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The British
Girl Scouts
The British Girl Scouts were founded in
1909 and were the counterpart to the British Boy
Scouts, a Scouting organisation independent from
Baden-Powell's organisation. The attraction of
Scouting, not only captured the imagination of boys
but also that of girls. Not only did Girl Scouts exist
in 1909, but one letter to the Spectator on December
4th 1909 reveals mixed troops existed. In the second
edition of Scouting for Boys, the details of a girl
scout uniform were provided. Public criticism on the
issue of girl scouts was both sharp and vocal, leading
both Baden-Powell and the leaders of the British Boy
Scouts to avert criticism. Baden-Powell's answer was
the creation of a separate scheme in November 1909
'Girl Guides', leading to a separate organisation 'The
Girl Guides Association' in 1910.
The first recording of any official information about Girls
within the BBS was an announcement in 'Chums' the BBS
Journal published by Cassell & Co., January 5th 1910
stating that 'The British Girl's Nursing Corps' had been
formed which would be the generic heading of the Girl Scout
sections that had been until now attached to British Boy
Scout Troops. The Executive meeting had taken place in
December 1909, thus revealing membership of Girls in the
BBS late 1909. The British Girls Nursing Corps was placed
under a 'Chief Scoutmistress' and the Corps was governed by
the BBS Laws and controlled by the BBS Executive. The BBS
Executive had been under the same public pressure as the
B-P organisation and had offered a similar solution. By
June 1910 the Nursing Corps was of sufficient strength as
to be able to launch its own journal 'The British Girl
Nurse' and had established its own organisation separate
from the BBS.
Despite the directive of the BBS Executive, once Vane had
taken part in the leadership of the BBS, the solution for
the issue of girl scouts was no longer straight forward.
Sir Francis, as Commissioner for London in the B-P
Association would have had contact with the numerous Girl
Scout Troops which formed within his area. Tim Jeal author
of the Biography "Baden-Powell", Hutchinson, 1989, in
writing to the author on the subject of Girl Scouts notes
"It occurs to me that some of the very large numbers of
Girl Scout troops formed from 1908 onwards ....may have
been affiliated to the BBS" -letter dated April 8th 1986.
This would have owed itself to the defections to the BBS
late 1909. This suggestion of Tim Jeal's is confirmed by
Edward Shield (a researcher on the life of Sir Francis
Vane) in his notes sent to the author. According to these
notes towards the end of 1909, Sir Francis Vane introduced
a Girl Scout Troop into the BBS, which probably had been
organised under the B-P Scouts. This Girl Scout Company was
based at Brixton Hill London SW. They asked Sir Francis if
they could be renamed 'Sir Francis Vane's Own'. It was this
Company that attended the Knighthood ceremony at the Chapel
Royal of the Savoy in 1911. A second Girls Troop mentioned
by Edward Shield was at Toynbee Hall, where the Scouts
enjoyed the support of Harvey and Vane.
One factor that may be significant in relation to
defections from the B-P Scouts is the substitution of the
name 'Guide' for 'Scout'. Rose Kerr reports "The new name
was not received with any great enthusiasm by those who had
already styled themselves 'Girl Scouts' and many of them
felt that the scheme now proposed to them, with its
substitution of nursing and domestic duties for the more
boyish activities, was rather a watered-down edition of
Scouting" -Rose Kerr, The Story of the Girl Guides 1932
revised 1964, Girl Guide Association Page 35. The view
that, 'girls should not be scouts, and should be organised
on a separate basis under a differentiating title', was not
shared by Vane, and the 'generic heading' for girls work
within the BBS, may have been a compromise as the Troop
under Vane's name continued with the title 'Girl Scouts'
(as reported at the Ceremony at the Savoy Chapel).
The policy of the Executive may have been modified because
on March 30th 1910 the BGNC is described as 'This new
scouting girl movement' in "Chums". With the resignation of
the original members of the Executive Committee Vane's
views gained ascendancy with the Girl Scouts being
represented by that title in 1911 as part of the Order of
World Scouts, giving an indication that the Brixton Troop
did not exist in isolation. Despite Sir Francis' preference
for Girl Scouts, he also managed to carry over into the
World Scouts, the British Girl's Nursing Corps. The BGNC
was not connected with the remaining BBS after Vane's
departure. By 1914, as only the Girl Scout Troops remained
as the female counterpart to the boys work in the BBS, the
name 'The British Boy and Girl Scouts Association' came
into use in districts where Girl Scout Troops were present.
By 1928 this became the main title of the BBS under the
fuller heading of 'The British Boy Scouts and British Girl
Scouts Association', and modified in 1933, with the change
of name from 'The British Boy Scouts' to 'The Brotherhood
of British Scouts'. In 1993 the BBS restored the 1928 title
for regular use. The tradition of Girl Scouts started as
part of the B-P tradition continued, but as part of the
BBS, although they did not enjoy any wide representation
after the First World War, with the imbalance being
corrected in the last two decades with equal membership of
girls and boys, although within an organisation a fraction
of its former size.
A continuing tradition
The BGS continues as a Christian Scouting Association,
holding to the convictions the BBS leaders held when it was
first formed; avoiding bureaucracy, seeking to promote the
cause of peace, of being a Christian organisation.
The Christian commitment of the BGS is now framed within
the constitution "The Association is first and foremost a
Christian organisation and seeks to serve the Christian
Church as a means of advancement of the Christian Faith.
This is achieved through local Churches sponsoring BBS
& BGS Groups or Companies, in which leisure, education
and Christian influence are combined in an attractive way.
It can provide both an activity for Christian young people
and be the means of introducing young people to the
Christian Faith" Part 1 General Principles 3.1
Single sex troops of British Girl Scouts can be formed, or
co-educational Troops may be formed with British Boy Scout
members and British Girl Scout members included in a single
Troop.
Details gained from the documented history in the British
Boy Scout Archives.
FURTHER READING
Sir Francis Vane 'Agin the Governments' Sampson Low 1929 -
Vane's autobiography. John Springhall 'Youth, Empire and
Society' Croom Helm 1977 - for a picture of Edwardian Youth
movements. TIm Jeal 'Baden-Powell' Hutchinson 1989 -
details of the beginnings of the BBS and the role of Sir
Francis Vane.
