Such a variety of things goes into Guiding.

Guiding provides a range such a variety of things to do that what the programs actually have included into them is as varied as the both the members, the families and the outside world have influences upon the choices of activities.

For instance when a group of Guides or Leaders are heading towards a badge or qualification there are always others who, once their interest is sparked will challenge themselves to widen their horizons as well.  Other who for their own reasons go along for the ride, and still others who ‘put up with it’ so that the more interesting (to them) stuff can be done.  This ‘get in there together’ is part of being a team member, supporting others and they in turn support you.

Because of copy write laws the syllabus of each badge, award etc can not publish.  However when there are a collective of people of different ages, skills level or a variety interests being satisfied in order for that person or group of people to achieve an overall objective then different things can pop up as challenges to different people.  In short with one overall objective there are many jobs to be done.  Each job has a variety people working at different levels to finish the ‘job’ and to collectively achieve the objective.  Along the way those who already know what needs to be done in one ‘job’ may either be showing someone else, or themselves doing another job and being shown by someone else.

Learning one skill can be utilised in may different ways.  We’ll pick on ‘food’.  There are a wide variety of tasks involved with ‘food’ where both the theory and practical emphasis changes depending on the outcome.

Alright.  Food and water is in themselves part of survival.  Over a extended period of time when a Guide learns about food she learns the safety measures with food ( cleanliness, personal hygiene, cooking, storage, carrying, presentation, carrying, washing up, putting away and even choosing the food types to suit the occasion, age range, religious and dietary requirements.}

Then there’s the deciding what to have, organising the menu, suiting the occasion to the menu and the activities, raising the money for, purchasing, storage, preparation, presentation, consumption of, removal, recycling.

The ‘Food’ theme may be used towards different size and complexity of activities. Starting with just having a cooking time in the Guide Program, discovering culinary items of interest and foods from other countries, becoming aware of the multicultural input back into this county, developing a culture with guiding itself, being aware of the Four World centers, being aware of the pioneering women in History, Guiding history, Guiding ways of the future, catering for a fundraiser, a dance, a BBQ, a cookout challenge, water activities, a penny hike, …. and so on,  These smaller activities will lead onto more comprehensive objectives. Which may include… an end of year Formal meal, an overnight stay, a camp, going away on State or International camps, helping with Patrol Service activities, being part of a World Wide service activity, [ Clean Up Australia, Kiribus Bus, East Timour, national and international disaster relief teams..] and the lists just go on.

Once the interest is sparked the future may have a direction. Wow.

No, ‘Food’ does not stop here.  There are other things to consider like the jobs connecting with the above linking words.  An obvious one is leadership for the activity. Leadership is learned, practiced and known about by watching and helping others with their leadership rolls.In essence Leadership boils down to encouraging others to willingly help get the job done, while collectively forefiling needs and desires.  On a three tier level these needs and desires are your own, their own, these who attend, those who obviously benefit.  Since everyone in these levels are ‘stake holders’ then an experienced adult Leader is capable of covering all these levels with the help of her team.

Now that how food may slot into the weekly or overall Program chosen by the Guides themselves.  However there are both tangible and intangible small stepping stones are available to the members that mark each Guides progress.

Most often the skills learning when doing one thing are brought back into the guiding Program at a greater depth of knowledge practice along with a wider variety of interests being sort to be done.    While in Guiding there are many ways of widening the interest range of the Guiding members.  in itself just the broodning and deepening of the interests, skills and knowledge basis of the members within Guides is a factor of why there are a variety of things that goes into, and come out from, Guiding.

Victorian Guiding events calender

We are currently waiting for 2010 events ,services, trainings and activities to be published

Discos and dances to do and contact list.

The date if the disco or dance is arriving when?

Have you informed the parents? The police?  The District Leader?  What about other leaders from the area.

Made invitations for a bring a friend night several weeks before the even?

That way the Guides have people coming anyway who in turn may also bring a friend on the night too.

Follow up for interested Girls / adults who would like to join Guides too.

What about invitations for the night?

Are the Guides registered?

Photos…what about a non -registered person having a form of release paper signed?

Whose catering?  What are the ingrediants?

Checked the first aid box and equipment.

Emergency response and action plan up?

Costs.

Prizes, – best what ever, door prize.

Sign in book,

Adult supervision.

Police Checks,

Working with Children Checks.

Preperations for the end of year Formal Meal 2010.

The end result is that the 2009 formal meal is now a District Event. With help the 2010′s Formal End of Year Meal is now Saturday – December 4th 2010.

• Notice of the Formal Meal will be in the District Calendar on the web. The Units calender – which in turn are created by the Guides.
• Activities will be throughout the year.  ie  place mats, invitations, table decorations [mugwomps], serviettes, grace and vespers sheets, serviette holders, place cards … These will be stored in a large plastic container [somewhere in the office]
• Invites to family, friends and people who have helped throughout the year will go out weeks before to this meal. The invites will be hardcopy cards, posters and emails.
• RSVP needs to be received by mid November.
• Please send a suggestion or two of the meal preparation  you are to bring with the RSVP.
• Your RSPV will be confirmed to you by mid November.
• Confirmation of what part of the meal preparation your family has offered  to bring will be sent to you as well.
• The District will supply the meat varieties and preparation.
• All parts of meals to have the actual ingredients within them printed / written out.
  
• Please supply the recipe.
  
• The Formal wear is good clothes for those attending the meal.
• The setting of tressel tables is to be in a horse shoe .
• Decoration of the main area will begin at 10.30.  All decorations will be made prior to the day so that all needing to be done is to place them up and around.
• Activities for free time sorted out well in advance.  A kitchen fly for shelter set up on the day at the back of the office grounds.
• Kitchen fly to be in place for erection by 10.30.
• First Aid kit and safety preparations will be made prior to the event. [as per every event]
• A Risk Analysis  Plan (created for the event [as per every event])  is to be on display in the entry hall.
• Sign in book to be in the entry hall.
• Photo release forms to be in the entry hall for those who are not members of the Girl Guides {Associate Adult, Adult or Youth members]
• Photos taken will be sent to each persons email address if indicated they would like a copy of their/ their Guides photos sent directly to them.
• Meal will begin at 1pm.

We are in need of:

• a kitchen co-ordinator,   [position filled]
• a hostess/ host co-ordinator.
• a decorator co-ordinator,
• an outside activities person  {will be taught about kitchen flies]
• a craft / artist and music coordinator.
• a Public Relations person for the event.
• a Photographic co-ordinator.
• a clean up co-ordinator.

Please note the adult coordinators job is just to make sure everything is there. Every so often check on progress.  The Guides are able to run things from this point.

Stratagies for coping with dances and discos intergated into program

Movement, music and closer personal boundaries may frighten or embarrass the members.  So to practice being at ease in situations where ‘getting up close and personal may be necessary, or being confined to a room with many people, loud music and fast movements we have used  Make up a dance senarios, light games and activities. These stratagies and actions  test peoples personal spaces as well as lay down practiced methods of being part of but allowing for health,  space and privacy issues remain to be private.

Flashing lights may cause problems – along with noise factors.  Having several areas where each person can have time away from a personal percieved situation is a must.  The dance area and grounds is best fenced off and supervised from within.

Baw Baw Region Events calender

Thinking Day  Feb 22nd  2010 at Burnett park.

Baw Baw Region Camp  2010 9th to 11th April 2010

Campfire  19th June 2010

Flying the Flag / Renew promise  Sunday 10 am October 10th 2010

Ev Graham 2010  1 full weekend of November 2010.  for 10 to 14 yr olds

Brownie Revels  October  2010. for 6 to 11 yrs olds.

As youth members what do we do?

When the Girl Guides plan their programs an integral part of is keeping the Fundamentals and Elements of the Australian Guide Program included.  So each term starts with a new Program designed by the Guides.

The Programs include:

*   Explorations,

*   challenges,

*    achieving,

*     activities,

*   events,

*    service

*    badges

*    awards and so forth.

The seven fundamentals of the Australian Guide Program are encouraged.  These being the further discovery and development of : Promise and Law, Outdoors, Service, World, Guiding Traditions, Leadership skills and Patrol work.

Each Guide travels her own journey. Badges, awards and more are stepping-stones along the Girl Guides learning path. Achieving these stepping-stones means much to the recipient. To those looking on the visual stimulus of seeing the guide wear the badges and awards is a blessing.