The Guides du Bénin (''Girl Guides of Benin'') is the national Guiding organization of

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

. Guiding in Benin started in 1954, the association was founded in 1960 and became a member of the

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS ) is a global association supporting the Girl Guides, female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organizations in 152 countries. It was established in 1928 in Parád, Hungary, ...

(WAGGGS) in 1963. The girls-only association has 1,533 members (as of 2003). It is affiliated to

Scoutisme Béninois Scoutisme Béninois is the national Scouting organization of Benin. Scouting in Benin started around 1930 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1964 under the previous name Dahomey. Its Girl Guide branch, the Guid ...

, the national member of the

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOS ...

History

The first Guide patrols in then-

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

developed in

Porto-Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...

in 1954. Two years later, the first Guide camp was held and the movement spread to

Cotonou Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...

. When the association was official founded in 1960, all three sections were introduced. In 1963, the Guides du Bénin became an associate member of WAGGGS. In the following years, membership numbers stagnated, and the association was only granted full membership in WAGGGS in 2005.

Program

Sections

The association is divided into three sections, according to the age of the members: * Jeanettes ( Brownies) - ages 8 to 11 * Guides (Girl Guides) - ages 11 to 16 * Guides âinées (Ranger Guides) - ages 16 and older

Promise, law and motto

The Guide Promise of the Guides du Bénin has the following wording: Sur mon honneur je m'engage à servir Dieu et mon pays en toute circumstances, à aider mon prochain et à observer la loi des guides.
''On my honour, I undertake to serve God and my country in all circumstances, to help other and to keep the Guide Law.'' The Guide Law of the Guides du Bénin: # La Guide n'a qu'une parole.
''A Guide keeps her word.'' # La Guide est loyale.
''A Guide is loyal.'' # La Guiede est utile à ses Parents, ses camarades et son pays.
''A Guide is useful to her parents, friends and country.'' # La Guide est l'amie de tous.
''A Guide is a friend to all.'' # La Guides est coutoise est sait obéir.
''A Guide is courteous and knows how to obey.'' # La Guide découvre la nature et la protège.
''A Guide learns about Nature and protects it.'' # La Guide est toujours de bonne humeur.
''A Guide is always good-tempered.'' # La Guide ets économe et travailleuse.
''A Guide is thrifty and hardworking.'' # La Guide est propre dans ses pensées, ses paroles et ses actes.
''A Guide is pure in her thoughts, her words and her deeds.'' # La Guide est civiquement consciente et sert les intérêts du peuple béninois.
''A Guide is a responsible citizen and acts for the good of the people of Benin.'' The

Guide Motto The Scout Motto of the Scout movement is, in English, "Be Prepared", with most international branches of the group using a close translation of that phrase. These mottoes have been used by millions of Scouts around the world since 1907. Most of t ...

is ''Toujours prêt!'', ''Always Prepared'' in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

References

* World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Bureau (1997), ''Trefoil Round the World''. Eleventh Edition 1997. {{DEFAULTSORT:Guides Du Benin World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member organizations Scouting and Guiding in Benin Youth organizations established in 1960