Australia+Day+2011

A very warm day for our 2011 Coonabarabran Guides Australia Day Breakfast which began with a warm welcome, Raising of the flag and national anthem followed by Hayley Martin reading the Australia Day Message from the State Commissioner of NSW and the ACT, Belinda Allen.  Guest Speaker June Cameron AM  June Cameron AM was the guest speaker for the Australia Day Breakfast and she entertained all present with her experiences as a member of the Asia Pacific Region Committee of the World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).  June was the elected member of Asia Pacific Region Committee WAGGGS from 2004-2007 and then elected Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of WAGGGS from 2007 to 2010. During that time June visited many countries, and was greeted in each one at the airport by someone in a Guide uniform, where she not only did work related to Guiding but also saw highlights and the non-touristy side of these countries. One of her many highlights was meeting Her Majesty the Queen of Brunei Darussalam in the palace of the richest man in the world, working closely with Guides and Leaders in the smaller islands of the pacific, seeing many different cultures, religions and levels of wealth and poverty of which Guiding encompasses and unites all. June has been very involved in Australian Guiding in many capacities - as board member Guides NSW and guides Australia, National Trainer and Regional Commissioner for Greater Newcastle Region June was State Commissioner of NSW&ACT Girl guides from 1998-2003 – and it was in that role that June came to the first Australia Day Breakfast here in Coonabarabran 12 years ago. We enjoyed seeing photos from that first Australia Day breakfast which was held down at Neilson Park.
 * Guides and Guests Celebrate Australia Day Breakfast  **

June travelled with her husband Bryan from Warners Bay especially for the Australia Day Breakfast. District leader, Vivian Evans, and some of the guides later took June & Brian to visit Pilliga Pottery.

Members of the Order of Australia In 2004 June was Awarded Member of the Order of Australia for service to youth through Guiding, as a teacher of the hearing impaired and work in the Uniting church.  We were delighted to hear on the morning that Marion Hardy will receive the Order of Australia Medal this year. Congratulations are warmly extended to Marion on receiving this honour. Shirley Clifton AM was also present on the morning so we were amongst highly esteemed company on the morning.  ** BP Award Presentation to Lilian Betts ** Girl Guides Australia has three achievement Awards for Guides to work towards and gain a great sense of achievement. The Awards can be achieved as Guides progress through the Australian Guide Program and include the Junior BP Award, the BP Award and the Queen’s Guide Award.   It shows dedication and determination from Lilian Betts who has successfully achieved the BP Award which involves 3 challenges in each of the following areas - Promise and Law, Outdoors, Service, Guiding Traditions, World Guiding and Patrol Systems. June Cameron AM congratulated and pinned on Lilian’s BP Award and in addition the complete Rainbow challenge award.

Lilian will attend a state wide Awards ceremony in Sydney in May later this year. Congratulations again Lilian on reaching your goal of BP Award and hope you will continue onto the Queen’s Guide Award.

** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Certificate of appreciation to Robyn and Kerry Vallette ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Guiding all over Australia and the world works successfully due the wonderful contributions of volunteers. Coonabarabran Guide units have the wonderful support from parents of Guides and some of those parents continue well beyond the Guiding life of their daughters! Two of those such people are Robyn & Kerry Vallette who whip round with the whipper snipper and mower to tidy up the grounds whenever they see it needing done, and have done so for many years. The grounds are large and this effort is done without request and it is really appreciated. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">District Leader Vivian Evans presented to Robyn & Kerry Vallette a certificate of appreciation for ‘Countless hours of service keeping the guide hall grounds neat and trim.’ So many thanks! It is really appreciated. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Guests were also entertained with a video of Coonabarabran Guides 2010 which included images and stories of the many activities the Coonabarabran Guides engaged in over the last year. This included Australia day, ANZAC Day, Ice blocking, Pilliga pottery and pizza, 150 years Coonabarabran street parade, Promise ceremonies, tree planting along our creek, canoeing, Halloween, wide games, Sandstone caves to name a few. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Funds raised for Flood victims ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Guests then partook in an Australia Day Breakfast with money from the event to be donated to the Queensland Premiers Flood Relief Fund via Guides Australia. (Apologies at time of printing author was unable to ascertain amount raised - We will publish in a future Guidelines article) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Many thanks to our guests and to June & Bryan Cameron; to the Guides, their families and Support Group members who assisted on the day and prior to the event for making our 2011 Australia Day Breakfast such a special occasion. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Be Prepared <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">