High level awards for Warragul Guides
Last year was a busy one for the Warragul Girl Guides with a number of high level awards presented and the retirement of long serving guide leader Roxanne Purvis.
Three high achieving girl guides were presented with peak achievement awards including the Junior Baden-Powell Award (7+), the Baden Powell (BP) Award (11+) and the Queen's Guide Award (14+).
Over a period of several years guides complete 12 challenges for the Junior BP and 18 challenges for the BP in each fundamental area promise and law, guiding traditions, service, patrol system, outdoors and leadership.
Another recipient was presented with her Queen's Guide Award, made up of a momentous challenge in each fundamental area as well as completing a focus badge and interest project.
Imogen-Jayde Harris took two years and two months to complete her BP Award encompassing 18 challenges including organising activities such as a two night Harry Potter camp, raising $550 for the RSPCA with a cake stall and leading the Guide group to Melbourne to watch the Birdman Rally.
She also attended a bus trip to visit different churches, learning about different faiths. She developed her ability to lead a group and improved her organisational skills.
Alannah Hunt, after three years work, completed her Queen's Guide Award, the highest award in guiding.
This involved completing a complex challenge in each of the fundamentals of guiding.
Alannah sewed reusable sanitary products for females in developing countries as a partner of Days for Girls and ended by sewing 22 components over a three-month period.
In 2018 she organised and ran a Big Sister-Little Sister camp for the five to seven-year-old Gumnut Guides and the Rangers.
In 2017 Alannah completed a leadership camp and co-ran an event for the Guides of Gippsland based around world connections. Her love of science has also shown through with her selection of a Science Focus, when she created a periodic table with foldout information and travelled to the Walter and Eliza Institute to attend a lecture on metagenomics and its future applications.
Brylie Earwicker was awarded the Junior BP Award which requires the completion of 12e challenges. Brylie ran a patrol camp, organised a Vietnam night and bath bomb making as well as teaching the guide unit bush tracking at a bush block. Brylie has been in guides since 2014 and is now planning on working towards her BP Awards.
Thirty years of voluntary service to the girl guides also was celebrated with the retirement of Roxanne Purvis.
Roxanne began as a guide leader in 1989, which she continued for over 20 years, moving onto the roles of Gippsland region and Neerim District manager.
She was the regional and state outdoors leader and for many years she organised camping activities locally, regionally and at state level.
Roxanne mentored leaders and girls to encourage them to pursuit outdoor experiences and develop new lifelong skills. Roxanne is still part the guide movement however, as a member of the Trefoil Guild, continuing to give support to guiding in Gippsland.