GIRL Guiding UK is 100 years old this year and more than 500 girls from the Teignbridge Division, parents and friends joined together at Buckfast Abbey, on Sunday, to celebrate the Centenary, Thanksgiving and World Thinking Day.During a service led by Major Linda Purdy, Leader of 3rd Newton Abbot Girl Guides (Salvation Army), guiding members of many nations around the world, particularly those in troubled areas such as Haiti, were remembered.Songs were accompanied by the Newton Abbot Salvation Army Band.Prior to the service the colour parties massed outside before the flags of Guides, Brownies and Rainbows were paraded into the abbey.During the service there was the traditional candle lighting ceremony to remember the Guiding family worldwide. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts reaches 10 million girls and young women in 145 countries.All the groups took turns in renewing their promise and then sang their new favourite centenary song, One World Together We Are One Beat, expressing the changes in guiding now and looking to the future.The Teignbridge Division Commissioner, Evelyn Medhurst, introduced the Devon County Commissioner, Sue Bullock, who presented long service awards to several leaders and Trefoil members, thanking them for their support, hard work, and voluntary service contributed over many years, to make Guiding a safe, girl-only space relevant to today's girls.World Thinking Day is actually on February 22, when the family of Guiding – Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, seniors and Trefoil groups – celebrates annually.The date was chosen in 1926, it being the joint birth date of Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and his wife Olave, who served as Chief Guide.Originally called Thinking Day, in 1932 it was renamed World Thinking Day to embrace the spread of Guiding.

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