Badged Guides.

[chrislock]

One of our long standing forum members, has just posted a thread in which he mentions "Badged Guide". I work for a tour company in Ypres and one of our flemish guides wishes to know what it means? Could anyone please enlighten us, the difference between a badged guide and unbadged guide, apart from a badge!

[auchonvillerssomme]

Buy him a badge. An appropriate one of course.

Mick

[Greg]

Could be a reference to a member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides Patron Richard Holmes

Greg

[Steven Broomfield]

Member Mike McCarthy is, I believe, one such.

Link Here

[chrislock]

Thanks Mick, he is a her but she does'nt take offence! Cheers all, we are now enlightened! She would just like to point out to the badged bloke, that her town also has the Croix de Guerre and not just the M.C as he states, being badged, should he have known this! Anyway, thanks and Dank u wel!

[salientguide]

Just to enlighten all and confirm the reference to a "badged" guide refers to a member of the Guild of Battlefields Guides who has completed and passed the Guilds validation process. This is similar to an OU course , 9 varying assignments, some oral presentations, preparation of tour stands, maps of battles, use of historical sources, duty of care on tour etc.

There was a large and unfortuneately rather acrimonious debate on the Guild and badging last year. Just as the mention of Time Team sparks archaeologists off into pro and ante camps, so the development of the Guild has had a somewhat similar effect amongst what should be I hope the guiding fraternity and those with an interest in the subject and practice. Professor Richard Holmes is the patron of the Guild and Mike McCarthy is a badged member of the Guild as well as editor of the Guilds journal. further information is set out on the Guilds website search on Guild of Battlefield Guides. The Guild always stresses the validation process is entirely voluntary and it does not hold up the badge as an industry standard meaning anyone is better than anyone else.All it means is that one has put oneself forward and ones ability and expertise has been validated and acknowledged by ones peers.I am currently undergoing the process which does take a lot of time and committment but is extremely interesting as well as hard work. 7 down 2 to go!

if anyone wants further info please pm me and I,ll do what i can to explain things further. SG

[Ken Lees]

SG,

A couple of weeks ago I sent an e-mail to the GofBG using the form on their website but didn't get any response. Do you know if there are problems with the site? If so, is there an alternative means of contacting the organisation?

Ken

[cockney tone]

ken,

try the secretary, Graeme COOPER on secretary@battleguides.org i am sure he will get back to you, if not PM me your details and i will follow it up and give him a ring.

Regards,

Scottie.

[Ken Lees]

Thanks Scottie, I'll try Graeme.

[salientguide]

Thanks Scottie, I'll try Graeme.

Ken Scottie ,who is also a member, has beaten me to it, have you no work to do scottie?

Graeme is always readily accessible and I am sure would be very willing to answer any phone enquiry direct. he always responds very promptly to his own e-mail address so dont know what happened re the site

message. It may be that last weeknd was the Guilds annual AGM weekend, formal dinner etc and Graeme is rushed off his feet with the arrangements for that. As per scottie if you have any difficulty pm him or me and we can arrange a contact SG