Girl guide leader claims she was sacked for letting children use axed promise to ‘love my God’

A Girl Guide leader claims she has been ‘sacked’ for allowing girls to use the word God in the pledge they make when joining.

Emma Jeffery says Girlguiding forced her from her role as a Rainbows group voluntary leader because she let girls choose whether to mention God in their joining promise.

The movement, previously called the Girl Guides Association, axed the religious reference in 2013, controversially replacing the words ‘I promise that I will do my best… to love my God’ with ‘… to develop my beliefs’.

But Mrs Jeffery, 45, continued to use the previous version until her local County Team was tipped off and instructed her to follow the approved text.

Girlguiding has a less flexible approach than the Scouts, whose promise includes a reference to God, but allows members to drop it if they wish. 

A compromise was initially reached allowing Mrs Jeffery to let parents pick which version to use and every girl in the 20-strong group of five-to-seven-year-olds chose to say the traditional promise.

But last month she was informed by County Commissioner Karen McFarlane, during a regular session with her 1st Abbeydale Rainbows group in Gloucester, that even that offer breached the rules and she would have to agree to omit God from the text or leave the organisation.

As a Christian, she felt it was wrong to go against her beliefs and she said she would continue to offer her Rainbows the choice of Promises. She then said she received a letter claiming she had ‘resigned’ – which she disputes. 

The mother-of-two, who had been a leader for seven years, said: ‘I’m not trying to shove religion down people’s throats – just offering them a choice. 

‘The very name Rainbows is taken from the story of Noah’s Ark, it was a given to Noah as a gift from God. If the Scouts don’t feel the need to be so didactic about their promise, why does Girlguiding have to be so inflexible?’

A Girlguiding spokesperson said the new version of the promise, which says ‘develop my beliefs’ was agreed after a ‘large consultation’ and its 100,000 volunteers (file picture of the London headquarters) 

Parents last week received a letter from the County Commissioner informing them only that Mrs Jeffery was leaving following a ‘sudden decision’, with a Christmas party for the girls tomorrow effectively being her leaving party.

Two temporary leaders will be installed next month, but several girls have quit in protest at Mrs Jeffery’s treatment.

One parent, Lisa Kerr, said: ‘We love the fact that Emma gave our daughter the option when she did her promise of using the old one or the new. As a Christian family, our daughter wanted to say the promise where she can publicly promise to “love my God”.’

Critics have accused Girlguiding of being too politically correct. Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday highlighted the case of guide leader Helen Watts who was sacked after raising concerns that men who identify as women could be appointed as guide leaders and be allowed to share showers and tents with girls in their care.

A Girlguiding spokesperson said the new version of the promise was agreed after a ‘large consultation’ and its 100,000 volunteers were ‘expected to follow our policies and volunteer code of conduct at all times’.

They added: ‘We’re aware a Girlguiding leader resigned from her role following a complaint made that she wasn’t using the standard wording of the Promise. 

‘The leader was not withdrawn from Girlguiding. The complaint is being handled internally.’