Grangemouth's Girls' Brigade bids farewell to Mary

A stalwart of 1st Grangemouth's Girls' Brigade has retired from the youth organisation after 63 years.
Mary with husband John and Rev. Aftab GoharMary with husband John and Rev. Aftab Gohar
Mary with husband John and Rev. Aftab Gohar

Mary Munro (71) first joined Kerse Church Grangemouth Girls’ Guildry in 1954 at the age of six.

A friend had said she wanted to go and asked Mary if she would go with her. And while her friend quit the venture after a year, Mary kept it going for the next six decades.

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In 1964, the Guildry in Scotland became the Girls’ Brigade and Mary became an officer in the company.

Mary said: “In 1967, Captain Jenny Graham retired and asked me to take over. I was 21 and didn’t think I was capable. I went home and told my dad and he said, ‘you’re beat before you started’.

“So the next week I went back and said I would give it a go. If my dad had been here today, he would have been as proud as punch.”

Mary held the position of captain for the next 50 years.

She also served in Scottish Headquarter Committee, dealing with activities at its camp house at Guay near Balinluig in Perthshire and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Committee.

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Mary, who now lives in Brightons, also served in the local Central Division Committee where latterly she served two terms as Regional Commissioner.

In 2012, Mary was awarded The Falkirk Rotary Citizen Award for her work with young people.

She is married to John and the couple have a son Kenneth, daughter-in-law Tracy and granddaughter Louise, a member of the Girls’ Brigade.

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