100 years in photographs

It was appropriate and fitting then, that the guest of honour at Monday's Centenary Exhibition launch was Mrs Eaton's daughter-in-law, Lucy Eaton, who said it was her 'great pleasure' to officially launch the celebration.

Explaining her family's long link with both the Guiding and Scouting movements, she said that when she married in 1954 her father-in-law was a Commissioner in the Scouts, while her mother-in-law was a Commissioner in the Guides.

"I know both of them would be so pleased to know that some of those pictures my mother-in-law saved and kept are here on show today. It was a stroke of luck that about three years ago I decided to open the suitcase given to me for safekeeping after my mother-in-law died. It really took my breath away to see the quality of some of those black and white photos was just as they were the day they were taken," she said.

Having passed them to the County Commissioner, Karen Cochrane, to sort, she said: "I think Lord Baden Powell had no idea when he started this movement that it would last so long. It is easy to start something, but it is not so easy to keep them going. What I think kept this wonderful Guiding movement going for such a long time is 'stickability'. If you have it, it is a great gift and I feel that throughout the Guiding movement stickability has been what has kept it going and I know from my own experience that the Guides in this part of Northern Ireland have stickability in abundance," she said.

The Mayor, Councillor Paul Fleming, congratulated the Guides on reaching their milestone and said it was one of the privileges of being Mayor that he was able to attend events in the City, and he congratulated the Guiding movement on its milestone event.

"I would like to wish Londonderry Girl Guides well with their Centenary and photographic exhibition, and acknowledge the hard work and passion which all voluntary organisations bring to people's lives," he said.

Meanwhile, Catherine Gilchrist, from the Trefoil Guild, who co-ordinated the exhibition, said she hoped visitors would enjoy it.

"We are extremely lucky in the City to have an extensive archive of not only photographs but also the minute books of the Londonderry Girl Guide Association from its inaugural meeting in September 1915 to the present and we have to thank the late Mrs Edith Eaton for collecting and collating the greater part of the archive," she said.

Influence

Stressing how the Guide movement had had a tremendous influence on the lives of thousands of young women, offering opportunities to learn new skills in an atmosphere of friendship and fun, Mrs Gilchrist went on: "Part of the exhibition is devoted to camping which, in the early 1900s was quite an adventurous activity for young women. In 1919, 96 Guides from the City travelled on the 'turban boat' to Moville and hiked to Greencastle to camp for a week under canvas. Many of us here have camped at the Magilligan camp site and remember the solid shelter known at 'The Hut'. I am happy to report that the replacement for 'The Hut' was sited on Friday, February 6 and once work on the electrics, water and so on is complete we hope to have a photograph to add to the collection."

She said the Centenary Year was going to be very busy for the Guides, as a myriad of events had been planned locally and nationally.

Moving on to thank those involved in the exhibition, Mrs Gilchrist also paid tribute to the Guild members, the library staff in both the Central Library and Waterside Library, where the exhibition will move to next week, remaining open to the public until Saturday, March 6.

She also thanked the County Commissioner, Mrs Karen Cochrane and her team, as well as Ian Bartlett for his help and advice in preparing the photographs and in staging the exhibition. Mrs Gilchrist also paid tribute to the Guides and Guiders in the City past and present who had provided additional photographs.

"Finally, I would like to thank Mrs Lucy Eaton for opening the exhibition, the Mayor for taking time out of his busy schedule to attend, and once again Mr Ian Bartlett for all his help," she said, presenting each with a token of appreciation in the form of a newly minted 50 pence piece celebrating the Centenary.

In turn Mrs Gilchrist was presented with a copy of 'Something For The Girls', the official guide to the first 100 years of Guiding by Karen Cochrane, who acted as MC for the occasion, and performed the official welcome and paid tribute to all involved in collating the photographs and in setting up the exhibition.