4 Delivering the Australian Guide Program 26
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 Girl Guides Australia Suite 103, Level 1, 100 William Street Woolloomooloo, NSW, 2011 www.girlguides.org.au First published in Australia in 2013 Girl Guides Australia Copyright © Girl Guides Australia 2019 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission by the copyright holder. Design and illustrations by Karen Carter Acknowledgements We acknowledge the contribution of many Guiding volunteers who have shared their experiences and passion to produce this resource for Guide Leaders in Australia. 2 chapter title leader’s handbook 3 4 chapter title CONTENTS 1 Your Commitment As a Guide Leader 7 Making the decision to become a Leader n The Leader’s Handbook n What does Guiding promote? n Your commitment to the Promise and Law n Code of Conduct n Uniform n Your role as a Unit Leader n Learning and Development n Summary 2 Being Part of Guiding 15 Our history n The Promise and Law n WAGGGS n The Girl Guide/Girl Scout method n Summary 3 Being Part of Guiding in Australia 19 Guiding in Australia n The Promise and Law in Australia n Members n Your District team n Your Unit team n The Learning and Development team n Meetings n Summary 4 Delivering the Australian Guide Program 26 The four Elements n The seven Fundamentals n The AGP Process n The Girl Recognition System n Assessment n Badges and awards n Developmental milestones n Summary 5 Implementing the Seven Fundamentals of the AGP 57 Keeping the Promise and Law n Exploring the outdoors n Giving service n Exploring World Guiding n Sharing in Guiding Traditions n Leadership development n Participating in the Patrol System n Summary 6 Your Role As a Leader of Your Unit 102 Finding your leadership style n Shared leadership n The Unit n Patrol System n The Unit meeting n Planning a Unit program n Games n Your Unit – a special place n Summary 7 Your Role in Safety and Risk Management 116 Duty of care n Risk management n Guide Lines n Health and diet requirements n Health and safety at Unit meetings n Health and safety for activities n Emergency management n First aid n Summary 8 Your Role in Managing Your Unit 120 Finance n Records n Communication n Planning n Promoting Guiding n Summary 9 Making Guiding Great 125 Bibliography 127 Glossary of Terms 128 Index 131 leader’s handbook 5 6 chapter title 1. Your Commitment As a Guide Leader Welcome to Australia’s largest volunteer- You may have fond memories of making your based organisation for girls and young women. Guide Promise, sitting around a campfire or You are part of a family of 30,000 members travelling on an overseas aid project as a Guide. in Australia, with girls and young women Or you may have had friends who were Girl participating in every State and Territory, in Guides or you may have just thought, ‘Why rural and urban settings, learning new skills, not give it a go?’ Maybe your daughter has building friendships and having fun and persuaded you to become involved and support adventure along the way. her or you may have responded to an appeal for Girl Guides Australia is part of the Asia Leaders in your local area. Pacific Region of the World Association of Girl Becoming a Leader is not a step to take Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). With over lightly. You are responsible for the care and ten million members in over 140 countries, safety of the girls in your unit. You are required WAGGGS is the largest organisation for girls to facilitate a program which develops their and young women in the world. life skills, decision-making capabilities and leadership qualities. You are a friend and Girl Guides Australia’s mission is: confidante to them and will become part of their life for the time they are with you, and Enabling girls and young women to grow often for the rest of their lives. Girl Guide into confident, self-respecting, responsible Leaders play an important role in their community members. communities, and you will be respected for the As a Leader you bring unique knowledge and time you commit, your passion for the Guiding skills to pass on to your Guides and enable movement and the contribution you make to them to gain maximum benefit from the the lives and families of your Guides. Australian Guide Program. Your support for the Because of the importance of your role as girls and young women in your care is pivotal a Leader, you will have undergone a thorough in giving them the confidence to always be their selection process prior to making this best and to grasp new challenges. decision. Although the process varies across the States and Territories, you should have Making the decision to become provided references and completed a police check and/or Working With Children check. a Leader You should have had a full discussion with Women from 18 years of age join as members your District or Region Leader to understand and become Leaders for a variety of reasons. leader’s handbook 7 your responsibilities as a Leader as well as an members of the community about what Guiding opportunity to find out about your Unit. You promotes. There are five messages which should have been given a copy of the Code of together summarise what Guiding is all about: Conduct and possibly a job description setting Girl Guides provides a girl-only space. out your major responsibilities. If you think you Guiding gives girls the opportunity to have are missing any of this documentation, please fun in a safe, non-threatening environment speak to your District or Region Leader. that ensures they grow in confidence. Current You might already be an experienced Leader. research clearly suggests that girls learn and Thank you for everything you have already process information differently from boys. In an done! As an experienced Leader, you know just all-girl environment where they are the central how critical your leadership is, and how great it focus, their confidence levels rise, interests is to be part of the lives of so many wonderful expand and a special camaraderie develops. girls and young women. In this secure environment, girls and young women achieve their full potential. The Leader’s Handbook Girl Guides gives girls and young women a This Leader’s handbook is designed to give voice. Girl Guides Australia has conducted two you the basic information you need to be nationwide surveys – Australian Guides Say … a successful Leader, to give you ideas for 2007 and 2010 – to find out what issues girls activities with your Guides and to point you in are most concerned about. Our girls and young the direction of additional resources. women are also connected with global issues The Leader’s Handbook is part of the through advocacy projects and attendance handbook series and should be read in at global forums, such as the Conference of conjunction with the Guide handbooks relevant Parties (COP) Climate Change Forum and the to the age groups of your Guides: UN Commission on Status for Women Forum. • Guide Handbook 1 – 5 to 7 years Girl Guides promotes equality and • Guide Handbook 2 – 7 to 9 years diversity. Guiding is open to all girls and young • Guide Handbook 3 – 9 to 12 years women from all beliefs, cultural backgrounds • Guide Handbook 4 – 12 to 14 years and levels of ability. • Guide Handbook 5 – 14 to 17 years. Girl Guides is relevant to today’s girl. The Australian Guide Program (AGP) is driven Each of the Guide handbooks follows the same and led by girls. The program allows Guides format and has sections on each of the seven to choose what they want to do, implement Fundamentals of the Australian Guide Program, those activities and evaluate them. The AGP together with a section on challenges. encompasses all aspects of today’s life and The sections of the Leader’s Handbook prepares girls and young women to be citizens correspond to the six modules of the Australian of the future. Learning and Qualification Program (ALQP): Girl Guides ensures that girls and young • Being Part of Guiding women can be their best. Every activity in • Being Part of Guiding in Australia Guides contributes, whether this is obvious or • Delivering the Australian Guide Program not, to providing an environment where girls • Being a Leader of your Unit and young women can develop skills that will • Being Safe equip them for life and enable them to be their • Managing your Unit best. The Leadership Qualification Passport sets Your commitment to the Promise out all the requirements for Qualification and Law and records any relevant experience and/or Every member, whether youth or adult, is qualifications, as well as progress. asked to make the Promise, work towards making the Promise or accept the principles What does Guiding promote? of Guiding. As a Leader you are required to As a Leader you need to be able to talk make the Promise. You may have already made confidently to your girls and young women, the commitment to the Guide Promise if you their parents and guardians, teachers and other were a youth member, or you may have done 8 Your Commitment As a Guide Leader this many years ago when you first became a Leader. It may be something you have just done or you may be looking forward to making the Guide Promise for the first time or renewing it as you move from being a youth member to an adult member.