The Silver Fish Award is the highest adult award in
Girlguiding
Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. Girlguiding is a char ...
. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding combined with service to world
Guiding. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarded to girls on completion of a number of badges, then via numerous stages to the highest award in the Guiding movement worldwide, and then on to its position as a Girlguiding award.
Award criteria
The Silver Fish is not earned, but given to those who are nominated and are considered worthy of the award. Recipients must be members of Girlguiding, have done outstanding service to Guiding in more than one capacity and made a contribution to world Guiding.
Ideally candidates should be at least 18 months from retirement and have held an appointment within 6 months of the nomination.
History
The award of Silver Fish existed from the beginning of the Guiding movement. The choice of the silver fish was as a result of Lord Baden-Powell visiting Japan, where he learnt that when a son was born, parents would hang a small silver fish on their door, signifying the boy would be able to successfully 'swim upstream' through life's challenges. If a daughter was born, a tiny doll was used. This indicated a girl's sole aim was to raise a family. Lord Baden-Powell decided to make a Guide's highest honour a silver fish, to show that girls are just as capable of battling against the odds as boys.
Award for Girl Guides
The award is mentioned in the November 1909 edition of the ''Boy Scout
Headquarters Gazette
''Scouting'' magazine was a bi-monthly publication of The Scout Association. The magazine included information, resources and support for both young people and adults involved with The Scout Association and Scouting. It was supplied free of direct ...
'' in "The Scheme for 'Girl Guides'". Here a girl must pass seventeen specified efficiency badges.
However, in ''Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls'', also published in 1909, twenty efficiency badges were needed to obtain the Silver Fish.
This was later reduced to fifteen and, additionally, good all round work was required.
Award for Girl Scouts of USA
Around the time of the foundation of the
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...
in 1912, their handbook listed the Silver Fish as the highest honour in Girl Scouting. However, before anyone could earn it, the
Golden Eaglet was introduced.
Five American women were awarded the Silver Fish:
*
Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low (October 31, 1860 – January 17, 1927) was the American founder of Girl Scouts of the USA. Inspired by the work of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts, she joined the Girl Guide movement in England, forming her own gro ...
, founder of Girl Scouts USA
*
Anne Hyde Choate
Anne Hyde Clarke Choate (October 27, 1886 – May 17, 1967) was an early and prominent leader in the Girl Scouts of the USA and in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
Biography
Born Anne Hyde Clarke in New York, her g ...
, Juliette's goddaughter and the second president of Girl Scouts USA
*
Helen Storrow
Helen Osborne Storrow (September 22, 1864 – November 12, 1944) was a prominent American philanthropist, early Girl Scout leader, and chair of the World Committee of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) for eight years ...
, donor of
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 ...
*
Jane Deeter Rippin
Jane Parker Deeter Rippin (1882–1953) was an American social worker, who served as the national director of the Girl Scouts of the USA from 1919 until 1930. During her tenure, she saw Girl Scout membership quintuple from 50,000 to 250,000; she ...
, National Director of GSUSA
*
Julia Cobb Crowell, Chair of the Committee
Award for adults
In October 1917, the award changed to being given for outstanding service to the movement. At this time, the design also changed from a
whiting with its tail in its mouth worn on a silver chain, to a swimming fish worn on a dark and light blue striped ribbon.
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 ...
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in 1918, then the only one of its kind.
In 1995, her daughter
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 ...
was presented with a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch. It continues to be awarded within UK GirlGuiding to this day.
Recipients
1911–1919
1920–1929
1930–1939
1940–1949
1950–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000 onwards
Date of award unknown
See also
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Thanks Badge Girl Scouts of USA highest adult honour
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Silver Wolf Award for distinguished service to Scouting in the UK
References
{{Scouting
Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting
Scout and Guide awards