Early Days

In the beginning a very courageous and adverturous small group of girl's from various parts of London and nearby Counties including Berkshire and Hampshire attended the The First Rally of Scouts being held in the Crystal Palace London. When Robert Baden Powell known as "The Chief" saw them he asked "Who are you", the reply "We're the Girl Scouts", B.P.replied that Scouts was only for the boys. In return the girls pleaded "something for the girls please". he answered "I'll think about it" and indeed he did.

A Company of Guides at about that time were formed here in Poole Dorset
They called themselves the "Rose Patrol"

When asked some years later who started the Girl Guides his reply was

"They started themselves"
which we did but with a little help from his sister

Agnes Baden-Powell, our first President

Together they wrote The(first) Handbook for Girl Guides

How Girls Can Help
To Build up the Empire"

As you can see from the following photos taken in 1912, in spite of long skirts and an atmosphere of a general disaproval, "girls did not do these things", The 1st Bournemouths, Princess Louises Own Guides did They took up the challenges set out in the first handbook and tried every thing,
and as you can see we still do and enjoy lots of these activities, but therre are some we would not be allowed to do now.

Can you spot them?