A friend of mine has been a Brown Owl at Girl Guides for years and despite the strain, still looks young enough to get asked for ID when buying drink. (Not that she'd let the guides near her booze or be drunk in charge of a woggle but I digress)
Anyway. she got peeved about religious discrimination in "Girlguiding UK". No, this isn't a story about a guide wearing a veil, it's about discrimination against those with no religion. Apparently, you can get into Girlguiding UK as an atheist but there's what you might call a "canvas ceiling". Unless you promise to "Love God", you cannot attempt the Baden Powell Challenge, be a Queen's Guide, become a full adult leader in charge of a Unit of Rainbows, Brownies or Guides, or become a Commissioner.
Our former colonies such as Canada and Australia have very sensibly dealt with this by requiring only that you take a spiritual journey which may or may not end up in religious belief.
So what does a British girl do? She writes a stiff letter to The Times of course! And it gets published - see here - subscription required.
If you are a member or a friend of Guiding, or if you have a strong opinion on the issue then please write to chq@girlguiding.org.uk, / Jo Hobbs, Head of Guiding Development, Girlguiding CHQ, 17-19 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PT.
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1 comment:
You're awesome you are.
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