SHEILA Meynell has gained many badges during her association with the brownies and girl guides in Saddleworth.
But none have given as much pleasure and satisfaction as her most recent award – in recognition of half a century as a girl guiding volunteer.
But having enjoyed her own time as first a brownie and then a girl guide, Diggle-raised Greenfield resident Sheila has dedicated more than 56 years to the movement.
And despite retirement from running the brownies pack at Uppermill Methodist Hall, the 75-year-old is still volunteering as Go! Co-ordinator for South East Lancashire.
Val Roscoe, divisional commander for Oldham East, and Sue Rooke, district commissioner for Saddleworth, presented Sheila with her 50 years’ service badge and certificated.
Known as Ozzie to generations of youngsters and fellow leaders, she told the Independent: “My time in Girlguiding has been wonderful.
“I have learnt so much and I hope I have taught girls how to be better citizens and of course some of the Leaders.
“We are still asked about being paid. And I keep telling people we are all volunteers in Girlguiding. We do this job to help girls get on in the world.
“I am also asked why we don’t accept boys into guiding. I answer if we had boys it would be called scouts and it would not be Girlguiding anymore!
“I would like to thank all the many people I have met during Girlguiding: leaders, helpers, parents and all the girls who have helped to make Girlguiding such a wonderful experience for me.”
Earlier this year Sheila issued a plea for new leaders to come forward to save the Uppermill group from extinction.
Happily, for her and the local movement several people stepped forward to ensure the future.
So youngsters will now have chance to follow in Sheila’s footsteps and enjoy some of the adventures she has experienced from breaking a world record for sleeping in a tent at Chester Zoo, to sleeping on board HMS Belfast to cruising Prague’s Vltava river on a boat.
“Running a unit is something special,” she added: “We have to do the planning for the many activities we prepare or make things beforehand to show what is expected.
“The games we play also have to be prepared and all this as a volunteer.
“I hope the girls that have gone through our units have enjoyed the time with us and that we have made them better citizens.”
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