Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GIRL GUIDES WHISTLE & LANYARD

Date Range From

1976

Date Range To

1977

Materials

BRASS, NICKLEPLATE, COTTON

No. Pieces

1

Length

83.2

Diameter

1.9

Description

NICKEL PLATED BRASS WHISTLE WITH ENGRAVING THAT READS, “BOY SCOUTS CANADA, MADE IN ENGLAND.” FRONT HAS BOY SCOUT LOGO WITH FLEUR DE LIS AND STARS. TOP HAS RING TO CONNECT WHISTLE TO NAVY BLUE COTTON LANYARD WITH TWISTED STRANDS AND TWO MONKEY FIST KNOTS.

Subjects

SOUND COMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE IN 2011, “THE WHISTLE WAS USED BY KAREN NEUFELD NEE POTTS AND BELONGS WITH HER UNIFORM THAT WAS DONATED EARLIER. SHE WAS A SHY GIRL BUT TOOK ALL THE USUAL SWIMMING AND SKATING LESSONS AND JOINED BROWNIES AND SUBSEQUENTLY GIRL GUIDES. SHE WAS ONLY IN GIRL GUIDES FOR ONE SEASON AROUND 1976/77 AS SHE DID NOT ENJOY IT AS SHE HAD BROWNIES. IN BROWNIES SHE HAD A WONDERFUL BROWN OWL, ELIZABETH HALL.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING DONOR'S FAMILY BIO, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE. FOR PREVIOUSLY DONATED GIRL GUIDES UNIFORM, SEE P20000011049. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “[MY DAUGHTER] REMEMBERS BROWNIES, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BROWNIE OUTFIT BUT SHE LOVED BROWNIES, BUT YOU HAVE TO “FLY UP” AS THEY SAY AND SO WE DECIDED IT WAS PROBABLY 1972 THAT SHE “FLEW UP.” SHE WAS IN THE BROWNIES IN 1972 AND “FLEW UP” TO GUIDES, PROBABLY 1974 AND SHE LEFT IN 1975. SHE DIDN’T LIKE IT, AND SHE DIDN’T LIKE THE PEOPLE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BUT SHE HAD AN AVERSION TO IT AND SHE STOPPED. SHE DIDN’T GO ON - ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. HER BADGES AND EVERYTHING. SHE HAS QUITE A LOT, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DON’T- THIS IS ALL HER. THOSE ARE THE BLOOMERS THAT GO WITH IT SO THAT WE DON’T SHOW ANYTHING, YOU KNOW WE DON’T SHOW UNDERWEAR, WE HAVE TO HAVE BLOOMERS THAT MATCH THE SKIRT. I DON’T KNOW WHY SHE DID, BUT SHE BECAME QUITE RECLUSIVE. AND IF THAT WAS 1970, I DON’T KNOW. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT THAT I GOT DIVORCED SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON.” ASKED IF SHE WORE THE UNIFORM TO EVERY MEETING SHE RESPONDED, “OH YES. IF THEY WERE SELLING COOKIES WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING SHE HAD TO WEAR THAT UNIFORM BUT NOW - I LOOKED IT UP - THEY ONLY WEAR T-SHIRTS SO THAT IT DOESN’T PRECLUDE GIRLS FROM JOINING - YOU KNOW THE COST OF THE UNIFORM. BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT WAS KIND OF COSTLY FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT BITS AND PIECES THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE. NOW THEY JUST WEAR A T-SHIRT. THERE IS NO UNIFORM LIKE THIS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20110020001

Acquisition Date

2011-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail