Two Dannevirke girls receive highest Girls Brigade honours

The two recipients of the Brigadier Brooch Rebekah Irwin and Erin Milham with their proud mums Angela and Vicky.

Knox Church in Dannevirke on Wednesday, November 24 was the scene of celebration as 14 girls of the First Dannevirke Girls Brigade received sashes, badges for the year's achievements and the highest award the organisation can present, the Brigadier Brooch, to long-serving members Erin Milham and Rebekah Irwin.

The event was of such significance Manawatu's area training co-ordinator Katrina Stevenson was there to support and acknowledge the great work captain Anita Martin was doing with her parent helpers, also in attendance.

The 2021 breakup was interspersed with action songs.

Anita said it had been a challenging year with Covid restrictions but her First Dannevirke Girls Brigade had performed very well with new recruits joining while the others grew in experience and knowledge – reflected in the badges which had been added to their individualised sashes. One of them was the World Of Friends badge focusing this year on Africa.

To achieve the highest honour Rebekah and Erin have had to complete a number of goals:

■ Attend Girls Brigade as a teenager for four years;

■ Complete a number of knowledge badges;

■ Attend four Girls Brigade events and a camp;

■ Attend church regularly for a year;

■ Complete six weeks of Girls Brigade service within the brigade;

■ Complete 48 hours of community service.

Erin has been a girls brigader for seven years and for her community service she helped out at Origin Studios.

Rebekah has been a girls brigader for 13 years and assisted in the Dannevirke Library for her community service.

The end of the ceremony was celebrated with "a picnic" in house in which each member received a personalised bag of goodies to satisfy Covid requirements.