Edna Strange nee Bailey
1950’s Brownie Promise Badge
I joined the Warborough Brownies pack sometime after my seventh birthday in 1957. I had asked my mother multiple times if she would go and speak to Mrs Eva Jones (Brown Owl) about me joining. She didn’t do this, and so I took matters into my own hands and one day after school I went round to Mrs Jones’ house on the Green and joined myself!
I was put into the Pixie group and eventually over time rose to become the ‘Sixer’ of the pack. I remember having to learn how to tie my scarf in a reef knot – right over left and under then left over right and under – which was always inspected at every meeting to make sure it was correct! I also remember spending ages with a rag and a tin of Brasso trying to get my penny – which we had to take to each meeting – bright, clean and very shiny. You got a point if you had a shiny penny!
At the beginning of each meeting we would greet Brown Owl (Mrs Jones) and Tawny Owl (Mrs Elkington, the Headmaster’s wife) and recite the Brownie Code of “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.”
On Remembrance Sunday, the Guides, Scouts, Cubs and Brownies would join with the Vicar and congregation at the War Memorial for the service there and then we would all parade into Church and our Brownie Banner/Flag would be laid on the altar with all the other flags for the duration of the Remembrance Service. I can also remember being in uniform and standing in a line in the now St Laurence Hall car park (it was my primary school) when Warborough won the Best Kept Village Competition, and the Cherry Tree outside the village shop was planted. It was quite a grand occasion!