AN INVITATION to Westminster Abbey shocked one Brownie leader from Launceston who celebrated 40 years of Girl Guiding recently.

Melinda Hawke has been ‘Brown Owl’ for the 6th Launceston Brownies group for more than 40 years and says she ‘wouldn’t know where I would be without my Monday nights with the Brownies’.

Mrs Hawke told the Post she became a Brownie leader by chance. She believes she was 16 or 17 when she went along to her first meeting.

She said: “I have actually been part of the Brownies for around 44 years not just 40 — I have done more than the award says — but at the time there wasn’t anyone in town to register with.

“Back then, Brownies was run by a lady called Mrs [Joyce] Jones. I think it was in 1974, my friend and I were invited along to one of the meetings by Mrs Joyce who asked if we could help out. We were happy to and started attending.

“Well, about four to five weeks later she said she was giving up, which left it up to us to run the group — she really dropped us in it — and I have been with the 6th Launceston Brownies ever since.”­­

Mrs Hawke said she celebrated her 40-year guiding anniversary in March of last year and was ‘shocked’ when, out of the blue, in April she received a letter in the post with an invitation to attend a special service at Westminster Abbey.

Many other Brownie/Guide leaders and members were invited along to a service, which recognised those who have given many years of their life to supporting Girl Guiding.

Mrs Hawke said: “The church service at Westminster Abbey was lovely, people read pieces to do with Guiding and we had breakfast before in Church House in Dean’s Yard, which was very special.”

Mrs Hawke said over the years she has seen many changes in the way her Brownie group is run. She said: “The old pannier market was where we used to meet up when I first started, which is now the car park. We then moved over to St Stephens and on to St Thomas hall where we still meet today.

“Since I started many things have changed, the ‘Promise’ has changed about three times and the uniforms have changed twice — but the girls always stay the same, all are very thoughtful and kind.”

Mrs Hawke said she has no intentions of giving up, even after 44 years.

She said: “I am still Brown Owl and think I will be for many moons to come. I really enjoy it and I think I really would be lost without the Brownies — I have attended the meetings every Monday night for the past 44 years, if I wasn’t doing that I don’t know what else I would be doing.”