GGS Cookie Gifting Project – Full Story

The GGS Cookie Gifting Project has been specially designed with the dual purpose of raising funds to support GGS’ mission of developing girls, as well as enabling us to give back to the community.

Generous donations towards our Limited-Edition Tropical Bird Chocolate Mint Cookies allowed us to gift the cookies to healthcare workers at SGH during Nurses Day on 20th July as a way of thanking them for their unwavering support and dedication.

GGS would like to extend our thanks to corporate donors who supported our corporate cookies sales and via Giving.sg in 2022.

GGS Corporate Cookies are available at $25 per tin. Orders of 60 tins and above enjoy free delivery to one location.

To find out how the GGS Cookie Gifting Project can extend your company’s CSR efforts, please email ggscookies@girlguides.org.sg.

GGS would like to thank our Corporate Donors : Collins Aerospace, F1 Auto Cars Pte Ltd, Far East Organisation, Ho Bee Land Limited & NTUC FairPrice.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

GGS’ December Cookie Drive

Girl Guides Cookies came back to the forefront of GGS fundraising activities with public sales at selected NTUC outlets across Singapore. Over 3 weekends, Brownies, Guides from 18 schools, along with GGS staff, committee members and Young Adults, joined hands to sell more than 2000 tins of cookies. See our girls in action as they learnt new skills and stepped out in confidence for a good cause!

 


President for Girl Guides Singapore Dr Seetha Subbiah supported our sales effort at NTUC Clarke Quay Central. Ms Eunice Olsen , Founder and CEO Eunice Olsen Media, who was a Girl Guide before, popped by the booth to buy some cookies .

 

CHIJ Secondary School at Fairprice Finest Centrepoint
 
 
Nanchiau Primary School at FairPrice Finest Waterway Point
 
 
Sengkang secondary school girl guides all happy after selling out all cookies at Fairprice finest waterway Point
 
 
SCGS at Fairprice Finest Centrepoint
 
 
Whitley secondary school guides at Fairprice Xtra @AMK Hub
 
 
Beatty Secondary School at Fairprice Xtra @ AMK Hub
 
 

National Day Parade 2022 Special Feature!

We are 14 days away from NDP ‘22! The Uniformed Groups members are very excited to be back, participating in person at the parade!

Meet one of GGS’ Contingent Commanders, Batrisyia Izzah Binte Abdul Rahim. She’s a member and Peer Group Leader in our Young Adult (YA) Branch. Did you know that Izzah participated in NDP2018 as a Guide? 

“Participating in NDP is something that I have been longing to do again after 2018. It is a huge honour to be able to represent GGS in this year’s parade. Being able to re-live the NDP journey again is a wonderful privilege and joy to me. 

The NDP experience is different from everything else I have experienced in Guides. It is certainly packed with both happy and stressful moments. I also get to apply what I learn in Guides, everything from foot drill to helping others, and being resilient when the going gets tough.”  

How different is it being a contingent commander?

“Being a contingent commander takes participation in NDP to a whole different level! I’m now the one leading, instead of following. There are more things to remember and execute, and more people to coordinate and cooperate with. I have had to interact and communicate with the other UGs’ contingent commanders. 

Another lovely highlight is the chance to meet and get to know different people, in particular friends in YAs and Charmaine.

Being back here in a familiar space to spend time with my juniors from West Spring Secondary School is no doubt a big bonus. I’ve had few opportunities to interact with them since I have graduated, so I’m glad there’s time during the rehearsals to get to know them. Being able to march with them at such an important event is certainly a very special part of my Guiding journey. 

I’m grateful that through GGS, Girl Guides and YA, I can have such wonderful NDP experiences and memories!”

#NDP2022 #StrongerTogether #Majulah

Mental Health Advocacy Badge Programme

Mental health is everyone’s business. Awareness on mental health is important in order to remove stigma and extend help to those in need.

Girl Guides Singapore will be launching a new badge programme on Mental Health Advocacy in January 2021, supported by Temasek Foundation and with training provided by the Institute of Mental Health.

The Mental Health Advocacy badge programme is created for the Guides to equip them with the mental health knowledge and skills as well as support them to initiate ground-up mental health projects to increase mental health awareness among their peers, family and community. We want our girls to be mindful of the current situation and become responsible citizens who will take action to change the world by advocating for mental health to improve the lives of others.

Get to Know Our New Chief Commissioner – Mrs Koh-Teh Yi Wen

On 8 August 2020, Mrs Koh-Teh Yi Wen was officially appointed to the role of Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Singapore. Let’s find out more about our new Chief Commissioner and her plans for the Guiding Movement in Singapore in the coming years and beyond!

1. What do you value? 

The first line of the Guide Promise – “I promise to do my best” – resonates deeply with me. In life, we are often faced with many challenges. What is most important is that we commit to doing and giving our best, no matter what happens. We learn to look forward at all times and strive of what lies ahead.

 

2. We know that you have been in the Guiding Movement since your Primary School days as a Brownie! What kept you going over the years?

Guiding has impacted my life in a big way and developed me into who I am today. Having experienced first-hand how Guiding can make a difference, what I want to do is give back to this community in whatever way I can. Over the years, I have developed friendships with many volunteers, staff, Guiders and even girls. Volunteering with them makes Guiding even more fun and fulfilling.

Looking back, whilst Girl Guides hadn’t been my first choice of CCA, I’m really glad I went ahead and did it anyway! It has set me on this meaningful lifelong adventure of learning, exploring and giving back. I’m enjoying it all!


Yi Wen with other sister Guides at Ayrwaves Camp in Scotland

3. Being a mother of two, a Year Head in Fuchun Secondary School and Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Singapore, must bring challenges as you juggle different roles and responsibilities. How do you manage all this?

I’ve been blessed with a very supportive network of friends, colleagues and family members. Being able to seek help when needed and when everyone chips in, everything works together more easily. Together, we are able to do a lot more. In GGS, I believe that the strong collaborative spirit and support from volunteers, staff and Guiders will enable the Guiding Movement to move as one towards whatever objectives we set out to achieve.

 

4. Please share with us some areas you will be focusing on and where you see the Guiding Movement in a few years’ time and beyond. 

The Covid-19 situation has brought about unexpected opportunities for GGS. For example, it has challenged us to think out-of-the-box to develop even more attractive and relevant training and proficiency badge programmes for both girls and leaders.

Looking ahead, a major focus is to empower our girls by developing their leadership mindsets. This will equip them to become agents of change who will create greater positive impact within and beyond the Guiding Movement. I also hope to enhance the capacity and capability of our volunteers and staff so that we can reach out to even more girls and young women. This Guiding Movement offers so many different and unique programmes that are designed to benefit girls and young women, regardless of their age or interests.

 


Yi Wen with Guiding sisters she grew up with

 

5. Anything you would like to share or communicate with our members? (Guiders/Volunteers etc,) 

There is so much we want to do at Girl Guides Singapore to develop girls and young women to reach their fullest potential! If you were once in Guiding or believe in our vision and mission, we hope you will consider contributing your time and talent as a volunteer. To find out more about opportunities you can support, please visit www.girlguides.org.sg or drop us an email at queries@girlguides.org.sg – we would love to hear from you!

Remembering Mrs Wah-Chuah Teng Siew (1936 – 2020)

 
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Mrs Wah-Chuah Teng Siew passed away peacefully on 3 July 2020. One of our most dedicated and inspiring leaders, Mrs Wah spent more than 65 years actively volunteering with and serving Girl Guides Singapore.
 
Mrs Wah’s Guiding journey started in 1955 as a Lieutenant in a Guide Company.
 
 
Through the Movement, Mrs Wah learnt life and leadership skills. They equipped her as she faithfully served the Movement.
 
 
Between 1984 and 1990, Mrs Wah assumed the role of Chief Commissioner to provide leadership to the Movement. Before that, she also served as a HQ, District and Division Commissioner.
 
 
Thereafter, she continued to serve by sharing her time and expertise across different roles, including Commissioner for Shop and Membership, as well as Committee Member in WAGGGS Asia Pacific Region Committee and International Committee. Mrs Wah was very passionate about the international aspects of Girl Guiding.
 
 
 
 
She worked hard to profile Singapore, creating international opportunities for members in GGS. Mrs Wah believed that all Girl Guides should have some form of international exposure and organised and conducted seminars and workshops for Guiding sisters in the Asia Pacific Region.
 
 
Mrs Wah’s presence is not just felt within the Movement. As the GGS representative in the steering committee of the National Camp from its early years, Mrs Wah has played an instrumental role in shaping the National Camp. This biannual camp that unites the 9 Uniformed Groups in Singapore, is now in its 16th year.
 
Mrs Wah has shown us that lifelong friendships are made in Girl Guides and great women leaders can be shaped through Girl Guiding.
 
 
A devoted champion of developing girls and women to reach their fullest potential, Mrs Wah will always be remembered for her work ethic and how she treated everyone around her. From fellow committee members to volunteers, staff and girls, she was always generous with her ideas, kind and respectful – the kind of person we all aspire to model ourselves on. Her twinkling eyes and signature wide-smile never failed to warm our hearts and lift our spirits.
 
 
Mrs Wah’s passing brings us deep sadness, but she has also shown us the timeless possibilities of Girl Guiding. Thank you, Mrs Wah, for your loyal friendship and for being our Guiding Light. Go well and safely.
 
Here is our tribute to our late Chief Commissioner, Mrs Wah.

 

Resources: Promoting Inclusiveness

Keeping busy with your GGS Circuit Breaker Badges?

 

GGS has just uploaded new materials to help Guiders and Girls promote inclusiveness and bonding across people of different backgrounds, generations, and abilities. Opportunities can be found all around us, starting with the many different frontline workers who support our society by providing essential services!

 

To help you along, we have prepared some simple activities that girls can work on, individually or in collaboration with parents and siblings. Resources that enable us to express our appreciation and show our respect for people around us can be found here.

 

Stay tuned – GGS will feature original art works by Guides and Brownies, featuring stories of our healthcare heroes!