Pax Lodge is 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) World Centres in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

, London, England. It was opened on 15 March 1991, preceded by ''Olave House'' (1959–1988), named after

Olave Baden-Powell Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell (''née'' Soames; 22 February 1889 – 25 June 1977) was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and co-founder o ...

(World Chief Guide and wife of

Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...

who founded the

Scouting movement Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

) which was preceded by ''Our Ark'' (1939–1959). The new World Centre was named 'Pax Lodge' as a tribute to the Baden-Powells. The Latin word for peace, ''pax'', was present in the names of their homes in England and Paxtu in Kenya. The name also highlights the importance of peace in the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movement. Our foundation stone was unveiled in 1988 by The Honourable Mrs Betty Clay, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell’s daughter. Our doors were also donated by members of the Baden-Powell family, to symbolise that the doors of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting are open to all women and girls. On 15 March 1991, Princess Benedikte of Denmark officially opened Pax Lodge. Since opening, Pax Lodge has welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests, including day visitors from more than 65 countries. The centre has become a gathering place for girls and young women seeking international friendship, WAGGGS education and warm accommodation. Pax Lodge is part of the Olave Centre. The Olave Centre comprises Pax Lodge and the

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

World Bureau. Pax Lodge provides a home away from home for Girl Guides and Scouts and is a centre for educational sessions, international events and other activities. The other World Centres are:

Our Chalet Our Chalet is an international Girl Guide/Girl Scout centre and one of five World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). The others are Our Cabaña, Sangam, Kusafiri and Pax Lodge. Our Chalet is just outside A ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Our Cabaña Our Cabaña (or Nuestra Cabaña) is an international Girl Guide centre of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) located in Cuernavaca, Mexico, It opened in July 1957 as a Baden-Powell centennial memorial. The centre can hou ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and

Sangam World Girl Guide/Girl Scout Center Sangam World Centre is one of the five World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), located on the banks of the Mula River in Pune. The word Sangam means ‘coming together’ in the ancient language of Sanskr ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Kusafiri Kusafiri is one of the five world centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). It is based in Africa but has no fixed location, instead it moves around existing locations in different African countries. In October 2 ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

History

In 1989

Betty Clay Betty St Clair Clay (née Baden-Powell; 16 April 1917 – 24 April 2004) was the younger daughter of Olave Baden-Powell, the first Chief Guide and Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting. She was the sister of Peter ...

, daughter of Robert and Olave Baden Powell, unveiled the Foundation Stone for Pax Lodge. Pax Lodge opened its doors to visitors on 1 August 1990, and on 29 September that year, members of the Baden-Powell family opened the Pax Lodge doors. Another ceremony took place on 15 March 1991, with HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark, who is very active in Danish and world Guiding, officially declaring Pax Lodge open. The name 'Pax Lodge’ was chosen for historic and symbolic reasons. The Baden-Powells, Robert and Olave Baden Powell, had family homes called Pax Hill, in Hampshire, England and ‘Paxtu’ in Kenya. ‘Pax’ means ‘Peace’ in Latin.

References

External links

Pax Lodge WebsiteWAGGGS Page on the World Centres
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