WAGGGS is born

As the Movement continued to grow, an official body was required to bring everyone together and in 1919 Olave Baden-Powell formed the International Council, the forerunner of WAGGGS.

The Council was a great success, and just a year later it held the first International Conference.

It was a historic occasion and gave representatives of the Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting world the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and experiences. For the first time, Girl Guide/Girl Scout groups began to plan trips abroad.

In 1924, the first World Camp took place and the next year the World Bulletin, later to be known as Our World News, was published.

Meanwhile, the Baden-Powells were continuing their tireless work. In 1919 he was elected Chief Scout of the World and 1930 saw Olave’s appointment as World Chief Guide. 

After the Fourth International Conference, held in the USA in 1926, representatives from several countries approached Baden-Powell to ask whether an association should be formed. 

Before the Fifth International Conference in Hungary in 1928, Baden-Powell sought the opinions of all known Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations on the matter and asked them to consider the proposition seriously. Conference delegates from 26 countries finally decided that the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts should be established, with a World Bureau in London as its secretariat.

It was decided that the World Association should elect a World Committee, and that Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, and the Director of the World Bureau, would be ex-officio members. A draft Constitution was agreed and the Girl Guides had a central association.

From Strength to Strength

Meanwhile, the Movement proceeded to grow quickly. By 1931, membership was over 1 million and in 1932 the first World Centre was opened. In 1939, the first Girl Guide/Girl Scout World Camp in Hungary took place.

After a break caused by the war, which also sadly saw the death of Lord Baden-Powell, the movement reconvened in 1945 and continued to grow.

Olave, despite being devastated by her husband’s death, continued to work tirelessly and in 1957 witnessed the opening of Our Cabaña which was followed by Sangam in 1966.

Olave Baden Powell passed away in June 1977 and in her memory the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) undertook the Olave Centre Project, and located the World Bureau (the secretariat for WAGGGS) and the London World Centre (Pax Lodge) together again.