Guiding

Girl Guides

Meetings

Thursday 7.30-9.00pm in the Knockagh Hall

Age Group

Girls aged 10-14 years. Any girl aged 15 or over can stay on to become a Young Leader.

What do we do?

A typical meeting involved some aspect of fitness through games, patrol activities and individual work on a chosen themes for that night. Guides are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle by promoting physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. We want to increase awareness of global issues and of the contribution each Guide can make. Girls are challenged with new experiences and adventures and their self-confidence is developed to improve their interpersonal and life skills. We aim to promote active citizenship among Guides, developing their awareness of rights and responsibilities for all. Where possible we try to include a residential event during the year.

History

1st Greenisland Guide Company started around 1950 in the Knockagh Hall. Sometime during the 1960's the Guides moved to the Scout Hall off Station Road and still meet there.

2nd Greenisland Guide Company started in 1974 in response to the growing number of girls coming up from Brownies. It was started by Mrs Peggy Shaw (a daughter of Mr Patterson, after whom the Patterson Hall is named). Peggy had a long connection with Guides, being a Leader and a District Commissioner. Some of the Leaders during this period were Betty McCallum, Christine Canale, Jean Robson, Lillian McCammon, Jill Patterson and Elinor Henning. Guiding at this time was very active and expanding. The present Guide Leaders are Gillian Douglas and Heather Jackson. Robina Wilson started a Ranger Unit for older girls, but this no longer exists, girls of this age being catered for in the Venture Scouts.

Brownie Guides

Meetings

Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm in the Knockagh Hall.

Age Group

8-11 years old.

Activities

During the Brownie year, we try to ensure a varied range of activities which, hopefully, provide not only good fun but also teach life skills which can contribute into other organisations. We try to promote both moral and spiritual values as befits the Brownie Promise and Law, involving friendship, caring for others and ourselves, sharing, lending a hand, teamwork and co-operation.

Activities include netball, indoor hockey, various team games, dancing, craft nights and ten-pin bowling.

There are over 100 Brownie Interest Badges which mean practising and doing your very best on several topics such as safety, health, friendship, helping others, making things, the environment and fun out-of-doors.

We invite outside agencies to provide us with information e.g. the police, fire brigade and drug abuse agencies.

Campfire songs provide great merriment and we also learn hymns appropriate for Church Services when we participate.

Pack holidays and Day Trips are organised which enable the Brownies to put into practice some of the skills they have learned.

History

1st Greenisland Brownies started in 1943 and continue to meet in the Knockagh Hall under the leadership of Hayley McKenna.

Rainbow Guides

Meetings

We meet in the Knockagh Hall every Thursday from September to May from 6.00-7.00pm.

Age Group

4-7 years old.

Activities

At the Rainbow meetings the girls have lots of fun doing a range of activities including playing games, hearing and telling stories, making things, being out of doors, baking, singing and hearing about Jesus.

History

In the later 1970's a Bunny Unit under 2nd Greenisland Girl Guides was started for pre-Brownie age girls aged 4-7 years. Bunnies were later named Rainbows. Jane Cahill and Heather Jackson were leaders for a long time. The current Rainbow Leader is Yvonne Strange.