As I mentioned a few months back finding all my old Brownie and Guide badges ended up sending me on a bit of a journey back in time as I remembered more and more about what it was like being in the Brownies and Guides in the 1980s. One major part of this has been getting hold of a copy of The Brownie Guide Handbook version that I had at the time and boy has that proven to be a fascinating read!
As a child I was obsessed with this book. It covered everything I wanted to know, not only about the Brownies and how to achieve all the badges that I so desperately wanted on my uniform, but also various other random things that they obviously though young girls should know.
Amazingly there is a whole page on why you should cut your finger nails and not bite them. A whole page. One that even came with a picture of some of the Six emblems cutting the grass as they compare human nails to grass, as both often need cutting. It’s so old fashioned and quaint and I can’t imagine a book today including something similar, but as a young girl I thought reading about this kind of thing was so grown up. Nowadays children probably want to read all about make-up instead of something as boring as cutting your nails.
My real obsession though was badges. Whenever we did parades in the local park with other units I was always looking at how many badges other girls had on their uniforms and wanted to know how I could get more to sew on mine. This book became like a bible for me – it had full details of all the badges that you could get and exactly what was needed for all the interest badges. I never did earn that many, but as I lay in bed at night I was always trying to work out what I could do to get the next one.
Some of the language used when describing what Brownies can do to help others and serve their Queen is hilariously old fashioned, the particular gem really stands out:
“Now you are going to have another chance to serve the Queen. It is worrying to her that so many of her subjects have accidents and that the doctors and nurses are overworked.”
Without meaning to question the compassion of Her Majesty I have to say that I don’t quite imagine her sitting there thinking about what Brownies could do to help prevent household accidents and hence reduce the strain on the NHS, but then again maybe she was back in the 80s?
Were you in the Brownies or Guides back in the 80s? If so, what do you remember from that time?
Kirsty says
i loved my time in brownies. although it was in the 70’s we had the same handbook and uniform. and i shared your love for the book! i also loved badges and gaining them. for me i fondly remember knitting a baby layette for my knitters badge, making tea in a pot for my hostess badgeand laying on a Christmas show for DC fervour entertainers badge. things i fondly recreate in a more modern way for my brownies when i was brown owl myself!
Garden Mum says
I still have my old Brownie uniform. I particularly remember doing for my semaphore badge and working really, really hard on it. Not having had any cause to use semapore since I understandably don’t remember a single letter but I thought it was so important at the time because it was worth a coveted Brownie badge!
Mrs C says
Its funny looking back at all the things I was prepared to do to get a coveted Brownie badge too – but what I dont know is if children today would be prepared to go to such lengths for a badge? I hope they would, but certainly the way many kids are portrayed in the press Im not sure that they would. I hope someone can prove me wrong.
Kathvbtn says
Ah the pictures of the book bring back so many memories. I still remember how to be a GWU – a Good Washerer Upper – and the stories of how the Brownies came to be
As for badges, I remember making hospital corners on a bed in a scary old lady’s house for my House Orderly badge, and trying in vain to throw overarm for the Athletics badge
Mrs C says
Isnt it funny what we were all prepared to do just for a sew on badge!
fingertrip pulse oximeter says
Ah the pictures of the book bring back so many memories.
Sarah says
I was a Brownie in the 80s. I remember knitting squares for a blanket that may (or may not!) have been sent to Africa, and I remember thinking who on Earth would want a blanket made from horrible wool and full of holes and ladders!
I also remember learning to make cups of tea, and how to iron my yellow tie, and the dreaded Semaphore badge! (I never did get that badge…)
Mrs C says
Ah the funny yellow tie! I always wondered why it was such a strange shape and never did find out.
Becca F says
I too was obsessed with this book, it filled me with such joy. I’ve tried (in vain) to get a copy of this & I’d love to look through it again. Ah the halcyon days of brownies! 😉
Mrs C says
Ive seen quite a few copies on eBay so you may be lucky there…
Rachel says
In Australia we had the same book, but slightly different uniform. I loved my time in brownies and, being a creative child loved the stories and the six names like Elves, Pixies etc. My very first badge was Road Safety which the whole pack did. The poor policeman who tested me had to be a bit creative as well because of a disability I still couldn’t speak! I remember alot of demonstrations took place! Looking back, what was truly remarkable was Brown Owl made no exceptions to my disability, I was included in everything in a normal Brownie Pack. I even was a Seconder & a Sixer! I made my promise in 1970, when disability inclusion wasn’t so prominent. Brown Owl was truly a remarkable woman.
sam says
I run a local brownies unit. Well cleaning out our brownies shed I have found a lot of handbooks. I have kept a copy of each but still have a number of different ones if you still looking.
Mrs C says
Oooooh – Im definitely interested and have dropped you an email. Thank you for getting in touch!
Caroline says
Hi Sam,
Have you still got any handbooks?
My daughter joined Brownies just before Christmas 2013 and we went to a display from the local archives recently.
I would love to track down a copy of the Brownie handbook published from 1968/69 onwards – the one with the Borwnie wearing a beret.
When my daughter made her promise the leader had been let down by badges not arriving in the Christmas post, so I lent my Brownie promise badge to my daughter. I was wearing it to support my daughter and to remember all the fun I had as a Brownie. It made it such an emotionally charged moment!
Thanks in advance,
Caroline
Alison Dwight says
I was a brownie in the 1970s and was given my handbook when I made my promise in 1975. I was reunited with it last week when my sister decided to sort out her garage and there it was. Had a lot of fun reminising. I learnt so much from it at the time. I also have all my badges and tie which I have kept for nearly 40 years now plus the ladybird brownie guide book.
Penny Carr says
Oh how lovely! I’ve no idea what happened to all the Brownie books I had as a kid, so trying to remember what me had and then seek it out secondhand.
Victoria Perez says
Hi my name is Vicky, I went to St John’s Brownies on a Wed night in Winsford Cheshire, in the 1986 – 1989. I am looking for the white tape name of which Brownie pack you belong too.. Thank you P.s if anyone has one please could you let me know thank you
Victoria Perez says
Hi my name is Vicky, I went to St John’s in Winsford, Cheshire, in 1986 – 1989. What I am looking for if anyone could help me, is the white name tape the we wore on our arm to say which Brownie we belong too. So if anyone can help me or has one please could you message me please as I would be very greatful. Thank you.
Mel says
I was a Brownie in the 80s and loved it! I’m sure that as well as the handbook I had a yellow book full of useful hints and tips like how to make a bed with hospital corners and why you should use soap to wash with. Does anyone know what that book was?
Penny Carr says
Not sure I remember that book, but I do recall a few smaller books that fitted into the pocket on my brownie dress. I keep looking on eBay in case any of them pop up on there.
Darian Zam says
I’m trying to see what looks like initials in the lower right corner, top illustration to figure out if it was done in New Zealand. Who actually printed/published this one? There’s another later one that was the ‘NZ Handbook For Guides’ which looks like Eric Heath’s work.
Jeanelle says
Does anybody know what a round badge from the 1970’s that said ” 3 B’s” meant?
My mom was my brownie leader and came across this badge to had, but neither of us can remember what the badge was for?????
I would post a pic, but I can’t. Can anybody help me out?????? Email me if you can?!?! Thanks in advance…
Jenny B says
I was a Brownie in the early 1980s but a career cut short ( only six weeks) as the Brown Owl’s daughter was a bully. This culminated in the daughter pushing my over in the mud in my already brown uniform. I only got the most sexist of all brownie badges… the tea making badge. I was only 6 and was an Imp.
Jenny B says
I was a Brownie in the early 1980s but a career cut short ( only six weeks) as the Brown Owl’s daughter was a bully. This culminated in the daughter pushing me over in the mud in my already brown uniform. I only got the most sexist of all brownie badges… the tea making badge. I was only 6 and was an Imp.
Sara says
Hi, this may be a bit weird but I’m a current brownie leader and I was hoping to do the old craft badge with my brownies – the one with the spiders web on it. I cannot find the requirements for this badge anywhere and wondered if anyone knows what they were?
Thanks in advance
Penny Carr says
Hi Sara – I’m 99% sure I have these requirements at home in that book. Let me have a look tonight (ironically it will be after I take my daughter to Cubs!) and I’ll email you.
Sara says
Thank you 🙂