Girl Guides celebrate centenary of service

MORE than one hundred people gathered into the Skipton Street Uniting Church hall over the weekend to round off eighteen months of birthday celebrations for local Girl Guides

With the district’s oldest unit, Fourth Ballarat Girl Guide Company, turning 100 years old earlier this year, former and current members from the region’s district capped off months of celebrations with an event on Sunday.

Ballarat District leader Karen Chatto said the event highlighted the longevity of Guiding in Ballarat.

“The turnout shows just how much interest there’s been here,” she said. “Guiding’s still relevant today. It’s still about empowering girls to investigate their own interests and become leaders of their own lives.

“This is an opportunity for our current leadership to appreciate how much effort has gone into the past hundred years.

“We’ve got about 20 leaders in Ballarat at the moment and around 90 girls within our different units.”

As part of the presentations, local former members were awarded badges for their years of service by Girl Guide Victoria state commissioner Linda Kors.

Rosemary Garth received the Boronia Award while the Emu Award went to Margaret Littlehales.

First Sebastopol Company’s Dawn Fischer was one of two people to receive the Wattle Award, as well as Sandra Ballard.

She said the event was an enjoyable occasion of past reminiscences.

“It’s nice to see all the old leaders including myself talking with the youth leaders and sharing experiences,” Ms Ballard said.

“I’ve been a leader for 44 years and been on every jamboree we’ve had. My daughter Cherie joined when she was 10 and it was very difficult to get in because there weren’t any spare places.

“I became a leader to give my daughter a better chance of getting in, and I’m still here. I love to see the girls grow and achieve what they set out to achieve.

“I’ve got grandchildren of girls that were in my unit when I started.”