International Women’s Day – Yvonne’s story
Thursday 8th March 2018Please introduce yourself
My name is Yvonne Duthie and I am a Lieutenant and joint Officer-in-Charge of the Company Section of 1st Fraserburgh. I am also currently the Battalion secretary and also help out with the Junior Section.
Why do you volunteer as a BB leader?
I volunteer as a BB leader as my own son came up through The BB and, as a qualified teacher, I was asked to help deliver some of the badge work as a parent helper initially. Enjoying the work inspired me to do my officer training. In total I have been with 1st Fraserburgh as a volunteer and officer for 20 years.
What do you think has been your biggest achievement in the BB?
I don’t view any achievement as being bigger than any other I feel that as long as I am making a difference no matter how small, that is the important thing.
What female role model inspires you?
I am not really inspired by any female role model in particular but I am inspired by the commitment that my younger officers , who have come up through the ranks in our company, make for the benefit of the boys. It is a great feeling to see the boys you work with every week gaining their Queen’s Badge and going on to become dedicated officers. We have a great team at 1st Fraserburgh and everyone gets on well so BB night is always something to look forward to and we all feel the same.
How do think your volunteering influences others – particularly young women?
As in my answer above, the reward is in seeing our boys become both officers and achieving success in their chosen careers. In my own field, having recently retired, I was a head teacher for 22 years and well known in the community as a BB officer too. I hope that this may have been a good role model and inspired others.
You can learn more about volunteering with The Boys’ Brigade here.
