ROOTING about in boxes of old photographs and stuff recently, I found my Guide Handbook, the hefty tome which signalled my entry into an exciting world of new friends, trips away from home for the first time and badge-collection.

My aim was to get the Writer’s Badge - no surprise, of course, that I went for ‘Writer’ first of all, rather than ‘Friend to Animals’ or ‘Firefighter’, which sounded much more smelly and/or dangerous.

Anything involving pets or camping outdoors was much less appealing to me than all the arty, indoor badges. Definitely more of a Knitter than a Knotter, in other words.

Anyway, to get my writer’s badge I had to come up with either a 10-minute play, a poem, a camp-fire yarn or a pen-portrait of someone I admired. I think I opted for the poem, but I do remember also coming up with a contemporary adaptation of the Mad-Hatter’s Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland in which I, naturally, got to play Alice and which my fellow Patrol members and I performed with gusto at the end-of-year parents’ evening, to much acclaim.

I know I got a few more badges – Homemaker was definitely one of them (“for seven consecutive days clear the table and wash up after one main meal…” and Hostess (everyone got this one, it was dead easy), and possibly Craft, although I don’t remember making a pair of felt slippers or whittling an object from wood – possibly I opted for the ‘make a puppet’ option?

Looking back, some of the badges seem sexist or old-fashioned (Dairymaid – “prepare a cow or goat for milking”, or Bellringer) although others were very progressive and exciting-sounding (Aircraft Flyer, Pioneer, Stargazer, Traveller…..)

I think the badges simply reflected the times - some were shortlived, others changed names and new ones appeared all the time.

The Guides and their younger counterparts the Brownies are a hardy and progressive bunch, continually inventing and re-inventing everything from their name to their uniforms.

They recently announced they are updating their badge scheme to properly reflect today’s young women and their skills and interests.

Through their Twitter feed #BadgeGoals, they want to hear some ideas for what to add and there have been some brilliant suggestions.

Vlogging, DIY, Legendary Women, Protesting, Survival Skills and Archaeology are some of my favourites – though hats off to whoever suggested Unicorn Taming, Pineapple Growing and Moon Camping.

I loved my time in the Guides and Brownies and I’m glad they are still around and still helping girls and young women learn new skills, find their voices and achieve all they want to.

But I do draw the line at the Disneyfication of the Brownies, as revealed to me recently by a friend whose daughter attends a local pack. Brown Owl, Barn Owl and Snowy Owl appear to have been infiltrated by a gang of interlopers led by people calling themselves Sparkle Owl and Fairy Owl, amongst others.

Sparkle Owl? Bleugh. That’s not a thing. Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we need everything to glitter to get involved.

How about Warrior Owl? Brave Owl? Free Spirit Owl? Oh yes, I can feel a new Twitter campaign coming on....