G

To talk about the Scottish language. Use ‘Irish’ and ‘Welsh’ for the native languages of those countries.

It’s not ‘Gambia’. 

Generally, games and activities should be written in lower case (for example, ‘duck, duck, goose’ or ‘netball’).

Specific named activities, for example, the ones on the programme planning tool, are in sentence case – the first letter is capitalised (for example ‘All aboard the train game’ or ‘Rescue mission’. If a word in the name of the game or activity would usually be capitalised (for example, a name) capitalise it.

See capitalisation if you need a reminder of the rules.

Keep it lower case, even when you’re talking about Scout gang shows, though it’s OK to capitalise it in a title. For example, you’d refer to ‘the gang show’ but may capitalise the title of ‘Gilwell Park Gang Show’.

Gang shows are a stage performance in front of a live audience – they can happen anywhere, from a Scouts meeting place to a big theatre. Leaders and parents help behind the scenes, but really, it’s all about the young people.

Is an adjective to describe someone who’s sexually attracted to people the same sex as them (for example, ‘a gay man’). It’s never an insult (and shouldn’t be used as though it is one). ‘Gay’ is never a noun (‘a gay’ or ‘the gays’).

Avoid and just call it ‘marriage’. If you need to make a distinction, use ‘same-sex marriage’ or ‘equal marriage’.

Getting Started was the name of the first few learning modules that a new volunteer would complete, as part of the Adult Training Scheme.

As part of the new volunteer experience, it's been replaced with Growing Roots. See Growing Roots for more.

Often expressed in terms of masculinity and femininity, gender is largely culturally determined and is often assumed from the sex assigned at birth. Gender isn’t just a male or female binary – it’s more like a spectrum, so talk about ‘all’ genders rather than ‘both’, and don’t say ‘either gender’.

Don’t confuse gender with sex, which is assigned at birth on the basis of genitalia and reproductive functions.

A way to describe how people feel about their gender, or their innate sense of their own gender. People may identify as male, female, non-binary, or something else.

Always avoid unnecessarily gendering terms.

Keep an eye out for (and avoid) terms that have no male equivalent (for example, ‘career woman’).

Don’t use terms that presume men are the default, for example, don’t use ‘postmen’ or ‘fireman’ when ‘postal workers’ or ‘firefighters’ would do. It’s also ‘humankind’, not ‘mankind’. ‘Actor’ and ‘comedian’ cover people of all genders.

Avoid adding unnecessary gender descriptors (for example, it’s ‘PC’ not ‘WPC’, and people are ‘nurses’, not ‘male nurses’). If your point is to make a distinction, use ‘female’ not ‘woman’, for example, ‘female pilots’.

Family details and marital statuses are rarely relevant, unless the story is about family or marriage. Don’t describe a woman as ‘a mother of three’, or define her using her partner’s identity.

Never use ‘he’ or ‘his’ to cover all genders – use ‘they’ or ‘their’ or rearrange your sentence. For example, rather than ‘the winner should collect his prize’, try ‘the winner should collect their prize’.

‘Their’ is an acceptable singular pronoun – on finding a lost umbrella, most people wouldn’t bat an eyelid at saying ‘Oh no! Someone’s left their umbrella behind!’

Always use this or ‘gender affirming surgery’. Never say ‘sex change’. Gender reassignment is also the legally protected characteristic in the Equality Act. See transgender for more information.

Lower case. In the UK, the election where people elect a member of parliament (MP) to represent their local area (their constituency) in the House of Commons.

Capitalise the highest governing body of the Church of England, please. You can call it ‘synod’ after first mention.

Capitalise names of counties, cities, towns, villages, and so on, as well as distinct areas. For example, Durham, Norfolk, Lake District, Midlands. Capitalise official Scouts designations too.

Don’t capitalise general areas defined by compass points (for example, the north east).

Gibraltar is an overseas territory, not a colony. Its inhabitants are Gibraltarians.

Individuals’ donations to charities (or community amateur sports clubs, CASCs) are tax free. If someone eligible donates through Gift Aid, charities and CASCs can claim an extra 25p for every £1 they give.

It’s only OK to say ‘UK Headquarters’ or ‘UKHQ’ if you’re referring to Gilwell Park in an official capacity, as the place where a lot of Scouts’ employees are based.

It may help to think of the distinction between the huge green site that holds events (Gilwell Park) and the offices staff work in (UK Headquarters or UKHQ). For example, you could say ‘you’ll be supported by a team at UKHQ’, but it wouldn’t be OK to say ‘Wintercamp is held at UKHQ’. If you’re unsure, stick to Gilwell Park.

A female under 18, see young people. Don’t use to refer to women aged over 18.

Refer to ‘Guides’ rather than ‘Girl Guides’. The organisation is ‘Girlguiding’, not ‘Girlguiding UK’.

Hyphenate the adjective. A glow-in-the-dark poster would glow in the dark.

Is Greenwich Mean Time. If you wanted to distinguish between local time and GMT, you could say ‘we arrived at 7am local time (6pm GMT)’.

Is capitalised, but stick to the lowercase ‘him’ or ‘he’.

Basically, any other words starting with god and ending in a relation are lower case, unless you mean the 1972 film, in which case it’s The Godfather.

No hyphen, and not capitalised (unless it’s at the start of a sentence, then it’d be Go karting with a lower case k).

No goodie bags, please. If you want to send us some goody bags, however, check out the entry for address.

Capitalise the company, but the verb stays lowercase. For example, ‘Do you think employees at Google google where to eat lunch?’

Always lowercase, and say ‘the government’ not ‘government’, please.

You can abbreviate to ‘g’ in recipes, but only when the context is clear.

Grammar exists to help us communicate effectively; we want everyone to use the same style so Scouts has one recognisable, trustworthy voice.

Editors don’t expect everyone else to find it as exciting as we do, though we love it when people use this style guide to get what they can right.

One word, as in a ‘grassroots movement’.

And so on.

Is only England, Scotland and Wales (not Northern Ireland). If you want to include Northern Ireland, use the UK instead.

Green is usually lower case, for example ‘a green apple’, ‘a green activist’, or ‘the green movement’. Capitalise it if you’re talking about political parties, for example, ‘the Green party’.

Capitalise it please.

One word please for these previously undeveloped sites being considered for an urban development (as opposed to brownfield sites, which have been used before and are usually abandoned, disused, or derelict).

For the colour, not gray (we’re not in the United States).

Grisly means something that causes horror or disgust. Grizzly is mostly used to talk about grizzly bears, though it can also mean grey or grey-haired.

Capitalise if you’re:

• Using the full name of a Scout group (for example, ‘15th Chingford Scout Group’)
• Using the word in a formal name or title (for example, Group Executive Committee or Group Scout Leader).
• If you're talking about the formal structure of Scouts, such as in POR (for example, Group, District and County).

When you write about groups informally, keep it lower case, for example, ‘I’ve been involved with my local group for a few years.' Keep it lower case when you're talking informally about 'a group of young people,' too.

This is less confusing for people outside Scouts (and new members). Technically, Explorers and Network aren’t part of Scout groups.

See Trustee Board.

These volunteers lead and inspire other volunteers and manage the Group Leadership Team.

Previous role name: Group Scout Leader

This team helps volunteers across all sections to work well together and feel motivated. They make sure the Group is respected and supported in their local community.

These volunteers are part of a Group Leadership Team, but not as Section Team Leaders.

See Group Leadership Team to find out more.

Previous role name: Deputy Group Scout Leader (DGSLs).

As part of the new volunteer experience, this role title has changed. Please see Group Lead Volunteer.

Growing Roots is the learning all volunteers need to complete in their first six months. It covers the core learning that everyone at Scouts needs to know.

Previous name: Getting Started. This learning isn’t a direct change from this training, as we’ve updated the content.

Two words, please. We sometimes use this instead of ‘adult’ if we’re speaking directly to young people, want to sound especially informal, or need to vary the words we’re using. 

Girlguiding’s section for girls aged from 10 to 14. When they turn 14, they may become Rangers.

No longer the Guinness Book of Records.

A Sikh place of worship.

The principal sacred scripture of Sikhism. It was put together under the direction of the fifth Sikh guru, and contains hymns, religious poetry, and the teachings of the first five gurus.

Not guide rope.

Capitalise these terms. The term ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ is difficult to define because it doesn’t describe one group of people who are all the same. Based on housing legislation, Gypsies and Travellers includes people of nomadic habit of life (travelling from place to place) whatever their race or origin, including people who’ve stopped travelling (temporarily or permanently) due to their or their family or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age, and all other persons with a cultural history of nomadism or caravan dwelling. 

It includes a range of groups with different histories, cultures, and beliefs including: Romany Gypsies, Welsh Gypsies, Scottish Gypsy Travellers, Irish Travellers, Scottish Travellers, Eastern European Roma, as well as Traveller groups regarded as ‘cultural’ (rather than ‘ethnic’ travellers) such as New (Age) Travellers, and occupational travellers such as showmen and waterway travellers. 

As always, respect how individuals identify. Be aware that some people who identify themselves as ethnically Roma may be offended by ‘Gypsy’. Umbrella terms include ‘Gypsies and Travellers’, ‘Irish Travellers’, and ‘Gypsies and Irish Travellers’.