Bahrain

Promise:

Girl Guide Promise

On my honour, I promise that I will do my best:
To do my duty to God then my country,
To help other people in all circumstances,
To obey the Guide Law.

Brownie Promise

On my honour, I promise
To do my duty to God then my country
To help other people every day especially my parents
To obey the Brownies’ Law

Law:

Girl Guide Law

1 A Guide’s honour is to be trusted.

2 A Guide is loyal to God, her country, her parents and to all those who are older than she.

3 A Guide’s duty is to be useful and to help others.

4 A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every other Guide.

5 A Guide is courteous.

6 A Guide is a friend to animals.

7 A Guide obeys fully the orders of her parents, the head of her division and her team’s leader.

8 A Guide smiles under all difficulties and accepts them with patience and perseverance.

9 A Guide is thrifty and economical.

10 A Guide is pure in thought, in word and in deed.

 

Brownie Law

Honest-faithful-useful-polite-friendly-kind-obedient-smiling-economical-clean

Motto:

Be Prepared

Age groups:

Youth Committee 18 - 23

Senior 16 - 18

Guide 12 - 15

Brownie 7 - 11

Development of the movement:

The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain was formed in 1970 when Guide
companies were started in three secondary schools. By 1973 additional groups and six Brownie packs had been set up in primary and intermediate schools. The Association, one of the few organizations for girls in Bahrain, continues to expand and benefits from the support of Sheika Noura Isa Al-Kalifa, the daughter of the Emir. All companies and packs in Bahrain are attached to schools.

Programme:

The programme aims to prepare Bahraini girls to be useful and active citizens. It is designed to meet the needs of the country and includes duty to God; sincerity and respect for other people; respect for all living things and responsibility to oneself. Much of the programme is based on ideas taken from the WAGGGS’ publication which has been translated into Arabic. Each age group has a specific programme encouraging members to develop creative abilities.

Relationship to society:

Members of the Association carry out a variety of service projects, including the distribution of equipment and dissemination of information during a national health week. Guides also help to organize an annual traffic week, offer help in hospitals and nurseries, visit the elderly and disabled and hold a weekly entertainment for orphans. For three years the Association has participated in a programme concerned with the health of teenagers, including reproductive health, and takes part in seminars to discourage smoking. It also participates in the programmes and camps of the ‘Friends of Diabetes’, and has undertaken a three-year child welfare project in co-operation with the Child Welfare Centre (supervised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) from 1987 to date. The programme focuses on entertaining the children and supplying necessary clothing and toys.

The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain organizes fundraising activities to support the Bahraini Guide Fund which helps the underprivileged.

In 1973 the Association established a national literacy programme. This ongoing programme has proved highly successful, particularly during 1990, International Literacy Year.

The Association distributes Eid (feast) dresses for the poor every year. The Guides also visit different villages every month to check all medicines and inoculation certificates.

Communication and Co-operation

Guiding is well accepted in the country, and the public recognizes the contribution that it has made to the development of girls and women. All the Association’s activities are reported in the newspapers.

Bahrain has published many books on training, camping, outdoor activities, environment, fundraising and handicrafts, including translated documents.

Leaders have attended many international camps in different parts of the world, as well as attending Arab Jamborees with their Guides and Brownies. In 1988 Bahrain became the home of the Arab Regional Bureau for Girl Guides, when the Bahraini Chief Commissioner was elected as Secretary General of the Bureau from 1989 to 1999.

Training:

The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain shares a training centre and facilities with the Scout Association but training sessions are held separately. The Association has a training team responsible for preparing the training scheme and supervising its implementation. Basic training is held for new leaders and Patrol Leaders, and refresher courses for experienced leaders. Training is carried out at regional and national levels, and Bahraini Guides also participate in Arab Regional training events. The Association is interested in training young leaders through the Youth Committee.

Bahrain is now able to translate material from the World Bureau and other Member Organizations into Arabic. This has enabled the training team to learn from the example of others, and has greatly improved the quality of training in Bahrain.

Outdoor and Environmental Activities

Camping activities in Bahrain are often linked to service projects and are seen as being important in training girls in self-confidence and enjoyment of nature. The Association promotes environmental awareness through tree-planting projects, and cleaning public gardens and beaches. The first outdoor camp in the area took place over four days. A National Camp takes place annually. The Girl Guides Association of Bahrain takes part in the international annual coastal clean-up and the annual ‘Clean the World’, a international world tidy sponsored by UNEP.