The Origins of the Hairy Boguk

 

The Boguk is the brainchild of members of the Guiding UK e-group (click here if you'd like to visit their website, from where you can join the e-group too.)

When the shared files on the then 450+ member e-group were fast filling up someone suggested archiving the files and then deleting those not in frequent use. I had, however, recently given up a full-time job and so offered to put all the files on a website. This site was launched in April 2001 with the title The Best Of GuidingUK (for obvious reasons) and, like Topsy, just growed and growed. As the name "Best of Guiding UK" is a little cumbersome, especially when referring to it on the List, the name Boguk was coined. Boguk is an acronym, made up from the initial letters Best Of Guiding UK : very soon (in May) Kathy asked the question which started off the wildlife hunt : "Have YOU seen the Boguk?"

Early incarnations were diverse, but eventually the final form arrived and the Boguk as we know it was here to stay!

But the little critter hasn't stopped there! He (she? it's difficult to tell!) is now featuring on a series of Interest Badges with a difference : the Guide Association, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that anyone over "Guide Age" isn't interested in badge work (even Rangers have to share their badges with the Brownies!) so we at GuidingUK, who beg to differ, have produced badges that the adults can do. These badges - dubbed "Boguk Badges" - are available to over-26s only (26 being the magical age at which, in the Guide Association at least, you are deemed to be too "grown up" to need, or want, badges) and prospective Boguk-Badgers must also be members of the GuidingUK e-group. If you are interested, you can sign up on the Best of GuidingUK website, where the badge syllabuses can also be seen.