Historic Hyde Park
Being a Brownie in Hyde Park: Learning to Lend a Hand by Judy Colbert For me and other girls growing up in Hyde Park in the 1950s, Brownies was a big part of our lives. Then an organization for girls, about seven or eight to eleven years of age, Brownies in Hyde Park was organized around 1951 and led by Alberta (Bert) Burns, who lived at Bellamere Farm. She was my first Brown Owl. By 1952, when the photo at right was taken, that leadership had passed to two friends from the village, Doris Quinney as Brown Owl and Vivian Trethowan, as Tawny Owl. Far from being a simple village activity, Brownies was part of the much larger Souting and Guiding movement that, with some changes, still exists today. To refresh my memory, as I studied the photo, I turned to Wikipedia. Scouting was founded for boys in 1908 in England by Lord Baden-Powell, a military veteran who had served in India and Africa. Girl Guides, a parallel organization for girls began in 1910, followed by Rosebuds in 1914 for the youngest girls (later renamed to Brownies in 1915) . Their name came from a nineteenth-century story about two children walking through the woods in search of a “Brownie,” a magical creature like a fairy or elf to help their mother with her housework. On their way, they learned from a wise owl that children too can be helpful “Brownies.” The details of the story gave the organization its purpose and distinctive language and symbols, all of which had great appeal for young girls. Our Brownie meetings, usually held once a week, began and ended with a circle time around a toadstool with an owl perched on top. In our case, the toadstool was made of a material like papier mâché and was stored in a cupboard under the stage in the school auditorium where we met. At the beginning of each meeting, we recited the Brownie promise of the 1950s: I promise to do my best, To do my duty to God and the Queen, To help other people every day, especially those at home. At the end of the meeting, we returned to our circle to sing Taps: Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. It is a safe bet that almost all of us can still remember at least some of those words. Before Taps, however, we broke into groups to work on our badges. Our motto was “Lend a Hand” and as part of the process of preparing to be helpful, Brownies had to complete requirements for badges in areas like signaling with semaphore, tying knots, first aid, needlework and swimming. Baden Powell’s military background is reflected in many of the activities. For example, I have never actually had to use semaphore in my daily life, but there was a time when I could have sent messages effectively, based on the arm positions of the semaphore system. The details of the many Brownie rules are now lost to me, but I do recall that if we achieved a specific number of badges, we would earn a “Golden Hand” and that girls who had sufficient badges would receive their “Brownie Wings” and were eligible to ceremoniously “Fly Up” to Girl Guides – the next level for older girls.
Back Row: Doris Quinney, Brown Owl, and Vivian Trethowan, Tawny Owl. Doris and Vivian were friends who lived near each other in the village. Doris (d. 2015) was the daughter of Alice and Aylmer Quinney who lived on what is now Gainsborough Road, in the house next to Oliver’s Store that is now a Thai restaurant. Aylmer ran a garage behind the house. It faced on Hyde Park Side Road and was later taken over by George and, later, Ted Morris and is still in operation. The photo was taken on the front lawn of their home, in front of the Oliver’s living quarters. Doris moved to London after her marriage to Bob MacArthur, who taught at Hyde Park School in 1951. Vivian (d. 2011), daughter of Bill and Kertu Trethowan, became a teacher. She taught in Hyde Park (1953-1955) and then, until her retirement, at Oak Park School, in Oakridge. After Doris left the village, Vivian became Brown Owl. In 1972, she married Don Vanstone and also moved to London. Middle Row: Margaret Oliver (Williamson), Mary Ellen McInnis (Corcelli), Lorene Satchell (Waugh), Janice Webb (Morphy), Anne MacKinnon (Plaunt) Front Row: Deanna Snelgrove (Beatson), Dianne Peter (Flynn), Judy Colbert, Gail Richardson (Burns) Absent: Elaine Gram (Lorree) We also participated in outdoor and community activities. I remember, for example, a hike in about 1955, when we spent a memorable day in Dead Horse Canyon at the foot of Gainsborough Road. It was a pristine site then with wildflowers of all kinds growing beside the clear waters of Medway Creek. I also remember marching in uniform down Dundas Street in a massed parade of scouts and guides, military bands and others, assembled, I think, to celebrate the Centennial of the City of London in 1955. I can still feel the excitement of entering the grandstand at the Western Fair to the strains of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. Finally, of course, there were Girl Guide Cookies which – even then – we sold door to door, year after year. By the 1950s scouting was a world-wide movement. Each year we observed “Thinking Day” on February 22nd, the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell and his wife Lady Baden Powell, the World Chief Guide. The aim of the day was to think about the meaning of the movement and its global impact. It is many years since I have thought much about being a Brownie, but as I consider it now, I am grateful to our leaders and realize how fortunate we were in our little village to belong to an organization that gave us much enjoyment, lifelong friends, and the opportunity to be part of something bigger. Reprinted from the July 2019 Hyde Park-Oakridge Villager
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