The right direction

By Jo Wadham, The National

ABU DHABI – Perhaps – given the suffragette movement that reached its peak in England at the time – Lord Baden-Powell should have expected something out of the ordinary to happen at the first Boy Scout rally at Crystal Palace in 1909.

The previous year, the British Army lieutenant-general had effectively started the Boy Scout movement with the publication of his book Scouting for Boys.  Girls read it, too, and started trying the activities described in it.  One brave group crashed the rally and, asking for “something for the girls”, demanded to become Girl Scouts.

Lord Baden-Powell asked his sister, Agnes, to adapt his book for girls and, a year later, the Girl Guides movement was formed.  One hundred years on, more than 10 million girls and women are involved in Guiding worldwide, and plans are afoot across the globe to celebrate the centenary.  In Abu Dhabi, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section members will celebrate with a party tomorrow at Sparkys in Khalidiyah Mall.

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