|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In this edition:
Mental Health Strategy
Special General Meeting
Town Hall FAQs
Update to Strategic Plan
Opportunities
Term 4 Family News
Adult Recruitment Brochure
|
|
|
|
|
There is much uncertainty in the world right now as many of us are shocked and saddened by the events unfolding in the Middle East. At the same time, last week, we marked World Mental Health Day as well as International Day of the Girl, and a special message from the Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Australia was shared with Members.
In Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT, we have an EAP service available to our Members, and it provides several important mental health and wellbeing services, including counselling. It is available to you for free, as part of our commitment to supporting our people, and in such challenging times, I would encourage you to use the EAP, as well as share the service with others.
I returned to Australia on Sunday from the United Kingdom, where I had travelled for a conference on The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. I spent the week connecting with other global leaders in non-formal education, addressing how we can reach more young people, and support them in their learning to improve outcomes for all. Girl Guides delivers the Duke of Ed right around the world, as is a partner with Duke of Ed through the Big 6 – a collective of the 6 largest youth organisations.
Immediately disembarking the plane, on Sunday I was pleased to join ACT & SE NSW Region at ACT Government House with Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley where a group of incredibly inspiring Girl Guides camped on the grounds at Government House – a first for Guides and Scouts. The girls sung songs with Their Excellencies around a campfire in a newly created yarning circle, and we all enjoyed roasting marshmallows. A mighty thanks to the leaders who made this event possible as part of this Region’s focus on outdoor opportunities for girls, in line with our State-led Outdoor strategy.
I hope many of you will join at the General Meeting next Saturday whether virtually or in person. I am saddened by the situation.
There is much in the world that is hard right now, and I choose to look for the hope in our future. My hope for Girl Guides is one of kindness and respect – and one that lives true to our Promise and Law. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mental Health Strategy |
|
We are thrilled to announce that Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT is taking steps to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of our Members and Volunteers. Our mental health first aid (MHFA) initiative as part of our Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy is rapidly gaining momentum and we're asking for your help with paving our way forward. Special thanks to Julia Becker, Inclusion Lead for strengthening this focus and building upon the good foundations that have been laid.
We invite you, as an Adult Member, to share your skills and experience in mental health first aid. This information will play a pivotal role in the development and delivery of our MHFA Training Workshops facilitated at no cost to Members by Adult Member Helen Jarvis (valued at $1985). Click the link below to share your First Aid qualifications and experience. |
|
Tap here to contribute |
|
We will soon call for Expressions of Interest to join the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Panel to help support initiatives such as the Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy under the leadership of the Inclusion Lead. |
|
|
|
|
|
Special General Meeting |
|
A Notice of Meeting was sent out last month advising that a Special General Meeting has been requisitioned by Members in line with our Association’s Constitution. RSVPs to attend in person and online, and apologies, have been received from 3% of eligible Members. If you intend on attending, please RSVP so that the team at Guide House can ensure you are sent the Zoom access details. If you’re an apology or attending online you can submit your proxy vote by mail or email to our Interim CEO—read the note from Shauna, our Company Secretary below.
I understand that there has been uncertainty around the Special General Meeting and would like to remind everyone that we are in this together in the sisterhood of Guiding. I ask that we all do our best to be true to ourselves and that we are respectful to ourselves and to others throughout this process. |
|
Tap here to RSVP |
|
|
A Special General Meeting Note from the Company Secretary |
|
As Company Secretary, I would like to reiterate to the Members of Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT your rights for the upcoming General Meeting.
Those who can attend the General Meeting will be able to vote in person on the motions if they attend in person or online.
If Members are unable to attend the meeting, Members can fill out the proxy form to have someone else represent your vote. The proxy form can be found here and is valid for this upcoming General Meeting.
If you cannot attend the meeting and wish to cast your vote, you will need to complete the proxy form with the membership number of a Member who will be attending, either in person or online, the meeting or the meeting Chair.
In accordance with Clause 6.8.5.4 of the Constitution, if you wish to post your proxy it must be received by the Association, addressed to the CEO, by close of business on Tuesday 24 October 2023 at Guide House 2/55 Holt Street, Surry Hills NSW 2011.
If you are emailing your proxy it must be received by 8.00am on Saturday 28 October 2023 at [email protected].
The proxy form is collected and checked by the CEO and the recorded votes will be added to the final votes cast at the meeting. If it is determined by the meeting that the voting will be by poll (secret voting), then the CEO will provide relevant voting numbers to the Chair of the meeting to enable the resolution to be determined.
If you have any further queries please let me know via [email protected]. |
|
|
|
|
|
Town Hall FAQs |
|
A Town Hall was held recently as an information meeting for Members with an opportunity for questions to be answered by the Board.
An FAQs/summary has been prepared for circulation to Membership and available here. This is in addition to the previously circulated presentation slides, which were also made available to Membership.
The Board is grateful for the participation of Members.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update to the Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT Strategic Plan |
|
At the recent Town Hall, the Board launched the refreshed Strategic Plan to the broader membership, which had been earlier presented to Region and State Teams at Region Personnel Conference. The Plan reflects a midway review of the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, where the Board in partnership with cross-functional teams comprising of leadership, management and grassroots Guiding, as well as youth voice have reviewed our progress and contributed to realigning our priorities for a post-Covid world.
The 2021-2026 Strategic Plan was designed and approved at a time when parts of our SGGO were experiencing some of the worst natural disasters on history, and Covid was unfolding. The world as we knew it was radically shifting. There are many important elements carried through in this update from this original plan, but the midpoint review recognised the need to focus on people and culture (putting our people at the heart of what we do), as well as reset and regroup around our approaches to participation and growth opportunities to ensure Guiding can flourish in the future.
We are on a journey of recovery and regeneration. Our Membership numbers are not at pre-Covid levels, and while there is growth in some areas, there is decline in others. Everybody is trying their best to navigate the new normal and the impacts of the last few years on communities everywhere.
However, a key focus for our organisation is about diversifying the ways in which we ‘reach’ girls and young women, and ‘measure’ our impact. Membership (and weekly meetings in Guide Halls) has been the conventional way of doing this, but for some time we have been focussing on flexible delivery methods, and new innovations to create new pathways to realise the magic of Girl Guiding and the impact it makes. The focus on flexible Guiding and expanding to create new ways of work is about complementing and extending our existing grassroots Guiding makeup.
We cannot keep doing the same things thinking it will deliver a different result and a one size fits all answer will not work. It requires courage and strength to try and create new ways to reach girls and young women with a focus on community-led and community co-created solutions.
Membership decline is the current position of Girl Guiding across Australia. It is not unique to our organisation, and certainly membership decline is not unique to Girl Guiding. Many Membership-based organisations and Associations are reporting declines as huge shifts in demographics have occurred – how people want to organise, participate, and join collectives has changed. And this is especially true of volunteer-based organisations. Volunteering is changing and has been changing for the last decade and beyond.
The changes to our Strategic Plan recognise these market shifts and the context in which Guiding exists. We are not an island. If we want to remain relevant, we must look to the future for the girls and young women we are trying to empower and support and be bold in finding new ways.
The Board has identified key priorities for a sustainable Guiding organisation. These are to:
• ensure a viable ongoing structure;
• meet financial requirements under law;
• equip and resource for effective operations; and
• drive strategic impact.
The Board has worked with many different stakeholders, including key State roles, Region Managers, Guide House Team, and beyond to refine and renew our Strategic Objectives, Goals, and the Strategic Pillars to develop a reinvigorated strategic direction that gives us the best chance possible in ensuring that a girl who is born in 2024 still gets to experience Girl Guiding.
Our reinvigorated strategic direction will see us through a period of evolution in people & culture, product & delivery, and sustainable operations between now and 2026. |
|
|
|
Read More on the Strategic Plan
|
|
|
|
|
|
GGA Digital Transformation Project Scoping Working Group Nominations |
|
Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is calling for nominations for the working group. The working group will be responsible for scoping a digital project to provide Leader resources (particularly related to program and Unit-based needs). EOIs are being sought from Members with expertise and interest in:
1. Digital strategy;
2. Using technology for delivery of non-formal education;
3. Understanding of State Girl Guides Organisation’s (SGGO) digital resources
4. Providing a young women’s perspective to digital solutions in Guiding (particularly with a volunteer lens).
The closing date for nominations to GGA is 31st October 2023.
Please send nominees names, overview of expertise (as per points 1-4 above) to Sandra at [email protected] |
|
The working group will include SGGO and GGA representatives. |
|
|
|
|
|
Crown Reserves Improvement Fund |
|
The Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF) 2023 Grant Round opened open Monday 16 October, and closes Fri 17 November, 2023. This grant round is only available for Girl Guides properties in NSW for which Guides are the Crown Land Manager. |
|
Read More in My Guidebook |
|
|
|
|
Girl Guides News for Girl Guides' Families |
|
A preview of the Term 4 edition of Family News was sent to all Leaders last week and is available for viewing by all Members via My GuideBook. All Guiding Families received this newsletter on Monday 16 October. |
|
Read Family News Here |
|
|
|
|
|
NEW! Adult Recruitment Brochures |
|
A brand-new Adult Recruitment Brochure is now available for download via My GuideBook! We are thrilled to share this new marketing resource with you, in hopes that it complements your toolkit to grow Guiding in your local area, District and Region. |
|
Download NEW Brochure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yours in Guiding,
Emily Milton Smith (She/Her)
State Commissioner
Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians and Owners of the lands on which our office, Guide Halls and properties are located and where we deliver and promote Guiding. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT celebrates the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ and their unique and ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters and seas of NSW, ACT & NT. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|