Dr. Dorothy I. A. Thompson will long be remembered for her enthusiasm for learning and for her infectious personality. As the first headmistress of the now defunct Prospect Secondary School for Girls, many of her students today attribute their success to her administration. It was also in Girlguiding that Dr. Thompson left an indelible stamp.

Her guiding years spanned over five decades. She first joined the Girl Guide Association as a Tweenie, too young to become a Brownie. Along with other little girls of the same age, she was allowed to attend the Brownie meetings of the 1st North Village Brownie Pack which were held on the Government House grounds over the stables. The girls were allowed to roam the area and enjoy the beauty of the landscape. Even at this tender age, Dr. Dorothy was affected by the discipline of "doing one's best", a phrase embedded in the Promise, the Guide Laws and the Motto. She later became a Patrol Leader in the 1st Excelsior Girl Guide Company under the captainship of Miss Edith Crawford; an exceptional Brownie Trainer; a member of a committee who tested Brownies and Guides for their 1st Class Badge and a District Commissioner.

It was while in England that Dr. Dorothy's talent as a trainer was first realised. Despite her busy schedule while studying to become a teacher, she visited the Girl Guide Headquarters in London and offered her services. She was exposed to many trainings at Foxlease, a training estate. Her ability as a speaker was also recognised and at an Annual General Meeting held at Fishmonger's Hall in London where Lady Baden-Powell was the guest speaker, she was asked extemporaneously to give the vote of thanks. Through this experience, Lady Baden-Powell became interested in Dr. Dorothy's Guiding career.

She was not only invited to tea at Hampton Court but received her prized certificate as a trainer from the Chief Guide. Dr. Dorothy once said, "Through Guiding I had my heightened awareness of things around me: sight and hearing and touch. I could never walk along the road without looking at a flower blooming or watching a sunset. This was part of my home life but it was also reinforced in Guiding as well."

In January, 1973, Dr. Dorothy Thompson received the Bene Merenti, a papal award, for "outstanding work as a Catholic headmistress and member of the diocesan Pastoral Council".

A funeral Mass will be held in her memory on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at St. Theresa's Cathedral.

Submitted by The Bermuda Girl Guide Association (Girlguiding Bermuda)