After almost 100 years of service and commitment to guiding young girls into being young women, The Bahamas Girl Guides Association is looking to rebrand itself in hopes of attracting more girls to the club with a two-day National Assembly.

Under the patronage of Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, The Bahamas Girl Guides Association will host its Sixth National Assembly at the Sybil Blyden Centre on Dolphin Drive.

Under the theme, “Empowering Girls, Growing the Association, Impacting the Future,” some 50 members of the association will address issues of policy, programming and rebranding the association.

Chairperson of the event and Assistant Chief Commissioner Louise Barry said the association wants Bahamians to know that the organization is not just about selling cookies, but is about impacting lives.

“Our first real session is about our image. Often times we hear people [ask] is guiding still around? You still do guides? [Or,] when are you going to have cookies?

“It seems nowadays, we’re synonymous with cooking selling, but we do far more than that,” Mrs. Barry said.

In discussing the way forward, Mrs. Barry stated that the girls will have a voice in what the new guide year will hold for them.

“This National Assembly is extremely important because all of our stakeholders will be represented and when we have break-out groups.  We will ensure that they are grouped such that the girls’ voices are heard, the parents and sponsoring body voices are heard,” Mrs. Barry said.

“It is extremely important that we have our girls present.  This is the one forum that allows our girls to have a direct voice in what the outcomes are, the decisions that are made.”

Moving forward, Mrs. Barry also noted that a part of this weekend’s national meeting will be to discuss an active plan that would bring more girls and sponsors into the association.

“We’re looking at what we think the public sees us as and where we need to be,” Mrs. Barry said.

“Our vision is that we be the organization of choice in The Bahamas for girls and young women.”

Chief Trainer for the association Elma Garraway noted that the Girl Guides is the only association that is taking the steps and initiative to ensure that girls grow into young women with standards and morals.

“There is something that no other group is doing.  Perhaps, other than Sunday School, is to develop persons of worth, who understand the relationship of God to the environment, to their personal lives, to serving others and by living a life of morality,” Mrs. Garraway said.

“I think most of what is going on in the world is due to a lack of a guiding compass, a framework for people’s lives and standard by which all people can live.

“Whether we’re talking about the littlest people of Sunflowers, or Brownies, where our large number is, but it is that guide age range from 10 to 15 [years], where you have the challenges of growing into an adult where we have not progressed the way we should have.”

Mrs. Garraway further noted that the committee is hopefully that during the National Assembly discussions will lead to the association preparing more leaders and good role models.

The National Assembly will take place June 23-24 with the opening ceremony planned for Friday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The delegates will be challenged by the guest speaker, a former Girl Guide and leader, former Senator and educator Dr. Jacinta Higgs.

This follows the registration at 4:30 p.m. and a much anticipated first session when delegates will explore all matters relating to “Growing Guiding.”

Delegates will include the President Anita Bernard and other council members, chief commissioners and other commissioners, leaders, Ranger Guides and Girl Guides representatives from Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros, Exuma, Cat Island, Long Island, Inagua and New Providence.

Parents, heads of sponsoring bodies, principals, teachers and persons interested in becoming leaders are invited to the opening ceremony.

Saturday sessions are scheduled to address the revision of the policies, organization and rules of the association, agreement of the new uniform for the Girl Guides and the approval of a new programme to include activities to assist girls and young women to cope with current societal and global issues.