Giving her members a voice is aim of new Guide commissioner
ENCOURAGING girls and young women to have their own voice will be a big part of the role of new Bailiwick Girlguiding commissioner Colette Merrien during her five-year term of office.
She has taking over from Sally Carmichael.
‘We’ve grown more towards environmental issues and community and developing the girls individually, giving them more freedom to be individual,’ said Mrs Merrien.
‘We will be embarking on meeting all of our goals to do with inclusion and diversity and trying to give the girls life skills and voice their own opinions.
There are more than 450 Guides in the island, and Mrs Merrien will be prioritising increasing membership during her term.
Since becoming a Brownie as a child, she has run a Rainbow unit for children aged five to seven, acted as a Guide leader, an adviser to other Rainbow leaders and supported young women in completing their Queen’s Guide award.
For the past five years she has been the district commissioner for units in the north of the island and has been a member of the island executive team that manages Guiding locally.
She said that Girlguiding has developed and changed since she first became involved.
‘I find it more challenging in so far as what we used to do was unique, like climbing and camping and kayaking, but now the schools do all of that as well, so that’s what is different now, we’ve changed from being pioneers in that respect. But the main ethos remains the same and the promise guides us through,’ she said.
Leaders are in the process of planning an activity day on Guiding around the world, as well as an island-wide event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and tree planting as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
‘It was an honour to be asked to take on the role and I am really looking forward to working with all our volunteers, girls and young women and hope to visit as many units as I can.
‘We want to continue to take Girlguiding forward, ensuring that our leaders feel supported and our girls can participate in a whole range of fun and exciting activities,’ said Mrs Merrien.
Anyone who would like to know more about volunteering or joining up can find details at www.girlguiding.org.gg.
