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Falkirk Herald, UK
Sept 15 2013
Braes girl is Guiding light in Armenia
by Scott McAngus
[email protected]
A trainee solicitor from the Braes set the bar high after spreading
the word about Girlguides on a brief visit to a former Soviet state.
Emma Guthrie, from Shieldhill, has just returned from a three-week
trip to Armenia with five other leaders when they trained young girls
in new Guiding skills.
The 23-year-old, who is training to become a lawyer with Edinburgh
firm Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP, said: `It's an amazing country, one
I never expected I would ever visit. We spent a lot of time in the
capital Yerevan and went out to a mixture of towns and rural places.
In many ways we are very similar, particularly the stuff we do through
the Guides, but the women there were quite surprised at the
independence we, as young women, have.
`I think that's something the Guides is helping them with, which is an
amazing thing because there aren't a lot of things just for women in
Armenia.'
Former Braes High School pupil Emma has been in the Girlguides since
she was seven and is now the assistant leader of the 1st Shieldhill
Guides and leader of the 1st Braes Senior Section for girls aged
14-26.
She was in Armenia on the Guiding Overseas Linked with Development
(GOLD) scheme organising training sessions for Armenian leaders and
encouraging young Brownie and Guide-aged girls to join local groups.
Part of the trip included a camping trip.
The once-in-a-lifetime adventure has now whetted her appetite for more
travel to explore other cultures.
`The people are really friendly, kind and helpful and I have made some
friends for life. We're keeping in touch through Facebook. They're
very big on Facebook in Armenia. Camping with them for a week gave me
the opportunity to really find out about their lives, culture and
explore their language. In future I would like to explore other
countries in a similar way to get a real connection to the country.'
While Guiding trips are designed to be challenging to build character,
some are harder than others as Emma found out when she returned home.
She added: `When we got back we did an evaluation with other leaders
who were in other countries like Guyana. So while I was moaning about
toilet facilities and no shower when we were camping, the other girls
had to deal with big cockroaches and snakes, so I think I had a touch
of luxury in comparison.'
http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/community/braes-girl-is-guiding-light-in-armenia-1-3090171
Sept 15 2013
Braes girl is Guiding light in Armenia
by Scott McAngus
[email protected]
A trainee solicitor from the Braes set the bar high after spreading
the word about Girlguides on a brief visit to a former Soviet state.
Emma Guthrie, from Shieldhill, has just returned from a three-week
trip to Armenia with five other leaders when they trained young girls
in new Guiding skills.
The 23-year-old, who is training to become a lawyer with Edinburgh
firm Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP, said: `It's an amazing country, one
I never expected I would ever visit. We spent a lot of time in the
capital Yerevan and went out to a mixture of towns and rural places.
In many ways we are very similar, particularly the stuff we do through
the Guides, but the women there were quite surprised at the
independence we, as young women, have.
`I think that's something the Guides is helping them with, which is an
amazing thing because there aren't a lot of things just for women in
Armenia.'
Former Braes High School pupil Emma has been in the Girlguides since
she was seven and is now the assistant leader of the 1st Shieldhill
Guides and leader of the 1st Braes Senior Section for girls aged
14-26.
She was in Armenia on the Guiding Overseas Linked with Development
(GOLD) scheme organising training sessions for Armenian leaders and
encouraging young Brownie and Guide-aged girls to join local groups.
Part of the trip included a camping trip.
The once-in-a-lifetime adventure has now whetted her appetite for more
travel to explore other cultures.
`The people are really friendly, kind and helpful and I have made some
friends for life. We're keeping in touch through Facebook. They're
very big on Facebook in Armenia. Camping with them for a week gave me
the opportunity to really find out about their lives, culture and
explore their language. In future I would like to explore other
countries in a similar way to get a real connection to the country.'
While Guiding trips are designed to be challenging to build character,
some are harder than others as Emma found out when she returned home.
She added: `When we got back we did an evaluation with other leaders
who were in other countries like Guyana. So while I was moaning about
toilet facilities and no shower when we were camping, the other girls
had to deal with big cockroaches and snakes, so I think I had a touch
of luxury in comparison.'
http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/community/braes-girl-is-guiding-light-in-armenia-1-3090171