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Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska (b. January 9 1888, Krzeszowice, Poland - d. January 15 1979, Zakopane, Poland), with her husband, founded Scouting in Poland.

Childhood and Adolescence
Olga Drahonowska-Małkowska was born in Krzeszowice, as a second daughter of Zofia and Karol Drahonowski. Her father, Karol whose background was Armenian, was a trustee. Although she has Czech origins, she always emphasize her polish nationality. She finished her primary and secondary schoool extramuralwith very good notes. After baccalaureate she started learning in Music Conservatory of Lviv, when she found talents in poetry and sculpture. She was also an instructor of physical education in Sokół, and member of Eleusis organization, where she met Andrzej Małkowski. He convince her to sign up to Zarzewie, polish independence organization, where she became an Lieutenant.

3rd Lwów Girl Scout Company
Olga Drahonowska was introduced to Scouting by her friend, and later husband, Andrzej Juliusz Małkowski. She became Scoutmaster (harcmistrzyni) of the 3rd Lwów Girl Scout Company (the 1st, 2nd and 4th Companies were Boy Scouts). This consisted of about twenty girls aged between 15 and 20 years. She was also first chief of Girl Guides in Poland (1911-1912). She was the co-author of s words to polish scout anthem "Wszystko co nasze", another author was Ignacy Kozielewski. In 1913 she moved to Zakopane to benefit her health. There she got married with Andrzej Małkowski. The priest who tie the knot was Kazimierz Lutosławski.

World War I
In the summer of 1914, just before the start of World War I, her health having recovered, Drahonowska-Małkowska organised the first national camp. Girls (by now renamed Guides) from the Russian and German controlled areas of Poland came to the camp under assumed names and false passports. One girl turned out to be a spy and was caught looking through Drahonowska-Małkowska's tent for a list of these Guides names.

One morning a detachment of the Polish Secret Military Police (some of whom were brothers to the Guides) came to announce that war had been declared. Andrzej Małkowski wrote to say the camp should close at once and that, as the borders had closed, he had found accommodation in Zakopane for those girls who could not get home. The Małkowski's were asked by the Mayor of Zakopane to organise the night watch for the town because there were insufficient police and older people were too scared.

Andrzej Małkowski decided to join the Polish Legions, along with many of the boys in his Scout Company. Before he left, he organised a cottage for his wife and the boys and girls who no homes, and she opened a café to earn her living. After Małkowski left, there was one Boy Scout troop and one large Guide Company of 300 girls. They paraded each morning in the central square and gave report and took orders from Drahonowska-Małkowska. They took on huge number of tasks including supplementing the postal service, organising a children's home, helping with the harvest and setting up a hospital. In [1915]] they were forced to leave Zakopane by Austian goverment, and they moved through Switzerland to USA. Their son Lutyk, was born 30 October 1915, and after that she came back to Switzerland Where she work as a teacher and custodian of polish museum. In 1919 Andrzej Małkowski died in the mission given him by Polish Army.

Between wars
By the 1921 Małkowska decided to came back to Poland, where she stared working as a teacher in Zakopane, and started scoutmaster courses in Kuźnice. In 1924 she was chief of girl guides meeting in Świder (near Warsaw), and chief of polish contingent for Girl Guides Scoutmasters Meeting in Foxlease. In 1925 she set up School of Scout Work in Sromowce Wyżne which was orphanage and boarding school for polish children. Her school was accredited as a very modern centre of new education, and promotion of scouting principles. She was also given a rank of Harcmistrz Rzeczypospolitej.

In 1932 she was leading VII World Girl Guides Conference in Bucz, where she was elected to Girl Guides World Comitee. She was also elected scout delegate to the Comitee of Child and Adolescent in League of Nations. Polish govement give her Order of Polonia Restituta and Cross of Independence.

World War II
At the start of World War II, Drahonowska-Małkowska was running a school using Scouting principles. When war broke out she took them by train to a neutral country. The train was frequently under fire from machine guns mounted on aeroplanes. Drahonowska-Małkowska claimed that the children's Scouting training saved their lives, as when the train was attacked, the children were disciplined enough to obey her order to scatter, which made them far less easy targets for snipers than other passengers who formed huddles. She decided to move to U.K.. When she reached the target, the Girl Guides Association (now Girlguiding UK) awarded her their Bronze Cross for Gallantry. She set up an polish orphanage, and work in polish scout organization. She was also organizing food transport for children in Warsaw.

After war
Between 1948-1960 Olga Małkowska was leading Polish Childrens Home in Hawson Court in Buckfastleigh, Devon. She moved to Poland in 1961, firstly living in Wrocław then in Zakopane. She was given Honour Medal of Friend of Children. She died in 1979 aged 91, and she was buried with her husband in Zakopane. Over their grave there is granite monument of founders of Polish Scouting.

Links

 * CICG