Girl Guiding

Girl Guides Australia is the peak organisation for girls and young women in Australia.

Girl Guides Australia’s mission is: to empower girls and young women to discover their potential as leaders of their world.

Girl Guides Australia and the State Girl Guide Organisations are committed to continuing to be Child Safe Child-Friendly organisations.

With over 10 million members in 152 countries, Girl Guides Australia is part of the largest volunteer organisation for girls and young women in the world. We are a founding member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and are involved in the Asia Pacific Region. WAGGGS is a movement providing non-formal education, for girls and young women, to develop leadership and life skills through self-development, challenge and adventure. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts learn by doing.

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts – WAGGGS

General Principles

  • Girl Guides Australia is part of a worldwide voluntary Organisation that promotes and encourages the development of girls and women
  • Our mission is to empower girls and young women to discover their potential as leaders of their world
  • A program of activities, service, and commitment to the Guide Promise supports the mission statement.

Girl Guide Promise and Guide Law

The Girl Guide Promise and the Guide Law form the principles of Girl Guiding.  A Girl Guide makes her Promise at a special Unit ceremony where she receives her Promise Badge which is worn on her uniform.

 The Girl Guide Promise

Every girl and adult that is a member of Guiding throughout the world makes a Promise.  The words may be slightly different from country to country but the spirit and meaning of the words are the same wherever Guiding exists.

The Australian promise is:

I promise that I will do my best
to be true to myself and develop my beliefs
to serve my community and Australia
and live by the Guide Law.

 

The Guide Law

Guides abide by a set of laws that provide a framework and philosophy for living.

The Australian Guide Law is:

As a Guide, I will strive to:
Respect myself and others
Be considerate, honest and trustworthy
Be friendly to others
Make choices for a better world
Use my time and abilities wisely
Be thoughtful and optimistic
Live with courage and strength

 

The Motto

The motto of Girl Guides in Australia is:

Be Prepared

 

GGA Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct sets the standards of behaviour expected of all adults participating in Girl Guiding in Australia. It is designed to ensure that all  Adult Members, Volunteers, and Employees of Girl Guides Australia (GGA) and State Girl Guide Organisations are aware of their obligations and responsibilities. As an adult involved in Girl Guiding in Australia, you should adhere to this Code of Conduct.

  • Behave in the spirit of The Girl Guide Promise and the Guide Law.
  • Adhere to the laws of Australia and the policies and procedures of Girl Guides Australia and my State Girl Guide Organisation.
  • Contribute to a safe, friendly environment and culture in which all people are safe from emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse.
  • Treat all people fairly and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.
  • Respect others’ rights to privacy and the confidentiality of their personal information.
  • Conduct myself in a manner that a reasonable person would consider appropriate.
  • Represent Girl Guiding in the community in a positive light.

GGA and State Girl Guide Organisations reserve the right to take action regarding any breach of the Code of Conduct.

Read the Code of Conduct.

 

Membership

Membership of a State Girl Guide Organisation is voluntary and is granted to any female who:

  • has attained the age of five years; and
  • has made the Girl Guide Promise, or who is working towards making the Girl Guide Promise, or who accepts the principles and belief of Guiding; and
  • has paid a membership fee as determined by the State Girl Guide Organisation.

A Girl Guide is any girl or woman who has made the Girl Guide Promise.

Where a group exists that does not consist purely of members of the State Girl Guide Organisation and where an annual fee is charged to belong to this group, then membership of the group does not confer membership of the State Girl Guide Organisation.

 

Youth Member

A Youth Member of a State Girl Guide Organisation is a female aged five to seventeen years inclusive who satisfies the requirement of membership in her State Girl Guide Organisation.

 

Adult Member

An Adult Member of a State Girl Guide Organisation is a female aged eighteen years or over who satisfies the requirement of membership.

Adult Members include:

  • Trefoil Guild members who have made the Guide Promise or the Scout Promise or who are prepared to make the Guide Promise.
  • Life Members of State Girl Guide Organisations who may not pay an annual fee. Eligibility and conditions for Life Membership are determined by State Girl Guide Organisations.

 

Patrol System

The Patrol System was originally defined by the Founder, Baden-Powell, as the method to be used in Units. This is the method by which Girl Guides are trained in self-governance and leadership. It can be adapted to meet the differing needs of girls. It may be used as the management tool of Girl Guides Australia.

 

Uniform

Financial members wear a uniform to create a sense of unity and to identify them as Girl Guides.

A variety of uniform options are available. Guides should decide the best option(s) for their Unit. Girl choice is the fundamental basis for uniform selection, provided it is appropriate for the occasion. More information is available on the GGA website.

The uniform is to be worn to all Girl Guide activities. A Girl Guide activity is one that is held in the name of Girl Guiding at local, Region, State, Australian, or international levels. However, members may wear casual attire (including non-uniform items with the Girl Guide logo) for some activities, such as camping, abseiling, and canoeing, as the organisers deem appropriate.

Members travel to and from events, including Region, State, Australian, and International events, in uniform unless wearing uniform is considered inappropriate.

No member should be discriminated against on the basis of uniform. However, for some activities, the organisers, District, Region, State Girl Guide Organisation, or Girl Guides Australia may require specific uniform items to ensure appropriateness for the occasion, such as ANZAC Day, presentations. Therefore the formation of a clothing pool locally, regionally, and/or Statewide is encouraged.

When in uniform, members will wear as their lower garment, an item of length and style appropriate to the occasion. The item shall be navy blue or made of blue denim. No item of clothing shall be ripped nor appear badly faded.

 

Last Modified: 27/06/23 at 8:36 PM