Incorporating Visual Arts

Edition 07 | August 2014
Program Ideas:
Incorporating Visual Arts
State Manager & Consultant News
Upcoming Events & L&D Courses
100002222
The Waratah is published by Girl Guides NSW & ACT
and welcomes contributions from its Members.
CONTENTS
The office of Girl Guides NSW & ACT can be
found at:
FOREWORD FROM THE STATE TEAM
1
FROM GUIDE HOUSE
2
Guide House
Level 2, 55 Holt Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 8396 5200
Fax: (02) 9211 5911
email:guides@girlguides-nswact.org.au
web: www.girlguides-nswact.org.au
FREE BEING ME
2
FROM NATIONAL TEAM
3
DISTRICT DYNAMICS
4
GONE HOME
4
BOATING IS FUN AT R.T.S. TINGIRA 9
Postal address:
PO Box 950
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
MANAGER AND CONSULTANT NEWS
10–11
Retail Department:
Unit 14, 77–79 Bourke Road
Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9317 4200
Fax: (02) 9669 6257
CONGRATULATIONS12
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES: INCORPORATING VISUAL ARTS
5–8
FROM THE ARCHIVES
12
ROYAL COMMISSION UPDATE
12
GIRL GUIDE CONTRIBUTIONS HELP ENDANGERED SPECIES
13
UPCOMING COURSE DATES
Retail postal address:
PO Box 6124
Alexandria NSW 2015
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Edition 07 | August 2014
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26 Sep
The good news is membership has grown for the first
half of the year in both Adult and Youth Members. Thank
you to all our Leaders and Managers who have made this
possible and have welcomed our new girls, Leaders, and
Managers—supporting them as they work through the
Learning and Development Qualification Program and gain
confidence in the delivery of the AGP.
We are delighted to welcome 14 new Units including our
new District at Boggabri, North West Inland Region. Many
of the new Units are Senior Guide Units. There are now 66
Senior Guide Units with more to be registered soon. Bravo!
I would like to thank Gillian Garsia who has led the
Membership team for the last four and a-half years.
Under Gillian’s leadership, there have been outstanding
State conferences for District Managers and Development
Coordinators, assistance provided at all Region Manager’s
meetings and many innovative ideas to help grow Guiding.
With Gillian taking up the role of State Commissioner on
14 September, she will be stepping down from the role
of State Membership Development Adviser. It is a very
interesting and rewarding role which now needs to be
filled. This could be the role for you. For more information
please contact marisa.edwards@girlguides-nswact.org.au,
myself or Gillian to discuss further.
Gillian and I were able to attend Twin Rivers Region
Conference in Temora in July and meet many of the
Leaders and Region Team. It was inspiring to hear about
the activities the girls are participating in and how excited
the Leaders and Managers are who enable the girls and
young women to grow into confident, self-respecting,
responsible community members.
The Region Personnel Weekend will be held on 13–14
September at Glengarry. At this weekend, the State Free
being Me team—Bronwyn Hughes, Sarah Hassarti, Lesley
Meiklejohn and Emily Milton Smith—will be presenting to
the participants in the WAGGGS-Dove program (page 2) and
will explain how it will be rolled out in NSW & ACT over the
next 12 months. I would like to thank the team for stepping
up to ensure this fantastic program will be implemented and
our Leaders are supported in the process. At the conclusion
of the weekend program, Joanne, Luisa and I will hand
over to Gillian and her team. We invite you to join us for
the handover and afternoon team commencing at 2.30pm,
Sunday 14 September.
This year WAGGGS has produced a number of exciting new
publications to help Member Organizations in the delivery of
a quality program for girls and young women. It is exciting
to read the WAGGGS new definition of the Girl Guide and
Girl Scout method. The method has five steps:
• Learning in small groups—we learn to: support each other,
negotiate, make democratic decisions, assert our needs,
solve problems together, take the lead;
• My path, my pace—we learn to: respect individuals, make
our own choices, learn in the best way for us, value our
achievements, collaborate not compete, be confident;
• Learning by doing—we learn to: take on challenges,
learn through experience, take risks, make mistakes, get
involved, pay
attention;
• Connecting
with others—
we learn to:
value others,
appreciate
diversity,
listen, connect, make a difference, develop empathy,
communicate; and
• Connecting with my world—we learn to: be active
citizens, get our hands dirty, enjoy the outdoors, get
involved in our community, speak out for change, pay
attention to a wider world.
...FOREWORD
FROM THE STATE TEAM...
In the resource section of the WAGGGS website you can
download Prepare to Learn, Prepare to Lead; Learning
to Thrive and Be the Change. It is helpful to read these
publications as GGA begins the AGP Review. All Members
will have an opportunity to participate in the review. Please
watch G-news for more information in the months to come.
The annual Girl Guides NSW & ACT lunch has been moved to
Friday 17 October to enable us to celebrate the International
Day of the Girl Child. The U.N. declared October 11 as the
International Day of the Girl Child in 2011. Its mission is
“to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to
better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to
show leadership and reach their full potential”. As part of
our celebrations we will be launching the Free being Me
project at the lunch, held at the Stranger’s Dining room, NSW
Parliament House. Please come along, bring your friends and
encourage parents to join us. There will be more information
about our guest speakers in the next Waratah and coming
editions of G-news.
There has been great activity with many Units and
Trefoil Guilds busy making Breast care bags. Thank you
to everyone who has joined in this service activity so far.
We have received a number of lovely thank you cards
and emails from patients who have been most grateful
for the gift of a breast care bag. Each patient has said
what a difference it had made to their life and dignity at
a difficult time. It is not too late to join in and get sewing.
Simply contact Pip Bloomfield, the State Breast care bag
coordinator. For many girls, it has been the first time they
have used a sewing machine and it has given them a safe
place to discuss an issue that affects so many women.
In the following pages you will find a wealth of useful
information. Thank you to the State office bearers and
committee members who provide great support to our
Leaders, Managers and girls in the Regions across the State.
Belinda Allen
State Commissioner
Edition 07 | August 2014
1
…FROM GUIDE HOUSE
I am writing this to you from an incredibly beautiful and
serene part of the world—Welcome Bay in New Zealand.
By the time you are reading this my holidays will be well and
truly over, however I'm savouring every last moment while
I can!
It truly is a small world and Guiding certainly impacts across
the globe. The trip I am on is a health retreat—10 women
only. I could hardly believe that when introductions were
happening on the first morning, a lady just before me (Sally)
was talking about her interest in geocaching. Everyone
asked questions about what it was and as it turns out,
Sally's daughter learnt it at Guiding and has since got her
whole family hooked! Needless to say we have had lots of
conversations and I have again been inspired and refreshed
knowing the impact we are having on the lives of young
women. I also think some of the other Mums that were there
might be thinking about getting their girls involved too after
the great stories.
Another jam packed edition of The Waratah. Many of our
Volunteers take time in their busy lives to ensure the content
is relevant and topical, so I do hope you find it useful.
Heading into August we will be working towards developing
our new strategic plan, business plans for 2015 and budgets
off the back of those plans. Our Board will be coming
together again for a full day of planning and strategizing, to
make sure that the things we put in place and focus on now
will keep us in a thriving position for many years to come.
On page 12 of this edition there is also an update from NSW
& ACT Deputy State Commissioner and GGA honorary legal
advisor, Joanne Muller, relating to the Royal Commission
into Child Sexual Abuse. Please take the time to read it and
contact us if you have any questions, as it will help you to
respond to any questions or comments you may receive from
parents and other stakeholders.
Well—Yoga time for me. Have a wonderful month and I look
forward to a fresh and fruitful second half of the year upon
my return.
All the best.
Peta Gillies
State Executive Officer
peta.gillies@girlguides-nswact.org.au
At Guide House the team are still actively working on
enhancing our database and website to better meet your
needs. There has been a significant drop off in feedback and
suggestions for improvement—please do keep them coming
to guides@girlguides-nswact.org.au.
FREE BEING ME
On behalf of the National Team, your NSW & ACT State Team
is pleased to announce that all Guides aged 7–14 years now
have an opportunity to take part in Free Being Me, a project
that helps develop resilience and understanding – life skills
that empower girls to reach their full potential.
WAGGGS and Dove have been working together with a shared
vision of a world free from appearance-related anxiety for
girls. Free Being Me directly addresses this by focusing on
body confidence – accepting and appreciating the body we
have and what it can do.
Free Being Me uses pre-prepared activities
and challenges delivered in a specific
order to strongly communicate these
important messages and to have a
lasting and positive effect on all
Girl Guides who participate.
The easy-to-follow source
materials are fun and thoughtprovoking, and promote
collaborative learning
as well as leadership skills. Free Being
Me resources include booklets with
activities for girls aged 7–10 years or
11–14 years.
An activity guide for Leaders and volunteers is available to
assist you through each stage of this amazing program.
2
Edition 07 | August 2014
The girls earn their Free Being Me badge proudly and
confidently by completing activities, the personal challenges
(done at home), and their Take Action project, which shows
that they have reached at least two other non-Guiding girls.
Therefore, each badge counts as 3 lives reached and we hope
empowers them to continue the positive body image message.
And it really works!
Research shows that going through a high–quality program like
Free Being Me does have a lasting impact:
• 60% of girls have improved body confidence
• 78% of girls feel more confident and capable at
school
• 71% of girls have better relationships
with their peers
• 53% of girls get on better with their
families.
The Body Project – Study
To get started now or for more
information, visit
www.free-being-me.com All materials
are available for downloading via
http://www.free-being-me.com/
downloads/
Your State Team is happy to provide more
information and answer any questions you have via email:
freebeingme.nswact@gmail.com.
E-learning is also available via GLOW at www.glow.wagggs.org.
…FROM NATIONAL TEAM
The 35th WAGGGS World Conference, held in Hong Kong
in early July, was a truly amazing experience for all the
Girl Guides Australia delegates – Robinette Emonson,
Robyn Gibbs (Qld), Natasha Hendrick (WA), Lindsay Tagg
(NSW&ACT) and Erin Wicking (Vic). The most exciting point
for the Australian delegation came on the third day when
Natasha Hendrick was elected to the WAGGGS World Board.
Not only was she elected in the very first round of voting,
but she was also appointed Deputy Chair of the World
Board. Congratulations Natasha!
Closer to home, we are very proud and honoured that Her
Excellency Lady Cosgrove has accepted the role of Patron
of Girl Guides Australia. Lady Cosgrove is a significant
role model in the Australian community, and we are very
appreciative of her support.
The 12 member World Board will be chaired for this
triennium by Nicola Grinstead (United Kingdom), who
will continue the strong leadership of Nadine El Achy who
retires after serving WAGGGS for six years, including three
years as Chair.
Girl Guides Australia was well represented throughout the
World Conference through Jen Barron, Susan Campbell
and Linden Edgell (who organised the pre-event for
young delegates), Margot Browning, Judy Harris, and the
numerous Australian Members of the Olave Baden-Powell
Society and Friends of Asia-Pacific WAGGGS. Susan also
took on the role of MC for the Conference and chaired the
motion and voting sessions.
During these sessions we were very pleased to see
the new WAGGGS Constitution passed. This will allow
WAGGGS to proceed towards incorporation under the new
UK charities laws, which will provide greater protection
for Board Members and enable WAGGGS to enter into
contracts in their own right.
Other exciting news to emerge from the World Conference
included the Cook Islands and Mongolia gaining full
membership of WAGGGS, and Myanmar gaining associate
membership. Girl Guides Australia has supported the growth
of Guiding in the Cook Islands and Myanmar, with the Girl
Scouts of Japan. There are further opportunities coming up in
the near future in both the Cook Islands and Myanmar and
we would encourage everyone to consider assisting with
the further development of Guiding in these countries.
From the twelve course Chinese banquet at the opening
ceremony, the colour and excitement of the international
bazaar, to the memorable final dinner, it was an incredible
experience for all the Members of the delegation who
returned home with many new friends, much new
knowledge and a great deal of inspiration and ideas for
Guiding in Australia. Thoughts now turn to the 2017 World
Conference to be held in Tunisia!
Prior to the World Conference, Robinette Emonson
attended the Commonwealth Chief Commissioners’
Conference in Kuala Lumpur. This smaller event provides
the opportunity for great sharing and support and is a good
lead up to the World Conference for many of the smaller
countries in the Commonwealth.
Robinette Emonson
Chief Commissioner
Susan Campbell & Miranda Cummings
Assistant Chief Commissioners
If you wish to hear more about the Conferences, please
do not hesitate to contact either a team member who
attended or the GGA National Office and we will do our
best to arrange a speaker for you.
Edition 07 | August 2014
3
DISTRICT DYNAMICS
DISTRICT MANAGERS
Tips to assist in delegating some of your DM tasks:
• District Managers (DMs) are responsible for many tasks
in their District but do not have to personally complete
every task.
• You do need to ensure that all aspects of your role are
covered in your District.
• By delegating tasks you are actually performing your role.
• Guiding is about enabling others to grow and develop
their skills and talents.
Every DM needs to realise that their role is pivotal in the
District and for Guiding to grow and be successful you
absolutely need to include other people.
How to assess what help I need for my DM role?
• It is essential to meet with your Region Manager (RM)
and discuss the Position Description for the role of a DM.
• Remember each DM brings their own set of unique skills,
talents and amount of time they can give to the role.
• Discuss with your RM aspects of the role you do well.
• Decide where you need some help or training to assist
you in your role.
• Be honest about the areas you need assistance with and
ask for help to do these tasks.
Who can assist you in your role?
• Other Leaders, mums, dads and other family members,
friends, community members and Guide House staff –
endless possibilities!
GONE HOME
What tasks can others do?
1.Growing Guiding in the District – gain ideas from your
Leadership Team and your Support Group. ‘Ask’ and then
provide training and support for different people to do
the following tasks:
• set and pack up PR displays at stalls, fetes & libraries;
• regularly place Guiding information in local school
newsletters;
• place media stories each term in the local papers;
• contact the Guide House Communications Team to assist
with media stories and specific local PR materials;
• maintain current posters and information about Guiding on
noticeboards and in places around your community – access
materials on our website www.girlguides-nswact.org.au; and
• Region personnel or GH staff (Membership Development
Officers – MDOs) to visit or give talks at schools, parent
groups, local businesses and cultural groups.
2.Build a Strong Support Group – parents and families are
the future for strong local Guiding:
• hold a District event that includes families every term –
hike, boating day, campfire, camp etc;
• appoint a District treasurer to maintain all financial
matters for the District;
• maintain the Hall – create a cleaning roster, hold working
bees for painting etc. for upkeep and maintenance;
• make a person responsible for Hall Hire – all forms,
banking of funds etc.;
• appoint a Biscuit Co-ordinator responsible for the ordering,
receiving, distributing and selling of biscuits;
• have others assist in the Hall reporting tasks for the
Region; and
• Have someone wait at the Hall during the week for
tradesmen or pest inspectors etc.
Please remember if you have an important task that needs
doing in your District, you need to include others by asking
them and also acknowledge their contributions both large
and small.
Australians enjoy volunteering and are very happy to do
short term volunteering. A busy person will often volunteer
for a short term or a 'one-off' task. It all helps you as a DM
to manage and develop Guiding in your local area.
By enabling others to grow and develop their skills and
talents, local people are more likely to become involved in
Guiding. This is also a valuable way of preparing for succession
planning and the development of potential Leaders.
Gillian Garsia
Membership Development Adviser
membershipadvisor@girlguides-nswact.org.au
NOREEN MCNAUGHTON
South Coast & Highlands (Mittagong District) farewelled a
much loved Guiding Member, Noreen McNaughton who
passed away on 29 October 2013.
When Mittagong District’s current Guide and Junior
Guide Units commenced in 1959, Noreen was appointed
President of the Support Group and within a very short
time commenced Leadership training with the new 2nd
Mittagong Brownies. Noreen’s love affair with Guiding
however started in 1941 at 11 years old when she enrolled
as a Guide with 1st Mittagong Guide Company.
Over the years Noreen held many positions with the various
Mittagong Units including commencing a new Brownie Unit
to meet demand. From 1969–72 and 1980–85 she was the
4
Edition 07 | August 2014
Mittagong District Commissioner and from 1985–90 Region
Commissioner for Southern Highlands Region.
Noreen was also a member of Mittagong’s Support Group
from 1992 and held positions in most years up to 2006.
In 2007 she was appointed Patron, a position she held until
her passing. She was honoured in 2004 by having her name
added to Mittagong’s Supporters Board. She received the
Banksia Award and was a dedicated Guide for over 50 years.
Noreen was also an active member of Bowral Trefoil Guild and
a long standing Committee member for Bebrue campground.
Noreen is a deeply missed friend to many and will be long
remembered for her outstanding service to Guiding.
The visual arts are art forms that
refer to drawing, painting, sculpture,
printmaking, ceramics, design, crafts,
photography, video, and filmmaking.
Also included within the visual arts are
applied arts such as industrial design,
graphic design, fashion design, interior
design and decorative art.
Visual art activities provide an
opportunity to learn new skills and
gain confidence in abilities as well as
fire imaginations, challenge, inspire,
educate and entertain us.
Visual arts is also a great way to
educate Guides about the diversity
of our world and how the power
of creativity can assist, inspire and
transform society. Visual arts is an
effective platform for young women
and girls to develop self-esteem,
social and cultural connections and
create a sense of belonging within
their community.
Katie O’Connor
Arts & Culture Liaison
PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES:
INCORPORATING
VISUAL ARTS
Below: Artwork by Elizabeth Cartes at
VISPERA 2014
It is important to encourage girls to
enjoy the arts by allowing room for
creativity.
By letting them choose their own
materials, colours and styles the girls
gain a sense of ownership and this
allows for truly unique creations in
whatever activity or challenge they
are trying.
It is also important to encourage
girls to be happy with their own
project and not to base their success
on the opinion or skills of others.
Above: Artwork by Enya Roberts at
VISPERA 2014
Edition 07 | August 2014
5
PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES:
INCORPORATING
VISUAL ARTS
PROGRAM IDEAS
Program activities can be adapted for
any age group.
6
Collaborative Art
Start off by getting each girl to create
her own piece of artwork, something
quick but experimental is good. Give
them a chance to try new techniques
and materials. They might be asked
to draw/paint/sketch something they
can see at the Guide Hall or you might
like to give them a theme. Only spend
10–20min on this part of the activity.
Next get the girls to tear or cut their
artworks out and have them lay out
the works together for everyone to
see and chat about. This is not an
evaluation of the individual artworks
rather a discussion about how they
can all come together to tell one
story. Then on a large piece of paper
or board get them to paste all the
artworks down to create one large
artwork. They can then fill in the gaps
by drawing or painting more to tie the
whole piece together.
Something New
Trying new art techniques can be a bit
daunting but by breaking them down
into fun little challenges you can watch
the girls abilities flourish. Keep each
challenge short, 30–60 seconds, and
start each challenge on a fresh piece of
paper. Allow the girls to choose their
own medium (such as pencil, charcoal,
watercolour, pen etc.) for each
challenge. Have an object for them to
draw/paint as it’s not about thinking
about what to create, rather more
about learning different techniques
to create it. Set challenges such as to
draw/paint the object without looking
at your piece of paper, draw/paint the
object filling up your whole piece of
paper, draw/paint the object from a
bird’s eye view, etc.
Edition 07 | August 2014
Collaborative Artwork by Visual Arts Major Team at VISPERA 2014
YOLO Boards
Life is one BIG adventure… what will
yours look like? Get the girls to be
creative with a collage by cutting their
dreams and desires out of magazines
and then pasting them onto their
own YOLO board, because You Only
Live Once! This idea was brought to
us by Sherree Maniks, an artist on the
Northern Beaches who runs fabulous
art programs for children and teens.
www.theartgarden.com.au
Life Mandala
Explore the wonderful world of
mandalas as an art form and as a
tool for self-exploration. Mandalas
are circular designs and tell the story
of the person creating it. It is a good
idea to start the activity by showing
examples of mandalas from all over
the world and different cultures, and
discussing how they are a way to
express ourselves in a unique way.
Have the girls close their eyes and do
a short meditation exercise to think of
something they wish for. Then to create
the mandala you simply start with a
circle and fill in the circle with patterns,
colours and symbols, whilst thinking
about what the colours and shapes you
are drawing represent. Provide the girls
with as many materials and mediums
as possible.
The mandalas don’t only have to be
created with paper and pens. It could
be incorporated into a Guides Own on
camp or even be a project that runs
for the whole camp. Have the Guides
collect natural materials and together
create a large mandala on the ground.
Mandala Artwork by Lara Collins
at VISPERA 2014
Edition 07 | August 2014
7
PROGRAM
ACTIVITIES:
INCORPORATING
VISUAL ARTS
My Dream Room
Create a visual representation of
the furniture and furnishings in
your dream room, including colours,
materials and textures. Magazines will
provide most of the imagery needed,
but also gather for the girls samples
of paint charts, carpets, fabrics and
wallpaper. The girls need to spend
time gathering ideas and samples to
create their dream room and then
bring it all together by laying out each
element on the board. You will need
to use a glue gun to paste the heavy
samples to the boards.
Event Planning
Get the girls involved in the planning
and creation of your next event. It
might be a Promise Ceremony or a
Masquerade Ball. They can design and
make everything from the invitations
to the decorations, which can be a
fun and practical way of expressing
creativity.
Outdoor Sculpture / Installation
Respond to the element of air and the
unique characteristics of the location
in your own way. Your work may drift,
waft, hang or float as you explore the
potential of materials such as wire,
thread, fabric, plastic, paper, bamboo,
leaves and grasses. Have the girls
gather nature materials on their walks
and create the sculptures.
Candle Making
There are many different methods
of making candles and it can be as
simple or as complex as you want to
make it. It is an activity that needs
to be tailored to the appropriate age
group. Safety precautions must be
followed as hot liquids can be involved
and if you are melting wax make sure
adequate ventilation is provided. It’s
a great idea to approach local candle
making shops, as they will often have
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Edition 07 | August 2014
Dream Room Board by Sabrina Moss at
VISPERA 2014
excess wax left over from making
their products and you can purchase it
cheaply. They might even have spare
wicks to give you.
Try making ice cube candles in milk
cartons or sand castle candles. An
internet search will help you locate
great instruction videos or written
instructions for these.
http://www.onestopcandle.com/
candle/cinstructdir.php has some
great basic instructions as well as
safety procedures.
Where to find more program ideas:
There are plenty of resources online
for visual arts activities. Pinterest is a
great place to start.
Crayola also has a variety of lesson
plans at http://www.crayola.com.au/
lesson-plans/
Where to source materials:
Reusing materials is great for visual
arts projects. You can gather things in
your Hall or visit places such as Reverse
Garbage in Marrickville or even your
local Waste and Recycling centre.
Reverse Garbage is Australia’s largest
creative reuse centre. It is a large
warehouse where you can purchase
a range of reusable materials and
resources at discounted prices. They
also have an Education Team that
can talk to you about workshops
or excursions. It’s located at 8/142
Addison Road, Marrickville NSW 2204.
http://reversegarbage.org.au/
• Trefoil 1 and 2 train Guides from age 10 in canoeing,
rowing and sailing. Trefoil 3 train Guides from age 14.
• Our four day Summer Sailing School each January is for
Guides, their siblings and friends, 10 years and over
and is an accredited Yachting Australia Discover Sailing
course. By popular demand a Spring Sailing School will
also be held this September.
• As a Yachting Australia Training Centre, we offer
practical Power Boat Training for all adults who wish to
obtain their Power Boat Licence.
What skills do I need?
No special skills are needed as qualified volunteers look after
all boating activities.
Check the Training Calendar and G-news for all up-coming
trainings and events.
What’s there?
A well-equipped two story boatshed with an open deck
upstairs and access to the shoreline and Woody’s, a selfcontained hall with a fully equipped kitchen, which opens out
onto a grassed area overlooking the water. Barbeque facilities
are also available.
Why would I go there?
To have fun! Special days allow girls to get to meet fellow
Guides from other Units even when their own Leaders can’t be
there. The whole family can get involved on group Family Days.
How do I get there?
Tingira is accessible by train, bus or ferry. Ample street parking
is available with disabled parking on-site.
What if I live in the Country?
Arrangements can be made for small groups of country
Members to stay overnight.
What can I learn there?
Everything you ever wanted to know about boating:
BOATING IS FUN AT R.T.S. TINGIRA
What is R.T.S. Tingira?
R.T.S. Tingira is our state Water Activity Centre on beautiful
Hen & Chicken Bay at Cabarita. It is open to all Members, their
families and guests for canoeing, kayaking, rowing, sailing
or just exploring the shoreline. Special event days are held
annually for different age groups, even Leaders. It is ideal for
family days, special events and award presentations. Members
may also book the property for private functions. Bookings
can be made any time of year and there are extra week night
Daylight Savings Boating during the summer months.
It sounds interesting. How can I get involved?
• Why not organise a FUN day at Tingira for your Unit/
District/Region.
• Join the Tingira Duty roster. We need Senior Guide Units,
OP Members, Leaders and even their partners with
all kinds of skills, not just boating skills, to help with
groups and special events and to join our annual roster.
You simply nominate what you can do and when and
how often you are available.
• Help with organised activities on special event days.
• Volunteer as a committee member – the committee
meets monthly and especially welcomes enthusiastic
Adult and Olave Members interested in boating.
• Become a Friend of Tingira – a group of all ages who
meet four times a year on a late Sunday afternoon to
share in the fun and support Tingira.
Want to know more?
Visit the Tingira page on our website, contact the
chairperson Cheryl Squires at rtstingira@live.com.au
or contact Guide House.
Edition 07 | August 2014
9
L&D
It is exciting to see Qualification Passports now available. These
include Assistant/Unit Leader Passport, Management Passport,
Outdoors Leadership Qualification Passport and Learning &
Development Qualification Passport for Workshop Presenters
and Trainers.
I urge all who are supporting new Leaders or Managers to
read the appropriate Passport so that you are able to give
advice, ideas and support that is appropriate to the activities
and training they have received. Leaders/Managers working
towards Qualification should take no more than six to nine
months to complete the training. If a longer time is taken you
may need to review if the role is right for you.
Please remember that any new Leader/Manager must have
completed their Learning Plan with their Learning Partner
before coming to the Qualification Courses. Some activities and
parts of training may be exempt. The Trainers can then plan for
particular Leaders attending the course part time.
PROGRAM
Regarding Interim Leaders/Managers, do you take time at
District meetings to discuss how the new Leader is progressing
and what support she requires? Do you have a Learning
Partner for your District, preferably one who is already a Leader
It has been a few months since I have contributed to The
Waratah due to a wonderful trip overseas. While I have been
away, everything else in Program has been ticking along
beautifully without me thanks to my wonderful Patrol (the
Program Committee) and especially my Patrol Second, Vicki
Marsh (Assistant Program Manager).
This experience started me thinking about how critical the
Patrol System is to Guiding and how integral it is to the Girl
Guide and Girl Scout Method. It acts as a key link between
all WAGGGS Members. If it is working well, all Members
contribute; one Member can be away and the Patrol still
functions. As Unit Leaders our Patrol is made up of the Patrol
Leaders in our Unit or the Unit Council Office Bearers. They
in turn have their own Patrols. As a Leader we provide the
learning and leadership opportunities for the Patrol Leaders to
organise and lead their teams. Once the training is done, we
are there to support them but the baton of leadership has been
passed to the Patrol.
It has been really exciting to hear about the Free Being Me
curriculum and how the NSW & ACT Committee steering this,
Sarah Hassarati, Leslie Meiklejohn, Emily Milton Smith and
Bronwyn Hughes participated (along with my Patrol Second,
Vicki Marsh) in a National training and planning session with
WAGGGS. Read more about Free Being Me on page 2.
WAGGGS have also released several new resources that are
worth checking out. There is a great new community action
program for WAGGGS members aged 14+ (just right for Senior
Guide Units or adult groups such as Olaves) called Be the
Change. This can be downloaded from the WAGGGS website.
Another resource that every Leader and Junior Leader should
check out is Learning to Thrive. This explains in beautiful
clear language how informal learning occurs in Girl Guides
and rephrases our Girl Guide educational method in modern,
easy to communicate language. I found it inspirational and
reinvigorating to relook at what we are doing and how we
10
Edition 07 | August 2014
in the District? Have you sent in the appointment form for that
Learning Partner (ADM26, available online)? How are our new
Managers being supported? Is there time at Region or Division
meetings to discuss their progress?
Congratulations to all who made the effort to attend Being
Safe sessions over the past 18 months. We have had nearly
600 hundred participants and more attending the Qualification
Course for Indoor/Outdoor Camping. Thank you to Trainers and
Region Learning and Development Advisers who organised
these sessions.
August is a time that we think about gathering ideas for the
2015 calendar. Is there a topic or skill that you would like to
see as a training course in your Region? Please let your Region
Learning and Development Adviser know now as I will collate
ideas by mid-September.
I cannot believe that I am thinking about 2015! We have had
such a busy time this year and there is more to come but
planning ahead is a must. I look forward to hearing your ideas.
Sue Carr OAM
State Learning and Development Manager
suecar1@bigpond.com
are doing it! You may even want to share it with parents and
key visitors to your Unit. It also refers people to the publication
Prepared to Learn: Prepared to Lead, which was released a
few months ago. Another wonderful Program delivery tool.
We have also been asked to clarify a few badge and uniform
queries:
Teen polo: the uniform booklet illustrates this is not to be worn
with a badge sash. (uniform booklet can be found in the Youth
Members section of the website). Once a girl chooses, after
her 13th birthday, to wear this polo, she no longer wears her
badge sash. Her metal badges can be worn on her blue shirt
and she can wear her World Badge, her Promise Badge and
her Junior Leader bar on either shirt (after her 14th birthday
and once she registers as a Junior Leader). If she chooses to do
a Challenge cloth badge she can sew this on her camp blanket
or on her old sash as a keepsake.
Explore and Create-a-Challenge badges: if a girl achieves
one of these badges on multiple occasions (doing different
challenges each time) she can be awarded and may wear the
same badge multiple times as long as she does not exceed
the maximum number of these badges allowed on the sash.
Conceivably, a girl could have nothing but Fire badges on her
sash in this section and that is okay.
I would like to conclude with a quote from BP used in Learning
to Thrive.
"By encouraging a child in its natural desires, instead of
instructing it in what you think it ought to do, you can educate
it on a far more solid and far-reaching basis. It is only tradition
and custom that ordain that education be a labour".
Baden Powell, circa 1913
Kerry Rymer
State Program Manager
program@girlguides-nswact.org.au
If you are not near either, then the chair hike from your own
Hall or practicing your campfire skill in the park or behind the
Hall are great activities too. Either way the outdoor component
of the program doesn’t need to be a whole weekend camp.
Outdoors Leader
Not all Leader’s skills extend to the Outdoors but soon you will
be able to call on an Outdoors Leader who will be able to fill the
gaps. It is hoped that soon there will be at least one Outdoors
Leader in every Region. If these women have not previously
been a Leader of Youth, they can be called on to help at Unit
meetings with maps, compasses, gadgets and knots, just to
OUTDOORS
Forms
ROACS are only accepting the new forms (available online) for
camp notification (OUT.01) and adventure activities (OUT.02).
The time frame for all forms is still the same. Camp notifications
are four weeks and adventure activities are three weeks.
All camp notification forms are to be submitted to the ROACS
with a completed risk assessment form. All adventure activity
forms must also be paired with a completed Risk Assessment
form and needs the signature of the District Manager and the
ROAC before being sent to Guide House.
Deadlines
As of 30 June 2014 all Leaders with camping qualifications
wanting to run a camp need to have done the Risk
Assessment Training. ROACS will refuse camp notifications
and adventure activity forms unless the Risk Assessment
Training and paperwork is complete.
Life is great Outdoors – so get out there !
Carol Meiklejohn
State Outdoors, Environment & Earth Education Consultant
cmeiklej@ozemail.com.au
Some of our Trefoil Guilds are organising Christmas in July
and birthday parties. I wish you all successful days with your
celebrations.
The Trefoil Guild is open to all women from 18 years onward.
If you are interested in finding out about forming a Trefoil
Guild, feel free to contact me.
Trefoil Guilds have been busy sewing breast care bags. This is
something we have been doing in conjunction with GGA NSW &
ACT. This is a great project that we can join in together.
Take care ladies.
The Albury Trefoil Guild have also been making items for
the International Scout Guide Fellowship (ISGF) World
Conference, which will be another wonderful event.
ros_ron@bigpond.com
The cold weather has not stopped the Olaves from serving,
supporting and succeeding. Peer Groups have been sewing
breast care bags and doggy beds for animal rescue groups,
volunteering for Region and District events and braved the
elements to make improvements at Random Cottage in Mt
Victoria as part of the Region Property Challenge.
been up to. We currently have 19 Peer Groups in NSW & ACT
but there is always potential for more! If you have ideas for
new Peer Groups please send us an email and with the help of
your ROPL we can get you on the right track. For existing Peer
Groups don't forget to touch base with your ROPL regularly so
they can share with us what you have been up to.
Our awards consultant Larissa has been very busy lately
with lots of award submissions and enquiries. This month
we have handed out another AGP-OP link badge, which is
great. The AGP-OP link badge is a great way to create links
between Senior Guide and Olave Program Peer Groups.
If you intend to complete you OBP Award this year, the
submission deadline for the November presentation at
Government House is 30 September 2014.
The Olave Program Review is currently in the process of
drafting recommendations and conclusions, which is very
exciting. This whole review would not have been worthwhile
if it were not for you, our Members, who have filled
out surveys, attended focus groups and answered more
questions and more surveys! I look forward to being able to
share with you the next stage as we implement the positive
changes that you have requested.
I recently contacted all of our Region Olave Program Liaisons
(ROPLs) to find out how many Peer Groups existed in each
Region, the meeting frequency and what activities you have
Kate Jenkin
TREFOIL
If your Unit does not meet in this Region why not try
challenging the girls at Tree Tops Adventure Park located in the
Plough & Harrow East Precinct of the Western Sydney Parklands
or the Urban Jungle at the Sydney Aquatic Center, Sydney
Olympic Park.
mention a few of their skills. They cannot be a Leader in Charge
of a camp or a canoe/kayak or archery instructor unless they
have extended their skills and obtained camping, canoeing/
kayaking or archery qualifications. Watch out for them as they
will be in a Region near you soon!
Rosalind Farley
State Trefoil Guild Manager
State Olave Program Consultant
olaveprogram@girlguides-nswact.org.au
Olave Program NSW & ACT (Facebook)
Edition 07 | August 2014
11
OLAVE PROGRAM
Spring is only about six weeks away. What will you do to
get outdoors? Yes, the thought of a camp might be the first
thing that comes to mind but there are other ways to get girls
outdoors and they don’t have to take up the whole weekend.
What you ask? Well, Sylvia Quinell and the Bindaree group
run canoeing as an alternative to a weeknight meeting and
commence sessions when daylight savings begins. You can
book this by ringing Sylvia. For contact details and more
information visit the properties, Southern Sydney Rivers section
of the website.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Although Visual Arts is a relatively new terminology, Leaders
have been using this medium in many differing forms over
the past 100 years. I asked two Leaders this week what
Visual Arts meant to them today. Photography and painting
were the first two mediums that came to mind.
ROYAL COMMISSION UPDATE
A note to Members of the Australian Girl Guide Community.
In the Handbook of 1918, written by Lord Baden Powell, girls
could obtain their photographers proficiency badge. Imagine
taking photos in 1920 on a Box Brownie camera. As these
were black and white photos they have lasted in better
condition than many of the more modern coloured photos.
The Australian Guide Program some years ago had a section
called Exploring the Arts. This encouraged visual arts in many
ways. Shadow plays, puppet shows, card making and screen
printing were all popular ways to promote visual arts in the
Further Information relating to the Royal Commission into
Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Over the last two years Girl Guides has provided information
to its Members and to the parents/guardians of Members
regarding the engagement undertaken with the Royal
Commission.
It is likely that you will have read that Girl Guides was one of
the community organisations that consulted with the Federal
Government prior to the fixing of the Terms of Reference for
the Royal Commission and again prior to the commencement
of Public Hearings.
We have also advised the Royal Commission of the outcome
of our extensive due diligence searches of records.
It was therefore surprising for all Girl Guide organisations and
Members to read the contents of a table published in the
Interim Report issued by the Royal Commission on 30 June
2014. The table was part of the analysis of 1,476 private
sessions that had been held by the Royal Commission and
the relevant line reads as follows:
Table 8: Relationship between alleged perpetrator and survivor
Scout Master or Guide leader – Number of Survivors: 40 - %
of survivors 1.9%
CONGRATULATIONS
As this did not accord with either the results of the extensive
searches undertaken by Girl Guides nor had Girl Guides been
1970s and 1980s. Painting a scene for the back drop of a play
or a Guides Own adds to the experience of those taking part
and those watching. If you visit the Opera, it is the set and
costuming which emphasises the wonderful music and acting.
Visual Arts can be used in a different way in the Outdoors.
Learn to read the sky by looking at the various cloud
formations and how they gather and move. Look at the stars
and perhaps learn the names of some of the constellations
or watch how the moon changes from day to day.
If we look around us as B.P. encouraged us to do we can
see Visual Arts everywhere.
Chesne Jones
State Archivist
advised of any complaints received by the Royal Commission,
clarification of this data was sought on 1 July 2014.
We can now confirm the Royal Commission has advised that
no Guide Leaders were in this sample.
We are pleased to also advise that on 8 July 2014 the
Royal Commission made a statement clarifying that it had
not received any complaints regarding child sexual abuse
involving Girl Guide Leaders. The transcript of this clarification
can be found on pages 8365‑8366 which can be accessed via
the following link http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.
gov.au/case-study/f23b9c92-ffa2-4eed-b89ace483d1ba9dc/case-study-15,-july-2014,-sydney.aspx
Girl Guides appreciates the ongoing support that our Members,
parents and friends in the Australian Community have for our
organisation. If you do have any further queries regarding
this communique, please contact State Commissioner Belinda
Allen via guides@girlguides-nswact.org.au
Yours in Guiding,
Joanne Muller
Solicitor
Honorary Legal Representative – Royal Commission into
Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Girl Guides Australia | Girl Guides NSW & ACT | Girl Guides
Northern Territory
Bar to Banksia
Marie McDonald.
Trainers that have completed extra ATTP
Rochelle Reed, Amanda Doxat-Pratt and Sue Carr.
Banksia
Faye Connell and Jennifer Bearman.
Newly qualified District Manager
Gabriele Klinger.
Long service milestones:
Five years — Jessica Bailey; Katrina Easey; Sujit Mukherjee.
10 years — Melissa Biddle; Terri Zimmerman; Katrina Nash;
Helen Beasley.
15 years — Liz Elliot; Sue Roberts.
20 years — Karen Williams; Kate Moore; Ann Ellacott.
25years — Carolyn Saunders.
30 years — Leonie Holley; Sue Grinyer; Frances Warner.
35 years — Sue Belling.
40 years — Lynette McGuckin.
Newly qualified Unit Leaders
Annie Peudevin, Peta Ward, Orla McGovern, Belinda McMartin.
A big Bravo goes to Elsie Tillott 60 years and Nea Armstrong
66 years.
Boronia
Jennifer McMahon
Asia Pacific Adult Leaders Achievement Award for Unit
Leaders
Kim McNaught.
12
Edition 07 | August 2014
In 2010 Guides raised $22,378 for the endangered Corroboree
Frog. This donation has assisted with the upkeep of zoo
facilities, including necessities for the breeding program and
the Zoo’s population of Corroboree Frogs. Over the last two
years thousands of eggs have been released by Office of
Environment and Heritage staff, with Zoo support, into special
enclosures in the Kosciusko National Park. Here a semi-wild
breeding population of frogs, live under wild conditions, but are
excluded from Chytrid Fungus – the disease that’s wiping them
out. Frogs and eggs have been released into these areas, with
the aim that each will soon contain large breeding populations.
The conservation team are now starting to see the results of
earlier releases, with frogs returning to the release sites to set
up breeding nests.
Funds raised by Guides this year will support the giraffe
breeding program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo and also
contribute to a number of field conservation projects protecting
giraffes in the wild, which Taronga Zoo support. These include
South Luangwa Conservation Society, which works to prevent
illegal snaring for bush meat in Zambia's Luangwa Valley and
Biliqo-Bulesa Conservancy, one of the largest community
conservancies under the umbrella of Northern Rangelands Trust
in Kenya. This group aims to improve the security of wildlife
by creating safer areas for their movement and enriching
rangeland vitality through environmental practices to assist
both wildlife and livestock. The Beads for Life Program is
another part of this partnership. It helps by providing another
source of income through bead work products, which allows
the community to rely less on herds and grazing for revenue.
Girl Guides want to collect as much money for Taronga’s
conservation and development programs as possible and look
forward to seeing the results of their fundraising efforts.
In 2014 Girl Guides NSW & ACT are focusing their efforts on
raising money for the Giraffe. Giraffes are one of nature’s most
visible animals, yet they are slipping into a conservation crisis.
In the past decade Giraffe numbers have declined by 40%
due to poaching, the bush meat trade, habitat destruction
and farming needs. There is an estimated 80,000 Giraffes
remaining in the wild and this year Girl Guides NSW & ACT aim
to help this declining population.
During the term two school holidays a group of Girl Guides,
dedicated to the cause, took part in a photo shoot with the
Giraffes at Taronga Zoo. They were given the opportunity to
closely encounter and learn about the animal they were aiming
to help. Dulmi Ranatunga, a Senior Guide from Baulkham Hills,
talks about the experience. “I learned a lot about the giraffe
from the zoo ranger and it was great to hear about the zoo’s
conservation efforts and be so close to the animal. The giraffe
even licked my hand when I was feeding him! The giraffe is a
fascinating and beautiful creature and I am so glad Girl Guides
are doing something to help their species.”
Mikayla Harris with Corroboree Frog Statue 2010.
Dulmi Ranatunga with one of Taronga Zoo's Giraffes 2014.
Edition 07 | August 2014
13
GIRL GUIDE CONTRIBUTIONS HELP ENDANGERED SPECIES
The Great Guide Sleepover at Taronga Zoo is one of Guides’
most anticipated state events. Each year Guides raise money
for the Taronga Conservation Society Australia to advance
veterinary care, research and conservation for a nominated
animal at risk.
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22 November 2014
Time:11am–2pm
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Cost:
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$75 for adults
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donne.levy@girlguide
s-nswact.org.au or on
8396 5200.
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