12 Girl Guides qualify for Chief Commissioner’s Award

NEXT YEAR, 12 local Girl Guides are expected to receive the Chief Commissioner’s Award, which is the most prestigious and internationally recognised award in Guiding.

Last Friday at the Coutts Hall of the Girls’ High School (GHS), the 12 nominees, all of the No.1 Kingstown Girl Guide Company, completed the exhibition component of the award.

In the exhibition, the girls presented projects and achievements completed during their fouryear guiding journey.

The 12 Girl Guides up for the award are Tamika Miguel, Jeshari Munroe, Paige Cadogan, Taylor Oliver, Tiyana Roberts, Keonna Simon, Khyala Huggins, Chayil Cyrus, Camille Welcome, Trudi Quashie, Bernique Haynes and Kristine Branch.

Guider Tamira Browne said the nominees have shown tremendous growth in their personal development and community leadership. The final stage of their award journey is for them to participate in an international guiding event in the upcoming months.

Browne said that getting to the final year in guiding exhibit takes dedication, discipline and a lot of hard work.

“So today you see several projects they prepared over a four-year period and they received several awards along the way, so they have all of that on exhibit, pictures and keepsakes,” said Browne who added that 15 girls started, but three dropped out.

Commenting on her journey, Bernique Haynes said that she was overwhelmed to have made it to the Chief Commissioner’s Award.

“It has been a hard journey to get the projects done on time, but it is all worth it because of the amazing time we had together,” Haynes told SEARCHLIGHT.

Her exhibition included a pen pal record with a guide from another country and a project on local herbs and medicines among other things.

Another nominee Paige Cadogan said she was very proud to reach this far. “I am very happy that I got to show my work to everybody and show what you can achieve in guides. Some parts were hard work but worth it because of this award,” said Cadogan.

She had on display, a collage of photos showing her guiding and academic memories, as well as brochures which highlighted violence against women and a recycling project in which plastic bags were used to create sleeping mats for homeless people. Keonna Simon displayed memorabilia from her guiding experience. She had a camp scarf with signatures from her guide sisters in Anguilla. She also had on display a gold award she received for singing and a pen pal project among other things.

“It took a lot of energy and knowing how to manage time. I feel happy that I was really able to accomplish all of this” Simon said.

Commenting further, Guider Browne said that the Girl Guide handbook states the criterion needed to complete the Chief Commissioner’s Award challenge. She encourages other guides to take up the challenge.

Also, on Friday, several Girl Guides received Awards for outstanding achievements. Adia Daniel, Halei Williams-Douglas, Alyssa Trotman and Tamika Miguel received awards for being exemplary at their various year levels.

Jirahmae Kennedy, Trudi Quashie, Fernicia Serieux, Keonna Simon, Camille Welcome and Halei Williams-Douglas received year one awards, while year two awards were given to Kristine Branch, Khyala Huggins, Jirahmae Kennedy, Tamika Miguel, Keonna Simon, Alyssa Trotman, Trudi Quashie, Camille Welcome and Halei Williams- Douglas.

Year three awards were presented to Paige Cadogan, Khyala Huggins, Tamika Miguel, Jeshari Munroe, Taylor Oliver and Keonna Simon while Year four awards were presented to Paige Cadogan, Khyala Huggins, Jeshari Munroe, Taylor Oliver and Keonna Simon.