Het Arubaanse Padvindsters Gilde
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351
Number of girl guides in 2018
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Member
Full
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Girls only
Yes
I will earnestly strive to serve God and my country, To help everyone wherever I can, and to live by the Girl Guide Law.
Guide Law
- A Guide is honest
- A Guide is loyal
- A Guide is useful and helps others
- A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every Guide
- A Guide is courteous
- A Guide is kind to animals and enjoys the beauty in nature
- A Guide is obedient
- A Guide bears disappointments cheerfully
- A Guide is thrifty
- A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed
I will do my best to be a true Brownie and to help everyone wherever I can, especially at home.
Brownie Guide Law
- A Brownie is honest
- A Brownie is obedient
- A Brownie is friendly
- A Brownie is good for plants and animals
Development of the Movement
In 1941 a group of women, inspired by the Guide Silver Jubilee celebrations in the Netherlands, decided to introduce girls in Aruba to Girl Guiding. In the early years the Girl Guides of Aruba worked alone, using manuals produced by the Nederlands Padvinsters Gilde (NPG). In 1946 they officially joined NPG and became part of the Region of Curaçao. In 1953 Aruba became an autonomous Region and in 1972 an independent Association within the Netherlands Antilles.
In the early 1970s and through the early 1980s, Guiding activities on the island waned, but in 1986 a revival provoked new interest in Guiding in Aruba. The Association had a new constitution, and a new name: Het Arubaanse Padvindsters Gilde (APG). Closed groups, which had restricted group membership to one denomination, were replaced with open Guiding.
Former leaders reacted to newspaper advertisements requesting help, and Guiding started to grow. In 1992 the APG was invited to the Western Hemisphere Conference. Guiding is now active in most of the country, and the APG is planning to start more groups around the island.
A group of Pioneers/Rangers was started in August 1993, and installed in 1994. In 1997, eight Rangers were installed as ‘Helpers to the Leaders’. Working in groups, they help the leaders, and this is part of their training towards becoming assistant leaders.
A drumband, Drumband Explosion di APG, was inaugurated in 1995, and now plays during Thinking Day celebrations, and for the APG delegation to march to during official national holidays.