The Silver Fish Award is the highest adult award in Girlguiding. It is awarded for outstanding service to Girlguiding combined with service to world Guiding. The award has changed greatly since it first appeared in 1911, initially being awarded to girls on completion of a number of badges, then via numerous stages to the highest award in the Guiding movement worldwide, and then on to its position as a Girlguiding award.
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The Silver Fish is not earned, but given to those who are nominated and are considered worthy of the award. Recipients must be members of Girlguiding, have done outstanding service to Guiding in more than one capacity and made a contribution to world Guiding.[1] Ideally candidates should be at least 18 months from retirement and have held an appointment within 6 months of the nomination.[1]
The award of Silver Fish existed from the beginning of the Guiding movement. The choice of the silver fish was as a result of Lord Baden-Powell visiting Japan, where he learnt that when a son was born, parents would hang a small silver fish on their door, signifying the boy would be able to successfully 'swim upstream' through life's challenges. If a daughter was born, a tiny doll was used. This indicated a girl's sole aim was to raise a family. Lord Baden-Powell decided to make a Guide's highest honour a silver fish, to show that girls are just as capable of battling against the odds as boys.[2]
Award for Girl Guides
The award is mentioned in the November 1909 edition of the Boy Scout Headquarters Gazette in "The Scheme for 'Girl Guides'". Here a girl must pass seventeen specified efficiency badges.[3] However, in Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls, also published in 1909, twenty efficiency badges were needed to obtain the Silver Fish.[4] This was later reduced to fifteen and, additionally, good all round work was required.[3]
Award for Girl Scouts of USA
Around the time of the foundation of the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912, their handbook listed the Silver Fish as the highest honour in Girl Scouting. However, before anyone could earn it, the Golden Eaglet was introduced.[5]
Five American women were awarded the Silver Fish:
Award for adults
In October 1917, the award changed to being given for outstanding service to the movement. At this time, the design also changed from a whiting with its tail in its mouth worn on a silver chain, to a swimming fish worn on a dark and light blue striped ribbon. Olave Baden-Powell was presented with a gold Silver Fish in 1918, then the only one of its kind.[6] In 1995, her daughter Betty Clay was presented with a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch. It continues to be awarded within UK GirlGuiding to this day.
1911–1919
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1920–1929
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1930–1939
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Recipient | Year | Notes |
Olive Kelso King (1885–1958)[19] |
1931 | Acting State Commissioner, New South Wales. First Australian recipient. |
Lady Finola Somers CBE (1896–1981)[20] |
1931 | State Commissioner, Victorian Girl Guides, Australia. Girl Guides Association Chief Commissioner (1943–1949) |
Helen Talbot [21] |
1932 | Commissioner for Overseas Guiding |
Lady Butler (1872–1951)[22] |
1932 | Chair of All-India Executive Committee |
Lady Luke[23] |
1933 | Bedfordshire's first County Commissioner (1917–1938) |
Marguerite de Beaumont (1899–1989)[24] | 1934 | Cambridgeshire County Commissioner. One of the girls who showed up at Crystal Palace Rally in 1909 wanting to be Scouts. |
Mrs Hood[25] | 1934 | Commissioner for Extensions |
Nora G Dillon[26] |
1936 | Durham County Commissioner. Executive Committee of the Council at Imperial Headquarters (1932–1935) |
Mrs Pickering[27] |
1936 | County Commissioner, Girl Guides in Yorkshire |
Rosalind Hamilton Duchess of Abercorn (1869–1958)[28] | 1937 | Ulster Chief Commissioner |
Ruth Callander[29] | 1937 | Scottish post and extension branches |
Gladys Millard (1891–1964)[30] | 1937 | From the Girl Guide Association of Manitoba, Canada |
Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk (1893–1945)[31] | 1937 | County Commissioner, Angus and Aberdeenshire. Scottish Executive Committee member. |
Lady Dorothy Arthur[32] | 1938 | Provincial Commissioner of Bengal |
The Honourable Lady Cochrane[33] | 1938 | Kent County Commissioner |
Lilias Dalmahoy[34] | 1938 | Edinburgh County Commissioner |
Miss G Hanbury-Williams MVO[35] | 1938 | Council of GGA from 1927 to 1961 |
Mrs Monteith[36] | 1938 | Assistant County Commissioner, Fife |
Allison Cargill (1896–1979)[37][38] | 1939 | Scotland's first Guide. President of Scottish GGA. VP of GGA. |
Elsa Riepert (1890–1961)[39] | 1939 | Dominion secretary of Girl Guides of Canada (1920–1941) |
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1940–1949
More information Recipient, Year ...
Recipient | Year | Notes |
Mrs Moore[40] | 1942 | District Commissioner, Canterbury City Guides. Awarded for gallantry during an air raid |
Mrs Alan Morkill MBE[41] | 1943 | |
G.G Moody[42] | 1944 | Deputy Chief Commissioner, Ulster Girl Guides |
Miss Sharp[43] | 1944 | Dundee County Commissioner |
Mona Burgin (1903–1985)[44][45] |
1945 | Active in New Zealand and as a trainer internationally |
Isabel Hetherington Kay MBE (1904–1980)[46] | 1945 | Chair of Welsh Guide Council. Chief Commissioner for Wales. |
Lady Eva Julius (1878–1972)[47] |
1945 | Chief Commissioner, New South Wales, Australia |
Verona M. Wallace Williamson (1898–1980 )[44] | 1945 | Edinburgh County Commissioner |
Margaret McIntyre OBE (1886–1948)[48] |
1947 | Tasmanian State Commissioner (1940–1948) |
Lady Lee Steere OBE[49] |
1947 | Commissioner for Girl Guides in Western Australia |
Irene Fairbairn (1899–1974)[50] |
1948 | Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia, Federal Secretary[51] |
Shylie Katherine Rymill (1882–1959)[52] | 1948 | Australian Girl Guide Commissioner. State Commissioner for South Australia (1938–1950) |
Ruth Herrick CBE (1889–1993)[53] |
1949 | Chief Commissioner for New Zealand Girl Guides (1934–1961) |
Mrs Stewart[54] |
1949 | Scottish Chief Commissioner |
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1950–1959
More information Recipient, Year ...
Recipient | Year | Notes |
H. S. Gresham[55] |
1950 | State Commissioner for Queensland, Australia |
Olive Hillbrook[56] |
1950 | Rangers Commissioner, England |
Mrs Douglas[57] |
1950 | |
Begum G. A. Khan[58] | 1951 | Chief Commissioner of the Pakistan Girl Guides Association. |
Enid, Lady Burnham CBE (1894–1979)[59] | 1952 | Girl Guide Chief Commissioner for England |
J. W. Haughton OBE[60] | 1952 | Ulster Guides Chief Commissioner |
Jessie Kerridge[61] | 1952 | Commissioner for training, Jamaica |
Gwen Hesketh MBE[62] | 1953 | Guide International Service Commissioner, Tasmania State Commissioner (1956–1962) |
Helen McSwiney OBE[63] | 1953 | |
Florence Mitchell[64] | 1953 | Assistant State Commissioner, Victoria, Australia. President, Victoria Guide International Service |
Eleanor Manning OBE (1906–1986)[65] | 1954 | Chief Commissioner of Guides Australia, World Committee of WAGGGS (1955–1962) |
Miss Tuckwell [66] | 1954 | Treasurer of WAGGGS |
Mrs Barnham[67] | 1957 | Post Box Secretary for CHQ and England |
E. M. Beveridge[68] | 1957 | Commonwealth Camp Advisor |
Mrs Durrant[69] | 1957 | Commissioner for Kenya |
Beryl Gibson[70] | 1957 | Commissioner for Training, Cyprus |
Senator W. E. GreevesMBE[71] | 1957 | Ulster Guides Chief Commissioner |
Mrs Nesbitt[72] | 1957 | Commissioner for Canada |
Anne Shepherd[73] | 1957 | County Commissioner, Yorkshire Central |
Iona M Taylor[74] | 1957 | For international service, and untiring work in Hampshire |
W Rankine Nesbitt[75] | 1957 | Chief Commissioner of Canada |
Mollie WalkerMBE[76] | 1957 | |
Lady Elizabeth Pleydell-Bouverie (1897–1982)[77] | 1958 | |
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1960–1969
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1970–1979
More information Recipient, Year ...
Recipient | Year | Notes |
Margaret Turnbull (1907–1986)[86] | 1971 | Chief Commissioner for New Zealand |
W P Gurd[87] | 1976 | Chief Commissioner for Canada |
Vivienne Vaughan-Cox OBE[88] | 1978 | Chair, Overseas Committee for Girl Guides. Commissioner in Gibraltar and Malta. |
Mrs Owen Walker JP[89] | 1979 | Chief Commissioner of GGA |
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1980–1989
More information Recipient, Year ...
Recipient | Year | Notes |
Dr Kathryn Benson-Evans[90] | 1980 | Training Advisor for Wales |
Rosemary Cadbury Dickson[91] | 1980 | Chief Commissioner for Ulster |
Dr Helen Laird[92] | 1980 | Vice Chair of WAGGGS |
Edna Banham[93] | 1981 | |
Margaret Coleman[94] | 1981 | Editor of Australian magazine Guiding in Australia |
Mrs Owen John[95] | 1981 | |
Stella Cunliffe (1917–2002)[96] | 1982 | County Commissioner for London South West |
Aline Fenwick OBE[97] |
1985 | |
Mary Hill OAM[98] |
1985 | WAGGGS Commissioner for training |
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2000 onwards
More information Recipient, Year ...
Recipient | Year | Notes |
Dorothy Naylor[99] |
2015 | British Guides in Foreign Countries. Special Needs Advisor. |
Nicola Grinstead[100] |
2016 | Chair of WAGGGS Board of Trustees. |
Anne Llywelyn-Jones [101] |
2016 | Girlguiding's Overseas Branches advisor |
Angela Milln[102] |
2016 | Deputy Chief Guide |
Leslie Knighton MBE[103] |
2018 | Chief Commissioner, British Girlguiding Overseas. |
Carol Selwyn-Jones[104] |
2020 | British Girlguiding Overseas, Safeguarding Leader |
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Date of award unknown
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"Worth reporting". The Australian Women's Weekly. Sydney, Australia. 13 February 1963. p. 2. Kerr, Rose (1976). Story of the Girl Guides 1908–1938. London: Girl Guides Association.
"Legacy Giving". Guides of Canada – Guides du Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2005. "In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 65 No. 12 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. December 1978. p. 559.
"Helen Talbot, 1800–1956". Guider (Vol. 43 No. 6 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. June 1956. p. 168.
"From our files". Saffron Walden Weekly News. Saffron Walden, England. 10 July 1959. p. 12. "Long Association". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. Sunderland, England. 13 August 1936. p. 6. "In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 68 No. 8 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. August 1981. p. 49.
"In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 67 No. 2 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. February 1980. p. 451.
"Deputy Commissioner". Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin review; and Forfar and Kincardineshire advertiser. Montrose, Scotland. 28 January 1938. p. 2. "In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 66 No. 10 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. October 1979. p. 451.
"Personalia". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Canada. 7 October 1939. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com. "Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 2 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. February 1957. p. 61.
Liddell, Alix (1976). Story of the Girl Guides 1938–1975. London: Girl Guides Association. "Officers". Western Mail. Cardiff, Wales. 1 January 1954. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com. "Army of Guides". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 22 October 1951. p. 4. "Americans Join". Saffron Walden Weekly News. Saffron Waldon, England. 14 November 1952. p. 16. "In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 65 No. 12 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. December 1978. p. 559.
"The Silver Fish". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 13 March 1953. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com. "History". Guides Australia. Retrieved 25 September 2006. "Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 1 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. January 1957. p. 29.
"Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 12 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. December 1957. p. 379.
"Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 9 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. September 1957. p. 285.
"Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 12 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. December 1957. p. 379.
"Headquarters Notices". Guider (Vol. 44 No. 12 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. December 1957. p. 379.
"Personalia". New Milton Advertiser. New Milton, Hampshire. 19 October 1957. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive. "Edna Mary Banham". Guider (Vol. 66 No. 7 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. July 1979. p. 309.
"In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 69 No. 10 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. October 1982. p. 45.
"Worth Reporting". The Australian Women's Weekly. Sydney, Australia. 13 February 1963. p. 14. Mazhar, Inas (15–21 April 2004). "Alternate Ideas". Al-Ahram Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 September 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2006. "Big day for the Guides". The Tewkesbury Register and Agricultural Express. Tewkesbury, England. 19 June 1967. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. "Price, Joyce Ethel". Bright Sparcs. Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre. Retrieved 25 September 2006. "In Memoriam". Guider (Vol. 64 No. 2 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. February 1977. p. 47.
"HQ Notices". Guider (Vol. 63 No. 7 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. July 1976. p. 303.
"Mrs Owen Walker, JP". Guider (Vol. 66 No. 8 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. August 1979. p. 343.
"Dr Kathryn Benson-Evans, Silver Fish". Guider (Vol. 67 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. April 1980. p. 6.
"Dr Helen Laird, Silver Fish". Guider (Vol. 67 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. April 1980. p. 6.
"Edna Mary Banham". Guider (Vol. 68 No. 1 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. January 1980. p. 43.
"Silver Fish to Miss Margaret Coleman". Guider (Vol. 68 No. 8 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. August 1981. p. 12.
"Silver Fish Award – Mrs Owen John". Guider (Vol. 68 No. 6 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. June 1981. p. 6.
"Miss Stell Cunlifee – Silver Fish". Guider (Vol. 69 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. April 1982. p. 6.
UK Guiding Magazine November 1985
"Annual Report" (PDF). girlguidingwestyorkshiresouth.org.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2022. "Leslie Knighton MBE". Guiding (Summer 2018 ed.). London: Girlguiding. 2020. p. 10.
Zada Hawley (3 November 1953). "Sarnia Social Notes". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com. "Colwyn Bay". The North Wales Weekly News. Colwyn Bay, Wales. 14 January 1988. p. 77 – via Newspapers.com. "HQ Notices". Guider (Vol. 64 No. 5 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. July 1976. p. 201.