Making dreams come true .sx Once again it's time to think O B-P B F. The Olave Baden-Powell Bursary Fund , set up in 1979 , helps Guides , Rangers and Young Leaders achieve a particular project by making grants - up to a maximum of around pounds100 .sx The grants , allocated in May , are intended to top-up whatever the girl has managed to raise on her own - to provide that little bit extra needed to turn her dream into reality .sx Last year , just over 50 applicants were successful .sx Here are some of their stories .sx Lindsay Gilbert , a Young Leader with the 7th Oakham Guides , started playing the clarinet at primary school .sx Eight years later she's still playing , and is now in two bands and an ensemble .sx For ages she made do with a plastic instrument but knew she really needed a better model so started saving .sx .. The bursary made all the difference and , since last summer , Lindsay's been the proud owner of a wooden clarinet .sx It will be going with her at Easter when she tours Germany with the Rutland Concert Band .sx Apart from playing the clarinet and studying for her A-levels , Lindsay is very active in Guiding - but that runs in the family - even if music doesn't .sx At her enrolment as a Guide in 1984 she had her grandmother's badge from 1924 !sx .sx Young Leader , Helen Street , from Sutton Bonington , Loughborough , was selected for an international event - a Jamboree in Iceland attended by 1,500 Guides and Scouts .sx She found sponsors to cover the basic cost of the trip - pounds1,000 - but still had equipment to buy , including a new rucsac sic !sx . Having read about the Bursary Fund , Helen wrote in and asked for a grant .sx Soon , she was choosing a roomy blue and purple back pack - just what she needed .sx And it will be going with her to Austria this year and to America in 1992 .sx Last summer Carolyn Otley spent ten weeks in the USA - her father had a job there .sx Before she went , she contacted the relevant Girl Scout Council and arranged to join in various activities , including a backpacking trip in the Appalachians .sx An enthusiastic photographer , Carolyn wanted to be able to take first - class pictures so that she could share her American experience when she got back home .sx However , she realised " that to take good shots without the girls being over-conscious of the camera " , she needed a telephoto lens .sx Carolyn already had some money from a waitressing job and applied to the Fund for the balance .sx The lens was a terrific success .sx She took lots of slides in the USA which have since been shown to local Guide Companies , including her own .sx Carolyn is a Young Leader with the 9th Lancaster .sx Yet another Young Leader who successfully applied to the Fund was Elizabeth Downing , who is with the 1st Norton Brownies .sx This time last year she'd just been offered a place at college to do a B Ed degree course with art as her major subject - her ambition for a long time .sx Elizabeth was also " trying to buy the necessary equipment " .sx She got herself a weekend job looking after children , and her family helped by giving her paints and brushes as Christmas and birthday presents .sx But it was the money from the Fund that enabled her to buy two larger items :sx a radial easel and a lay figure .sx " Both have been extremely useful , " she says .sx She's already used the easel for several large oil paintings " so much better than taping the picture to a table " - and finds the lay figure a great boon .sx " Unlike a model it doesn't move about .sx " .sx These success stories illustrate the scope of the Olave Baden-Powell Bursary Fund and show that the project need not be Guide-related - but it must be a genuine ambition , not just a spur-of-the-moment whim .sx Do you know of a Guide , Ranger or Young Leader who might benefit ?sx If so , tell her about the scheme , which isn't means-tested .sx Then persuade her to read this article - or the one in February's TODAY'S GUIDE - and encourage her to write in for an application form enclosing a sae .sx When it comes to filling in the form , the applicant has to present her case convincingly :sx explain what the project is , why it interests her , how much it is costing and what she is already doing to raise money .sx Along with the completed form , a candidate has to send in a letter of recommendation ( from a non-Guide person ) supporting her application , giving background information about the girl's life outside Guiding .sx Applications must be in by April 30 - so think OB-PBF now !sx Application forms are available from :sx The Secretary of the Olave Baden-Powell Bursary Fund , The Girl Guides Association , 17-19 Buckingham Palace Road , London SW1W OPT .sx Obviously , not everybody who applies will be lucky - but as Lindsay , Helen , Carolyn and the rest all agree , " You've nothing to lose , so why not have a go !sx " .sx RANGERS FILL THE GAP .sx The Plumstead District Rangers were lucky .sx After all , it's not every newly-formed Unit that is invested on Brownsea Island in Dorset , site of the Founder's first , experimental camp way back in 1907 .sx And , considering that they set off on Friday 13th , it went off without a hitch .sx Well , almost .sx .. JUSTINE CHATTING .sx " We did get lost on the way , " explained Carol Walker .sx " We lost the car that we were supposed to be following and had to ring someone to find out the address of the camp .sx But it turned out OK for us , " she added , " because the others had started putting the tent up .sx " .sx Carol was one of seven Guides who had 'come of age' in March last year - at 14 she felt too old for Guides and was too young to start the Young Leader Scheme .sx " There wasn't a Ranger Unit nearby that they could join .sx We had to do something because we didn't want to lose them , " explained Margaret Courtney , their District Commissioner .sx " They could still go along to Guides to help out or wait and do a Young Leader course , but they decided that they wanted more than that .sx " .sx So , with Margaret's help and encouragement , they put their heads together and decided to form a Ranger Unit .sx But that was easier said than done .sx Ranger Guides form the smallest section of the Movement .sx This is often attributed to girls getting snowed under with schoolwork and GCSE exams between 14 and 16 and having to sacrifice Guiding as a result .sx The Plumstead Rangers are living proof that Units can find a way around this problem .sx By meeting once a fortnight they can give Rangers - and their homework - the time they deserve .sx They did have a few teething troubles .sx They had no Ranger Guider at first but Margaret helped out , while a Ranger Guider was trained .sx Two 'trouble makers' apparently did their best to disrupt the Unit but , once they had left , it was plain sailing .sx " Once you've formed a group and it's been going six months , if it's viable you can then register and keep it going , " said Margaret .sx " If the girls hadn't shown so much interest we would have disbanded , " she added .sx As Margaret points out , no Unit can survive without its life force - enthusiasm .sx And the Plumstead Rangers have plenty of that .sx " They get involved in everything , " says Margaret .sx Letting the girls decide their own programme seems to keep spirits up and attendance high .sx Jenny Young found that the transition between Guides and Rangers gave her independence .sx " At Rangers we can arrange everything ourselves .sx We decide as a group what we want to do and then take it in turns to plan it out , " she said .sx The girls weren't tempted to join Venture Scouts instead of Rangers - they feel that being in a single sex organisation has too many benefits to ignore .sx " All-girl groups are better for personal things , " says Carol .sx " If you're with loads of boys you can't guarantee that , when things go wrong , they're going to be understanding .sx But when there are just girls you can talk openly about things .sx " .sx Carol added :sx " Girls are much more tolerant than boys .sx When we played tennis at Rangers I only hit the ball five times in the whole hour and no one got fed up with me .sx When I missed the ball we just laughed about it - but boys would probably get fed up really quickly .sx " .sx She feels that being with girls boosts her confidence .sx " Sometimes boys can go over the top .sx They'll take the mickey if you can't do something and that makes you feel more nervous !sx " .sx Margaret , a Guide Guider herself , recognises all the benefits that Ranger Units offer the girls and feels that perseverance and flexibility can iron out many of the problems that they may encounter .sx " If girls want to stay in Guiding , there is nothing to do between the ages of 14 and 15 and this is the age group the Movement seems to be losing , " explained Margaret .sx " They need something for themselves .sx Rangers can fill this gap .sx " .sx Rangers is an important stepping stone - it helps the girl make that all - important leap from Guide to Guider .sx Both Carol and Jenny have every intention of staying on in the Movement and putting back in as Guiders all the knowledge and experience they have gained from being Brownies , Guides and Rangers .sx Jenny hopes to become a Brownie Guider .sx She's not old enough to start a Young Leader Scheme so , in the meantime , is enjoying Rangers .sx Carol finds time to help out at the 2nd Abbey Wood Brownies and Guides and still keep up her commitment to Rangers , though she admits she doesn't know how she does it .sx " I've just about got time to sleep !sx " she said .sx I met a few of the Rangers while they were helping out at CHQ during their summer holidays .sx As tour guides , they gave visiting units , many from abroad , a blast from the Guiding past , showing them relics and artefacts and bringing alive the history of Guiding .sx Since then , months have passed and their enthusiasm for Rangers is far from flagging .sx Numbers are swelling , and though new recruits may have missed out on that special weekend at Brownsea Island , they are bound to enjoy the 'easygoing Guiding' that the Plumstead Rangers can provide .sx YOUTH FOR EUROPE .sx As 1992 approaches , heralding the prospect of a united Europe , it's time to start thinking about the implications that this union will have on young people .sx Catherine Harle , a Young Leader with 4th Droitwich Guide Company , and a member of Droitwich Rangers recently attended the forth European Youth Seminar in London , which focused on this very subject .sx Representing Worcestershire Guides , Catherine was surprised to find that she was the only GGA member there .sx As she felt it was a good opportunity to learn about this important subject - and make friends - Caroline sent us her views .sx The seminar was held to enable young Europeans to come together and discuss the implications , problems and benefits of a united Europe .sx It also gave those involved a chance to get to know one another , thus providing a better understanding of each other's cultures and backgrounds .sx And , hopefully , to form links at grass-roots level which will help to build a united Europe .sx Aimed at 16-19-year olds , delegates attended from Germany , Switzerland , France , Italy , Spain and the UK .sx Of the UK delegation six of us came from England and I hope that more GGA members will be inclined to take part in next year's event .sx During the week we were divided into eight groups of mixed nationalities .sx In these groups we discussed various topics and worked at certain tasks .sx In the morning we covered issues of interest to young Europeans with presentations being given by various countries , usually chaired by a visiting expert .sx BRITISH EDUCATION .sx The week began with a discussion on education .sx After outlining our system we decided that British education is deeper and narrower than the systems used in other European countries .sx We concluded that if there are to be increased job opportunities abroad and a truly united Europe , then the education systems must be brought closer together while still remaining individual .sx