As Girl Guides around the globe celebrate 100 years of World Thinking Day, Second Histon Brownies welcomed some very special visitors. Former Brownie, Lucy Callington went along to meet the Brownies of all ages.
Every year on 22 February, Girl Guides throughout the world mark World Thinking Day. It’s a day that reminds young girls and leaders that they are part of something much bigger than just their local troop – the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) – a community of 10 million girls across the globe.
2026 marks a remarkable 100 years of World Thinking Day and this years’ theme is Our Friendship. With that in mind I head along to 2nd Histon Brownies to witness that friendship in action…
Cherished memories
At the unit meeting at the Baptist Church, there’s a table covered with Brownie items from the last six or seven decades – a real journey through time. There are old handbooks, badge books, uniforms covering at least five eras of Brownies and yellow ‘neckers’ and brown hats in different shapes and sizes.
The excited Brownies come in clutching pennies which they are going to use in an activity and have been joined by three special guests. Three local women who used to be Brownies back in the 1950s and 1960s, have come to share their memories of their time in Girl Guiding with the troop.
Brown Owl, Sue Free tells me: “The aim of our ‘history’ session is for the girls to find out what Brownies use to be like, and to get an understanding of the continuity of Girl Guiding over more than 100 years”.
The ‘older’ Brownies – Joy Bemrose, Jan Payne and Julie Wilson – are keen to swap stories with the girls and join in with a game led by the unit’s young leaders – in which the girls need to match Brownies from around the world with their correct continent. It’s a tricky task all round!
Julie shares that she was among the very first Brownies in 2nd Histon shortly after the troop was set up in the in the 1960s, while Joy was a Brownie in Lincolnshire from 1967 to 1971. Joy’s favourite memory is of having a turn shaking a tambourine covered with ribbons at meetings in the local Brownie Hut, while Julie remembers going on days out and outings with fondness.
Jan Payne was a member of 18th Cambridge pack from 1960-1964 in Arbury, and remembers chilly meetings in a temporary wooden hut, and regular uniform inspections from Brown Owl!
If the cap fits
Next up there is a fashion show with some of the girls trying on the old uniform, and the older items are a far cry from the modern comfy t-shirts, hoodies and joggers our modern day Brownies are used to. Most striking is the evolution of headgear – from stiff beret to woolly bobble hat to baseball cap.
The girls look brilliant in the brown tunic dresses of the 60s, 70s and 80s – although they are made of much stiffer fabric than the girls are used to.
Jan remembers the long yellow necktie well. She says: “We had to know how to tie it up correctly with a reef knot, and Brown Owl would check it at the start of each session – to make sure we were smart. You couldn’t take your promise if it wasn’t right!”
“We also learnt how to make a sling from the triangular fabric, just in case someone happened to break an arm!”
Julie remembers the pockets on the dress and that you always had to have a two-shilling coin on you to make a phone call in emergencies!
Later uniform featured a small purse on a belt in which you had to carry a specific selection of items including a piece of string, coin, safety pins, a handkerchief and pencil ready to ‘lend a hand’ in all eventualities!
First Class Brownies
The Brownies have a go at penny rubbing, cleaning and polishing up their pennies with everything from coke to lemonade. These will also be a donation to the World Thinking Day Fund, helping girls and young women around the world to thrive.
The girls also try out some of the activities that Brownies had to do in the past to get their ‘First Class Brownie’ award including fitness tests, knowing how the Union Flag is put together, and a quiz on the natural world. Trying out the Grand Howl – a special welcome for visitors remembered by Jan – was another highlight.
As a former Brownie myself (bobble hat era) it has been brilliant to take a trip down memory lane. Sue agrees, saying: “It has been so lovely to share our meeting with our visitors.
“The girls have loved hearing about what Brownies used to get up to, try out some traditional activities and see all the uniforms and badges they used to have”.
Sharing her joy at the experience, Jan adds: “I really enjoyed having the chance to join in with some of their activities and to help them think about Guiding being a truly international movement”.
Visit What’s World Thinking Day? | Girlguiding for more details.
READ MORE: Twice as nice for Histon’s Girl Guides | HI HUB; A super sleepover for girls with big dreams | HI HUB
