Liz hanging up uniform after 60 years in Brownies

Published on Monday 1 February 2010 08:48

DEDICATED Brownie leader Liz Bisset, who joined as a seven-year-old, is retiring after almost six decades.

Liz Bisset is hanging up her uniform aged 65 – the age of retirement for all Brownie leaders.

Miss Bisset, from Craigmillar, joined the Brownies in 1952 and moved up the ranks to become a Girl Guide at 11, before becoming a leader aged 18.

She said that she had "too much fun" with the Brownies to ever contemplate leaving.

She said: "I loved it and always had a great time. I was particularly keen on camping. There was a very memorable trip to Denmark in 1984 when Scouts and Brownies joined together to go on the trip.

"It took us over three days to get there but we didn't mind because we all got to know each other really well.

"I've also never had children so it was great to be around them all and watch them having a good time."

Miss Bisset, who lives with her partner John, 74, celebrated her retirement at Richmond Craigmillar Church yesterday before enjoying a lunch and presentation attended by more than 100 people.

Whilst volunteering for the Brownies, she worked for Carlsberg Brewery throughout her life in the personnel section. Now that she has retired, Miss Bisset intends to enjoy her hobbies. She enjoys playing golf at Liberton Golf Club three times a week and still helps out in Church.

Through the years Miss Bisset has always made sure that her girls have had fun and enjoyed their Tuesday nights.

She has taken girls on numerous Brownie and Guide trips. Her first trip abroad with the Guides was to Denmark, but since then she has taken girls to southern Ireland, Switzerland and France, as well as leading camps in this country.

She has helped the girls to make floats for the Craigmillar Festival and taken part in concerts in the church.

She said she had seen a lot of changes over the years but she says she is pleased about that because "it shows that the Brownies and the Guides are always keeping up to date with the times".

Liz Henderson, minister at Richmond Church, who has worked alongside Miss Bisset for several years, said her friend hardly ever missed a Brownies session on Tuesday night.

She said: "Liz has always had a positive spirit and she has a real heart for the community.

"Even when it was difficult and there were only a few Brownies, she was still positive and made the Brownies a success.

"Over the years she has made many lives a lot better. Even at the end she was still laughing and joking because she is so young-minded."