waratah february 2012

World Thinking DayProgram IdeasEnvironmental SustainabilityUpcoming Events

Edition 01 | February 2012

The Waratah is published by Girl Guides NSW & ACTand welcomes contributions from its Members.

The office of Girl Guides NSW & ACT can be found at:

Guide House Level 2, 55 Holt Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone: (02) 8396 5200 Fax: (02) 9211 5911 email: [email protected] web: www.girlguides-nswact.org.au

Postal address: Locked Bag 950 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

Retail Department: Unit 14, 77 - 79 Bourke Road Alexandria NSW 2015 Phone: (02) 9317 4200 Fax: (02) 9669 6257

We love hearing what our Members are up to, so please send your news to [email protected].

Thank you for the photos and articles that are sent through each month.

Deadlines

If you would like to be published in the March 2012 edition of the Waratah, please send your contribution to us no later than 3 February*.

If you are interested in advertising in the Waratah , please contact Marita Dortins: [email protected].

* Guide House apologises that the contentsubmission date was wrongly published in theNovember 2011 edition.

Girl Guides NSW & ACT reserves the right to edit or refuse articles or advertisements from any source.

WA12_01© Girl Guides NSW & ACT January 2012

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ContentsForeword 1notes from the Board 1from Guide House 2Chief Commissioner says 2World Thinking Day 3Sydney International Women’s Day Breakfast 3Lord Mayor’s Picnic: NYE 2011 4A Beacon of Hope 4Branding Update 4Program Activities for Younger Girls 5Program Activities for all Ages 6 – 7Program Activities for Older Girls 8Look out for the New Handbooks 9Adviser and Consultant News 10 – 11Congratulations 12Training and Events Dates 12

Events News 13

The Waratah Goes Green!Girl Guides have always done their bit to ‘save our planet’. Learning fire safety, how to collect water, minimising use of plastics and taking part in events such as Clean Up Australia Day have all helped the girls understand the importance of protecting the earth.

Now it’s The Waratah’s turn — we’re now using vegetable-based inks and printing on 50% recycled paper. We have switched to waterless printing, and The Waratah now qualifies for the ‘Good Environmental Choice Australia’ label. We have also carbon-offset the printing of The Waratah.

Results of The Waratah SurveyThanks to all of you who completed our survey on The Waratah in December 2011. We were pleased to see that overall, the vast majority of readers find The Waratah a valuable source of information – but just as pleased to receive feedback on how we can improve this publication.

Overwhelmingly, you told us that you wanted to see more Program information. In response, we have re-instated the central four pages of program content that can be pulled out and saved for future reference.

We also received considerable feedback that the glossy pages can be difficult to read — and so, as you have probably noticed, the glossy finish has been reduced. We believe that this maintains the professional look of The Waratah, without compromising readability.

We have listened to your call for more images, and hope you enjoy them. Events news and training dates will remain prominent; you can find these on page 12.

www.spectrumprinting.com.au

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Foreword . . .

On behalf of the Board and State Team I would like to welcome you back for an action packed year of Guiding. It is the third and final year of the WAGGGS centenary celebrations, and 2012 is the year to share. There are so many ways we can all do this. The staff and volunteers have been working together to develop an exciting range of events, resources and improvements to processes that will enhance your experience as a Leader or adult Member in the year ahead. You will read more about some of these in this edition, as well as on the website and in the weekly e-news to come.

You can share your knowledge, memories and friendship by: • Celebrating World Thinking Day and International Women’s Day • Answering the Leaders Survey on Training — this will be your chance to give us feedback to improve the Learning and Development experience for all Australian Guide Leaders • Coming to WAGGGS Party Time activity day, it will be a huge celebration for all ages • Joining the adventures at JACT April 2012 in the ACT • Taking part in any of the range of activities and trainings planned • Taking action to look after the environment • Sending in to the Communications Team your stories, ideas and resources • Telling the community who we are and what we do • Setting your goals for the year, daring to dream about what you can achieve, encouraging your fellow Leaders and girls to challenge themselves in the year ahead.

Thank you to Renee Bianchi for her wonderful contribution to Guiding in NSW & ACT as OP Consultant. Congratulations to Renee for her appointment as National OP Manager, to Bev Orr and Fiona Langford for their appointment as co Company Secretary for Girl Guides Australia. These are important volunteer roles within Guiding.

There are many ways to volunteer to further develop your skills or to offer your expertise at a Region, State or National level. It is very rewarding to be part of a Region, State or National team, whether is a short team project organising a specific event or a longer term role such as joining the Board, Program, International, PR events or C&P committees. The start of the year is a good time to consider how you can assist Guiding progress in NSW & ACT by taking up the challenge and volunteering. Please contact Marisa, [email protected] for further information or to express interest in any of the areas above.

Belinda Allen.

...from the State Team

notes from the Board...In 2012, the Board will meet on the first Thursday of each month from 5:45–10pm, along with the last Saturday in January, when the Board met to prioritise the strategic plan for the year ahead and plan for the ongoing sustainability of Guiding.

The Board would like to thank Jan Dilworth, Leisa Evans and Fiona Langford for their outstanding contributions during the terms they will complete in May. Under changes to the Constitution passed last year, it is now open for incumbent Board Members to stand for one further three year term. In the March edition of The Waratah you will find nomination papers for the Board Election. Now is the time to start thinking about who you will nominate for the three vacancies on the Board.

2 Edition 01 | February 2012

Chief Commissioner says

Staff Changes

Welcome to Haylee Brown, a Guide Leader at Glenmore Park, who has just been appointed a Membership Development Officer for Western Sydney.

We are recruiting several exciting positions this year, including three Membership Development Officers to be based in Regional NSW and one specifically for Muslim communities in South-western Sydney. These are for six months initially and are funded through the generosity of the Thyne Reid Foundation.

Electronic Banking - Survey

We know anecdotally that it can consume a lot of time to physically bank money and to, for example, change signatories on Unit and District accounts. At forums in which the prospect of electronic banking has been raised there has been overwhelming enthusiasm for the concept.

Girl Guides NSW & ACT is going to survey Leaders and Support Group Members to see how much time the current banking practices take up of our volunteers’ time. The purpose of the survey would be to show potential donors that current banking practices really do consume time and so add to the burden of being a volunteer. Stay tuned for details!

It seems like only yesterday whenI s ta r ted in the ro le o f Ch ie fCommissioner and yet a year hasdisappeared. I was certainly looking forward to some ‘time out’ by mid December after a magic year. I hope you have all been able to enjoy a break over the Christmas and holiday period.

People wondered if Guiding could maintain momentumafter celebrating 100 years in 2010 and the answer was definitely yes! Last year was packed with many fun activities and adventures for girls and Leaders. I was privileged to be part of many events and wish to thank everyone for making 2011 a memorable and rewarding year.

Now we look towards all the possibilities a new year brings. Many positive initiatives will be unveiled during the year and planning is also well underway for a number of events — the stage is set for another amazing year.

World Thinking Day will again be held on 22 February 2012 and the theme is the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7: ensuring environmental sustainability and the message is “we can save our planet”.

...from Guide HouseChanges to Financial Delegations for Events

Please note that the Board, at its last meeting for 2011,approved a change to who carries responsibility forexpenditure for events. Where previously the Leader-in-Charge had full delegation from the Board as regardsresponsibility for expenditure, the Events Manager now carries responsibility for amounts up to $4,999 and the SEO and Treasurer jointly must approve expenditure on items or services over $5,000.

The purpose of this change is to allow the organisingcommittees of events to focus on their areas of expertise.

Property Review

The review by Mr Jeff Mann of maintenance of our State properties, foreshadowed in November’s The Waratah, has been completed. The review was complimentary about the overall state of maintenance, and set out checklists to be followed by property committees and staff to ensure maintenance is planned and budgeted.

Linda LathamState Executive Officer

[email protected]

To find out more about what you can do and what other members of WAGGGS are doing visit www.worldthinkingday.org. Your contribution to the World Thinking Fund will make a difference.

In January 2013 international Guiding friendships will be further strengthened during fanTAStic. You can discover more about fanTAStic by looking at www.fantastic-girlguides.com.au. Registrations are now open! If you are interested in assisting in the lead up and during the event all you need to do is email [email protected] to find out more information.

All the best for 2012 and continue to have fun on your Guiding journey.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Helen GeardChief Commissioner

[email protected]

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World Thinking DayFebruary 22 marks World Thinking Day for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world. This is a special day when we think of each other and give thanks and appreciation for the international friendship we find through the Movement.

The theme this year is the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7: ensuring environmental sustainability and the message is “we can save our planet”. The aim is to raise awareness of the environment and the impact our lifestyles and choices have on it. Working together we can make a positive difference for the environment by speaking out, taking action and influencing decisions made by others.

Did you know? Every day, women around the world

spend more than 200 million hours collecting water.

About 90 percent of the rubbish in landfill sites could have been recycled.

If we could capture all the sunlight that falls on the earth in just one hour, we would have enough energy to power the whole world for one year.

This Thinking Day we are exploring ways in which girls and young women can take action about environmental issues that they care about. To find out more about what you can do and what other Members of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) are doing visit www.worldthinkingday.org.

One of the best ways to help change our world is to donate to WAGGGS’ World Thinking Day Fund. In 2012 WAGGGS has identified five countries — Japan, Ivory Coast, Guyana, Russia and Tunisia — in which to implement projects that will have a long-term benefit for their communities. On the WAGGGS website you can read the many positive stories about how the 2011 Thinking Day funds were invested and know the funds you raise this year will indeed make a difference.

Together girls and young women will change our world.

Happy World Thinking Day

Helen GeardChief Commissioner

Clean Up Australia DayClean Up Australia Day 2012 is taking place on Sunday, 4th March. Register your Unit’s site now to ensure you receive your Clean Up Kit in plenty of time. Visit www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au for details or to register.

Guides from Winston Hills were among the 560,000 Australians who pitched in on Clean Up Australia Day 2011.

Sydney InternationalWomen’s Day Breakfast

Wednesday, March 7th 2012

7:00 AM - 8:45 AM

Bayside Grant Hall, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Individual - $65.00

Student - $45.00

There are two service opportunities associated with this event: i. Filling sample bags (Senior Guides & their Leaders, OPs, Adult Members) Tuesday 6th March from 3.30pm.

ii. Guides 12 plus, OPs and Leaders help with the raffle tickets at the event on 7th March.

Please contract Gillian Garsia if you are interested: [email protected]

We would also like to see as many Leaders, OPs and Senior Guides as possible attend the Breakfast!

Guest Speaker: Sally Sara, ABC Afghanistan Correspondent

Sally Sara is an award winning journalist and foreign correspondent with the ABC. She has reported from more than 30 countries including Iraq, Lebanon and Sierra Leone.www.unwomen.org.au


Thank you to our dedicated volunteers who gave their time on New Year’s Eve to help out at the Lord Mayor’s Picnic.

Each New Year’s Eve, the Sydney Lord Mayor invites 1,000 children with special needs, their families and carers from over 50 charities, hospital groups and organisations to attend a picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens. For many of the children the picnic is their only excursion for the year.

The theme of the 2011 Lord Mayor’s Picnic was Dare to Dream, based on the classic children’s book Peter Pan.

Volunteers from Girl Guides NSW & ACT helped out by running a plethora of fun activities such as face painting, craft and competitions. It is always a delight to bring smiles to children with

special needs. The event was a great success;congratulations on a job well done.

Wellington Guides are delighted with improvements made to their Guide Hall as the beneficiaries of Wellington Correctional Centre’s Local Community Project.

The Hall’s makeover included much needed exterior painting and landscaping. The project provided opportunities for minimum security inmates to gain valuable experience renovating and building.

Acting General Manager of Wellington Correctional Centre, Scott Brideoake says that the initiative is an important stepping stone in the rehabilitation process, giving inmates a sense of purpose and also a sense of pride in giving back to the community.

We have recently been advised that existing promotional material that displays the tagline ‘Be Your Best’ (and associated variations) can be utilised until 30 June 2012.

This time will allow Guiding to phase out the use of any ‘Be Your Best’ material while new promotional material is phased in. No new promotional material is to be produced that uses ‘Be Your Best’ in any form. The use of ‘Be Your Best’ in all electronic communication (email signatures, websites etc) should have already ceased.

Thank you everyone for your co-operation – we understand that this has been challenging.

Lord Mayor’s Picnic: NYE 2011

A Beacon of Hope

Branding Update


Program Activities for Younger GirlsCreature Tales

We share our environment with thousands of different creatures, from tiny spiders to possums, even though we can’t always see them!

Have your girls head outside to see if you can spot any of these creatures, or evidence of their existence:

• ants • birds • spiders • cicadas or • tracks in the dirt • droppings • feathers • nibbled leaves

Next, try to spy the things a creatures needs to survive:

• Nuts or seeds • Pollen for bees • Tall grasses, brush and trees to hide and nest in • A source of water

Then using the evidence they have found, ask the girls to write a creative story involving a day in the life of a particular creature.

Whose Habitat?*

Stand in a circle with one person in the middle. This caller points to someone and calls Earth, water or air. The person must respond by saying the name of a living thing that lives in the named habitat, eg. Earth is called and the response might be lion. If the player hesitates, she must stand in the middle and become the caller. Run the activity until everyone has played, or stop after a set time.

Earth

Lion

Light up!*

Using energy-saving light bulbs is a simple and effective way to save energy and money. It should not be too hard to persuade your family to use energy-saving bulbs to replace old ones when they stop working. So what’s next?

Design a poster to promote switching to energy saving light bulbs and display in your meeting place and local community. Email your poster design to your friends to encourage them to start using energy-saving light bulbs too.

call for contributions....The March edition of The Waratah will be themed Cultural Diversity in acknowledgment of World Harmony Day.

If you have any Program ideas that you think would suit this theme and would like to see them published in these pages, then please email them through to [email protected] by February 3rd.


Program Activities for all AgesBiodiversity collage

Provide your girls with a template of a letter from the word ‘biodiversity’ (or substitute ‘nature’ for younger girls). At this stage don’t tell them what the word actually is, but ask them to create a nature collage on their letter, by covering it with pictures of plants, animals and landscapes.

Once complete, ask the girls arrange all of their letters to make a word. What words can they create? Will they be able to make the word ‘biodiversity’?

If they are having difficulty you may need to provide clues like starts with a ‘b’ ends with a ‘y’ and so on.

In Patrols, Guides use a dictionary to discover the meaning of the word ‘biodiversity’. The word may need to be separated into individual parts, for example bio or biological, and diversity.

Tree Planting*

Organise a group tree planting or community vegetable garden in your area.

Ask your local council to help by identifying an area that would benefit from the trees or would be suitable for a vegetable garden.

If planting trees, seek expert advice on the best type of tree. Consider asking local businesses to donate the trees or vegetable seedlings, and invite local media to your planting ceremony.

Guided nature meditation

Take your girls on a guided meditation involving nature — ask them to lie down or sit in a comfortable position, then talk them through a scene, describing what they can see, hear, feel, and smell.

For example, you could guide them on an imagined rainforest walk through lush green vegetation, hearing the calls of birds. When they hear the sound of water moving, have them follow it to arrive at a small waterfall, where they can listen to the water rushing over the rocks and feel the gentle spray of water on their skin. Sunlight is breaking through the canopy and dancing on the water creating a rainbow in front of the waterfall. Gradually bring them back from the visualisation into the present moment.

Then assign girls (as individuals or groups) a landscape, ecosystem, or region, and ask them to research what it looks, sounds, smells and feels like. For younger girls, options could include the ocean, the bush, or a river. For older girls you could ask them to research natural environments in particular regions, such as the focus countries for World Thinking Day.

Over the following weeks they can take turns to lead a guided meditation through their assigned region or landscape.

Papier Mâché*

Papier mâché is a great way to recycle old newspaper, turning it into useful items. Bowls are the perfect way to begin, but older girls could get more adventurous with furniture items.

What you need: • Plenty of old newspaper • Flour • Water • Materials to create a frame or mould

Instructions: • Create a frame for what you want to make using recycled materials, such as paper towel roll middles taped together to make legs, a flat piece of cardboard shaped to make a table top, wire to make frames • For bowls, find something that gives the round shape you want, such as a football, an inflated balloon or another bowl. Cover this in cling film or waxed paper to stop the papier mâché sticking to the shape • Make a thin paste using flour & water (if you heat this until it turns clear it is more effective) and tear newspaper into small strips • Dip newspaper strips into the paste and smooth onto your frame. • Build up a few layers then let it dry and test for strength, adding more papier mâché where necessary • Paint a white base coat & decorate • Finish with a few coats of varnish to protect it


Program Activities for all AgesTerrarium

Water moves in a never-ending cycle, moving from sky to Earth and back to sky again. The water that we use today has been around since the beginning of the earth. The water we use has been precipitation and water vapour. It has travelled through rivers, oceans and even been consumed by other animals. This never-ending cycle is called the Water Cycle.

A terrarium is a closed container with a plant or plants inside. It is a miniature ecosystem: a model of a forest. It is easy to observe what happens in our terrariums because they are so small. In real life, it is hard to observe changes in our environment because it is so big.

What you’ll need: • Plastic 2 litre soda pop bottle with cap • Very sharp scissors or craft knife • Pebbles or gravel • Potting mix or compost • Seeds (fast growing seeds such as sunflowers or green beans are ideal) • Water

How to make it: 1 Remove the label from the bottle. Save the cap 2 Rinse out the bottle and cap 3 Cut the bottle about halfway up 4 Fill the bottom 2.5cm (inch) of the bottle with pebbles or gravel 5 Add at least an inch of potting mix or compost 6 Lightly place dirt or potting soil in the base 7 Plant a few seeds in the dirt 8 Lightly water 9 Put the cap on the bottle 10 Cover the base with the top of the bottle. You might need to fiddle with it a bit to fit back inside the base 11 Find a spot that’s well-lit but not in full sun eg a window sill that receives plenty of light 12 Watch them grow! Monitor water levels — they may need an occasional extra spritz in warm weather 13 When the plants are several inches high, re-pot them or plant them in your garden

Food Passport*

It’s not just people who use lots of fossil fuels to get around. Lots of the food we eat has travelled a long way to end up on your plate; even something like an apple could have been grown in one country, washed in a second, packaged in a third then shipped to your local shop. Choosing locally produced foods with low “food miles” is a small action that can make a big difference to your impact on the environment.

Organise a local food picnic to celebrate World Thinking Day, where everyone brings a dish of locally sourced food to share. For younger girls, ‘locally’ can be defined as Australian. Older girls may be able to limit their definition to, for example, 100km by sourcing ingredients from local farmers market.

Nature crafts

Go for a short bushwalk, or even a walk around a local park or leafy street and ask the girls to collect as many craft-suitable items from the ground as possible — including pebbles and rocks, seed pods, pieces of bark, pine needles and twigs. (Alternately, you could ask the girls to bring these in with them).

Have additional items such as craft glue, googly eyes, beads, and perhaps wire to supplement the findings, and challenge the girls to create an animal.


Program Activities for Older GirlsGreen Drama Debates*

Divide the group into teams of four or five. Groups should spread out around the meeting place. Each group is given an environmental situation then each group member makes up a character who might care about the situation. Two group Members start to debate the issue, acting in character. At any point, other group Members can shout “Freeze” and the two actors should freeze in their current pose. The person who shouted should then tap either actor on the shoulder and take up their pose (the previous actor goes and sits down) then starts the conversation again from the freeze point, but acting as their new character.

For example, the town is planning a rock festival in the local park. Some people can’t wait, others are worried it will attract lots of cars, causing pollution, and will cause litter and damage to the park. Characters could include a teenager, dog walker, rockstar, local shopkeeper and doctor.

Stay at home, see the world*

Travelling by plane uses a lot more fossil fuels than other forms of transport, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore the world. With Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 145 countries, try one of these new ways to learn about their lives.

Pick one of the 145 countries where Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting goes on and put together an imagined travel diary of your perfect trip – one that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels.

Clothing Swap party

Ask all the girls in your Unit to bring in a few items of clothing that are in good condition, but which they no longer wear. This could be a ‘bring a friend’ event to expand numbers if necessary.

This is a great way for girls to expand their wardrobes without increasing their carbon footprint by purchasing new items – and any items that don’t find a new home can be given to charity.

Solar Cooker using a windscreen sun shade

What you need: • Reflective accordion-folding car sunshade • Black pot • Bucket or cardboard box • Oven cooking bag • Cake rack (or wire frame or grill) • 12 cm of stick-on Velcro

Instructions 1 Lay the sunshade out with the notched side toward you 2 Cut the Velcro into three pieces, each about 4 cm long 3 Stick or sew one half of each piece, evenly spaced, onto the edge to the left of the notch. Attach the matching half of each piece onto the underneath size to the right of the notch, so that they fit together when the two sides are brought together to form a funnel. You can align the two pieces easily like this: Stick down one side of the Velcro, then press the two pieces of Velcro together, fold

the shade into the funnel shape and stick down the second side 4 Press the Velcro pieces together, and set the funnel on top of a bucket or a round or rectangular plastic wastebasket 5 Place a black pot on top of a square cake rack, placed inside a plastic baking bag. This is placed inside the funnel, so that the rack rests on the top edges of the bucket or wastebasket. Since the sunshade material is soft and flexible, the rack is necessary to support the pot. It also allows the sun’s rays to shine down under the pot and reflect on all sides. If such a rack is not available, a wire frame could be made to work as well. Note: The flexible material will squash down around the sides of the rack

(re-produced from http://solarcooking.wikia.

com/wiki/Windshield_Shade_Solar_Cooker)

* Activities that are marked with an

asterisk (*) have been reproduced and

adapted from the WAGGGS World Thinking

Day Activity Pack 2012: http://www.

worldthinkingday.org/en/resources/

document/view/22460. You can find lots

mom re great activity ideas in this publication.


In 1938, Lord Robert Baden-Powell said “Look wide and when you think you are looking wide, look wider still”.

This statement still rings true today. In the lead up to the launch of the new Girl Guide Handbooks later this year, we need to take some time to revisit and explore the resources that they have been developed to compliment and work with the handbooks. The first is:

LOOK WIDE

This publication contains badges the girls may like to work on during their development as a Guide. The badges are designed to challenge the girls to improve knowledge and skills in a number of different areas.

Explore a Challenge badges introduce Guides to the concept of a challenge and making choices. Their purpose is to give the girls choice and ownership of the badge while maintaining some structure. These challenges can be undertaken as an individual, group or Patrol.

Assessment: The challenges are discussed with and assessed by the individual Guide and her peers, in consultation and with guidance from Leaders.

Create a Challenge badges are designed to be open-ended and encourage Guides to write their own challenge in an area of interest. Starting points for developing ideas are introduced and there is no structure or expectation, the girl designs her own challenge. It may be one large project or several smaller activities. These challenges can be undertaken as an individual, as group or as a Patrol.


Achieve a Challenge Badges are competency based and are designed to recognise skill development and ability. There are three levels of ability in each skill area. Trefoil 1 and 2 competencies are set out in Look Wide.


Service Flash Badges are designed to encourage the Guides to give sustained service in their community over a period of time. They are developmental age appropriate and require different levels of service.

Assessment: The service activity must be recorded and signed off by an appropriately qualified person on the record sheet provided in the Look Wide book.

The Action Guide Badge is designed to reward girls who are active in all areas of Guiding, including attending regular Unit meetings, participation in events outside the Unit and giving service.

Assessment: The syllabus must be completed in one calendar year using the record sheet provided in Look Wide. A new coloured badge can be earned each year.

Remember: Whatever challenge is chosen by the Guide, it is important that she strives to do her personal best. You are helping these girls to develop skills in decision making, planning and assessment that they will not only use for the rest of their Guiding career but will set them up for life!

Guiding UniformAll Guides, both Youth and Adult, should be starting 2012 in the new uniform. Items from the old uniform are no longer permitted to be worn to any Guide events.

There are several shirt options available, including v-neck, polo, and long-sleeved, longer-bodied polo shirts. The appropriate Guide shirt should be worn with dark navy bottoms such as cargo pants, every day stretch pants, suit pants or suit skirts. Navy blue denim bottoms are also permitted. The bottoms should be a length and style appropriate to the occasion and no items should be ripped or appear badly faded.

If you or your Guides require any items for the correct Guide Uniform, the retail shop re-opened on the 23rd of January.

Look out for the New Handbooks


By the time this article goes to print the 18 selected Members of NSW & ACT will have attended an International Jamboree in New Zealand. Perhaps you will be able to read about their adventure on the State and GGA websites.

Anyone interested in applying for Saraste — Finland needs to have their application in now. Come and feel the urban beat within a forest deep! Saraste is being held in the woods of Finland, 30th July to 7th August 2012, for youth Members, 14 to 17 years old, and Leaders (18+). More than 4000

Guides and Scouts are expected to attend this event.

It’s not too early to mark Saturday 28th July in your diary as an event not to be missed by adult Members. This is a fundraising luncheon, and more, for the Friends of the World Centres. The theme for this event will be African, in recognition of our newest World Centre. More information will be available in the next two months.

A huge thank you to Esma Martin, Leader, Acting District Leader and Guiding Partner from our North Pacific Coast Region, who sent in some beautiful kookaburra

brooches for our six selected Members to take to Camp 101 in Ireland in July this year. I am always happy to receive well made Australian items for international visitors to Guide House or for those Members selected for international event to take as gifts for our sisters in other parts of the world.

I’m still interested in hearing from adult Members who would like to be on the State International Committee and feel free to contact me about anything international.

Kerrey Williams,NSW & ACT State International and World Guiding [email protected]

Our Trainers have shared their opinions through the Learning Needs Analysis Survey, and now we look forward to gaining the ‘Leader’ perspective — from you. The survey will be live on 6 February — please look out for the details in e-news.

The NSW & ACT Calendar alerts you to the coming training events and I suggest you make sure it is on the agenda of your first District/Division/Region meeting so you can plan the appropriate training to attend.

It is a requirement from WAGGGS that Leaders attend a Guide training

Presently in Australia we are required to attend Guide training every three years after qualification.

For new Leaders, training is a priority. Why? Because once your training is completed then you will quickly be a qualified Leader who can then action the Australian Guide Program through which the Guides are able to do so much more.

For experienced Leaders, I urge you to ask another Leader to attend training with you — taking another along helps you feel comfortable arriving at the venue. Then, when returning, you have someone to chat with and plan the possible activities of your Units/Districts.

Trainings can also assist District

Leaders if asked to run a Unit meeting. Developing skills in knotting and camp craft or exploring elements of several Further Development modules can all provide useful program resources.

Applications needs to be completed and sent in before the closing date allowing all administration to be done and the Trainers time to prepare.

You might also be interested in giving service to Training by offering to cater at one of the trainings near you. There is the opportunity to make profit in doing so. Please contact your Region Training Adviser and book the date. We need your support!

Sue CarrNSW & ACT Learning and Development [email protected]

Growing Guiding is the primary focus in Membership to ensure we have a strong future as an organisation. I recommend planning a Registration Day in your District particularly in Term One to recruit new Youth and Adult Members.Registration Events: • showcase the strength and enthusiasm of Guiding • build the community by encouraging and welcoming the larger community to participate in Guiding as Members and/or volunteers • demonstrate that Guiding is modern, relevant and welcoming to new Members

Planning a successful Registration Event:

1. You need a planning team2. A Strategy — a dynamic plan to include: • Who you want to recruit • What type of event • When is the best time to hold your event • Where will you be most accessible and visible to your local community • Why? — to attract new Members and volunteers etc.

3. Create a timeline for your event — bookings, PR materials & budget

4. Communication so everyone knows about the Registration Event — posters, media, flyers, displays

5. A running sheet for the day of

the event — involve Leaders, Guides, Parents

6. Follow up all Membership enquiries, Evaluate and Thank all involved — Membership is a continuous and on going process!

The Membership department at Guide House is a great resource to assist you in recruiting new Members.

Guiding should not be the best kept secret — let’s be proactive and visible in our local communities in 2012.

Gillian GarsiaMembership Development [email protected]

Learning & Development News

Membership News

International News


With 2012 off and running, I am hoping for a pile of paperwork relating to Adventurous Activities and camping. 2011 ended and 2012 started with an emphasis on canoeing activities. The next most favourite activity was abseiling. Great work Leaders; let’s keep the outdoor focus on our programs.

Looking at the bigger picture, the outdoor focus is strong for those who have put WAGGGS Party time on their term planner. As well, JACT has a variety of great outdoor activities planned.

Those in the South Coast and Highlands Region are in for an amazing time at the 6th annual Combined Camp for Guides and Scouts on the weekend of 24th —

26th of February at Bengalee Scout Camp. I also know of other regions who are running region camps just packed with great outdoor activities.

Now, if you are thinking that you would like to include more outdoor activities into your programs but you don’t have the qualifications, then I suggest you seek the help of those in your region who do hold the qualifications or better

still, make an outdoor module your next module. The training calendar has opportunities for Leaders to become qualified in Canoeing at Tingira and Bindaree, in Archery at Camp Chapman and indoor camping at Camp Austral and that’s just for the first half of 2012. It’s not difficult to include the outdoors in your programs.

Keep the forms coming — keep getting outdoors !

Carol MeiklejohnState Outdoors, Environment and Earth Education [email protected]

My call to arms for all of you this year is to try something different, jump (not crawl shyly) out of the square and let the experience be fun and rewarding. Take a friend, or better still — bring a new friend into Guides for the ride!

2012 will bring some exciting new changes to events and Guiding. The new Handbooks will be launched later in the year, and we will continue to update you through The Waratah and e-news.

This month will also see the return of a very old tradition in Guiding

— wear your uniform to school or work day to celebrate World Thinking Day on 22 February. While this is something many of us will remember doing many years ago, the idea was inspired and voted on by girls under the age of 18 at our inaugural State Youth Forum in May last year. This recommendation to our Board is just one of a few that came out of the Youth Forum, however, it shows just how proud our Members are to be Guides and that our new uniform in particular is something that they feel comfortable wearing anywhere. Information to Leaders is currently being prepared and will

come out soon with an e-news.

Please also remember that an updated Sash guide has been prepared as there have been many inconsistencies and confusion as to the placement of badges and a few changes – for instance, JOTA/JOTI badges have now been added to the back of the sash. There are two pages with the information and a diagram that can be downloaded from the GGA website’s Uniform Booklet.

Luisa SimeonidisActing State Program [email protected]

CongratulationsOn behalf of the State Olave Program Committee I would like to congratulate Renee Bianchi on her recent appointment as National Olave Program Manager. Renee has a great deal to offer the Olave Program at a National level and we wish her every success. We would also like to thank Renee for her contribution in NSW-ACT as a committee member and most recently as State Olave Program Consultant. Renee has been an inspiring and motivating Leader and leaves big shoes to fill.

Birthday BashOlave Program’s 15th Big Birthday Bash in Byron was a fantastic weekend. Thanks to all who travelled from near and far to help celebrate 15 years of the Olave Program. Here’s hoping the next 15 are as good as the first.

2012 ConferenceHave you sent in your application for the annual OP Conference? It’s sure to be a blast, with this year’s theme ‘We Can Do It’. The conference is being held at Karingal, Engadine 24 — 26th February. Come along, meet new friends, reconnect with old ones and learn new skills. Conference

cost is $70 plus money for dinner on Saturday night.

OBP AwardThere is no better time to start thinking about completing your Olave Baden Powell Award. Check out the syllabus on the website and start planning. Contact the committee if you have any queries, or bring your questions to the conference. The award takes a minimum of 2 years to complete and must be completed before your 30th birthday. Don’t leave it too late!

Sam ChenneyActing State Olave Program [email protected]

Outdoor News

Program News

Olave Program News


Properties: Impact DayIn celebration of Impact Day in November, teams of Deloitte Australia staff put aside their work for the day to perform maintenance at a number of Girl Guides facilities including Cherrybrook and Riverstone Guide halls, Karingal Campsite Engadine and Glengarry. Impact Day is an annual celebration of the company’s long-term commitment to community involvement. We’re very grateful for Deloitte’s help in painting, weeding, spring cleaning, removing graffiti and clearing pathways. They achieved so much in a short period of time and we no longer have to divert our efforts to undertaking repair work.

Congratulations to... Training DatesTraining Location Event Date Closing Date

Leadership Progression Mt Colah February 25 February 3

Guiding Partner Forestville February 26 February 3

Changing Roles - LOY to LOA Glengarry March 3 February 10

Leadership Introduction Glengarry March 3 - 4 February 10

Trefoil 1 & 2 Sailing RTS Tingira March 3 - 4 February 10

Leadership Introduction Coffs Harbour March 3 - 4 February 10

Taste of Further Development Warners bay March 17 February 24

Leadership Introduction Rose Valley March 17 - 18 February 24

International Explorer Mt Victoria March 17 – 18 TBC

Bag of Tricks Warners Bay March 18 February 24

Guiding Skills Warners Bay March 18 February 24

Trefoil 3 & Adult Canoe/Kayak Bindaree March 24 - 25 March 2

Power Boat Course RTS Tingira March 24 - 25 March 2

Archery for Supervisors Camp Chapman March 31 - April 1 March 9

Event DatesEvent Location Event Date Closing Date

World Thinking Day All Localities February 22 —

OP Conference Karingal Engadine February 24 -26 February 3

YATZ 2012 Program Taronga Zoo — March 2

Clean Up Australia Day All Localities March 4 —

International Women’sDay Breakfast

Darling Harbour March 7 —

Regatta Nords Wharf March 16 - 18 February 24

Region Leaders Weekend Camp Chapman March 16 - 18 February 24

Harmony Day All Localities March 21 —

WAGGGS Party Time Mount Annan March 31 March 2

Survey of all Leaders on TrainingLook out for a Leader Survey on the website from mid-February asking all Leaders for their views on AALP, learning needs of Leaders, current approach to training new Leaders, training for experienced Leaders, FD modules and the appraisal process. This Survey is part of a global project benchmarking the GGA approach to Leader training with other Girl Guide associations, voluntary organisations and best practice in learning & development. A high response rate from NSW & ACT will ensure that our views and suggestions are given maximum weight in the final report which will be submitted to the GGA board in May. Please take time to respond once the Survey goes live on 6 February.

Acknowledgement must be given to all of our volunteers for their outstanding commitment throughout 2011.

A large number of our cohorts received prestigious awards in December 2011. Lindsay Tagg, Alice Anderson, Sue Tickell, Sylvia Pearce, Eleanor Eakins, Margaret Norris, Marcia Andrews, Gwenda Hunt, Rose Marie La Macchia and Phil Gifford were presented with National Volunteer Awards, many receiving a mention in their local newspapers.

For those who don’t know him, Phil Gifford is husband of Ingleburn District Leader, Barbara and is a local hero who has dedicated 35 years to organising repairs and maintenance at Kentlyn campsite and manning barbecues at fundraisers. Phil was instrumental to the development of the Rita Ward Memorial Chapel dedicated to past, present and future Guide Leaders. He is an excellent example of how Dads can make invaluable contributions to Girl Guides.

Sue Taylor, Leader at Huskisson Girl Guides landed herself on the 2011 Hidden Treasure honour roll which recognises volunteers in regional and rural areas. She also received the Boronia Award for her efforts in building her district from 10 to 50 Guides. And last but not least, Sue Grinyer received the Director General’s Award for Excellence in Public Education.

Christine Fajks, Joanne Kaul, Marsha Reilly and Leisa Evans achieved the Banksia award; Vivien Ware received the Wattle and Jenny Cox was awarded the Bar to Wattle. Congratulations also to our newly qualified Leaders! Leaders of Youth: Rocio Velasquez, Michelle Robinson, Laura Ferguson, Elizabeth Davey and Angela Tomaras.

Finally, well done to the many Leaders who achieved the Guide Leader Challenge Award in 2011.

Friends of Asia Pacific, WAGGGS provides life-changing education opportunities for girls and women in the Asia Pacific region. Membership is open to all, with the minimum level being a one-off payment of 80 GB pounds.

An Inaugural Gathering for members and non-members in Australia will be held in Sydney from 21 - 24 September 2012. Please contact Marian Langdon [email protected] for details.

See http://asia.wagggsworld.org/en/friends/fapw for more on FAPW.

Friends of Asia Pacific, WAGGGSFriends of Asia Pacific, WAGGGS


The final WAGGGS Centenary Event will be bigger and better than ever! Mount Annan 2012 will be a culmination of everything you loved in 2010 and 2011, with even more thrown in.

Prizes GaloreUnits can choose to complete the Wide Game by answering the clues given upon completion of certain activities throughout the day. Answer all 10 questions correctly to reveal the final answer and place it in the draw. First drawn correct answer wins a major prize for their Unit!

Alternatively, Units can complete certain activities throughout the day and gain points for each one. Some activities will earn you more points than others. The Unit with the most points by the end of the day will also win a fantastic prize.

Each girl also has the opportunity to receive spot prizes for participation or excellent work at certain activities. Grab cool stuff all day.

Activity Supervisors are Free of Charge in 2012As a HUGE thank you to our tireless

and always cheerful volunteers; all Activity Supervisors Day Pass will be free of charge! Those who wish to include an Overnight Stay pay just $10 to cover your dinner. We hope to have lots of great volunteers in 2012.

Maximum entertainment at the Overnight Stay Entertainment has been boosted to the max for this last Centenary Event to ensure we celebrate in style! Dance Party, giant Campfire and new to this year, ‘Cinema Under the Stars’. Overnight stay participants must be 10 years or over.

For more information contact Erin on (02) 8396 5200 or [email protected]

WAGGGS Party Time

Date for the Diary: Harmony DayHarmony Day is celebrated around Australia on 21 March each year, and is an opportunity for Australians to celebrate our rich cultural diversity. The day is also the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Have you started planning activities or events yet? You can find a host of useful resources at www.harmony.gov.au

On 20 March 2011 Her Excellency the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir hosted a Harmony Day garden party in the grounds of Government House to celebrate the completion of the South Western Sydney Muslim Communities Guiding project.

State Olave Program Conference 2012

24–26 February | Karingal Campsite, Engadine

A chance for all members, aged 18–30 years, to catch up,

network, learn relevant skills and have a blast! Whether you’re

an active OP, or curious as to what they do, come along for a

great weekend to prove that we can do anything! Applications

and Flyers available from the Events page or contact Erin.

‘We Can Do It!’

for more information on these and other upcoming events go to :

www.girlguides-nswact.org.au/neweventwww.girlguides-nswact.org.au/newevent

or contact Erin HamblyErin Hambly:

e: [email protected]

p: 02 8396 5200

Conference 2012222

Campsite, Engadine e

30 years, to catch up,

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they do, come along for aaaa

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nts page or contact Erinn....

n Do It!’WILD WESTREGATTA

Round up yourtroops and join

us at: Nords Wharf,Lake Macquarie16-18 March 2012

Senior Guides & Olave Program

to take part in the 2012

Wanted

Application forms and information are available on the website

Contact Erin for more details:

[email protected]

waratah february 2012

Documents

waratah surveythanks

girl guides nsw actand

office of girl guides

program activities

events news

program information

strawberry hills nsw

guide house level