What shall I tell the Trustees?

Today, after a few final post-conference days, exploring this fascinating region, my Hong Kong experience comes to an end and I return to my airport 'bubble' to begin the long journey home. 

Tomorrow evening, I will be back in London at a gathering of Girlguiding's trustees and chief commissioners. No doubt, they will be interested to hear about the world conference - but what will I say? How do I find the words to sum up something which really has to be experienced to be fully understood?

There are, of course, some important decisions to report back on - the conference voted in favour of a new method of calculating the 'quota' or annual subscription that each Member Organisation pays to WAGGGS. Something which will have financial implications for Girlguiding and which we therefore discussed, in detail, with our trustees before heading out to Hong Kong. Important changes to the WAGGGS constitution were also passed - and, of course, I know that everyone will be keen to hear about the moment when Girlguiding's Nicola Grinstead, who so many of us have worked closely with over the years, was elected as the new chair of the World Board.

But none of this really captures the intensity of the world conference experience. It was an opportunity to catch up with old friends (from previous conferences and from Girlguiding's centenary camp in 2010) - and to make new ones. It was both stimulating and humbling to share thoughts and experiences with delegates from across the world - many of them delivering guiding in the most challenging of circumstances. The moment when Myanmar's application for Associate membership of WAGGGS was approved was a particularly spine-tingling one. And who could fail to appreciate the joy of the African delegates, who spontaneously danced and sang their way around the conference room to celebrate Cameroon's admission to full membership? Meanwhile, working with other delegations on some of the conference motions gave real insight into the huge range of different perpectives on the various issues under discussion. As a delegation, we burned the candle at both ends - mulling over the day's business as a group or with other participants until the early hours and then rising early in readiness for the next round. Exhausting but somehow necessary to ensure that we didn't miss out on a single minute of this unique experience.

If there was one session which really brought home to me the enormity of what we are all part of, it was the one on the WAGGGS/Dove 'Free being me' initiative, which Laura contributed to. It was shocking to realise that body confidence is not just a UK issue - but something which girls all over the world struggle with. At the same time, it was awe-inspiring to think of the potential impact of this initiative, if taken home and delivered by all the Member Organisations represented, on the self-esteem of the world's female population. I think Baroness Amos summed it up when, in her presentation, she told us that 'It's hard for one individual to make a difference - but if we all look away, nothing will change.' Maybe that is the single very clear message that I need to take back to Girlguiding's Trustees?

That still feels slightly inadequate - but I suspect it's the best I can do. Thank you so much to Gill for giving me the opportunity to represent her here - and to Caroline, Catherine, Helen, Laura and Jo for being such a fantastic group of people to work with. You have done Girlguiding proud!

Airport life

You know that scene in the film 'Love Actually' when the screen is filled with shots of families reuniting at an airport arrivals gate? The start of the World Conference looked a bit like that as friends from around the world greeted each other. But what happened over the days that followed must surely have been unusual for airport life.

In airports adventures start and adventures end. Travellers say joyful hellos or fond farewells. Focused on the journey ahead or behind, rarely does anyone pause and consider the amazing blend of cultures, languages and perspectives that can be found in an airport at any moment. We did so at the World Conference.

To explain the focus on airports, there was no fresh air between Hong Kong Terminal 1, where our plane landed, and the Conference venue. Whereas most people in an airport are rushing through, we didn't leave it for many days.

If we were hit by cabin fever, it was like no other form I've encountered. With people from 110 countries gathered, the atmosphere was electric. We learnt, we shared, we were inspired. We encouraged each other to imagine more for girls across the world, to build connections inside and outside Guiding and to channel our energies into growing our organisation.

An airport is usually a place of transience but last week Hong Kong Terminal 1 became a home for World Guiding as delegates made decisions that will have a lasting impact. All have now dispersed, many having boarded planes to destinations across the world. They carry with them fantastic memories of airport life, messages to share with those back home about the priorities for the next era of our organisation and renewed excitement about the Guiding journey.

Thank you to all those in Girlguiding who have supported me and the rest of the delegation in our preparations for the World Conference. We'd love to share our Hong Kong stories widely so just let us know if there's anything further we can do to bring our experiences to life for girls in units across the UK.

And finally my sincere thanks to Angela, Helen, Catherine, Laura and Jo for their constant enthusiasm, stamina and for being such excellent ambassadors of Girlguiding UK. We had a lot of fun.

Here are a few final pics from me of some others who shared airport life with us in Hong Kong.

Thank you

An army of staff and volunteers from WAGGGS and the Hong Kong Girl Guides made the Conference happen. Thank you to all of you for your wide-ranging contributions which ensured a complex event ran smoothly and delegates had a fantastic experience.

Among those who the UK delegation would particularly like to thank are:

• World Bureau staff and members of the World Board, chaired by Nadine El Achy over the past triennium, who have spent many months steering preparations for the Conference and at the event worked hard behind-the-scenes, as well as in the spotlight, to make it such a success.

• Girls and leaders of the Hong Kong Girl Guides who were excellent hosts.

• The team of volunteers who played key roles supporting the operations of the Conference, working into the early hours each night. Among them were two Girlguiding UK members.
  
  
  
  Jessica Dabbs, as the Teller and a member of the Procedural Team, kept the business of the Conference on track. Here she is explaining the voting procedures to delegates.
  
  
  
  
  Jo Whytock (on the left below) led the team of volunteer interpreters, helping delegates to cross language barriers. 

• Girlguiding staff and volunteers who supported the delegation in their preparations. Girlguiding Administrator Amice Beaumont deserves special thanks for helping us with travel plans and getting us out to Hong Kong with the right kit (taxi for the international evening included!).

The World Conference was a huge team effort - hats off to all involved and I hope you're enjoying a well-earned rest. 

Blogging catch-up

WAGGGS Conferences are whirlwind experiences. The days pass so quickly. Extending our waking hours helped us pack in as much as possible while we were in Hong Kong but inevitably we couldn't quite keep pace with our blogging. So...here's a catch-up entry... 

Conference business

Among our priorities for the World Conference was to lobby for the new WAGGGS Constitution as explained in blog posts by Jo and Angela. We were delighted that the vote went through on Wednesday. 

Another important motion related to the fees that Member Organisations pay to WAGGGS. Delegations were asked to vote on an alternative method for calculating the amount each Member Organisation pays. As with the method that has been used over many years, the alternative approach would use the size of an organisation (according to membership numbers) and the country's wealth (according to Gross National Income Per Capita) to determine the amount owed to WAGGGS. But, among the proposed changes, there would be increased transparency, with a standard 'rate-per-girl', and a greater number of bands for applying discounts according to the wealth of a country.

I spoke to Girlguiding's Trustees about the impact of this motion  back in April and was pleased to receive the mandate to vote for the alternative method which is fairer to Member Organisations facing financial challenges. Other delegations agreed and the vote was passed.

Europe gathering

On Tuesday morning each of the WAGGGS Regions (Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Western Hemisphere) hosted a meeting. 

There was a lively atmosphere in the Europe gathering as the Committee updated us on some excellent progress since the Europe Conference in Berlin last summer. Among their achievements they have shifted the Committee's responsibilities towards a more strategic role, have recruited groups of volunteers to support priority areas including external relations and mentoring, and held a successful event in May focused on working with men and boys on gender equality.

Looking to the future, we heard about plans for the next Roverway which will take place over 3-14 August 2016. Teams of Guides and Scouts aged 16-22 will travel on paths across France undertaking a number of challenges along the way.

Girlguiding UK's Amanda Medler, Vice Chair of the Europe Committee, was among the speakers and the UK delegation gave her a big cheer!

Minifigs invade Hong Kong

After the minifigs' experiences at the World Conference, the exciting city of Hong Kong beckoned!

Using their newly purchased Octopus cards, they travelled the length and breadth of the region by metro...

 ...by tram...

...by ferry...

...and even by escalator...

They learnt to eat Hong Kong style...

...sharing tasty local delicacies.

They had a close encounter with some super-sized seafood...

...then went hunting for yellow fruits for dessert.

Refuelled, they set out to explore, firstly meeting some of the local residents.

They stumbled upon some traditional crafts...

...and learnt that in Hong Kong techniques for making camp gadgets are used for scaffolding to build houses.

There was time for a spot of souvenir shopping...

..and they enjoyed city life into the night.

After the intense Conference experience, the minifigs were in need of some rest and relaxation, and discovered on Lama Island that there's more to Hong Kong than skyscrapers.

They had a fantastic time sharing their exploits with a new friend from New Zealand, who showed them some stunning sights in Hong Kong. In the spirit of international friendship, they sent some cousins with her on her journey Down Under to deliver greetings to Guiding in Asia Pacific.

After a whirlwind ten days, immersed in global guiding and life in a global city, the minifigs went their separate ways - some travelling further into Asia, others returning to the UK.

They had an amazing trip, seeing another part of the world and learning more about our worldwide movement.

Hear from others who have been overseas with guiding and be inspired to start planning your own international adventure.

Minifigs take over the World Conference

We did not travel to Hong Kong alone. On our first night here we discovered that our suitcases had been invaded! From out of our kit emerged a band of minifigs, looking uncannily like the official UK delegation.

Our miniature friends have joined us on our journeys through the World Conference and we now share their experiences.

Bright and breezy, and ready for anything, they enjoyed posing with the official Conference logo, featuring a phoenix - a symbol of high virtue and grace in East Asia.

Naughtily, unlike the lifesize delegation, they had not read all the papers in advance of the Conference so they had some catching up to do.

They quickly realised that not everyone at the Conference spoke minifigish so they got to grips with the simultaneous interpretation kit.

With important business underway, we tried to contain the minifigs, but, when we weren't looking, it seems they took control of our electronic voting device. Good job we'd briefed them well!

They were keen to share their Conference highlights with their minifig friends back home so snapped away, capturing as much as they could on camera.

Some of you may even have spied the odd tweet.

In order to pack as much into the Conference as possible, the minifigs had long days, often going to bed at 2am, then rising for delegation meetings at 7am. Only on the odd occasion did their heads touch their pillows.

And coffee became a Conference essential.

But sleep deprivation did not get the better of them and they threw themselves into the Conference spirit. 

One of the most special moments was when they heard that another UK minifig had gained a new title - a role model for all of the world's Guiding minifigs.

As the Conference drew to a close, the minifigs went on their way reinvigorated, taking with them tokens of friendship from around the world and memories of an intense but amazing experience.

#35WoCo Helen's reflections

What just happened?

Last night, I was dancing around an airport hotel - a different airport hotel, I hasten to add - with friends old and new; people who had arrived in a new country as  strangers, danced together as friends.

Yesterday, I lunched with my Austrian friends in the Ballroom, where we had spent most of the week.  I watched with a strange mixture of bewilderment and sadness, as the hotel staff severed the WAGGGS backdrop, which had been in tens of thousands of photographs across the week, and tweeted out to millions, with a craft knife, ready for the next event.

Having thought about this, I've decided that it's a metaphor.  The conference experience is - for want of a better word - awesome.  It's a dynamic, vibrant, intruiging blend of tradition and modernity, goodness and ambition, linguistic joy, a common understanding and so much more.  It's a safe, friendly place of similarities and differences.  But now, conference has come to an end; and that craft knife epitomises the fact that this indescribable feeling at being part of this international spectacular, has now ended.  The banners have gone, we are back in mufti, the #35WoCo wifi has been switched off; the journey back to reality kicks in.  Don't mishear me - this is a good thing.  We have lived in an airport-hotel shaped conference bubble for a week, experienced situations we will never experience again.  Now it's time to take back the learning, the contacts, the joy, the experience, the sharing, the ideas, the alternative ways of thinking, and consider how this impacts our Member Organisation and how to take everything forward.  

I feel strange.  I've been with 100 friends for the last week.  Now, I'm at the airport, with just a plate of dough balls and a Coca Cola for company (I had to get a Coke lid, as anyone who knows me will understand).

I walked through immigration and a man armed with an iPad stopped me and asked if he could ask me some questions.  Thankfully, he was from the Hong Kong Tourist Board.  I couldn't tick any of his boxes as to why I had been in Hong Kong, so was trying to describe Hong Kong Girl Guides, to which the reply came - 'I have never heard of this'.  There is work to be done, here and in every one of the 145 MOs of WAGGGS. 

The delegation has now dissipated - some have been joined by their partners for a holiday, others have shifted to another hotel for some downtime.  Me? I'm off to Vietnam for a few days, then to Cambodia.  I'm going to be blogging from my personal blog here, if you can bear to keep reading over the next week or so.

I'm going to sign out there.  This has been the most intense week of my life, but in the best way possible.  It has been a privilege to have been involved and I have gained so much from it, which I will happily share with you when next we meet.

Read back over the blog, tell your friends about WAGGGS aand how it all works.  Encourage all girls and young women to join Girlguiding.  Start volunteering yourself, if  you don't already.  And if you do already, consider what more you could do to advance this great movement.  Go - help Girlguiding to Be The Change.

Au revoir.