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Less than a decade after Indian lasses were permitted to join the Girl Guides movement in India in 1916, three Parsi managed schools started their own programs: Nagpur’s J. N. Tata Parsi Girls’ School (Tata) in 1923, Bombay’s Alexandra Girls’ English Institution (Alexandra) in 1924 and Karachi’s Mama Parsi Girls’ School (Mama) "sometime in the 1920s.” 

When the movement first started in India in 1911 at the Christ Church School in Jabalpur, only girls of European descent were eligible to join, noted veteran scouter Pervez Irani. Guide companies later banded under the All India Girl Guides Association and in 1916 the organization opened for Indian girls. As was stated at a function to celebrate their marching into their centenary year at Alexandra, the objective of their 14A guide company was to provide "an educational medium to induce alertness, moral discipline, hygiene and physical development.” It is very likely that similar objectives would have spurred the other schools.

The Alexandra School (see "Ageless at the Alexandra,” Parsiana, September 21, 2012), founded by Manockjee Cursetjee at his Villa Byculla residence with half a dozen girls studying under an English lady superintendent on September 1, 1863, is known to be among the first schools for girls. The Institution was celebrating its 61st anniversary when guiding was introduced.

Culling out information from Alexandra’s archives, principal Kashmira Sarkari wrote to Parsiana that a batch of the school’s girl guides met for the first time under trained instructors F. L. Mclean and Tehmina Vicaji on September 1, 1924. Their first participation in a rally came within three months at the Oval Maidan in the presence of the then vicerine, the Marchioness of Reading. Three years later, the company was "registered” with the London headquarters of the movement. "The registration certificate issued to the school bears the signature of the founder of the Boy Scout movement, Lord Robert Baden-Powell.” His sister Agnes had founded the guiding movement in 1909-10. 

Participation in national jamborees "where they have excelled in most categories” commenced in 1963, Alexandra’s centenary year. Over the years, the company has trained 53 President Guides who have received the award in the form of the President Guide’s Badge from the President of India, including three from the president himself, Sarkari stated. The President Guide award is the highest level of achievement for a Girl Guide, recognizing leadership qualities, strength of character and moral integrity and civic consciousness among other attributes.

A day long celebration was held on September 16, 2023 to mark the School’s guiding centenary. Several Guide groups in the city participated in the event. The flag hoisting was followed by the inaugural ceremony by Ruby Pavri, ex-student, President Guide and present director of the School who emphasized the importance of values and how guiding helps to shape character. A video depicting the School’s journey in the Girl Guides movement followed, after which it was time for the nine invited groups to engage in team events that included quizzes, composition, yells (slogans or chants) and other activities. 

   Top: Alexandra’s registration certificate signed by Lord Robert Baden-Powell;  

  attentive Guides of Tata School

Invitees to the event included office bearers and others from the city’s guiding movement, some ex-students and ex-teachers. Long-standing associate of 44 years of 14 A, Perviz Hilloo reminisced about her time in the movement. Current Guide captain Khorshed Titina, recollected the encouragement to the movement given by previous principal Mani Engineer. Guide captain Dr Pervin Anklesaria, who has been associated with the school since 1963, was present.

To then principal Yasmin Kavina "girl guiding is not just about badges and uniforms; knots and yells. It’s about building lifelong friendships, discovering your inner strength and becoming empowered young women who can make a positive impact on the world,” stated their note.  

Lunch was followed by the "much awaited prize distribution… Individual prizes were declared for all the events and the over-all company prize and trophy went to 68th Talati’s East Bombay Guide Company,” stated Sarkari. She later told us that this is an open group led by social worker Shernaz Acharia. 

Pavri told Parsiana on October 3 that the guiding sessions on Friday afternoons after school hours left the girls "energized and inspired by the interaction.” Appreciating the lessons on collaboration, she stated that "we had fun in the process… There was healthy competition… We learnt ‘you win some, you lose some.’” Guiding is a vital activity for teachers too, she believes, "because it teaches the kind of values that contribute to conscientiousness and resilience.”

Cooking on an open fire and reading maps taught Pavri and her peers to learn to cope with things beyond their comfort zone. "We learnt how to control the controllable and where we did not have control, to go with the flow.” The motto "Be prepared” taught her the importance of planning, "as well as adaptation and flexibility” in problem solving. 

"With the impact of technology on the lives of our youth, having a human connect that serves as a compass, ‘guiding’ development through relevant life experiences beyond the classroom” is vital, she ended. 

Training at Tata

By 1920, with a trust created by donations from the Tatas, the Empress Mills and the Nagpur Parsi Anjuman, Tata School was established with 20 students and Tehmina Karani as headmistress. Karani, who ran her private co-educational school with 40 students up to grade six, agreed to amalgamate her institution with the new School. 

At Tata, an Anglo Indian teacher F. M. Brown started physical activities in the school in 1923. Belonging to a family of army officers, she was reportedly a strict disciplinarian. "She initiated the Girl Guides program in the school,” noted principal Mehernaz Poacha. Perin Banker, an ex-student of the school who later joined as a teacher, gained such expertise in girl guiding that she went on to become the second leader in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts which has 152 member countries, stated Poacha.

"Guiding activities have continued with full integrity and enthusiasm in our School through the years,” noted the principal, explaining that students of classes five and six are Bulbuls learning preliminary guiding activities and classes eight to 10 undertake activities to "empower them to face the world confidently.” Activities include reading maps and compasses; trekking signals and whistle signals; tent pitching and camping among others. Fund raising and community service is par for the course too, as are day time camps. 

The company of Mama

The Mama School was established in 1918 with a generous contribution of Rs 3,00,000 by Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Mama and Jamshed Mehta, the first mayor of Karachi who used his powers of persuasion to collect donations totalling Rs 5,10,000. 

Following the establishment of the School’s Girl Guide company in the 1920s, "Every new academic year about 22-25 girls are recruited into the company,” stated principal Furengeez Tampal. After they are given basic knowledge of the guide’s promise and other required information, they begin to work on their proficiency badges. Periodically held day and night camps include sessions on handicraft-making, sandwich-making, basket and toy-making, cloth bag-making, first aid training, along with talks and discussions on various topics, stated Guide counsellor Sunita Kaikhosrowzadah (née Bulsara) who provided information on the guiding activities at their School. Kaikhosrowzadah, ex-student and counsellor since 1991, runs two companies of about 35 girls each. 

Guide instructor Vera Kaikobad taught the Girl Guides of Mama that the reef knot is similar to the kusti knot, recalled Sunnu Golwalla who was a student in the 1960s.  

Mama’s Guides took part in the 8th All Pakistan Girl Guide Camp in Islamabad in 1991 and ones at the provincial level, at Karachi in 1992 and Hyderabad Sindh in 1999. Their company sent two guides to the Hyderabad Sindh headquarters in February 2006 to participate in a quiz competition to celebrate the 150th birthday of Baden-Powell. They secured the fourth position. "The crowning glory for the company was when five of our girl guides attended an international camp at Warwickshire, England in August 2006,” stated the write-up. One of their company attended the Asia Pacific Regional Summit in the Philippines in November 2009. In 2010, the group celebrated a centenary of the global guiding movement with the release of 100 gas balloons. This year they are looking forward to participating in the All Pakistan Girl Guide Camp in Islamabad, stated Tampal.  

They too Guide

Parsiana inquired from the principals and associates of a few other Parsi schools about their guiding programs. Bombay’s Bai B. S. Bengallee Girls’ High School started their Guide journey in 1937, Bai R. F. D. Panday Girls’ High School in 1941-42, Bai M. N. Gamadia Girls’ High School in 1966. The J. B. Petit High School for Girls did have a Guide group, possibly from the late 1940s, but they "disbanded it due to lack of interest and dwindling participation from students.” Young Ladies High School Guide group was started "a long, long time ago.” 

Trustee of Girton High School, Jehangir Gai told Parsiana that Mehera Lalkaka, a Girtonian, was the first Indian to be appointed to the provincial council of the guides association in 1944 as the Indian provincial commissioner of the then Bombay province. Gai stated Girton reintroduced guiding "sometime between 1986 and 1992.” 

The guiding movement never took off in Parsi schools in Navsari, stated a long time resident of that town. Secunderabad’s Bai Ratanbai J. Chinoy Parsi High School started their guides program "approximately in 1970.”  Sardar Dastur Noshirwan Girls’ High School in Poona started their guiding program only "in the 1990s.”