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24 Jan 2023 | Member Number: {#party.PartyId} | {#party.Name} | To all Adult Members, Trefoil, Junior Leaders, YAC |
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- Jamboree Wrap Up
- Travel Support Fund – for Jamboree
- Jamboree 2025
- 2023 Event Calendar published
- Updates to Youth Member Forms in 2023
- WAGGGS 38th World Conference
- Archives & Preservation Training: Apply now
- Clean Up Australia Day 2023
- Data Safety Update
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Happy New Year and Happy Lunar New year!
As you settle in to 2023, I hope you start the Guiding year afresh and with great intention. Over the break, I have continued to think about ‘how might we’ supercharge our efforts this year, increase our relevancy, and take care of our people who continue to make such a difference in the lives of girls and young women, and our world! How might we weave our magic together, to be a little stronger, and more encompassing for our community...
I have just come back from Jamboree – what a whirlwind, and what exciting news we have! Read on to find out more.
This week is Australia Day. It is a day of significance, and many in our community have strong feelings as well as mixed feelings about it, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. January 26 is an opportunity to promote truth-telling, understanding, and reconciliation. And grapple with the complex histories that still shape today.
You can learn more here or do a search for events happening in your local community across NSW, ACT & NT. Whichever way you chose to acknowledge or mark January 26, I hope you have the opportunity to reflect, respect, and celebrate the strength and spirit of community.
If you or your Unit attend special events on Thursday, we would love to hear about it! If you or anyone you know that is/was part of Guiding receives an Australia Day Award, please email [email protected] so we can also recognise it! Local Council Awards and the Australian Honours are confidential until announcement, so the only way we learn about them is through the media, or you!
Lastly, I’m looking forward to seeing you all at our upcoming Virtual Conference – We’re All In This Together! We have loads to share and connect with you on and we want to hear your voice on key priorities! If you haven’t already registered, register now! |
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Jamboree 2023 – what a week! |
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Did you follow the fun on social media?
Over 1450 people from all corners of Australia attended the Kani-Karrung Jamboree in Ballarat last week. This included 536 Girl Guides from NSW, ACT & NT, representing 119 Districts, as well as Carol Simpson, our CEO, and me!
Our contingent travelled by car, bus, train, ferry, and at least 8 flights from 4 different airports. Leading the charge was Bathurst District with 21 Members. Followed closely by Berowra (20), Lismore (17), Queanbeyan (16), Camden, and Pennant Hills (both 15), and countless Districts where only 1 or 2 Members attended.
Our youngest Member attending camp turned 10 only a week before Jamboree, and our oldest Member was an impressive 78. 9 birthdays were celebrated while at camp. Girls tried new things, made new friends and proved Guiding resilience is the cornerstone of our Movement. The weather tested everyone: strong winds, heat, cold, wet, dry, but bundles of fun! And our State put on a showcase of water activities! Bravo to all involved!
A significant bravo to Alison Cappetta, Contingent Leader. Take a bow Alison – you have done us all so proud! I am so grateful you took on this challenge and what an example you have set! There are not enough words to describe our collective thanks to you, as well as to the Committee who supported you. |
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Travel Support Fund for Jamboree |
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With rising cost of living, and communities still feeling the impacts of disaster, whether bushfires, floods or beyond, we know how important it is for every bit of support.
335 Members attending Jamboree applied for travel assistance to the Travel Fund. I am delighted to confirm I was able to approve every single application, and to the maximum amount allowable (50% of the travel component of their Jamboree travel expenses).
This is substantial and demonstrates our commitment of support to our Members. In total, through the Travel Fund, $46,483 has been distributed.
The Travel Fund is designed to provide financial support to Members. The funds available were raised and donated by our Members (and some incredible non-Member supporters) for travel purposes, and it has been seldom used over the years.
As you plan your activities for this year, have a think about how you or your Unit could fundraise and donate to the Travel Fund to help more Members access life-changing experiences or other Guiding Funds to expand our access and inclusion. |
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2025 Jamboree! |
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Did you catch the exciting news? Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT, on behalf of Girl Guiding in Australia, will be hosting the next Australian Jamboree! We will welcome Girl Guides to the beautiful North Coast of NSW for a week packed full of Guiding Fun, Friendship, and Adventure.
Join the mailing list at 2025jamboree.com.au to find out the latest Jamboree news when it happens, and share this video (Jamboree 2025 Member Announcement) around your Guiding networks!
Keep your eyes peeled for applications to join the Jamboree Team. |
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Watch the promo video below: |
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2023 Guiding Events Calendar |
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In case you missed it –our 2023 Guiding calendar is live! This includes the full list of State events and courses. Get excited and start looking at what events you will attend or if you are a Leader, the opportunities available for your Unit!
Over the next month or so, we will also be progressively adding in Region Events to our Calendar – to showcase the variety of amazing events on offer in our Guiding calendar and to empower girls to carve their own journey as they navigate and curate their Guiding experience.
Please note, specific details for each event will be added to each webpage once finalised. Look at the calendar now and save the dates for your most preferred events! You can also head to our website to check out the 2023 Course Calendar! |
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Visit the 2023 Event Calendar |
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Youth Member Form Updates for 2023 |
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Please note there have been updates to two Youth Member Forms.
The ‘Tell us what you are worried about’ Form for Youth Members is now available as an online form, with responses sent directly to Guide House.
Leaders are encouraged to have copies of these forms available at Unit meetings in the event a Youth Member would like to report a concern or provide any feedback.
The Activity Consent and Health Form for Youth Members (ADM.27) is reviewed annually and updated for the following year. This year’s updates include: |
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- the year the form applies to
- details on who should complete the form and when it should be completed
- duty of care responsibilities
- language updates to reflect current evidence-based practises regarding the health and wellbeing of young people
- minor language updates to provide further clarity.
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Please have a particular look at the updates to duty of care responsibilities if you are a Unit Leader.
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These Forms are available on Guide Lines here |
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Tellers for the 38th World Conference |
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As part of the preparations for the 38th World Conference, WAGGGS is inviting applications for the role of Teller at the conference. If you are interested in applying for the role of Teller please send an expression of interest to [email protected] by 18 February 2023. |
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Learn more |
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Call for Olave Award Nominations |
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The Olave Award honours the memory of the World Chief Guide, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, and keeps alive her belief in the spirit of service. It is open to all Girl Guide and Girl Scout groups/units/troops who have planned and carried out a project based on the theme of Sustainability from September 2021 to July 2023.
Is this your Unit? Please apply to help recognise the incredible efforts of your Unit!
For more information, you can read the Olave Award pack. Please email [email protected] to nominate a project to be considered for this Award.
If you would like to discuss a nomination for this Award further, please get in contact with Shaylah McClymont, Deputy State Commissioner at [email protected] |
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A new Values Framework for Guiding in Australia |
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Are you passionate about the essence of Guiding? About what underlies our Movement and what values make us the community we are? Join the People & Culture Working Group now to contribute to the Girl Guides Australia Values Framework!
Benefits of the Values Framework include better articulation of the Girl Guides’ values, in addition to the Promise and Law. A Values Framework will connect our organisation better with various stakeholders, including staff, non-Member Volunteers, parents, and corporate partners – and we're asking YOU to help contribute! |
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Nominations close Friday 3 February and should be sent directly to Trish Manten ([email protected]) |
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Find out more via the Opportunities Page |
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Are you interested in Guiding History, Archives or Conservation? |
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An expert in Archival Conservation has been engaged to work with the Archives Team to remediate the collection at Northbridge Guide Hall and to implement practices that will help ensure our Archives are preserved for the future.
Last year we did a call out to Members who might be interested in joining the Archives Team. Now, we have an exciting training on preservation and conversation.
If you are interested in learning more about Archives and supporting the conversation efforts of our Guiding heritage at Northbridge, please contact [email protected] by Monday 6 February. |
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Find out more |
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Clean Up Australia Day – Register Now! |
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This year, Clean Up Australia Day is on Sunday 5 March. Every year, Clean Up Australia Day inspires communities to clean up and conserve our environment!
Did you know Girl Guides have been part of this initiative to proactively reduce waste in communities since the very first Clean Up event in 1990. Thirty-three years on, Girl Guides are a Clean Up Australia Youth Ally and continue to inspire girls and communities to make a difference through simple actions to conserve our environment.
As Youth Allies, Girl Guides have a special registration page for Girl Guide groups. |
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Register here!
Find out more |
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Data Retention and Data Destruction |
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GGA is developing a Data Retention Policy to support the management of data in line with the Child Safe Child Friendly Framework and the Privacy Policy. The Policy is due to be completed in early 2023.
While this policy is being developed, please cease any destruction of data and documents. For example, until recently it was a standard practice to purge documents in the Hall after a girl turned 25 years old. Please do not do this, and instead retain all data and documents until further notice.
Data and other information relating to our Members includes items such as Attendance Records, term programs and so forth.
Documents containing Member data may only be destroyed when part of a digitisation project i.e., once digitally saved the paper copy is appropriately destroyed.
Together with our Region Managers and staff, we are readying for the change- working to ensure we have the right policy architecture, information infrastructure, and processes. We know this is a big change to how we secure data and information, and we know you’ve each done your very best to uphold our principles and adhere to our policies and procedures.
This change is much more about our broader and collective organisation, and to ensure we achieve a greater consistency and visibility across our organisation, and for the future.
If you have further questions, please get in contact with your Region Manager in the first instance but otherwise please sit tight while we navigate the best way to collectively safeguard our data and mature our data governance. |
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Yours in Guiding,
Emily Milton Smith (She/Her)
State Commissioner
Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT
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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. |
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© Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT PO BOX 950, STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012 |
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