Silver Fish Award

The Silver Fish Award is the highest adult award in Girlguiding. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding combined with service to world Guiding. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarded to girls on completion of a number of badges, then via numerous stages to the highest award in the Guiding movement worldwide, and then on to its position as a Girlguiding award.

For other uses, see Silverfish (disambiguation).
Silver Fish Award
Created1911 (111 years ago)

Award criteria

The Silver Fish is not earned, but given to those who are nominated and are considered worthy of the award. Recipients must be members of Girlguiding, have done outstanding service to Guiding in more than one capacity and made a contribution to world Guiding.[1] Ideally candidates should be at least 18 months from retirement and have held an appointment within 6 months of the nomination.[1]

History

The award of Silver Fish existed from the beginning of the Guiding movement. The choice of the silver fish was as a result of Lord Baden-Powell visiting Japan, where he learnt that when a son was born, parents would hang a small silver fish on their door, signifying the boy would be able to successfully 'swim upstream' through life's challenges. If a daughter was born, a tiny doll was used. This indicated a girl's sole aim was to raise a family. Lord Baden-Powell decided to make a Guide's highest honour a silver fish, to show that girls are just as capable of battling against the odds as boys.[2]

Award for Girl Guides

The award is mentioned in the November 1909 edition of the Boy Scout Headquarters Gazette in "The Scheme for 'Girl Guides'". Here a girl must pass seventeen specified efficiency badges.[3] However, in Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls, also published in 1909, twenty efficiency badges were needed to obtain the Silver Fish.[4] This was later reduced to fifteen and, additionally, good all round work was required.[3]

Award for Girl Scouts of USA

Around the time of the foundation of the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912, their handbook listed the Silver Fish as the highest honour in Girl Scouting. However, before anyone could earn it, the Golden Eaglet was introduced.[5]

Five American women were awarded the Silver Fish:

Award for adults

In October 1917, the award changed to being given for outstanding service to the movement. At this time, the design also changed from a whiting with its tail in its mouth worn on a silver chain, to a swimming fish worn on a dark and light blue striped ribbon. Olave Baden-Powell was presented with a gold Silver Fish in 1918, then the only one of its kind. In 1995, her daughter Betty Clay was presented with a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch. It continues to be awarded within UK GirlGuiding to this day.

Recipients
RecipientYearNotes
Nesta G. Ashworth née Maude (1893-1982)[6][7] 1911Awarded old-style Silver Fish in 1911. Also in 1920. One of the girls who showed up at Crystal Palace Rally in 1909 wanting to be Scouts. Instrumental in the establishment of Lone Guides.[8]
Rotha Lintorn-Orman (1895-1935)[6] 1911Awarded old-style Silver Fish in 1911. One of the girls who showed up at Crystal Palace Rally in 1909 wanting to be a Scout.
Olave Baden-Powell[3] GBE (1889-1977)1918Chief Guide. She received a special gold Silver Fish.
Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low (1860-1927)1919Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA. Was one of only three people associated with Girl Scouts of the USA to receive a Silver Fish. She was buried wearing full uniform and her Silver Fish Award.[9]
Mary Pellatt (1857-1924) [10] 1922First Chief Commissioner for Girl Guides of Canada (1912–1921)
Olive Kelso King (1885-1958) [11] 1931Acting State Commissioner, New South Wales. First Australian recipient.
Lady Finola Somers CBE (1896-1981) [12] 1931State Commissioner, Victorian Girl Guides, Australia
Gladys Millard[13]1937From the Girl Guide Association of Manitoba, Canada
Allison Cargill (1896-1979)[14]1939Scotland's first Guide. President of the Council for Scotland.
Elsa Riepert[15]1939Dominion secretary of Girl Guides of Canada (1920-1941)
Mona Burgin (1903–1985)[16][17] 1945Active in New Zealand and as a trainer internationally
Lady Eva Julius[18] 1945Chief Commissioner, New South Wales, Australia
Irene Fairbairn (1899-1974)[19] 1948Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia, Federal Secretary[20]
Shylie Katherine Rymill (1882-1959) [21]1948Australian Girl Guide Commissioner. State Commissioner for South Australia (1938-1950)
Margaret McIntyre OBE (1886-1948) [22] 1947Tasmanian State Commissioner (1940-1948)
Lady Lee Steere OBE [23] 1947Commissioner for Girl Guides in Western Australia
Ruth Herrick CBE (1889-1993) [24] 1949Chief Commissioner for New Zealand Girl Guides (1934 - 1961)
H. S. Gresham [25] 1950State Commissioner for Queensland, Australia
Begum G. A. Khan[26]1951Chief Commissioner of the Pakistan Girl Guides Association.
Florence Mitchell[27]1953Assistant State Commissioner, Victoria, Australia
Eleanor Manning OBE (1906-1986) [28]1954Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia, World Committee of WAGGGS (1955-1962)
Iona M Taylor[29]1957For international service, and untiring work in Hampshire
W Rankine Nesbitt[30]1957Chief Commissioner of Canada
E Henrietta Osler[31]1962Chief Commissioner of Canada
Hon. Beryl Cozens-Hardy OBE (1911-2011) [16][32]1963Chief Commissioner for England (1961 - 1970). Chair of WAGGGS (1972-1975)
Nancy Kemp[33]1963Sydney Girl Guide leader
Safiya Abdel-Rahman[34] 1965Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides, also extremely active in sports for girls in Egypt
Gladys "Jim" Buntine OBE (1901-1992)[28] 1966Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia (1962-1968)
Sybil Canadine[35]1967One of the original founders of the Girl Guide movement
Joyce Price OBE, CMG (1915-2009)[36] 1967Australian Chief Commissioner (1968-1973), Chairman of WAGGGS, Vice President of Olave Baden-Powell Society (1985-1994)
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowden (1930-2002) [37]1967President of the Guides
Margaret Turnbull (1907-1986) [38]1971Chief Commissioner for New Zealand
Rosemary Cadbury Dickson[39]1980Chief Commissioner for Ulster.
Aline Fenwick OBE[40] 1985
Mary Hill OAM[41] 1985WAGGGS Commissioner for training
Betty Clay CBE (1917-2004) 1995Active in Guiding in both Northern Rhodesia and England. Daughter of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. She received a unique gold Silver Fish.
Dorothy Naylor [42] 2015British Guides in Foreign Countries. Special Needs Advisor.
Nicola Grinstead [43] 2016Chair of WAGGGS Board of Trustees.
Anne Llywelyn-Jones [44] 2016Girlguiding's Overseas Branches advisor
Angela Milln [45] 2016Deputy Chief Guide
Leslie Knighton MBE [46] 2018Chief Commissioner, British Girlguiding Overseas.
Carol Selwyn-Jones [47] 2020British Girlguiding Overseas, Safeguarding Leader
Helen Storrow (1864-1944)Was one of only three people associated with Girl Scouts of the USA to receive a Silver Fish.
Julia Cobb Crowell (1877-1957)One of three people from Girl Scouts USA to be awarded the Silver Fish.
Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan GBE (1879–1967)[16]
Rose Kerr OBE (1882-1994) [16]One of the founders of the Rangers. Involved in the formation of WAGGGS
Jane Deeter Rippin (1882-1953) [16]National Director of Girl Scouts of the USA (1919-1930).
Anne Hyde Choate (1886-1967)Second president of Girl Scouts USA and goddaughter of its founder Juliette Gordon Low. Was one of only three people associated with Girl Scouts of the USA to receive a Silver Fish.
Kari Aas (1886-1978)Chief Scout of the Norsk Speiderpikeforbund (1927-1935). Designed World Flag.
Dame Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth MBE (1886-1967) [48]First County Commissioner (1916). First Heraldry Advisor.
A. M. Victoria Rossiter (1887-1977) [49]Stores Commissioner for Dominion Headquarters
Dame Joan Marsham DBE (1888-1972) [16]Chairman of the Guiding Association's executive committee for 10 years from 1938.
Rosa Ward OBE (1893-1984) [16]Chief Commissioner for Wales. Chair of Guide International Service (1942-1954)
Enid, Lady Burnham CBE (1894–1979)[16]Girl Guide Chief Commissioner for England
Mary Cuningham Chater MBE (1896-1990)[16]Music Advisor to Girl Guides Association (1949-1961)
Violet Synge[16] (1896-1981)Chief Commissioner of England
Princess Mary (1897-1965) [3]Honorary President of the Girl Guides Association from 1920 until her death.
Verona M. Wallace Williamson (1898-1980 )[16]
Jean Helen St. Clair Campbell, Lady Stratheden and Campbell CBE (1901–1956)[16] Girl Guide Chief Commissioner for the British Commonwealth (1949-1956)
Connie Stableford (1901-1987) [50]
Kathleen Mabel Davies-Cooke OBE (1903-1994) [51]Chair of Girl Guides Association. Chair of Trefoil Guild. Vice-Patron of Trefoil Guild.
Isabel Hetherington Kay MBE (1904-1980) [52]Chair of Welsh Guide Council. Chief Commissioner for Wales.
Vera Armstrong MBE (1904-1992) [16] Founded Guide Friendship Fund.
Dame Anstice Gibbs DCVO, CBE (1905-1978) [16]Chief Commissioner and Chair of British Commonwealth Girl Guides Association (1956-1966). Vice-chair of WAGGGS (1957-1960)
Elizabeth Hartley OBE (1906-1996) [16]Vice Chair of WAGGGS 20th World Conference. Leader of World Training team.
Alix Liddell[16] (1907-1981)Editor of WAGGGS' The Council Fire magazine for 30 years
Penelope "Pen" Wood-Hill (1909-1990) [16]Ran Our Chalet.
The Honourable Lady Cochrane[16]
Lady Davies[16]
Betty Fripp[16]


Gwen Hesketh OBE[16]
Mrs Arthur Lewin[53]Editor of Girl Guide Magazine in South Africa. Awarded Silver Fish pre-1935
Margaret Martin[16]
Alice M. Maynard[16]

See also

References
  1. "Awards Procedure". Girlguiding South West England. Archived from the original on 20 August 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  2. "Worth reporting". The Australian Women's Weekly. Sydney, Australia. 13 February 1963. p. 2.
  3. Kerr, Rose (1976). Story of the Girl Guides 1908-1938. London: Girl Guides Association.
  4. "Fact Sheet- The Three Baden-Powells:Robert, Agnes and Olave" (PDF). Girl Guides of Canada Guides du Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2006.
  5. Girl Scout Gold Award Planning Book. Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council.
  6. District History: Pre-1950 Archived 7 July 2013 at archive.today, Liphook District Guides
  7. Nesta G. Ashworth: http://www.bc-girlguides.org/welcometoguiding/history/history.html
  8. Lone Guides: "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Manitou Girl Scouts recall Founder's philosophy". Manitowoc-Herald Times. Manitowoc, Wisconsin. 3 November 1982. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Legacy Giving". Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2005.
  11. "Visit of Acting State Commissioner". Daily Examiner. Grafton, New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1932. p. 4.
  12. "Somers, Lady Finola (1896 - 1981)". Australian Women's Archives Program. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  13. "Miss Gladys Millard Receives Highest Girl Guide Award in Recognition of Services". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 2 July 1937. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Allison Cargill House". www.girlguidingeastlothian.org. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  15. "Personalia". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Canada. 7 October 1939. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Liddell, Alix (1976). Story of the Girl Guides 1938-1975. London: Girl Guides Association.
  17. Bright, Judith. "Burgin, Annie Mona 1903 1985". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  18. ""Silver Fish" to be awarded to Lady Julius". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. 27 August 1946. p. 6.
  19. Maunders, David. "Fairbairn, Irene Florence (1899 - 1974)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. Australian National University. Retrieved 25 September 2006.
  20. ""Silver Fish" award". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 9 November 1948. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. Gibbard, Joyce. "Rymill, Shylie Katharine (1882 - 1959)". Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. Australian National University. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  22. Dorothy Rosemann. "McIntyre, Margaret (1886 - 1948)". www.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  23. "LEE STEERE, Bridget Yelverton" (PDF). slwa.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  24. Bright, Judith (7 April 2006). "Herrick, Hermione Ruth 1889 - 1983". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 7 May 2007.
  25. "Silver Fish Award for Begum K. A. Khan". The Courier Mail. Brisbane, Queensland. 1 April 1950. p. 8.
  26. "Silver Fish Award for Begum K. A. Khan". Civil and Military Gazette. Lahore, Pakistan. 25 May 1951. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. "The Silver Fish". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 13 March 1953. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. "History". Guides Australia. Retrieved 25 September 2006.
  29. "Personalia". New Milton Advertiser. New Milton, Hampshire. 19 October 1957. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. "Top Guide Award for Canadian". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, Canada. 28 November 1957. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. "Girl Guide Building is Opened". The Montreal Star. Montreal, Quebec. 2 June 1962. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. Briggs, Nancy (25 December 2011). "Beryl Cozens-Hardy obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  33. "Worth Reporting". The Australian Women's Weekly. Sydney, Australia. 13 February 1963. p. 14.
  34. Mazhar, Inas (15–21 April 2004). "Alternate Ideas". Al-Ahram Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 September 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2006.
  35. "Big day for the Guides". The Tewkesbury Register and Agricultural Express. Tewkesbury, England. 19 June 1967. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. "Price, Joyce Ethel". Bright Sparcs. Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre. Retrieved 25 September 2006.
  37. "Princess Margaret receives Silver Fsh ward from the Girl Guides Association". www.upi.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  38. "Margaret Turnbull receiving Girl Guide Movement award". canterburystories.nz. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  39. "Mrs Rosemary Cadbury Dickson". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 11 September 1980. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  40. UK Guiding Magazine November 1985
  41. "Mary Hill OAM". www.communities.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  42. "Annual Report" (PDF). www.girlguidingwestyorkshiresouth.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  43. "Honours for Old Girls". www.boltonschool.org. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  44. "Top Girlguiding award presented to county commissioner". www.herefordtimes.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  45. "Sophie and daughter Louise open Girlguiding headquarters". thecrownchronicles.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  46. {{cite magazine |date=2020 |author= |title=Leslie Knighton MBE |magazine=Guiding |location=London |edition=Summer 2018 |publisher=Girlguiding |page=10
  47. "Diane's New Year Blog". www.british-girlguiding-overseas.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  48. "Diane's New Year Blog". www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  49. Zada Hawley (3 November 1953). "Sarnia Social Notes". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. "Colwyn Bay". The North Wales Weekly News. Colwyn Bay, Wales. 14 January 1988. p. 77 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. "O.B.E. Awards". Cheshire Observer. Chester, England. 19 June 1964. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. "Officers". Western Mail. Cardiff, Wales. 1 January 1954. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. "What Women Are Doing". The Australian Women's Weekly. Sydney, Australia. 19 January 1935. p. 23.
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