“One of the really good things about guiding is you can walk into a room, not know anybody else and … you’ve got a friend, you’re going to be accepted and listened to and taken on board.”
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North Albury District Girl Guides, corner of Swan and Kestrel Streets, will hold a campfire and barbecue Saturday from 6pm for anyone who’s been involved in the movement.
“Anywhere, at any time,” unit leader Kara Rennick said.
“Just to get them back in to see what guides is up to now and the guiding spirit.
“There are a lot of people who make some really solid, lifelong friendships through their time in guiding.”
With May being Back to Guiding month, the North Albury group not only wants to bring people back but also welcome more in.
Ms Rennick said different units catered for girls aged from five to 18 years while the Olave program allowed women from 18 to 30 to stay involved without necessarily taking on a leadership role.
As well as the traditional outdoor and service activities, guiding also has a more modern focus, for example, the guides were working on a water conservation badge this week.
“There’s a very big push on girls being advocates and finding something that they would like to promote and be an advocate for,” Ms Rennick said.
Like many girls, Grace Harper, 11, joined up because she had a friend who was a guide.
“She brought me along to a friend night and I found it quite fun,” Grace said.
Nine-year-old Rachel Wyer enjoys the cooking.
“I like meeting new people and having new friends,” she said.
Jessica Holmes, 13, praised the people she’d met.
“They’re always kind to each other and the leaders are always helpful,” she said.
Jessica also valued the multicultural aspects of the program.
“I quite like learning about different cultures and languages and how they do things differently to us,” she said.
Saturday also marks National Girl Guide Biscuit Day, with North Albury guides to sell packs of plain, mini chocolate chip and gluten-free shortbread at Bunnings.
Ms Rennick said the biscuits, which had been sold for 60 years, remained a big part of guiding.
“People track us down every year, looking for them,” she said.
“We sell them very easily and very quickly.”
And do the guides themselves get to sample the biscuits?
“Yes, they definitely do, we use them in slices and other activities, the girls definitely have plenty of time to taste them and see what they're like,” the unit leader said with a smile.