Bermuda’s Girlguiding community held a church service and parade yesterday to celebrate the role its organisation plays around the world.

Hundreds of former and acting Girl Guides and Girl Scouts gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity to celebrate World Thinking Day.

Cathy Bassett, a leader in Girlguiding Bermuda, said the event had as its theme “Our story”, which recognised the evolution of the group and the role that Bermuda plays in its history.

Ms Bassett added: “What we’re trying to do is bring our history back so at least the girls are aware of how girl guiding was in the past.

“It was just to let everyone know that girl guiding has come a long way and we wanted to celebrate it through song, through dance and inspirational music, as well as poetry.”

Girlguiding is Britain’s largest youth organisation for girls and aims to develop their skills and character through various activities.

Girlguiding Bermuda, a regional member, is made up of the Rainbows for girls aged between 5 and 7, Brownies for girls aged between 7 and 10, Guides for girls aged between 10 and 14 and Rangers for girls aged between 14 and 18.

During the ceremony yesterday, the leader of the First Pembroke Brownies recited a poem, Footprints in Pink Sand, which highlighted Bermuda’s culture and history.

It was followed by a song and dance by the Francis Patton Rainbows and First Devonshire Brownies.

The First Sandys Guide and First Somerset Brownies gave a presentation on the Sargassum Sea around Bermuda and its importance to the ecosystem.

The audience, which included veterans from the girls’ clubs and supportive members of the public, were later quizzed on their Bermuda knowledge.

The Somersfield Academy Rainbows and Brownies both performed a song called A Quest for Unity, before the First Paget Brownies recited a poem of their own.

The ceremony ended with former and acting Girl Guides renewing their pledges, before the Girl Guides marched to the flagpole on Front Street to lower the Bermuda Girlguiding flag.

Girlguiding UK is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

There are more than ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in more than 153 countries.

The event marks the four-year celebration towards two milestones — the 100th World Thinking Day in 2026 and the association’s 100th birthday in 2028.

Ms Bassett admitted that Bermuda Girlguiding numbers had suffered during the pandemic and never properly recovered.

She added that the organisation had trouble retaining group leaders.

Ms Bassett said that the group was doing more to recruit leaders, including working alongside the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport.

She said: "We are in desperate need of more leaders.

“We’re not looking at age — it could be grandmothers, it could be stay-at-home moms. We welcome any person who wants to come along and help.

“We’re even asking the gentlemen if they want to come and help us with the bookkeeping or if they want to be drivers when we have field trips.”

• For more information, visit the Bermuda Girlguidingwebsite