Girl Guides of Canada has changed the name “Brownies” to be more inclusive

CNN
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Canadian equivalent of Guides She is dropping the name “Brownie”, the membership branch for some of the younger Scouts, after current and former Scouts raised concerns that it might harm black members and girls of colour.

Now, the 7- and 8-year-old members will be the Girl Guides of Canada called embers, a name chosen with the help of current adult and alumni scouts. Other Scout organizations, including Girl Scouts of the USA, still use the name Brownies, but the etymology of the word itself is less important than how the girls feel, Jill Zelmanowitz, CEO of Girl Guides of Canada he said in a statement.

Girl Guides of Canada said it made the change after members said the previous name was offensive to them: “This was a name that made them feel very uncomfortable, prompted racist comments and harassment and was a barrier to a sense of belonging to Girl Guides.”

“Some don’t want to be part of this branch because of the name” of the organization He said. “Some girls choose to skip this chapter altogether or put off joining the Girl Guides until after this chapter.”

It is expected that the Girl Scout forces will begin using the Embers name immediately, per Girl Scout, with an update to Embers materials and uniforms to follow.

Brownies started as a membership level group in the Boy Scouts of the United Kingdom Guides – The Guides Association was founded in 1909. Brownies (originally called Rosebuds) appeared so that girls under the age of 11 could participate.

Many major Scouting organizations in the West adopted the name in the following years, including Girl Guides in Canada and Girl Scouts in the USA. recent organization He uses the name Brownie For members of the second and third grade.

Both Girl Guides and Girl Scouts have made this commitment become anti-racist organizations since then 2020. “We are committed to delivering on this pledge, and we are currently evaluating all aspects of our program to ensure alignment with that commitment,” Girl Scouts of the United States said in a statement to CNN.

The group notes that it has supported “sister organizations around the world in making decisions that best reflect the wellness and intentions of their communities and, most importantly, girls.”