PE Final Competitions
Presentation to our new Vice Patrons AGM 3 September 2011
Speech by Ms Amy Jolley, International Award AGM 3 September 2011
Lewis Crosby Scripture Shield AGM 3 September 2011
International Award News
New National Chaplain
Rev Suzanne Harris was appointed The Girls’ Brigade National Chaplain in January 2011.
I joined the 4th Co. St. Jude’s Girls’ Brigade (Inchicore) at the age of three with Captain – Miss Millie Pemberton. I moved through the ranks as a Tiny Tot and an Explorer. I still have very happy memories of going into the Metropolitan Hall in Abbey Street for the Annual Display. I also have a beautiful picture that Miss Pemberton embroidered herself and gave to me as my Display present in Explorers. It is very sentimental and must be about 35 years old!!
I then progressed through the ranks and became a Junior, a Senior and then a Brigader and remember going to GB swimming run by Isobel Henderson in the Tara Street Baths and later in the Rathmines’ pool. In the summer, Miss Pemberton very kindly brought us a number of times to the Isle of Man for our Girls’ Brigade camp which was terrific fun and thoroughly enjoyed by all the girls and the Mums who went with us.
As a Brigader I took part in a Girls’ Brigade show in the Mansion House in Dublin and later in the year, in May 1985, we travelled to London to perform the show in the Royal Albert Hall. It was a show depicting the Olympics and it included girls from many different GB companies. We all had a fantastic time in London performing and doing some shopping!
- March 1984 – Completed Sub-Officer Training
- September 1984 – Completed The Girls’ Brigade International Award
- December 1984 / January 1985 – I went to an International Girls’ Brigade Camp – Fonamarae in Australia with three other representatives from the Republic of Ireland – Susan Cashell from 12th Co. St Catherine’s, Tracy Henderson from 6th Co. Holy Trinity Rathmines and Sharon Miller from 2nd Co. Cork City. The camp was held in Melbourne with girls from all over the world and then the Irish delegation were hosted in Canberra with families for a further week
- August 1985 – Completed Officer’s Training
- September 1987 – moved to work as a teacher in Kilkenny College
- January 1992 – returned to work as a school Chaplain in Newpark School in Dublin
- March 1997 – Commissioned as a Lay Reader in the Church of Ireland
- September 2001 – joined the 39th Company in Bray when my daughter Jessica was 3 years old and began to help with the Tots section, then the Explorer section and then the Junior / Senior section
- June 2006 – accepted for training for Ordination in The Church of Ireland
- June 2009 – Ordained a Deacon in the Church of Ireland
- June 2010 – Ordained a Priest in the Church of Ireland
Over the past 10 years I have taught skipping, arts and crafts, singing, scripture, choral speaking, modern dance, teamwork and special items for the display. This year I taught scripture to the Junior /Senior section in the 39th Company.