St Ambrose Girl Guides origins started during a parish retreat in December 2002 where Fr Colin Saunders challenged parish members to start programmes for the youth in the parish and the community. At the same time Louise Barry had approached Cozetta Johnson who was St Ambrose Sunday School Superintendent at the time, to start a guide unit at the parish. The result was the establishment of St. Ambrose Community Band (in 2005) the 55th Boys Scouts (in 2006) and 76th Nassau Guide Units (Sunflowers, Brownies, Guides, Rangers) in the Bahamas Guides Association (BGGA).
Keva Nairn (Brownies) took the initative to start the unit and was joined by Leja Burrows (Guides); Renee Burrows (Sunflowers), Alexa Ferguson (Sunflowers), Phillippa Robinson (Brownies), and Rochelle Taylor (Brownies) who were all parish members. Keva completed oritentation training in February 2006 and registered all unit levels (Sunflowers, Brownies, Guides, Rangers) in September, 2006. The first meeting took place on 9th September, 2002 and the units’ first enrollment was on 26th November, 2006 where 4 Sunflowers, 6 Brownies, and 6 Girl Guides were enrolled. Leja Buroows and Keva Nairn also made their promise as Guide Leaders with the ceremony begin conducted by Louise Barry.
In 2012 we registered out first Ranger gudies under the leadership of Audra Gardiner. Since that time the 76th Nassau units has grown leaps and bounds with more than 400 pssing through the BGGA programme though St Ambrose. Since then we have had additional ladies assisting as leaders including LaNasha Marshall (Sunflowers), Aisha Rolle (Guides), Phllia Forbes (Guides), and Rochelle Minnis (Guides). Today our 76th Units team includes Ursula Pratt (Sunflowers from 2009), Roquel Carey (Sunflowers from 2017), Sheena Styles (Brownies from 2014), Keva Nairn (Brownies from 2006), Phillipa Robinson (from 2006), Leja Burrows (Guides from 2006), Carolyn Storr (Guides from 2017), Shavon Clarke (Guides from 2019), Aniska Cox (Rangers from 2015), Elbernique Ferguson (Rangers from 2020), and Cierra Rahming (Rangers from 2021).
The 76th Nassau units have particpted in every Association event held incluing Coastal Clean-ups, walk-a-thons, Guide Cookie Month, BGGA AGM, BGGA Christmas Carol Service, National Youth March, Remembrance Day service and march, Guide Week and World Thinking Day activities, Red Cross Fair, the Kiddie Corener at the International Food Festival to mention a few. The units also support the St Ambrose Social Outreach initiatvies by providing dry goods for distrubtions and several soup kitchens for the community. Finally, the untis supported over the years disaster relief efforts hosted by the parish and the BGGA.
Guides and leaders were afforded international travel including Pax Lodge World Centre and the UK (2015), Our Chalet World Centre in Switzerland and Paris France (2017) and Our Cabana World Centre in Mexico. We are proud of our accomplishments over the past 17 years and look forward to continuing assisting young girls and ladies to become productive citizens in the world.
