One of our centenary events was held in January this year.
It was an international camp called ACE (Australian Centenary Event). The camp was held in Geelong, Victoria with 2,500 Guides and leaders participating. READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Many girls and leaders are now excited about going to the next international camp called 'fanTAStic' to be held in Tasmania in 2013. Start saving now; you could be there too!

As it is our centenary year, the Federal Government have named 2010 as the 'Year of the Girl Guide.' Keep a look out for a special one dollar coin that the Royal Australian Mint will produce to commemorate our centenary year. Australia Post will also issue three stamps, one domestic and two international, in September 2010.

Two guides who went to ACE wrote a thank you letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for naming 2010 the Year of the Girl Guide. MEET THE GIRLS AND READ THEIR LETTER HERE

Our new uniform has been released - and just wait until you see how great it looks! To see photos of the new uniform and the options that are available to you CLICK HERE

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Our Guide e-newsletter still needs a name - and there is a fantastic prize for the winner! If you have a suggestion you would like to let us know about, E-MAIL US

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From 7th - 18th December 2009, a WAGGGS delegation representing 13 countries took part in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. They met to negotiate and agree upon a way forward on how to tackle climate change. The WAGGGS delegation made sure that the youth voice was heard in the Conference and decision-makers were aware that it is today's youth who will face the consequences of their decisions. A group of Australian Guide members were selected to join the WAGGGS delegation. Allison (Ally) Hooper (pictured right with Abyilene McGuire, left), member of Girl Guides Australia in Darwin, writes about her experience at COP15 and you can READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

You can also find out more about COP15 HERE

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February 22nd was a special day for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. It was World Thinking Day, a day where we think of our sister guides around the world. It was also the birthday of both Lord and Lady Baden-Powell but they were born in different years.

You may have taken part in a special ceremony or service to celebrate World Thinking Day. There is also a special badge and activities that you may like to try to learn more about hunger and poverty around the world.

To see an example of the activities that you could try, CLICK ON YOUR AGE GROUP BELOW!



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At 7.30am on Sunday 3rd of January, we left on the bus to Geelong. We were full of excitement and the trip went by very quickly. Upon arriving at ACE we registered and picked up our Ace stuff (our name tag, ACE bag, hat, drink bottle, lunch box and our awesome pink ACE shirt) and chose which on site activities we would do. The whole camp, (all 2,500 of us) was divided into ten subcamps (representing ten decades of guiding), and each subcamp was divided into five units and each unit was divided into five patrols and then somehow we were sleeping in over 300 tents, with one patrol to each tent (I know, I was confused too). We were in the red 1990s subcamp (each subcamp had a color), unit 5, patrol 1. We soon relaxed into the swing of things and got to know the people in our tent and the leaders in charge.
The next day I was doing my full day off site activity, I rode the Queenscliff-Sorrento ferry, (and picked out which of the cliff top mansions I wanted) went on a catamaran to go see the seals and got wet before getting back to camp early and chilling out in the tent for a while.

Tuesday saw us all going to the penguin parade on Phillip Island. They were soooooo cute and they came really close. It made you want to take one home. We got back REALLY late that night; it was probably 2.30am when we went to sleep.
Wednesday was visitor's day. There was stuff to do but most of us were pretty tired and there was a lot of lounging around in tents (maybe even the occasional wrestling match). That evening we went to Adventure Park and a lot of insane crazy people got wet while the smart sensible people wore warm clothes, as it must have been something like 24 degrees outside! But there were hot chips and lollies so no one complained.

Thursday was another off site activity for me but this time it was only for half of the day and I went fishing. I didn't catch anything but I had a nice time. When I got back to camp I did the onsite activities I chose on the first day earned a Freddo Frog on the side for getting a hole in one in mini golf.

On Friday it was the Ace Race. A race around Geelong where you worked together with the people in your patrol to get to as many checkpoints as possible in four and a half hours. It wasn't easy. It was really hot that day and pretty much everyone agreed the Ace Race and the trip to Adventure Park should have swapped days. I think in the end a lot of people were glad to get back to camp and fill their drink bottles with icy water.

When on Saturday we finally went home it was sad to say good bye to the friends we'd made, but we were very happy to know that we would see our old friends and our families again. There were lots of hugs and then slowly; bus by bus the girl guides left ACE behind. But even though the camp had ended, the Australian Centenary Event, had left its mark on every leader and every girl that went, and every one of them felt special even though every one of them was spent.

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ACE was a party to start the centenary! And what a party! 2500 girls and women from all over Australia and 10 nations gathered at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong to celebrate Guidings 100 years of achievements. From the opening to the closing, the ACE participants found so many ways to celebrate.

Girls swam with the dolphins, climbed, bounced, flew, surfed, kayaked, rode horses and bikes. They danced, sang, created, cooked and got fit. They made camp in the manner of the early days, the current days and in the future. Pink was the colour as ACE took to the streets of Geelong for the ACE Race. Penguins ducked for cover as 2,500 converged on Philip Island to witness the nightly penguin parade. Guides Own provided food for thought as the sun went down at the beach. The campfire flickered on screen (ACE was a Total Fire Ban site) as favourites and new songs were belted out. Bicycle Victoria provided the wonderful food and who can forget the pesto!?

With ABBA and more recent tunes, ACE took to the oval to dance the night away. A perfect way to end the party.

To the 700 adults who supported the camp and the girls who enjoyed it- Thank you from the ACE team.

Let's get cracking on the fundraising and plans for 'fanTAStic' - see you all there!

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Dear Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Kevin Rudd,

We are writing to sincerely thank you for your support and assistance regarding the celebration of 100 years of Girl Guiding.

We have attended the Australian Centenary Event camp for the past week. The experience has been incredible for all in attendance. Some activities offered this week have included: Scuba diving, African Safari, rock climbing, hiking, mountain bike riding and bungee trampolining. There have also been activities aimed at learning new skills and gaining confidence. Girls have recorded their own CD, learnt CPR, taken classes in dance and yoga and learnt about the environment in the activity "Guides Go Green."

Friendships have formed between girls from home and afar, with girls attending from many countries including Canada, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Argentina, Cambodia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Fiji and Thailand. This has given girls an opportunity to explore other cultures and make friends from around the world.

Girl Guides Australia is extremely grateful to the Australian Government, through the Office of Women, for the generous funding and recognition of 2010 as the Year of the Girl Guide.
We hope that you will accept our gift of Pippa the Penguin, our mascot for ACE. We are looking forward to the rest of 2010 and the many events and activities taking place around Australia.

Yours Sincerely,
Mieke van Rooyen and Sinead McCullough
on behalf of all the girls at ACE.

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The sheep and the hyena game
This game is from Sudan. One player is the sheep, another is the hyena and the rest of the players are the fence. The 'fence' players hold hands and form a circle with the sheep inside the circle and the hyena on the outside. The 'fence' players must stay close together to stop the hyena from getting inside the circle. When the hyena breaks through, the game ends and two other players can become the sheep and hyena. For more fun, the 'fence' can move their arms up and down to tease the hyena and let her think that she can get through. Be careful, she might be too quick for you and get through!

Cabbages game
Try this game played by Brownies in Zimbabwe. The leader needs a tablecloth or blanket. When the leaders calls out 'Cabbages!', all the players must curl up in a tight ball like a cabbage and close their eyes. The leader covers one of the players with the blanket then asks the players to open their eyes. The players must work out which player is under the blanket. The first one to call out the right name is the winner! For more fun, try using an extra blanket and hide two people.

Everyday foods
Find out about the main types of food eaten in one of the featured countries
(Sudan, Georgia, Haiti, Maldives or Zimbabwe). Perhaps you could get a small amount to try with your Unit or Patrol. How does it compare to the food you eat in your country?

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Learn about a country in sub-Saharan African, South East Asia or Central America. Maybe you can find a book that tells you about children's lives in different countries. With your friends, make up a short play about what it might be like to live in poverty there and perform it to your Unit or Patrol.

The sheep and the hyena game
This game is from Sudan. One player is the sheep, another is the hyena and the rest of the players are the fence. The 'fence' players hold hands and form a circle with the sheep inside the circle and the hyena on the outside. The 'fence' players must stay close together to stop the hyena from getting inside the circle. When the hyena breaks through, the game ends and two other players can become the sheep and hyena.
For more fun, the 'fence' can move their arms up and down to tease the hyena and let her think that she can get through. Be careful, she might be too quick for you and get through!

Cabbages game
Try this game played by Brownies in Zimbabwe: The leader needs a tablecloth or blanket. When the leaders calls out 'Cabbages!', all the players must curl up in a tight ball like a cabbage and close their eyes. The leader covers one of the players with the blanket then asks the players to open their eyes. The players must work out which player is under the blanket. The first one to call out the right name is the winner! For more fun, try using an extra blanket and hide two people.

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Food shortages
Find out about food shortages in your country in the past. Think of a story about a girl living through a time of food shortages in the past. Write your story or tell it to your Patrol or Unit.

Khinkali dumplings
Khinkali is a popular traditional dish in Georgia. Mix together minced meat, onion and spices. Make a flour-and-water dough and roll out thin circles. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the centre of each circle and gather the edges together to form pleats. Boil the dumplings in salted water for 15 minutes. If you have Internet access, you can search for full details of the recipe. Try this recipe at your Unit meeting or camp.

Learn about a country in sub-Saharan African, South East Asia or Central America. Maybe you can find a book that tells you about children's lives in different countries. With your friends, make up a short play about what it might be like to live in poverty there and perform it to your Unit.

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Fair play
Use this game to show the impact of uneven distribution of resources. Split into two groups, one team has twice as many players as the other. Lay out about 15 small items of food on a tray or table.

Players have two minutes, trying to memorise them. Then the objects are covered and the players must write as many down as they can. The small group are those with access to resources, so each of them has a pen/pencil each, a sheet of paper, a chair, and perhaps even sits close to the objects; the larger group has only one pencil and has to stand some distance away. After the game, discuss how the two groups felt being treated so differently. Was it fair to do it this way? Can you think of examples when life is like this for your community or other communities?

Life game
Everyone stands in a circle, with sweets or small pieces of fruit in the centre. Each person is given a card with a situation on it (eg. war widow with three children and very low income) with the number of sweets she is allowed to take. Everyone compares how many sweets they have at the end of the session. Discuss the different ways war can affect people's access to food.

Bodu Beru
The traditional music and dance in the Maldives is named after the drum Bodu Beru. Find out about drum music around the world and give a short presentation to your Patrol or Unit.

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Poverty and hunger: snakes and ladders
Take a 40 x 40cm piece of cardboard and divide it into 10 x 10 grid of squares. Number the squares from the bottom left square as 1 and going backwards and forwards up the board to the top left square. Draw seven ladders and seven snakes, which connect different squares to each other. On other squares, write the following instructions:

• Your crops fail, go back three spaces
• You are not allowed to go to school, go back three spaces
• You have a successful harvest and sell all your produce at market, go forward three spaces
• You get a grant to start up a small business, go forward three spaces.