My Guiding Story by Mrs Bebe Huang

Guiding is one of the best things that happened to me. I became a Guider as a teacher. Guiding taught me so much – showing concern, sharing, appreciating the things done for each other, lending a hand, and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. My greatest blessing is my Guiding friends. They are always there for me, just a call away. Although I retired from teaching in 1995, many of my Brownies still call and visit me. A few of them are grandmothers now! We often talk about our Pack Holidays together. Personally, I loved Pack Holidays. The Guiding memory that always puts a smile on my face are our ‘Pow Wow’ discussions and preparations ahead of the camps. We had to choose the themes, songs, menus, games, crafts, etc. Till today, they still remember learning skills, like bed-making, table-laying, serving, housekeeping and simple kitchen chores. My entire Guiding experience has been very enriching and satisfying.

My Guiding Story by Mrs Gladys Chia

From mid-1950s to 1969, I was a Brownie, Guide, Lieutenant and Captain of 1 st Katong Company. The multi-faceted skills I learnt from my Guiding days have served me well over the years. My most vivid Guiding memories are of camping and endless outdoor activities that brought out my spirit of adventure. We became adept at pitching tents, making gadgets and stoking fires for cooking and campfires. Each blazing campfire gave way to pitch darkness and time to gaze in wonder at constellations in the star-studded night sky. We held midnight feasts quietly under canvas. We were lulled to sleep by chirping crickets and woken by golden oriole’s melodious morning call. Our interactions with nature taught us to respect and protect the flora and fauna around us. Miss Pike, my captain, taught us to leave nothing behind but our footprints. We learnt to properly bin trash and bury anything biodegradable before we left a campsite. I hold dear the friendships forged through Guiding. Our links and camaraderie continues with each Trefoil Guild activity I attend. Together, we visited Our Chalet in Switzerland in mid-2016. There’s no better way to bond in our golden years!

My Guiding Story by Mrs Wong Hoe Eng

It was 1933. I was at the C.E.Z.M.S. School tennis lawn, engrossed in watching a 5 th Pack Brownie who had completed all her tests step up onto a low bench; she stretched out her arms sideways and walked towards the cheering 5 th Coy Guides! My Guiding journey started that day after witnessing the ‘Flying Up’ ceremony and accepting Brown Owl’s invitation to join the Brownies. Four years later, when I turned 12, I joined the Guides Unit under Captain Norah Inge. I learnt much from earning my 1 st Class badge, All Round Cord and Camper’s Licence, and serving as Lieutenant, Captain and Acting Chief Commissioner in 1965. We contributed to many Guiding milestones in the ‘60s: the opening of the new Guide House at Clemenceau Avenue; the introduction of a new Trefoil and amended Policies, Organisation and Rules (POR); Singapore becoming a member of WAGGGS; and, celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Singapore Guiding in 1967 with a Brownie Revel on Thinking Day. I remember receiving the Oak Leaf Award in 1959 and attending the Chief Commissioners’ Conference at Foxlease, UK in 1966. Through its Promise, Law and the 5-point programme, Guiding has inculcated values and skills for character-building and nurtured girls to become responsible citizens. Thanks be to God for sustaining and blessing the Movement. May the Light of Guiding continue to shine brightly!

My Guiding Story by Ms Christabelle Alvis

As many British families were stationed at Singapore’s naval base during the 1950s, the Admiral’s wife approached my mother – who was then North Division Commissioner – to start Guiding for their girls. HQ Trainer Ms Chan Nah Moon, my mother and I visited the North Zone schools to recruit new Brownie and Guide members. 6th Coy became 2 units – 6th A and 6th B Coys – to better meet the needs of European and local girls. I became Guider of 6th B Coy. The Admiral’s wife formed a Local Association – comprising primarily of the girls’ parents – to further support Guiding, Guiding gave me so many fulfilling experiences and fond memories. We held many weekend camps at Pamela Hall in Sembawang; we even introduced a camping shield to boost camp skills excellence. In August 1965, we were camping in Jurong when news broke about Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. We all had to return home immediately for fear of political unrest. As a young Guider, I led 36 Guides to Manila and 30 to Melbourne for International Camps. Melbourne was very cold even in summer; many Guides felt homesick and refused to eat. To keep summer flies from our food, I tied a mosquito net to a tree for the girls to eat under. Guiding is truly inclusive as every girl is accepted and respected. We had several deaf and mute Guides from Canossa Convent; we used simple sign language to communicate and they even danced and “sang” along to campfire songs! We even helped a girl whose parents refused to let her go swimming because a fortune-teller had predicted that she would drown. I took a long time to persuade her mother and assured her daughter’s safety. The girl later achieved the Swimmer’s Badge and even went on to lead groups to Malaysia for snorkelling! I made many good friends in Guiding, like Mdm Chan Siok Fong and Mrs Segaram whom I worked with on GGS’ first Policies, Organisation and Rules (POR).

Free Being Me Festival in India

“Loving yourself is a wonderful thing. Learning to love yourself, together with a group of friends, is a life-changing experience. I count myself fortunate to join 200 members of the worldwide Guiding family at the ‘Free Being Me’ Festival in India (DATE?). It was my first trip to Sangam and to India, so I didn’t have any idea what to expect. On arrival, I was overwhelmed by the friendliness and hospitality of the staff. The attendees were very supportive and encouraging as we celebrated and spread the word about the importance of body confidence and self-esteem. The Festival programme gave us with a unique platform to share ‘Free Being Me’ with children from a local school. The children, aged between 6 and 10, were very welcoming. Communicating with them was easy, even though we all spoke English with different accents. One incident that left a very deep impression on me happened during the ‘Changing the Media’ activity, which required the children to brainstorm ideas for using the media to promote body confidence. A group of children – without much prompting – drew a poster that included writings in Hindi and Marathi. I felt very motivated on seeing that the children not only understood the ‘Free Being Me’ messages, but that they were a powerful channel to reach out and make a difference in their communities. The Festival was one-of-a-kind-experience. It not only reminded me to love myself for who I am, it also showed me the importance and joy of sharing this important message with others. I will treasure this experience and the memories!”

FBM @ World Scout Jamboree 2015

“I felt very privileged to represent Girl Guides Singapore at the World Scout Jamboree 2015 in Yamaguchi, Japan. With 34,000 global participants, the event offered so many opportunities to promote the FBM programme to the Scouting world. Prior to Jamboree, I had only conducted FBM workshops for girls in my Unit. The boys and girls participated eagerly as we facilitated the workshops on body confidence and self-esteem; we could see the positive impact this would have in their lives. It was such a memorable learning experience for me, personally and professionally. I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life!” Mufeedah Bte Senin Guider – Changkat Changi Secondary School & FBM Volunteer Trainer

Juliette Low Seminar 2015

Ms Wendy Rong, an International Committee member, joined 50 other Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from 46 different countries at the Juliette Low Seminar (JLS) 2015 at Sangam, India. Themed “Dream. Dare. Do.”, the seminar offered many unique challenges to stretch the attendees. The two-day “Dare” themed activities were the most exciting and adventure-filled. The girls were grouped in threes to explore the area without a local guide. They were armed only with a map, some pictures and addresses of places, and some tips on rickshaw transportation and foods to avoid. The girls navigated successfully around train stations, parks, farms and temples. On another day, attendees were asked to choose an activity from a list of 39 options, including abseiling from a water tower, holding a snake and public speaking, amongst others. This challenged them to try out something new and to overcome their fears. Some participants took on multiple activities; for example, a Girl Scout from Taiwan decided to take a local bus to a neighbouring area, in addition to keeping silent for half a day! To open their eyes to new perspectives, Dr Neela Onawale – founder of Deep Griha Society, which is a Girl Guides India community partner – shared about the challenges faced by women in India. The attendees were deeply inspired to hear about how she and her husband pursued relentlessly their dream to start a small clinic in the slumps and grow this into a large organisation serving the needs of women and children. Wendy concluded, “This Sangam experience has to be one of the most memorable moments in my life. I now understand better what international Girl Guiding is and highly recommend Sangam to others seeking to experience both India and a different Guiding experience. I hope for the chance to visit other World Centres and to meeting more friends from all around the world!”

Service Learning to Girl Guides Cambodia

Growing up reading Harry Potter, I found it fascinating that one of the Weasley family’s daily household chores was feeding chickens – something unfamiliar to us living in urban Singapore. Spending five days in the village of Takeo showed me a whole new world. It was refreshing to engage with children whose faces aren’t hidden behind screens – which is quite typical in Singapore. They were friendly and sociable, even with ‘strangers’ like us. When participating in the craft and game activities or sampling our Singapore snacks, we could sense the children’s joy, excitement and gratitude. This warmed our hearts immensely. Simple things lifted their mood. They didn’t seem to own very much, but they were constantly happy. It made us realise that affluence and technology can impact our lives, in both good and not-so-good ways. Having plenty makes us take things for granted. We forget to appreciate the things and people around us. For example, after agonising over the lack of Internet connectivity, we saw that it really wasn’t a necessity. Just like the urge to constantly check our phones, these habits keep us from meaningfully engaging with people and ourselves. By ‘disconnecting’, we found ourselves venturing to try new things – like joining mini-expeditions to explore our surroundings! By the fifth day, I was in love with life in the village. I hope to visit Takeo again. Who knows, I may even retire there one day! Ang Yip Zao, Young Adult