GGEW Winter 2015 | Page 7

PAGE 2 GGEW NEWS WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 PAGE 7 Jan’s “gotcha” fever spreads to Epping Forest North Division A Fond Farewell From Jan. My County Commissioner term of office has now ended and I am currently taking a welcome break. However, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for all that you give to guiding. It has been an honour to serve Girlguiding Essex West and I am very proud of our volunteers and staff who give so much of their energy and enthusiasm to make a difference to the lives of our girls and young women. I sincerely hope you will continue to enjoy your guiding journey, which will undoubtedly enable you to discover and grow. If you would like to know more about my guiding journey over the last five years then you can read my closing speech that I gave at Members Day on 17th October. My very best wishes to our new County Commissioner, Chris Skinner, and her team. I am confident that County is in safe hands and will continue to grow from strength to strength. Kind regards & best wishes I know not all of you were able to be at the Member’s day when Jan, Chris, Ann and I retired as being the County team. For me it was quite an emotional time. Having been County President for the past eleven years, which I hasten to add I have thoroughly enjoyed, especially travelling from one end of the County to the other and meeting so many of you. It was a wonderful experience and one I am so proud to have had. However sometimes one has to say enough is enough and so it was time to pass the badge over, which is now in the very capable hands of Margaret Henderson, whom I feel sure will do a fantastic job as President. I would like to thank you all for the cards, flowers and the gift voucher, which I will spend on something I can keep forever. It was extremely kind of you all and certainly most unexpected. I have been in the County for thirty two years and have so many happy memories and I would like to say thank you to everyone for their warmth and friendship. What is my future? I do not know, but I do hope that I will still see you in the County. My sincere thanks and I wish you all many happy days in Guiding. It is a great movement and I hope it continues to give young people many exciting opportunities. Avril Brampton Firstly, I would like to say thank you for my very unexpected gift of flowers and gift voucher as I completed my role as Assistant County Commissioner - it was a wonderful surprise. Secondly, I like to thank you for putting me here (I think!). No, seriously, I'm honoured to be given the opportunity to be the new County Commissioner for Girlguiding Essex West. I'm flattered to think that those of you who nominated me, think that I am capable of taking the County forward over the next 5 years. I cannot possibly do this alone, so, for those of you that weren't at Member's Day, I would, therefore, like to introduce my 'team': County President is Margaret Henderson Assistant County Commissioner: Susan Wiseman Assistant County Commissioner: Jenny Aspinall I will announce other 'new' County appointments in further bulletins - so please keep your eyes open. Chris GGEW NEWS Thank you so much for the gift I received as I finished my role as Assistant County Commissioner. It has been a great privilege to be part of the County team over the last four years. My very best wishes to everyone and I am sure under Chris Skinner, your new County Commissioner the County will go from strength to strength. Ann Please see future editions of the monthly ebulletin to keep up to date with new appointments within the County and for the latest diary dates of events planned and other important information It has been a time of awards in Epping Forest North Division recently, with a Chris Hamer gets number of our leaders and volunteers receiving some well-deserved and in award from Jan most cases, unexpected awards. In September there was a surprise in store for Chris Hamer (District Commissioner, Young Leader Advisor and Brownie Leader) when Jan Knight, members of the Waltham Abbey Trefoil Guild, District leaders and members of the Division team arrived “unexpectedly” at the end of her Brownie meeting with 2nd Waltham Abbey Brownies to join in celebrating Chris receiving the Good Service Brooch. Chris has been active in Guiding since 1977, holding roles with Rainbows, Brownies, two stints as District Commissioner and in recent years as Young Leader Advi 6