The Girls' Brigade International Council
 

England & Wales

General Information 
Area150,484 Sq.Km ( 58,102 Sq.Mi.)
Population53 million
Currency1 Pound Sterling = 100 pence
CapitalEngland - London, Wales - Cardiff
England
GovernmentParliamentary Democracy
Head of StateQueen Elizabeth II
Languages

English is the official Language, although as this is a multi-cultured society many other languages are present.

Wales
 The one thing that marks Wales out so distinctly from the rest of Britain is the survival of the Welsh language. Despite its seemingly unpronounceable double L and consecutive consonants, Welsh is a Celtic offshoot with its closest languages being Cornish and Breton.
ReligionsThe majority of the population is Christian, but there are a large number of Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Sikhs
Major IndustriesEngland: Banking and finance, steel, transport equipment, oil and gas, tourism. Wales: Agriculture and forestry, manufacturing, tourism
   
Geography 

England: Is the largest of the three political divisions within the main island of Great Britain. It is bound by Scotland to the north and Wales to the west and is only 29km (18mi) from France at the nearest point across the English Channel. The majority of England is flat or low-lying with the most noticeable hills being the Pennines in the north and the Cumbrian Mountains and Lake District in the west.

Wales: Surrounded by sea on three sides, Wales' border with England (to the east) still runs roughly along Offa's Dyke, a giant earthwork constructed in the 8th century. Wales is made up of rolling moorlands and glaciated mountain areas, the two major ones being the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons in the south, and the Snowdonia range in the northwest. The population is concentrated in the southeast, along the coast between Cardiff and Swansea and in the valleys that run north into the Beacons.

 
Climate
England: The climate is mild and damp, with temperatures moderated by the light winds that blow in off its relatively warm seas. Temperatures inland don't get much below freezing in winter (December to February), or much above 30°C (86°F) in summer (June to August). The north is the coldest area; London, the south-east and the West Country are the warmest. Rainfall is greatest in hilly areas and in the West Country. You can expect cloudy weather and rain in any part of England at any time.
Wales: Westerly and south-westerly winds and an abundance of rainfall all the year round can make life pretty miserable. That said, the closeness of the mountains to the coast means that you can encounter very different climatic conditions within short distances. Temperatures in Cardiff get up to 20°C (68°F) at the height of summer (August), but rarely drop below freezing even in the depths of winter (January).
 
Wildlife
England: was once almost entirely covered with woodland, but tree cover is now the second lowest in Europe. Common trees include oak, elm, chestnut, lime (not the citrus variety), ash and beech. Although there isn't much tall flora around, there are many wildflowers such as snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells, primroses, buttercups and cowslips and several varieties of flowering heathers. England’s common wild animals include the deer (red, fallow and roe), foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, squirrels (red and grey), and rabbits. The shrew, harvest mouse and water vole are now less common as is England’s only poisonous snake, the adder.
Wales: Much of Wales was once covered by forest, mainly sessile oak, but very little of this now remains. Native ash are much more common than oaks, growing along rivers, and in their shade you'll find primroses, violets and orchids. Wild cherry trees and field maples are also common. Fragile Arctic plants like the unique Snowdon lily grow among the country's mountains. Seabirds love Wales' lengthy coastline - the country has 30% of the world's manx shearwaters and one of the world's largest gannet colonies. Inland you'll find the only red kites left in Britain, as well as the greater horseshoe bat and red squirrels.
 
Cuisine
England: Traditional dishes include fish 'n' chips, eggs 'n' bacon, and sausages 'n' mash.
Wales: Although not particularly well-known, traditional food does exist. Some of these dishes include laverbread (a mixture of seaweed, oatmeal and bacon served on toast), rarebit (cheese on toast with the added flavour of mustard and beer) and Glamorgan sausages, a meatless delight made from cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs and leek.
 

The Girls' Brigade

 

Structure :

CHURCH
 
 
COMPANY
 
CHAPLAIN
 
CAPTAIN
 
LIEUTENANTS
 
WARRANT OFFICER
 
BRIGADERS
 
 
SENIORS
 
JUNIORS
 
EXPLORERS
 
 
DISTRICT
 
NATIONAL COUNCIL
 
HEADQUARTERS
 
 
Age Groups : The sections within The Girls' Brigade are as follows:
 Explorersunder 8 years
 Juniors8 - 10 years
 Seniors11 - 13 years
 Brigaders14 - 18 years

 

Associates19+
 

Uniform :

ExplorersExplorers wear a red polo shirt, navy tunic or skirt, white socks and black shoes.
 JuniorsJuniors wear a white blouse, navy tunic or skirt, navy v-neck sweatshirt, white socks and black shoes.
 SeniorsSeniors/Brigaders wear a white blouse, navy skirt, navy v-neck sweatshirt, black tights and black shoes. Seniors have a blue tie and Brigaders a blue and red tie.
 Brigaders
 OfficersOfficers wear a navy suit, white open neck blouse, black tights and black shoes.
Hats for officers and girls are worn at the discretion of the company's captain.
 

Badge Work : All badge work is based on the four-sided programme: Spiritual, Physical, Educational, Service. This is held together in the 'SPES' files, which are planned in such a way that those with creativity and imagination can determine their own activities, guided by the generic syllabi listed below. There are 16 generic syllabi under the 4 sections:

 SpiritualThe Bible, The Church, The Christian Life, People of God
 PhysicalDance, Personal Fitness, Out & About, Games
 EducationalThe Arts, Study, Hobbies, Life Skills
 ServiceHome service, The Environment, Helping Others, Training to Help
Explorers work towards 3 Stars - Bronze, Silver & Gold
Juniors & Seniors work towards 4 Circles
Brigaders work towards 4 awards - 3 Triangles : Blue, White & Green and their Brigader Brooch.
 
National President : Mavis Hughesdon
National Chairperson: Rachel Jones
 
WEB SITE : www.girlsbrigadeew.org.uk