Silver Fish
Encyclopedia
The Silver Fish is the highest adult award in Girlguiding UK
. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding UK combined with service to world Guiding
. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarded to girls on completion of a number of badges, then via numerous stages to the highest award in the Guiding movement worldwide, and then on to its position as a Girlguiding UK award.
Around the time of the foundation of the Girl Scouts of the USA
in 1912, their handbook listed the Silver Fish as the highest honour in Girl Scouting. However, before anyone could earn it, the Golden Eaglet was introduced.
In October 1917, the award changed to being given for outstanding service to the movement. At this time, the design also changed from a whiting
with its tail in its mouth worn on a silver chain to a swimming fish worn on a dark and light blue striped ribbon.
The award became the highest in worldwide Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, but then changed to become a Girlguiding UK specific award.
Olave Baden-Powell
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in 1918, then the only one of its kind. In 1995, Betty Clay
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch.
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding UK combined with service to world Guiding
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarded to girls on completion of a number of badges, then via numerous stages to the highest award in the Guiding movement worldwide, and then on to its position as a Girlguiding UK award.
Award criteria
The Silver Fish is not earned, but given to those who are nominated and are considered worthy of the award. Recipients must be members of Girlguiding UK, have done outstanding service to Guiding in more than one capacity and made a contribution to world Guiding. Ideally candidates should be at least 18 months from retirement and have held an appointment within 6 months of the nomination.History
The award of Silver Fish existed from the beginning of the Guiding movement. It is mentioned in the November 1909 edition of the Boy Scout Headquarters Gazette in "The Scheme for 'Girl Guides'". Here a girl must pass seventeen specified efficiency badges. However, in Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls, also published in 1909, twenty efficiency badges were needed to obtain the Silver Fish. This was later reduced to fifteen and, additionally, good all round work was required. The award was considered a sign of a girl 'who could make her way upstream'.Around the time of the foundation of the Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
in 1912, their handbook listed the Silver Fish as the highest honour in Girl Scouting. However, before anyone could earn it, the Golden Eaglet was introduced.
In October 1917, the award changed to being given for outstanding service to the movement. At this time, the design also changed from a whiting
Merlangius merlangus
Merlangius merlangus, commonly known as whiting is an important food fish in the eastern North Atlantic, northern Mediterranean, western Baltic, and Black Sea...
with its tail in its mouth worn on a silver chain to a swimming fish worn on a dark and light blue striped ribbon.
The award became the highest in worldwide Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, but then changed to become a Girlguiding UK specific award.
Olave Baden-Powell
Olave Baden-Powell
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell, GBE was born Olave St Clair Soames in Chesterfield, England...
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in 1918, then the only one of its kind. In 1995, Betty Clay
Betty Clay
The Hon. Betty St. Clair Baden-Powell, Mrs. Clay, CBE was the daughter of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Olave Baden-Powell...
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch.
Recipients
- Safiya Abdel-Rahman (given 1965) Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl GuidesEgyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl GuidesThe Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Egypt. Scouting was founded in 1914 and was among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922, while nominally independent from Britain...
, also extremely active in sports for girls in Egypt - Vera Armstrong
- Nesta G. Ashworth née Maude http://www.bc-girlguides.org/welcometoguiding/history/history.html (given 1911 old-style [one of the first], also given 1920). One of the girls who showed up at Crystal Palace Rally in 1909 wanting to be Scouts. Later instrumental in the setup of Lone GuidesLone GuidesLone Guides or Lones are those Girl Guides and Girl Scouts who do not attend group meetings for a variety of reasons. They are organised into groups that keep in touch, for example, by letter or email. Members carry out their organisation's normal programme on their own as much as they are able....
.http://www.guidesvic.org.au/_uploads/516362_Guiding_Traditions.pdf - Rotha Lintorn-OrmanRotha Lintorn-Orman-Early life:Born as Rotha Beryl Orman in Kensington London, she was the daughter of Charles Edward Orman, a Major from the Essex Regiment, and her maternal grandfather was Field Marshal Sir John Lintorn Arabin Simmons...
- Olave Baden-PowellOlave Baden-PowellOlave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell, GBE was born Olave St Clair Soames in Chesterfield, England...
. Chief Guide. She received a special Silver Fish. - Gladys "Jim" Buntine (given 1966) Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia
- Mona BurginMona BurginAnnie Mona Burgin MBE , usually known as Mona Burgin, was a teacher and active in the Girl Guiding movement. She is principally known for her role training adults....
(1903–1985) (given 1945) Active in New Zealand and as a trainer internationally - Enid, Lady Burnham (1894–1979) Girl Guide Chief Commissioner for England
- Mary Chater Music advisor
- Betty ClayBetty ClayThe Hon. Betty St. Clair Baden-Powell, Mrs. Clay, CBE was the daughter of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Olave Baden-Powell...
. Active in Guiding in both Northern RhodesiaNorthern RhodesiaNorthern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
and England. Daughter of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. She received a special Silver Fish. - The Honourable Lady Cochrane
- The Honourable Beryl Cozens-Hardy
- Lady Davies
- Irene Fairbairn (given 1947) Chief Commissioner of Guides AustraliaGuides AustraliaGirl Guides Australia is the national Guiding organisation in Australia. It provides a girls only space and its mission is to enable girls and young women to grow into confident, self respecting members of the community. Membership is open to all girls and young women from all cultures, faiths and...
- Betty Fripp
- Dame Anstice Gobbs
- Dame Helen Gwynne-VaughanHelen Gwynne-VaughanDame Helen Charlotte Isabella Gwynne-Vaughan, GBE , née Fraser, was a prominent British botanist and mycologist....
(GBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
) (1879–1967) - Elizabeth HartleyElizabeth HartleyElizabeth Hartley OBE was active in the Girl Guiding movement both in the United Kingdom and internationally.Hartley joined the Guiding movement as a Guider in 1925. She was a Guider-in-Charge at Foxlease and also held numerous committee positions at a national level within the Girl Guide...
- Ruth Herrick, (given 1949)
- Gwen Hesketh
- Rose KerrRose KerrRose Kerr was a pioneer of the Guiding movement from Great Britain.She was one of the founders of the Rangers section of Girl Guides and was...
. One of the founders of the RangersRanger (Girl Guide)A Ranger or Ranger Guide is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 14 and 25. Exact age limits are slightly different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Rover Scouts-Early history:... - Alix Liddell
- Eleanor ManningEleanor ManningEleanor Manning OBE was a member of the Women's Australian National Services and became the most senior officer of the Australian Women's Army Service in the State of New South Wales...
(given 1954) Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia, World CommitteeWorld BoardEstablished in 1927, the World Board, originally World Committee, is a governing board for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts . Today, it is made up of seventeen active members of WAGGGS, all of whom are elected democratically by all member organizations at the World Conference...
of WAGGGS - Dame Joan MarshamJoan MarshamDame Joan Marsham was a British philanthropist and chairman of the executive committee of the Girl Guides Association from 1938 to 1948...
, chairman of the Guiding Association's executive committee for 10 years starting in 1938. - Margaret Martin
- Princess MaryMary, Princess Royal and Countess of HarewoodThe Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
- A. M. Maynard
- Lady PellattMary PellattMary, Lady Pellatt was the first Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada. She was awarded the Silver Fish.Mary Dodgson was born on 1857-04-16 in Toronto, Canada. On 1882-06-15, she married Henry Mill Pellatt, later Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. She was created Chief Commissioner of the...
(given 1922) first Chief Commissioner for Girl Guides of CanadaGirl Guides of CanadaGirl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928. As of 2006, the association had 116,206 members.-History:Mary Malcolmson...
(1912–1921) - Joyce PriceJoyce PriceLady Joyce Ethyl Price was a noted leader of the Guide movement in Australia and of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts .She was born in Nuriootpa, South Australia...
(given 1967) Australian Chief Commissioner, Chairman of the World Committee of WAGGGS - Shylie Katherine Rymill, (given 1948) . Australian Girl Guide Commissioner. Her son Henry Rymill was also involved in Scouting.
- Jean Helen St. Clair Campbell, Lady Stratheden and Campbell, CBE (?–1956) Girl Guide Chief Commissioner for the British Commonwealth (1949-1956)
- Violet Synge Chief Commissioner of England
- Verona Wallace Williamson
- Penelope Wood-Hill
- Rosa Ward
- Aline Fenwick OBE, (given 1985)