Girl Guides to play greater role

Businessman Ken Boyea has called on the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Girl Guide Association to play a greater role in the development of young women in the society. {{more}}

He gave this advice as one of the speakers at the Girl Guide Association’s retreat, which was held at the Tropic Breeze Hotel from March 17-18.

The eloquent Boyea outlined, “Women leaders are emerging all over the world, now more than ever Guides have a role to play. No Politician, no bureaucrat can make a bigger impact.”

He noted that too many young people lack what he described as “soft skills” where they are unable to answer telephones politely and dress appropriately for work. The entrepreneur noted that employers get workers who are well educated but who are not “workforce ready.” The businessman also noted that young people seemed not to care about simple, but crucial things like picking up a piece of paper that fell on the floor at their work place.

He complained that the country needs what he described as a SWAT team to teach people to speak properly, and that if this was not done urgently, young people who could not communicate well could not sell this country effectively.

Boyea also called on the Association to transform their image into one that can tackle issues affecting youth, girls and young women.

The former politician stressed that many young people have their morals and priorities mixed up and need guidance. He revealed that this was evident since a local business sold some 800 pregnancy test kits in one week. Meanwhile past Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association Jeanette France reminded the Guides that they are a part of a 10 million strong world wide organisation that can impact the local society.

She called on the members of the local association to market themselves by bringing to the forefront young ladies who have benefited from training at the organisation and have excelled in life.

France pointed out young ladies such as the Deputy Speaker of the House Rochelle Forde and Accident and Emergency Doctor at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Dr Simone Keizer as prominent women who could now excite and encourage other young ladies to join Girl Guides. The former Field Support Officer for the Western Hemisphere also called on Girl Guides to see themselves as a business that has to keep up with the times and issues affecting young women.

Third speaker at the retreat, Youth Officer Carlos Williams congratulated the movement for doing a lot over the years but also urged them to do more. He pointed out that while many young women in the society were getting educated and developing themselves, the males were continually left behind and now many females now find it difficult to get suitable male companions.

Williams encouraged the Girl Guides Association to balance the gender issues by helping the males while they are on their mission to develop young women since they would ensure a balanced society.

Boyea, France and Williams were all panelists speaking to members of the Girl Guides Association on the topic “The Impact of the Girl Guides Association in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.”

The theme for the retreat of the 92-year-old St.Vincent and the Grenadines Girl Guides Association was “Open the Door to Tomorrow and Let in a Breath of Fresh Air.”

Field Support Officer for the Western Hemisphere Region, Grace Goeda-Martin from Curacao was also in attendance at the retreat.