethel MacCallum. This group was active for one year only. Rangers are girls ages fourteen to eighteen, and the change which took place in the school system at about that time, most likely influenced the success of the Ranger program.

February 1970, to celebrate 60 years of Guiding in Canada, approximately 85 Rangers, Guides, Brownies and Guides from Belfast and Dunstaffnage held a skating party at Pownal rink. Badges and awards were presented and a birthday cake was enjoyed. The Boy Scouts were special guests.