The Irish Girl Guides celebrate their centenary this year, and have moved with the times, despite other distractions. Claire Droney reports

WE read with dismay and disbelief a letter published in The Irish Examiner of December 15, headlined ‘Girl guide’s standing order a big letdown’.

MY mother and I boarded the 7am Cork-to-Dublin train at Limerick Junction at 7.56 on a Saturday morning last month.

AS the theme for International Women’s Day 2006 is celebrating women’s leadership, the Irish Girl Guides are celebrating with particular pride this year.

AS an organisation that has more than 10,000 female members — 80% of whom are under the age of 12 — the Irish Girl Guides must add their voice to those who are outraged that, as a result of the Supreme Court ruling last week, there is at present no law in the land that protects our members from sexual predators.