October 2003

We’re going to be doing a project on the Victorians next term at school so, in preparation, we’ve been told to write about someone famous born during Victoria’s reign who has had some influence over our lives today. Tricky one!

“Charles Dickens,” suggested Mum, without lifting her head from the book she was engrossed in. Well, it’s true, I do love to read, but I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever read any Dickens books, although I’ve seen several versions of “A Christmas Carol” on the television. The only influence that story had on me was to give me nightmares about ghosts!

“Alexander Graham Bell,” suggested Dad, dialling the golf club. Well, I have to say that I don’t know how the world survived before telephones were invented – and think about not having access to the Internet – but could I honestly write an interesting article about this man?

I decided to check out the collection of encyclopaedias Nan had given us when she moved house and, after much deliberation, I decided to write about Florence Nightingale. You know me, I’m all for glorifying women wherever possible. Mum always says I would have been a Suffragette if I’d been born in that time!

I was feeling quite pleased with my choice until I went to school the next day. It appeared that half the class had had the same thought I had! Back to the drawing board…

It just so happens that it was also Brownie day that day. The cupboard where we store all our Brownie bits and pieces was in such a mess that the toadstool fell out on Brown Owl’s head when she opened the door! So Genie and I volunteered to tidy the cupboard while the rest of the pack played games and sang campfire songs. We really didn’t mind - and it earned us both a couple of Brownie points for our sixes.

The cupboard was jam-packed with all sorts of regalia - from paper and paints for our creative moments, to dressing-up clothes for our dramatic moments, to photograph albums for our reflective moments. In fact, there were all sorts hidden in that cupboard - including (what seemed like) millions of books. Badge books, art books, cookery books, first aid books, song books - you name it, it was there, along with hundreds of back copies of Brownie magazine. And that was when I found it - a dusty biographical book about our founder - Lady Olave Baden-Powell. Well, I couldn’t resist having a quick flick.

Lady B-P had been born in 1889 - definitely during Queen Victoria’s reign - and, as a young woman, had married the somewhat older founder of the Scout movement. Sadly, it wasn’t until eight years after Victoria’s death when six girls invaded a Scout Jamboree at Crystal Palace, which brought about the formation of the Guide Association. I bet Victoria would have been a Guide, just like our present Queen, Elizabeth, was. With 650,000 members of the organisation today, I reckon Lady Baden-Powell definitely had some influence over our lives today. Don’t you….?

If you want to find out more about Brownies and Guides in your local area why not visit their excellent web site:

www.girlguiding.org.uk