SHE might have a little more grey these days, but to generations of Earby girls Dorothy Bullock will forever be Brown Owl.

Dorothy, of Green Walk, has just completed 20 years as leader of Earby's thriving All Saints' Brownie Pack, and she has no plans to call it a day just yet.

Every Monday evening the Brownies meet in the church hall at All Saints' Parish Church, to take part in a wide range of activities. There to watch over them is Dorothy, ably assisted by her loyal team of helpers.

For Dorothy, leading the Brownies is simply a way of life. She was a Brownie herself in her home village of Carleton, and enjoyed every minute of it.

At 17 she took over the pack from Miss Farrar, who had been Brown Owl when Dorothy was a Brownie there. She was granted her leader's warrant in 1963, and ran the Brownies at Carleton until 1965 when she married Peter and moved to Liverpool. Soon they had children of their own and when their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, joined the Aintree Brownies in 1975, it wasn't long before Dorothy was back in uniform too.

In 1979, the family moved to Earby, and Dorothy's reputation within the Guiding movement preceded her.

"When I arrived at Earby they were waiting for me!" she said.

Over her 20 years, Dorothy thinks the biggest change in the Brownies has been to their uniform. Today's Brownies have a wide choice, including sweatshirts and baseball caps, although Dorothy looks back fondly on the old brown dress and woolly hat.

As for the girls, they haven't changed much. Today's youngsters were much like those of 20 years ago, said Dorothy, and while some were little angels, they were certainly not all saints!

For Dorothy, Brownies is not all about winning badges: "I couldn't care less whether they have a badge on their sash or not, so long as they can learn to play together and live together," she said.

For her, it's all about learning social skills that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.

And, with 20 years under her belt, Dorothy has no plans to hang up her whistle just yet. She is about four years away from notching up 30 years' "warranted service" - all her time as a Brownie leader added together - and would love to achieve that milestone.

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