
Who can be a Guide?
Girl Guides is for girls of all cultures, faiths and abilities
Membership of Girl Guides is open to girls from 5 to 17 years of age and women 18 years and over. Each girl and adult member makes a promise which shows their commitment to the principles of Guiding and is her link with the 10 million other Guides around the world.
Guiding is available Australia wide.
Girls 5-17 years and women from 18 years join Guides in their local community and become members of their State organisation. Each organisation offers girls the opportunity to enjoy Guiding through the Australian Guide Program.
The Australian Adult Leadership Program provides the framework to equip all Leaders with the skills relevant to their role in Guiding. The Australian Guide Program and the Australian Adult Leadership Program are reviewed regularly to ensure Guiding remains relevant to Australia’s women of tomorrow.
At Guides you are able to:
- experience exciting challenges with friends
- have lots of fun
- join a Guide Unit of similar aged girls
- meet for 1-2 hours in a local hall most weeks during term time
- have a different experience every week
Guides get to:
- develop life skills, confidence to think and act for themselves, respect for the environment and a sense of community
- try a wide range of activities appropriate to their age, abilities and interests
- discover, decide, plan, do and evaluate their program with the guidance of a trained adult volunteer Leader
- choose to challenge and extend themselves
- earn a wide variety of badges and develop a great sense of achievemen
Guides aged 14 years or older have the opportunity to earn their Queen’s Guide Award and participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
The best part is you get to choose with your friends what you can do, whether you choose to do:
- an outdoor adventure like canoeing, archery, abseiling, skiing, hiking, camping, cooking damper over a fire or just sitting around a campfire singing, chatting and sharing a joke or two.
- or indoor activities, the range is up to your imagination, working as a team planning your next adventures, being creative, exploring another culture and faith, earning your next badge and achieving your goals.
You may have heard people talk about being a Brownie, Girl Guide or Ranger and joining the Girl Guide Association. Since 1996 all members have been referred to as Guides. The younger girls (formerly Gumnut Guides aged 5-6 years and Brownie Guides aged 7- 11 years) love being known as Guides and having the opportunities to choose the name of their Unit. In some areas girls have decided to keep the name Brownie or Gumnut or Ranger as a tradition in their Unit name while others have chosen names such as the Dolphin Guides, Bilby Guides, Junior or Senior Guides. Unit names will usually contain the name of the area as well.
To become a member contact your State Guide Office to find your local Unit.
Alternatively, if it is not possible for you to attend regular meetings, it may be possible for you to enjoy Guiding in another way. Contact your State Office.