Mission CED – celebrating 95 years of guiding and 60 years since the end of World War II

Girlguiding Cambridgeshire East was thrilled to receive a Home Front Recall grant of £6,400 from the Big Lottery Fund to facilitate our second Annual County Event, this year held at the Imperial War Museum Duxford (IWM) last Saturday, 2 July.

1500 people came to Mission CED (Cambs East Duxford), from the 5-year-old Rainbow born in the 21st century, to the Trefoil Guild member who saw service as a Guide or member of the Armed Services during World War II, along with extra parent helpers. We celebrated 60 years since the end of World War II and 95 years of Girlguiding UK.

The staff at IWM gave us a large area beside the American Air Museum where we created Mission Control - our own activity base with marquees - just for one day. Here we put on a wide range of activities, with something for everyone. These were themed to reflect what Guides and Brownies did during the war years, demonstrated and led by our older members, and using constraints in materials as would have been experienced at that time. Alongside these were up-to-the-minute activities to celebrate guiding today. A display from our own archive material showing the range of services that our members undertook during the war years, ran alongside a slideshow of guiding today.

As well as the activities at Mission Control the girls could explore the rest of the museum with specially devised quizzes. Older girls could ride in a tank, while the Duxford Radio Society had a steady stream of customers trying out Morse code.

The Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony formed a focal point at lunchtime. Baden-Powell Challenge Awards for Guides, Long Service Awards, Guiders’ Warrants and Appointments and Thanks badges, with two members receiving the Anglia Brooch from Region Chief Commissioner Tricia Dundas. County Commissioner Rosie Spencer was awarded the Brooch for dedicated service to guiding in the County and in our Region, Girlguiding Anglia and Mavis Middleton for outstanding courage and fortitude in the long recovery from a serious road accident last year. The Commissioners of the twelve Counties are also the Trustees of Girlguiding Anglia and, as such, have responsibility for the well-being of guiding throughout our Region. Rosie’s Annual Report on County activities in 2004 was illustrated by two Brownies talking about their 90th birthday, a Guide’s first experience of camping, and two Senior Section members’ different perspectives on international visits. The report also likened the service given by Guides and Brownies during the war years to that still given by our membership today, showing that our ethos is still the same, that the Promise and Law are at the core of everything we do, and how we move with the times, offering a vibrant programme to the girls of today - whenever that today is.

The Giant Sleepover
1st Ely Brownies decided to combine their Pack Holiday in June this year with ‘The Giant Sleepover’, an event sponsored by BT to enable youth groups and schools to raise money for Childline and for their own organisation. A record–breaking 100,000 youngsters took part this year, with over 24,000 members of Girlguiding UK helping to raise valuable funds.
 
Sixteen Brownies, four adults and a Ranger from 1st Ely slept Friday and Saturday night at the Methodist Church Rooms in Ely. Their theme this year was ‘On safari with the Lion King’. They made lots of safari and jungle related crafts, played bingo and beetle, took part in a town trail, attended morning service at the church and paraded in with their flag, and had a safari tea party. They had lots of fun and helped to raise £45.00 for Childline as well as helping to beat the world record for the number of children sleeping over on the Saturday night. The photo shows the Brownies wearing safari visors that they made, an idea that Guiders Tina and Sheila brought back from a training they attended last year at Hautbois, our Region Centre in Norfolk.

Tina said, “This is a fantastic event for our girls to take part in. It’s amazing to think that around 24,000 Brownies and Guides took part to raise valuable funds for Girlguiding UK and other charities”.

Girlguiding Littleport says Thank You!
Grenville has been a staunch supporter of guiding in Littleport for as long as his wife Margaret has been involved  - over 30 years.  Until last year they owned the greengrocers in the village and had one week off every year for their summer break. They always used that week to take the Guides to camp. Grenville is an indispensable member of the team at camp; he would be on hand whenever he was needed for ‘back room’ type of things as well as standing in for Margaret on occasion: he is very good at campfire singing and organising games. He knows everyone worth knowing in Littleport and often comes up with the answer when units are looking for a field for a cook-out or someone to come and talk to the girls about something, particularly to do with the history of the village. He is the churchwarden and has got the unit involved with church activities - whether it's climbing the tower, having a historical tour or helping out at the church fete. Division Commissioner Judith says, “Grenville is one of those people who very quietly gets on with supporting us, always going the extra mile. We publicly thank him for all he does for Guiding.”