Celebrating 100 years of screaming girls

I don't think I've ever mentioned this before, but when I'm not writing, dancing, sleeping, working or eating, I am a guide leader with girlguiding UK, in fact my username on here 'Thistle', is the name my girls chose and now call me by (like brown owl in brownies).

2009/10 has been the 100th Anniversary since the girl guides were set up in the UK, and there have been one year of celebrations which are due to end this month.
This evening I went to a party to celebrate the end of the centenary at cheltenham racecourse, and my girls aged between 9-11 came too. It was a brilliant night with singing and we all got to remake our promise at 20.10 on the 20/10 2010. At the end there was the most amazing firework display lasting approx 10 minutes and these fireworks were played against a soundtrack of Take That's Greatest Day, another track which i didn't know but which sounded classical and was very firework like, and for the finale don't stop believing (the glee version -btw did i mention i'm a fan...)


I've heard don't stop believing many times in the last year, but today I heard it differently as all the girls spontaneously started singing it all 4,500 of them, and those that had glowsticks/bracelets waved them and the girls with flashing music all swayed to the music with them on their heads. It reminded me of another girlguiding event called the big gig - a music concert with acts from x-factor contestants to sugababes and the hoosiers usually held at places like wembley or birmingham and with guides from across the uk- I don't think I ever saw so many bunny ears in all my life as I saw the night I went to the big gig in 2008! Tonight, though smaller was just as amazing and I must admit I felt a bit emotional and I was so proud to be a member of such an amazing organisation, I thought I might break down.

Now as I sit here typing with the memory of the screams of 4500 gloucestershire rainbows, brownies, guides, senior section and even those of leaders and the trefoil guild, still resonating in my ears, I feel so happy and found it so rewarding for it is days like today which remind me why I volunteer.