Girl Guiding Bermuda is set for a major revival, according to the organisation?s Island Commissioner Denise Woodhouse.

She hopes to see the image, scope and direction of the Guides leap forward with the introduction of a new programme entitled ?GO FOR IT? ? and that this energy and direction will draw many more leaders into the organisation so that it can continue to be a shaping force in the lives Island girls well into the future.

Many of the Island?s most prominent women were once members of the Bermuda Girl Guide Association, Ms Woodhouse said.

?Research has shown that over 40 percent of all Bermudian women have been either a Brownie, Guide, Ranger, Sea Ranger or Young Leader and, in fact, many well known women within our community have been involved.

?For instance Sonia Grant, Dr. Deborah Tuzo, Elizabeth Christopher, Cheryl Ann Mapp, Rachel Emery Ann Spurling-Maule and Terry Lyn Thompson are just a small sampling of the doctors, lawyers, teachers and Rhodes scholars who have shared in Guiding, with each gaining the highest award, Queen?s Guide.?

Ms Woodhouse, who is better known as Woody, added: ?Many are still involved in the movement, a fitting tribute to its power and influence on our impressionable youth.

?At its heart, the Guide movement is about developing mature, confident, capable and caring females in a supporting structure that is full of fun, friendship and adventure and underpinned by spiritual and moral values.?

Ms Woodhouse, also a Queen?s Guide recipient in England, said that the skills learned in Guiding have helped her in many aspects of life.

?It is fashionable in some quarters to look at the Guiding movement as pass?, old fashioned, a relic of a past era,? she admitted.

?But I strongly disagree. Business, computer skills, teamwork, community spirit, adventure badges stand alongside the more traditional cook badges and camper badges.

?The ?GO FOR IT? team projects are on a variety of subjects, which will introduce the group/unit/patrol to a new skill or experience.?

But while there are exciting, new initiatives on the horizon, Guiding Bermuda is facing a number of pressing challenges that must be overcome, she added.

?Firstly Asser Hut, the Island headquarters, is in dire need of renovation ? these costs being in excess of $50,000,? Ms Woodhouse said. ?Instead of just appealing to the generosity of overseas companies registered in Bermuda, it was felt that we as a group needed to take up this challenge and raise all the funds dollar by dollar ourselves.

?Each girl, be they a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, Ranger or Young Leader is contributing their time and effort to achieving success one cup cake or raffle ticket at a time.?

This fundraising movement began last month when Guiding Bermuda held the first Guide Fund Raising Fair, at St. Paul?s Church Hall, in Paget. The event was opened by Lady Vereker, its Honorary President, and was supported by Hamilton Town Crier Ed Christopher.

?The event allowed the public to not only support our young people, but to also receive more information and see our girls in action,? said Ms Woodhouse.

?It was coupled with a car wash, which was set up by the Bermuda Boy Scouts who were raising funds to travel to the World Scouting Jamboree in England to celebrate 100 years of Scouting.?

Secondly, Guiding Bermuda will be undertaking a major recruitment drive to find leaders for its programmes and encourages all women over 25 to consider taking up this call.

A shortage of leaders in Great Britain has led to a waiting list of 50,000 girls hoping to register with Guiding. Many parents there now register their children at birth.

?Bermuda too is suffering this malady with three units ? St. George?s, Trinity in Hamilton Parish and Southampton ? recently having to close Brownies due to retirement,? she said.

?There are a further three (units) in jeopardy next year. Some areas of the Island, including Somerset, St. George?s and Southampton, do not have a Guide Unit at all. So consequently those girls too old for Brownies have no choice but to leave (Guiding).

?Our once only thriving Ranger unit of over 30, all of whom received their Duke of Edinburgh Award through Guiding, has declined to single figures due to leadership issues,? Ms Woodhouse added.

?The lack of leaders is due to the fact that women are now so busy with careers and running homes ? often as single parents.

The perception of a ?compensation culture? may also put off some volunteers. But Bermudian women are trying to juggle a multitude of tasks in a minimum amount of time.

?I completely understand this dilemma because I too am a single mother, who has a full-time business career and I?m also also involved in a variety of other organisations.

?At present our leaders include nurses, teachers, accountants, Police and Customs officers, retail and office staff, almost all are mothers with one Rainbow Leader having three children under six.?

However, it is not all gloom and doom, as a new Guide unit has opened in Hamilton and Rainbows are coming to Somerset.

?This coupled with our long-standing leaders with thriving units continue to offer Guiding principles Island-wide,? Ms Woodhouse said.

Having taught at the CedarBridge Academy in the past, Ms Woodhouse would also love to see a Ranger or Young Leader Unit developed in both senior schools.

?Experience has shown that guiding is a great resource for girls trying to find themselves at this often difficult age,? she said.

?So we are now reaching out to the community for assistance and help and we hope that more women over 25 will come forward.

?You don?t have to have any skills, after all if you are an adult, you already have a wealth of knowledge to pass on. We ask for a positive outlook, willingness to learn and to be prepared to have fun.

?It is hoped that all the present promotion will see more women with a couple of hours on their hands volunteer and assist.

?As our community grapples with its myriad of social problems, we should remember that these girls are the future mothers, employees and hopefully leaders of our Island,? said Ms Woodhouse.

?One of my favourite quotes that I used at a recent Guide meeting states, ?If the boat won?t come into the harbour, we shall just have to swim out to it.?? Well the tide has finally turned and we are swimming out one stroke at a time.?

n Girls and young women who are interested in becoming involved with Girl Guiding Bermuda, either as a participant or as a leader, should contact Carol Hall in the office on 292-0675 or send an e-mail to girlguidesnorthrock.bm.