ANZAC Day

Giving Service encourages a sense of community

Guiding encourages active participation in the community to develop girls and young women into responsible community members. It is this community involvement that differentiates Guiding from many other activities available to girls and young women. Guides give service in a variety of ways depending on the developmental stage of the girl and her interests. From a young age Guides are encouraged to help other people in their community and to advocate on issues of concern to them. Guides can participate in service activities as an individual or with their Patrol, Unit or Region. Service gives girls a great sense of belonging, an awareness of others and a commitment to the environment. The community service given by 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from a 145 member organisations can help to build a better world.

As a Guide you decide how you will give service -

to family or friends

in your community

to make the world a better place

There are so many ways you can help others as a Guide. By giving service you will be rewarded by a great feeling that you have made a difference, no matter how small. Every year Guides around Australia participate in Clean up Australia, Harmony Day, National Tree Day, Earth Hour and help the Australia Koala Foundation. Many Guides visit nursing homes, deliver leftover bread to the homeless, take part in landcare or bush regeneration projects,sleepout for the homeless, raise funds for zoo animals and endangered animals,collect corks for recycling, help out at International Women's Day breakfasts and other community events, Citizenship ceremonies and much more.

You can also be challenged to go a bit further and be recognised with a Guide award. There are a number of different Guide Service challenges to choose from -

Create a Challenge, where you can choose your own interest and service challenge

Achieve a Challenge, ie Emergency, Safety

Service challenges for the Junior BP and BP Awards

Service challenges for the Queen's Guide Award

Service Focus

Service Flash

Service Focus

As a Guide 14 years and over, you can challenge yourself and gain the Service Focus award. The challenges can be found in the Girl Guides Australia's publication Aim High available from the State Girl Guide organisations retail outlets.

Service Flash

The service given in these challenges is to be above and beyond what is normally done or expected at home, school, or in Guiding. Service given for each level may include up to 3 different types of service. Service given to levels 2 and 3 is to be above and beyond service given to previous challenges. The service given to these challenges can be cross-credited to the Junior BP and BP Awards. The badges can be worn on the sash.

SERVICE FLASH 1

To be started at a minimum age of 7 years. A minimum of 9 hours of regular service over three months (approximately 40 minutes per week) to be given. This can include service to your family and/or school.

SERVICE FLASH 2

To be started at a minimum age of 9 years. A minimum of 15 hours of regular service over three months (approximately 1¼ hours per week) to be given. This can include service to your immediate and extended family, school and Guiding.

SERVICE FLASH 3

To be started at a minimum age of 12 years. A minimum of 21 hours of regular service over three months (approximately 1 ¾ hours per week) to be given. This can include service to your immediate and extended family, school, Guiding and the community.

ANZAC DAY

Many Guides participate in ANZAC Day services and marches in their communities across Australia.

In Darwin, Guides and Leaders attended the ANZAC Day service at the War Memorial

In Sydney, Guides and Leaders helped by carrying banners in the city march, handing out programs at services and cleaning brass plaques at memorials or attended the dawn service and watched the march. In many cases, Guides and their leaders held sleepovers in their Guide hall on the eve of ANZAC Day.

In northern Tasmania, Guides had a special weekend camp to increase the girls knowledge of ANZAC Day. They attended their local memorial for the community service.

On Friday 24th April 2009 we had an ANZAC sleepover in the GUIDE hall. We went for a walk in the rain at night time. For tea we had chicken, lettuce, cheese, carrots and tomatoes. For breakfast we had pancakes but some had toast. We had to get up at 5:15am to do the dawn service BUT Kanga woke us up at 4:30am so we had to go back to bed and Carrissa had her phone and set her alarm for 5:15am. We didn’t sleep much because we were talking some of the night. We went to the dawn service and also did the ANZAC march that was fun. At 9:00am we had a lady come and talk to us about when she was a GUIDE when she was younger it was interesting. She talked about how she became a GUIDE leader how they had to do tests. After the march we packed up. After we packed up we all went home. Most people were very sleepy.

By Carrissa aged 12 years

Copyright Girl Guides Australia 2010