Canada’s Girl Scouts Will Drop ‘Brownie’ Name Because The Term Was ‘Offended’ To Some Members
Canada’s Girl Scouts will drop the name ‘Brownie’ – for the youngest members – because the term is ‘racist’…members who will now be called ‘Embers’
- The name change was announced Wednesday by Girls Guide of Canada
- The ‘Embers’ are the seven- and eight-year-old group of girls
- There was a national search for the right name for the branch
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The Canadian Girl Scouts dropped the name Brownie in favor of Embers after the term was deemed “racist” and some members of it were “offended.”
The name change was announced Wednesday by Girl Guides of Canada to create a more inclusive space for the seven- and eight-year-old girls branch, according to a Girl Guides press release.
“With this new name, we’re showing girls that what they say matters, and that Girl Guides is a place where everyone belongs,” read a tweet Girl Guides posted.
Girl Guides of Canada said they decided in November to change their industry’s name after current and former members claimed the previous name caused harm and was a barrier to fitting in for racialized girls and women.
A nationwide search involving girls, youth and adult members was conducted to find the correct name.
The Embers group cheers as they celebrate the new name change of their establishment
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Girl Guides of Canada in a tweet
“This wasn’t just about a name or its origin. This was about girls experiencing racism and feeling unwelcome in Girl Guides,” said Jill Zelmanovits, CEO of Girl Guides of Canada.
Zelmanovitz said she had heard from many current and former members and even members of the public who understood why we needed to make this change.
She said that in recent months, families have been signing up to Girl Guides for the first time because changing this name means Girl Guides is more inclusive of their daughters.
“It was abundantly clear that this was the preferred choice,” said Jill Zelmanovits, CEO of Girl Guides of Canada.
“We can’t wait to continue bringing the magic of Girl Guides to girls ages 7 and 8, now with the name Embers.”
GGC will begin phasing in the Embers name across various websites, marketing materials, and resources over the coming months.
They have a target date of September 1, 2023 for the name to be fully adopted.
Embers (ages 7-8) join other branches of Sparks (ages 5-6), Guides (ages 9-11), Pathfinders (ages 12-14) and Rangers (ages 15-17) at GGC, according to the industry.
‘With the new name Embers, we hope that even more girls will see Guiding as a place where they can be themselves, boost their self-confidence and discover their talents and interests,’ says Zelmanovits. ‘
By taking action and changing the name to Embers, Girl Guides is living up to our promise to “take action for a better world” and show girls that what they say matters. This is something I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of.”
“This wasn’t just about a name or its origin. This was about girls experiencing racism and feeling unwelcome in Girl Guides,” said Jill Zelmanovits, CEO, Girl Guides of Canada
.