Council of Irish Guiding Associations

Council of Irish Guiding Associations
Comhairle Bantreoraithe na hÉireann
Headquarters	27 Pembroke Park, Dublin 4
Country	Ireland
Founded	1992
Membership	13,837
Affiliation	World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
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The Council of Irish Guiding Associations (Comhairle Bantreoraithe na hÉireann in Irish) is the national Guiding federation of the Republic of Ireland. Guiding in Ireland started in 1911 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1932. The council serves 13,837 Guides (as of 2008).^[1]

History

The Irish Girl Guides (GGI) became a member of WAGGGS in 1932. About the same time, the first independent companies of Catholic Guides were founded in Ireland. When the diocese based Catholic Guide organizations formed the federation of the Catholic Girl Guides of Ireland (CGI) in 1972, they new organization expressed the wish of joining WAGGGS. After nearly twenty years of negotiations, both organizations agreed to establish the Council of Irish Guiding Associations in 1992. The Council was recognised as a full member of WAGGGS in July 1993 during the 28th WAGGGS World Conference as continuing the membership gained by the Irish Girl Guides in 1932.

Since WAGGGS accepts only one member organization per country, members of CGI living in Northern Ireland were no members of WAGGGS until 2008 when an agreement was signed by CGI and Girlguiding UK on the representation of CGI members resident in Northern Ireland.^[2]

Aims

The aims of CIGA are to

1. enable membership of WAGGGS to be held by the Irish Girl Guides and the Catholic Guides of Ireland on behalf of their members resident in the Republic of Ireland;
2. promote and further the objects of the World Association as expressed in Article 111 of the Constitution and Bye-Laws of WAGGGS;
3. encourage strong dialogue and close cooperation amongst the family of Guiding in the whole of Ireland;
4. facilitate participation at international events and activities
5. work towards a single movement.^[3]

Structures

Members of the council are

• Irish Girl Guides
• Catholic Guides of Ireland

CIGA's committee consists of eight members, four for each organization. Additionally, there are four observers representing Guiding in Northern Ireland, two from CGI and two from Girlguiding Ulster. The committees's chairmanship rotates biennially between the two organizations.^[3]

See also

• Scouting Ireland

References

1. ^ "33rd World Conference Document No. 11". World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. http://www.wagggsworldconference.org/en/grab/2398/1/33rdWorldConfernce-QuotaDoc11Agenda13-ENGLISHFinal.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-27. 
2. ^ "Trefoil News, September 2008". Irish Girl Guides. http://www.irishgirlguides.ie/resources/16475/assets/documents/Trefoil%20News/SEP%20TN%2008.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Structure". Irish Girl Guides. http://www.irishgirlguides.ie/resources/16475/assets/Publications/Structure.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-07.