Latest NewsHere are some of the latest happenings in Girl Guides Australia. You can find more news of recent outdoor events in the Outdoor News section under Girls in Guiding, and reports of recent guiding travel adventures in the Travel News section under International.
'Women in the workplace' is a topic that has been in the spotlight lately, with debates on “why gender parity is important?” to “what to do about it?”. Your thoughts and experiences would be invaluable in understanding Australia's opportunity and will assist our community to improve gender balance in the workplace.
Bain & Company is launching a study on gender parity, taking the gender parity debate a step further in the Australian workplace and examining the implications. This study will be compared to global data collected by Bain earlier this year.
It would be much appreciated if you could spare 10-15 minutes to participate in an Australian-wide survey.
Please go to to fill out the survey.
National Office has recently received several enquiries regarding the singing of songs and any related copyright issues. In particular the enquiries have related to the Celebration Song at 100 Downunder events. This communication is intended to answer these enquiries and provide information for any future events.
Girl Guides Australia holds a licence with the Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA). This licence entitles our Members to sing any song at a ‘normal’ Guiding event. Members are therefore covered to sing the Celebration song at any 100 Downunder events.
Please note that Gang Shows are not deemed to be a ‘normal’ Guiding event under this definition and as such, are not covered under the APRA licence. All Gang Shows are required to obtain their own licence each year.
View the report on Be The Change here
The Girl Guides Australia centenary $1 coin will soon be available for order through Guide Retail outlets. Please contact your local Guide Retail outlet for more details on availability.
Our new National uniform is here!
Available now at your State retail outlet.
See the catalogue for a full list of available items, prices and ordering information. The catalogue also provides a helpful sizing chart. Information on uniform guidelines and badge placement is applicable to all uniforms.
A selection of frequently asked questions and answers is available now based on your further feedback. In the mean time, if you have any questions, please contact your State office.
Click here to see the Uniform Information Booklet in low res or high res
Do you have any uniform questions you need answered? Find them in the Uniform FAQ's.
Click here to see the Uniform FAQ's
Mission Australia is currently undertaking its ninth annual National Survey of Young Australians for young people aged 11 to 24 yrs. Like Guides Say 2010, the survey gives young people an opportunity to comment on a range of issues, including what they value, what concerns them and what they think should be done about those concerns. The survey can be completed on line at http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/youthsurvey and closes on July 2. Results will be available in November.
And don’t’ forget that Guides Say 2010, our national survey of Guides Australia wide, is coming from April 19. A postcard version of the survey will be sent to all Patrols and Guides will be asked to nominate the local, national and international issues they would like Girl Guides Australia to speak out about. A more comprehensive survey will also be available online at http://www.girlgudies.org.au The results from Guides Say 2010 will be publicised both internally and externally (through the media and other relevant channels) by 31 August 2010.
This day has been a significant event in our calendars since 1926, as we remember the joint birthdays of the Founder, Lord Robert Baden Powell and his wife Olave, and as we recognise the tremendous contributions they both made to the lives of young people. As we celebrate ‘100 years of changing lives’ we take the opportunity to remember this outstanding couple whose inspiration, determination and commitment, created and supported youth organizations that still remain the largest in the world. In supporting Thinking Day, we are ensuring their legacy lives on.
In 1932 it was determined that a Thinking Day Fund would be established to provide voluntary contributions to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Since then millions of dollars have been donated by Member Organisations to support Guiding in developing countries. The money raised is used by WAGGGS for the development of non-formal education programs and to support the work of Member Organisations to carry out projects and advocacy campaigns. The funding ensures access to training for girls and young women across the world so they can develop international leadership skills. In particular, the money donated this year will be used by WAGGGS to provide support for five countries, one from each region: Haiti, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Georgia and the Maldives.
WAGGGS has declared that the theme for World Thinking Day 2010 is girls worldwide say “together we can end extreme poverty and hunger”. This ties in directly with the Global Action Theme “together we can change our world” and in particular, with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 1 - ‘Eradicating Poverty and Hunger’. We are encouraged to think of our sister Guides in all parts of the World, particularly in developing countries where girls and young women are faced with immense challenges and undergo tremendous suffering due to the effects of starvation and extreme poverty. These conditions are difficult to imagine in a country such as ours. As Guides, we are asked to give generously through the Thinking Day Fund to support WAGGGS in achieving their goals and I encourage all Guiding members in Australia to do so.
Thinking Day resources that were developed by WAGGGS have been provided by Girl Guides Australia to all Units together with a special Thinking Day ‘Guides Own’ prepared by the Centenary Committee. These resources will allow our Guides to gain a greater understanding of the consequences of poverty and extreme hunger.
As Guides we belong to the largest international Organisation for girls and young women in the world, providing us with the opportunity to learn more about each other – our similarities and differences. It’s important to celebrate our diversity and recognise our similarities. Take time this Thinking Day to think of Guides and Girl Scouts in other Member Organisations of WAGGGS. Learn more about what we have in common as well as what makes us unique. It is only through learning and understanding that we can work together towards global peace and to truly change our world.
Happy World Thinking Day.
Lynne Price
Chief Commissioner
District Leaders will currently be receiving Centenary Challenge booklets for their Units. Your package contains a pack of booklets labelled for each of your Units and a letter for each Unit. Please pass these on to each Unit Leader as soon as possible. The booklet contains the individual challenges that will enable each Guide to complete the Centenary Challenge and the Gold Challenge. There is a copy for each Guide and a limited number of additional copies for new members will be available from your State Office toward the end of 2009. This booklet is funded by the Federal Government Office for Women as part of the Girl Guides Centenary funding and is to be provided to each Guide at no cost. The badge will be an additional cost and can be purchased through your State Retail Outlet in the usual way.
Each unit will also be provided with a Centenary Resource Pack in November and this will include a copy of the Centenary Challenge booklet for the Unit, distributed in the same way as the Centenary Challenge booklet. There will be one copy per U unit and a resource CD. This pack will be your guide to activities across the Centenary and is being provided at no cost.
The 16 October is World Food Day, which coincides with the Stand Up Against Poverty Event. Stand Up Against Poverty is a UN led campaign, where people all around the world show their support for the fight against poverty. WAGGGS is encouraging us to Stand Up Against Poverty on 16 October—which is also World Food Day—in order to launch their World Thinking Day plans. These three events (Stand Up, World Food Day and World Thinking Day) fit together very well because World Thinking Day 2010 has the theme of MDG1: Poverty and Hunger.
As a Global Action Theme Champion, Girl Guides Australia are organising five groups around the country to speak out about the importance of this issue and tell the rest of Australia that Girl Guides want to see the Millennium Development Goals achieved by 2015. We encourage other groups around the country to also get involved where possible. WAGGGS has asked that any groups getting involved:
• Register on http://www.standagainstpoverty.org by using the name WAGGGS: ‘unit/troop name’ plus individual names if you wish. You will be able to register your event here: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/create-an-event
• Take a photo of your group ‘standing up against poverty’ and wearing Guiding apparel.
Anyone getting involved is encouraged to send their stories and photos to Girl Guides Australia, so that we can pass this on to WAGGGS. Please email Miriam Holmes at acc@girlguides.org.au
More information on MDG 1: Poverty and Hunger and ideas for activities can be found in the WAGGGS GAT Curriculum. Download PDF here
Congratulations to all Guiding Members and Supporters who have gained honours this 2010 Queen's Birthday.
Congratulations to all Guiding Members and Supporters who have gained honours this 2010 Australia Day.
2010 is the Centenary of Guiding and the Year of the Girl Guide. To celebrate, why not try our Centenary Challenge?
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