The structure of guiding – how things work!

Girlguiding UK stretches across the UK and comprises every Leader, Rainbow, Brownie, Senior Section member and so on with approximately 620,000 members. As it would be very difficult to communicate with this huge group, many more, smaller groups make up the structure of Girlguiding UK. Countries/Regions are comprised of Counties, which are made up of Divisions. Divisions are divided into Districts, which contain all the units of a certain area.

Smaller numbers in some areas may mean a level is left out, that is, a County may not have Divisions because it is small enough to allow effective communication between District and County.

The Countries are Scotland, Ulster and Wales. The Regions are Anglia, London and the South East, Midlands, North East, North West, the South West and BGIFC.

Commissioners

Each of these levels (District, County, Division and so on) has a Commissioner at the head of it. She acts as a two-way link between her level and the levels around her. For example, a District Commissioner will liaise with all the units in the District and with the Division they are in.

Your first points of contact will be the members of the group of which you are a member. If you are a Young Leader, this will be the Leaders of the unit in which you are working. If a Ranger, it will be your unit’s Leader. If a Lone Senior Section member, it will be your Lone Leader and so on.

District Commissioners

Up from this level is the District. Your immediate contact here is your District Commissioner. She should help establish links between you and other people in your area. She will need to know about holidays and so on that you may wish to plan, and she will want to ensure accounts are in order. She may have assistants who help her. There will be regular District Meetings so people can get together and discuss District issues. If possible, it might be a good idea (and even good fun!) to go along to one.

Advisers/Co-ordinators

Next up the levels is the Division and then the County. These offer support through Advisers/Co-ordinators who act as specialists in a particular area of guiding, such as a Senior Section Adviser.

Why not try and get to know her as soon as possible?

Chief Commissioners and Advisers

Each Country/Region has its own Chief Commissioner with a team of Advisers/Co-ordinators. Within this level there should be a Lone Adviser who will support all the Lone members of her area, for example, by ensuring each Lone has a Lone Leader who is well supported.

Country and Region Commissioners can be contacted through their relevant office. Take a look at the Contacts page for details.

WAGGGS

Girlguiding UK is itself a member of a larger group: the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). It spans over 140 countries and has literally millions of members. The countries of WAGGGS share the same basic aims and principles of guiding, working for the self-development of their members through programmes suited to their individual areas and circumstances. There are five Regions of WAGGGS: Europe, Western Hemisphere (the Americas), Asia Pacific (Asia, Australia and New Zealand), Africa and the Arab Regional Group (countries with Arab populations centred around the Middle East). Every three years, a World Conference is held, meeting to determine the policy of Guiding throughout the world.

Guiding is a worldwide group of girls and young women committed to common goals. Whether you want to concentrate on a large or a small scale, the structure is there to support you. Take a look at the Contacts page for details.