When a handful of girls gathered amongst 1,000 Boy Scouts at the Crystal Palace Rally, Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement saw the need to start a Movement for girls. Agnes Baden-Powell, his sister, and later, Olave Baden-Powell, his wife, led the Girl Guide Movement.

1st Coy of Girl Guides in Singapore.

The Singapore Girl Guide Movement started as a District of the Malayan Girl Guides Association. Our first Unit was registered at St. Mary's Home (the former residence of Tan Yok Nee). Later, Units were registered at Raffles Girls' School, Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Church of England Zenana Missionary Society School (now St. Margaret's Secondary School). Our first Brownie Pack was started on Pulau Ubin. Mrs J. Cavendish, Chief Commissioner for Malaya and Singapore (1917-1934) donated the Cavendish Shield to stimulate interest in Guiding. Guides from St. Margaret's Secondary School and St. Hilda's Girl's School won the Cavendish Shield for Singapore.

Miss Jessie Kilgour

Miss Jessie Kilgour, first District Commissioner of Singapore (1928-34) encouraged Malay girls to join the Movement. She also started Brownie programmes at St. Andrew's Orthopaedic Hospital.

Our Headquarters cum Training Centre, "The Hut" was built at Buyong Road . It was also used as a meeting place for Open Units.

Mrs J.L. Wilson became the Commissioner for Singapore. The Hut was restored.

As the number of Girl Guides grew, our Movement was structured into 4 districts: Central, East, North and West. We sent our first overseas Guide contingent to attend the international Friendship Camp in Perth, Western Australia. Lady Hone, Commissioner for Singapore, organised the first post-war Guiders' Training. She actively promoted Guiding in English, Malay and Chinese language-medium schools and started a Guide company in the leper colony. She was succeeded by Lady Lloyd.

The Singapore Girl Guides Association separated from the Malayan Girl Guides Association and became a Branch of the Girl Guides Association of Great Britain.

(From left) Lady Brind, Mrs Edna Mason, Mrs Myra Cresson and Mrs Norah Inge

A fifth district, Serangoon, was formed. The Colony Commissioners who promoted Guiding till Singapore attained self-government were Lady Brind, Mrs Norah Inge, Mrs Edna Mason and Mrs Myra Cresson.

Chinese speaking Guide units were formed in Nan Hua Girls' School, Nan Chiao Girls' School and Nanyang Girls' School.

Commissioners, Trainers and Guiders were increasingly drawn from the Chinese, Eurasian, Indian and Malay communities as part of a programme for localisation of leaders. Our Trefoil Guild was registered for former Guides to return to serve our Movement.

Our first Sea Ranger Crew SRS Terror was formed at the Naval Base in the North District. A Gurkha unit was formed at Slim Barracks, West District.

(From Left) Puan Noor Aishah, Mrs Lily Emmanuel

Singapore attained self-government. Puan Noor Aishah, wife of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, became our President and Mrs Lily Emmanuel became our State Commissioner. The Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) of the Guide programme was revised.

The Guide Districts were redrawn into five Divisions: North, South, East, West and Central.

Singapore became a Republic. First Lady Puan Noor Aishah was installed as our Patron, Mrs Wee Chong Jin, our President, and Mrs Wong Hoe Eng, our Acting Chief Commissioner. We moved to our new Headquarters, Guide House at Clemenceau Avenue. The Guide enrolment exceeded 3,000 members with about 1,000 local Guides. "PP" (Pandu Puteri) replaced "GG " (Girl Guides) on the enrolment badge.

Brownie Revel at the Istana during the Golden Jubilee

Madam Chan Siok Fong

Madam Chan Siok Fong was appointed our Chief Commissioner. With support from our Patrons, Puan Noor Aishah and Mrs Benjamin Sheares, and our Presidents Mrs Wee Chong Jin, Mrs Tan Boon Teik, Mrs Lien Ying Chow and Mrs E.W. Barker, changes were made to reflect Singapore's status as an independent nation. The Association's Constitution, structure, organisation, the Promise and the Law were revised. Our uniform, badges and emblems were redesigned. A Five-Point Programme was introduced and Guide and Brownie Handbooks were published. Cadet Lieutenants were introduced to help out with school units. The Trefoil Guild was revived. Non-uniformed members were encouraged to participate actively in the multi-faceted activities of the Movement. Scout-Guide Week was inaugurated. Footdrill, Musketry and Anti-Drug Interest Badges were introduced. We became a Full Member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

The Diamond Jubilee Rally

We celebrated our Diamond Jubilee with the theme "Today's Guides for Tomorrow's World" to provide impetus for the development of future programmes for the Movement.

1977-1984
Dr Eileen Aw was appointed our Chief Commissioner. With the support of our Patron, First Lady Mrs Wee Kim Wee and our Presidents che Mawan Wajid Khan and Mrs S. Dhanabalan, our Movement widened its concerns to include the old, the young, the environment and health. The Anti-Crime and the environmentalist Interest Badges were introduced. Special interest activities were organised e.g a nation-wide project to canvass for kidney donors and running a day-programme for children living in public housing estates. Unique fund-raising projects included working with the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board to paste stamps on one million tourist postcards that were sent worldwide. We sewed patchwork quilts, pillowcases, aprons and made handicrafts which sponsors bought to donate to welfare organisations.

1984-1989
Mrs Wah Teng Siew was appointed our Chief Commissioner. With the support of our patron, First Lady Mrs Wee Kim Wee and our Presidents Mrs S. Dhanabalan, Mrs Dorothy Lai and Mrs Lee Yock Suan, our Headquarters administrative office was reorganised. Rules and regulations governing International participation were streamlined. We celebrated the opening of our own campsite at Camp Christine, Jalan Bahtera.

1989-1994
Mrs Gan Siew Koon was appointed the Chief Commissioner. With the support of our Patrons, First Ladies Mrs Wee Kim Wee and Mrs Ong Teng Cheong, and our Presidents Mrs Lee Yock Suan and Mrs Wong Kan Seng, we hosted the 27th World Conference of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1990.

1992
In 1992, we celebrated our 75th Anniversary of Guiding with an International Camp. A series of projects were organised to raise funds for our new Headquarters at Bishan. The book "History of Guiding in Singapore" was published.

1994-1998
Mrs Ngiam Geak Kim was appointed our Chief Commissioner. With the support of our Patron, First Lady Mrs Ong Teng Cheong and our President Mrs Wong Kan Seng, we initiated "Guides-in-Service" for Guides to work for a period of time at welfare institutions. The Five-Point Programme was revamped and Handbooks were revised. Residential Training and Unit Visits were revived. Experiential Training for Brownie Guiders were introduced at Pack Holiday Trainings. We adopted the "6-year" project launched by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to build World Citizenship. Projects on Peace, Environment as well as Heritage and Culture were completed.

1998-2004
Mrs Yvette Cheak was appointed the Chief Commissioner. The Symbolic Lowering of Flag at the Headquarters was held on 30 Nov. The Symbolic Move to the new Headquarters at Bishan was held on 31 December.

1999
A total of 3000 members participated at the Thinking Day Rally at the Bishan Sports Hall. The new Headquarters Open House was held in conjunction with this event. The first camp and pack holiday was also held with the event. The theme for the year was Food and Nutrition.

Mrs Teo Chee Hean was installed as our President in May.

Our Patron, The First Lady, Mrs Ong Teng Cheong, officially opened the new Guide House cum Training Centre on 6th June.

Singapore hosted the Asia Pacific Workshop on Training and Programme Development at NACLI.

2000

A new record was set with 25 President Guide Awardees. Singapore also hosted the Round Robin Project 2000 from 9-16 December. It included adult leaders from Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong.

2001
The First Puan Noor Aishah Award presentation took place during the World Thinking Day Celebrations at Anglo Chinese School (Independent).

A Solar Cooking Competition was held in March, including a section for Brownies.

The Ministry of Education together with the National Youth Achievement Award Council co-organised the UG-NYAAC Green Project on 25 August.  A total of 1094 guides took part.

Trefoil Guild members together with the Young Adults, did a good turn at Mother Teresa’s Home (Missionaries of Charities) at Thomson Road.

2002

2004
Miss Yvonne Lim was appointed the Chief Commissioner (Acting).  On 16July 2004, the Registry of Societies approved the Association’s changein name from the Singapore Girl Guides Association to Girl GuidesSingapore.  This change then followed with a new trefoil design,launched at the Guiders’ Conference on 20 November.

The new trefoil and name embodies a fresh and vibrant spirit reflecting GGS’ boldness to reinvent itself and its determination to be relevant, focusing on the needs of the modern girl and woman. The new trefoil is designed to align with the World Badge, the unifying symbol of WAGGGS.

A special fund-raising walkathon was held on 4 July 2004 at Bishan Park II with Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Law & Ministry of Home Affairs, as Guest of Honour.

Ms Jan MacIntyre, Field Executive Trainer from WAGGGS Asia Pacific Region shared with the adult leaders on WAGGGS perspectives on Governance, Visionary Leadership, Responding to Change, Strategic Thinking, Accountability and Transparent Decision-Making.

The Inaugural BP Quest was held from 15-19 June 2004.  The teams comprise of local and overseas guides.  A total of 35 teams with 3 teams from the Asia Pacific Region – Thailand and Philippines - participated.

A retirement party was organized on 29 July for Ms Letty R Aranilla, former Executive for Asia Pacific Region, with WAGGGS.



2005
Miss Yvonne Lim was appointed Chief Commissioner in May 2005.

GGS collected ‘tsunami pennies’ ($1677.65) which went to help the Guides in Sri Lanka and Thailand affected by the tsunami of 26 December 2004. Two other humanitarian efforts, one, in aid of the Pakistan Earthquake victims was held on 22 October 2005 and another led by the East Division Commissioner, Mrs Regina Oon, for the tsunami victims in Thailand from 28 November to 5 December 05.

Mrs Teo Chee Hean introduced Camp Target 001 to promote the call for every Brownie and Guide to camp at Camp Christine, our very own campsite, at least once.

The first Camp FLAG (Fun, Learn And Grow) was organised by the YAs. Camp FLAG is an initiative to bring both Brownies and Guides together for a 3 day 2 nights camp.

A re-branding workshop conducted by Haq Centre was organized in July and the tagline chosen was: Be Prepared. Think it. Say it. Live it.

The recruitment video for Guides and Brownies was completed. The GGS corporate video was also completed.

Mrs Cristina Lim-Yuson, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Region Committee of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) visited GGS in August 2005. The Asia Pacific Region Training Pool had their induction programme in Singapore, at our Guide House, from 26 November - 4 December 2005.  

2006
The GGS Constitution was reviewed under the leadership of Ms Low Lih Jeng and the guidance of Mrs Owi Beng Ki. With effect from May 2006, the upper age limit of members of the Young Adult Branch was adjusted from 33 to 25 years.

GGS partnered Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports on Project 5G (Girl Guides Garner Granny Generation).  Spanning two years, Project 5G provided a structured and coherent programme to develop senior citizens as valued resources, and through sustained organized activities, achieve the desired outcomes of developing stronger inter-generational relationships amongst Brownies and their traditional /extended family members.

A two-day “Training the Trainers Course”  for the Asia Pacific region was conducted by Katie Cox, a Master Trainer from Girl Scouts USA. 

2007
GGS celebrated 90 years of Girl Guiding in Singapore. World Thinking Day celebrations on the national level was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 24 February 2007.  The International Committee commissioned a Guide from Methodist Girls’ School, Lydia Yeo to compose a song to commemorate the occasion.

On 30 March 2007, the 90th Anniversary Fund Raising Dinner was organized at the Conrad Centennial Singapore with President and Mrs SR Nathan as special guests.

On 19 May, our Patron, Mrs SR Nathan officiated the Investiture of a new President for GGS, Mrs Joy Balakrishnan.  Mrs Teo Chee Hean stepped down as President after serving GGS faithfully for the maximum three terms of office.

In September, Sophia Ng, one of our former PGA recipients from St Anthony’s Convent successfully completed a climb to the Baden Powell Peak in Nepal, making her the first Girl Guide and  Singaporean girl to do so.

Together with the Girls Brigade Singapore, GGS organized a seminar on Peace at Fairfield Methodist Secondary School on Saturday, 17 November.  This Partnership for Peace brings together the only two all-female Uniformed Groups in Singapore.

Stamps form part of a nation’s heritage and in partnership with the MOE CCAB, GGS was featured in a special UG Commemorative Stamps and First Day Cover in September.

With the assistance of the Singapore Totalisator Board, Camp Christine was upgraded from September to November 2007.

In partnership with Singapore Tourism Board, GGS organized a World Thinking Day Project Postcard on 6 November. More than 400 Brownies and Guides met in Guide House to write postcards together as part of Thinking Day greetings to sisters in Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting internationally.

For fund-raising to meet operations costs, a Carnival was held on Saturday 23rd June 2007 at the ‘Scape field, next to Orchard Cineleisure. The annual cookie sales was also brought to the wider community through sales at VivoCity, Capital Square as well as the Meritus Mandarin Hotel.

At the close of the year a Strategic Review of GGS was initiated by the President, GGS and chaired by Vice President Mrs Chua-Lim Yen Ching.

The year 2007 ended with our International Camp from 28 November to 2 December 2007 at Camp Christine.  There were a total of 360 campers (leaders and girls) from Singapore as well as 6 other participating countries, namely, Cambodia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Taiwan.