they had been running along quite happily for several months, the girls discovered that unbeknownst to them, an official female wing of the scouting movement indeed existed, and it was called Girl Guides. Not only that, but a company of Girl Guides had already been formed, and they met at the First Presbyterian Church in Vancouver. This group had officially registered as the 1st Vancouver Company. Quickly Phyl called a meeting of the Girl Scouts to discuss the situation. There wasn’t really much to discuss because it made so much more sense to become part of an official girls’ movement rather than to continue struggling on their own in a system made for boys.
Mrs. James filled out the paperwork for them and reminded her daughter: “Now you realize that we will have to give up our name. I know you are proud to be a member of the 1st Vancouver Troop, but because we are now registering as Guides, not Scouts, we have to take the next available company name.”
“It’s not fair,” said Phyl, “Even though we got ourselves going first and have been ever so busy, we’ll have to call ourselves the 2nd Vancouver Company.”
“Don’t worry, dear, it’s only a name. Names are not important. It’s what you do that counts. Believe you me, your energy and enthusiasm are more important than any name.”
Initially the girls dressed in long, full, navy or white skirts with a white midi blouse and a sailor hat. A more serviceable tailored dark blue skirt and button-down army-style shirt accompanied by a broad-brimmed cotton hat soon replaced this outfit. On their belts the Girl Guides carried the all-important whistle, knife, and all manner of gadgets. Later, more formal protocols in regards to lanyards, neckties, hats, and placement of badges on their uniforms came in to effect.
Scouting for Boys, written by Baden-Powell, was the principal manual for the Boy Scouts, and for the first few years it also provided guidance for Girl Guides. The manual was especially focussed on badge proficiencies and in particular, on first aid. Soon, though, Agnes Baden-Powell adapted this book and titled it The Handbook for Girl Guides: How Girls Can Help to Build up the Empire. The book countered the parental worry that Guiding would make tomboys out of daughters, for it included not only the essential Boy Scout woodcraft training, but also training in housework and domestic science.
For girls and women, Guiding offered a socially acceptable base upon which traditional female roles could be broadened to embrace previously male-only pursuits. Because the entire Guiding movement was female, girls and women learned to organize and be self-sufficient, to be disciplined, and to undertake challenging and nontraditional roles. For many girls, Guiding was heaven-sent. The training and the achievement of goals gave the girls confidence and provided the means and opportunity to develop self-esteem and purpose.
The skills learned in Guiding were practical and applicable for the average young woman, but for Phyllis these skills became a means to her ends. Guiding became a cornerstone of her personal identification, and throughout her life she would give back to Girl Guides as much as she received.
Phyl and the other Girl Guides followed faithfully “the book,” as they referred to their manual. Basic first aid formed the core of many badges and was generally acknowledged as an important life skill. Phyl took this subject seriously; she learned much of it by reading just in advance of passing it on to her girls. The manual was a handy tool that gave structure to their learning. It included detail on bandaging; treating burns, cuts, and abrasions; and responding to more serious accidents and emergencies. But little else existed to complement the readings. The Canadian Red Cross and the St. John Ambulance Brigade, organizations that would in later years contribute much in the field of first aid and emergency response, were in their infancy in Vancouver. Phyl even taught her girls artificial respiration by reading from the manual. At this point she decided enough was enough.
“Mother, how can I continue to do this? I can’t possibly keep reading so far ahead of the girls to know enough to teach them. It’s just too hard. I don’t feel confident that I understand it all and I don’t have enough time to practise before it’s time to teach the Guides. There must be a better way, or else I will have to step down.”
“Phyl, you always insist on doing everything yourself. It’s an admirable trait, but once in a while you have to recognize that in some areas you, too, need a good grounding. Especially before you can expect to be a credible teacher. I think we should investigate some formal training. The St. John Brigade offers instruction. It may mean that you go to their headquarters on Saturday mornings for the next little while, but let’s get you trained properly so you can pass on your first aid knowledge with some authority.”
Phyllis nodded. Her mother was right, as usual. But also, as usual, Phyl followed through, and in September 1914 she earned her First Aid Certificate. Flushed with success, Phyl went on to earn the St. John Home Nursing Certificate three months later. First aid lessons for the Guides resumed once more. She continued using the Guide manual as a textbook, but now her teaching was based on confidence and the authority gained through her own formal certification.
“Read the chapter in ‘the book’ on bandaging,” Phyl instructed the girls. “It is all covered there. We’ll test ourselves next week when three of our mothers, who have agreed to come in, will make themselves available to us as victims. We can practise on them and try out all the bandaging skills we have worked on.”
Phyl soon learned that “the book,” despite its thoroughness on the subject of first aid, had limitations. In the area of woodcraft (knowing how to survive in the outdoors, how to build fires, and what plants could be used for food, to make shelter), it failed. Although much attention was paid to the subject – the plants and natural materials described did not grow on Canada’s West Coast.
“Oh, this is hopeless! Mother, look. How can I learn when ‘the book’ is filled with English examples? If we study all this, we will know how to get food and shelter in the woods in England, but be hopeless at home. There is nothing here to guide us in the North American wilds. None of the berries or edible plants illustrated in ‘the book’ grow here in Vancouver. The trees are different, and there is absolutely no mention of salal, stinging nettles, Douglas fir, or cedar trees. Bears and cougars – important animals to know about if you are in the wilds – are not even acknowledged. Badgers, foxes, and rabbits do not populate my woods!”
“Then use all the resources available to you,” her mother advised. “Where would you normally go to do research?”
“The public library, of course! That’s being resourceful. As a Girl Guide, I should have been resourceful on my own, without you prompting me. Thanks Mum, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
The English Scouting books soon became the beginning – not the entirety – of the Girl Guide learning. Phyl and the others borrowed books from the public library and read about North American nature, about local animals, plants, trees, and geographic features. Phyl learned creativity and adaptability and how to apply general knowledge to specific situations, a life skill important for the unexpected and often unforeseen circumstances in which she sometimes later found herself.
Patrol leader Phyllis James, ca 1912–15.
3
Passionate About Guiding
Phyl’s Guide company spent time in the outdoors on picnics and camping. North Vancouver was a popular destination for them because from the Grandview area it was relatively easy to get to – just a ferry ride across Burrard Inlet – and it was physically on the edge of “the wilds.” The Grand Boulevard leading off Lonsdale Avenue was largely wooded and a perfect picnic destination. In fact, the whole of North Vancouver was rural with only a few key roads (with streetcar routes) cut through the forests. Besides the Lonsdale line, another line followed west along Keith Road to the Capilano River and