FOR sixty years Carolyn Naunton has been involved with Girls\u2019 Brigade Victoria and this year her services to youth through the organisation are being recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia.<\/p>\n
Mrs Naunton couldn\u2019t believe the email she received saying she had been awarded the honour after an anonymous nomination, most likely from colleagues in the Girls\u2019 Brigade.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got the email, I didn\u2019t believe it because I don\u2019t do what I do to get an award. I do it because I love what I\u2019m doing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am really grateful for the kind of role that I\u2019ve taken, I love being with the girls and I love seeing them develop from when they come in in prep when they\u2019re scared and intimidated and very shy to being leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something really special and it\u2019s why I stay there because I love seeing the spontaneity and responses of the girls to all the things that we do with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Naunton first became a member of Girls\u2019 Brigade Victoria, a Christian faith-based movement working with girls in prep to year 12, in 1961.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really appreciated the program, learning life skills and also being mentored by beautiful women who really showed the love of Christ because they were very caring, and I really liked doing all the activities whether it was craft or singing or adventure stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the completion of her HSC and further studies to become a teacher, Mrs Naunton was instrumental in initiating the first Kerang Girls\u2019 Brigade, serving as its inaugural captain from 1972 to 1986.<\/p>\n
From 1985 Mrs Naunton has called Bendigo home, serving as chaplain of the Bendigo Brigade for 10 years from 1987, captain from 1997 to 2000 and currently as a unit leader.<\/p>\n
Despite her many leadership positions over the years in the organisation, Mrs Naunton said its success relies on teamwork with all members regardless of their status.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re working in Girls\u2019 Brigade you\u2019re working as a team so whilst you may be a key leader you\u2019re not doing or achieving anything without the help of everybody else in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR sixty years Carolyn Naunton has been involved with Girls\u2019 Brigade Victoria and this year her services to youth through the organisation are being recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia. Mrs Naunton couldn\u2019t believe the email she received saying she had been awarded the honour after an anonymous nomination, most likely from […]<\/p>\n