By Cass Williams
With nearly a century having passed since its registration on August 28, 1923, Sale Girl Guides is gearing up for a memorable 100-year celebration on Sunday (August 27), at its hall in Market Street, and everyone is welcome.
Enjoying a resurgence today with 40 girls participating across four age groups, Sale Girl Guides began as an attachment to the St Paul’s Girls Club.
A meeting held at the Parish Hall in May 1923, with an address from Victorian Commissioner for Girl Guides at the time, Miss Robinson, saw the unanimous decision to form a company of Guides in connection to the St Paul’s club, with girls welcomed to attend the following week to select patrol leaders and start activities as 1st Sale Company St Paul’s Girl Guides. The company’s first captain was Elsa Loder, and its first lieutenant, Mrs Haultain.
Across its 100 years, members of the Sale Girl Guides company, now known simply as Sale Girl Guides, have participated in life-changing and memorable activities, from wartime assistance and royal weddings to local, regional, national, and international camps.
In 1940, under the guidance of Mrs B Luff, captain of the 1st Sale Company Girl Guides, donations were received from Sale residents for the Girl Guides Ambulance Appeal Fund, part of the £2132 Australian contribution to the total £48,000 raised by the world-wide Girl Guides Association. The collection allowed Mary, Princess Royal, to present significant equipment and services to the armed forces, including Oxford Airspeed ambulances, motor ambulances, rest rooms, and the restoration of a damaged lifeboat that was named The Guide of Dunkirk upon its return to service.
The 1st Sale Company Girl Guides also answered the call from Victorian Guides Association to make flannel and woollen clothing for the thousands of children in Great Britain, both British and refugee, who needed to be fed and clothed. Pullovers, mittens, socks, scarves, balaclavas, undershirts, and spiral stockings for the British seamen on minesweepers were later produced as part of local war efforts.
Mrs Luff received a letter from Miss Mary Stephenson, chairman of the Public Health Department of the London County council, in January 1942.
“A lovely parcel of gifts has reached us for the evacuated school children, for which we send our grateful thanks to you and to the Girl Guides who have made them so beautifully,” the letter read.
“All the things are so useful and so appreciated by the lucky children who get them. You can imagine how pleased they are, and they send their love and thanks to the children who have made them.”
The local Girl Guides were honoured in February 1948 when World Chief Guide, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, wife of Chief Scout of the World and founder of Scouts and Girl Guides, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, visited the region. Lady Baden-Powell met with the young Sale Girl Guides, together with Maffra and Briagolong Girl Guides and Cubs and Scouts from Sale, Stratford, Maffra, Heyfleld, and Rosedale. She spoke to them about the Chief Guide’s personal standard, which contained many emblems signifying the worldwide nature of the Guide movement as well as the ideals for which it stands.
She then met with the area’s adult community to discuss the Girl Guide movement, its establishment and global expansion. She said through its character-building, the movement had achieved great things and could do far more if given the support and leadership it needed. The Gippsland Times at the time reported she “deplored the fact that far too few leaders were forthcoming in Australia and that the progress in this continent was not nearly as great as in many other parts of the world”.
An interesting point, made 75 years ago, still relevant today. Sale’s current Girl Guide numbers are healthy, with the unit enjoying a resurgence with 40 girls across four age groups – Rainbows (5-8 years); Kookaburras (9-10); Pathfinders (11-13); and Rangers (14-17). However, additional leaders to provide experiences for girls and young women to encourage them to reach their full potentials remain a concern, with just two qualified leaders, two assistants, and formers leaders helping to bring it all together for the four units. Despite the pressures of a small leadership team, Tigger (Helen), Kamballa (Ellie), Panda (Claire), Turtle (Cody), and Dolphin (Lorraine) love being a part of Girl Guides.
“We currently have 40 girls across four units, with more girls interested,” Unit Leader, Helen Holliday, said.
“I am so proud of Sale and how it is going.
“My personal goal is to have five units and would love a Daisies, 5-7 years, unit to join the Rainbow, Kookaburra, Pathfinder, and Ranger units. We need more leaders so we can grow.”
The values of Guiding instilled at the movement’s founding in 1910 certainly remain current today.
Sale Girl Guides are strongly service-oriented, working within the local community and beyond with activities such as the collection of hygiene items for Share the Dignity, bread tags for wheelchairs, and supporting Better Life for Foster Kids, as well as participating annually in the ANZAC Day ceremonies and marches.
All age levels are actively involved in the Sale Music Festival, providing children’s activities and barbecue lunches and operate the Sale Show Canteen each year.
Keep a look out for details of the Sale Girl Guides’ school holiday program at Gippsland Centre Sale in the upcoming school holidays.
Meeting other like-minded girls is among the top reasons girls love Girl Guides, along with the multitude of outdoor activities, crafts, cooking, and new skills to be learned.
The challenges the girls face they face together and the friendships formed are strong and often lifelong. Their love of Guides is reflected in comments like:
“I’ve made friends and had so many experiences I never would have thought of all thanks to Guides and the people around me every week.”
“I went surfing and stand-up paddle boarding on a guide camp, something I would never have done if I didn’t join Guides.”
“A challenge I faced was climbing on the rock wall in Melbourne because I went up so high my legs were shaking. I would definitely go again.”
“I come back every week because there are always different challenges waiting to be conquered.”
In recent years, Guides and unit leaders have attended national jamboree, held earlier this year in Ballarat, state camps, and Snoozerella, an overnight stay at the Bendigo Discovery Centre.
Next month, Guides aged 10 and over will head to Gumbuya World for Snoozefest to ride the rides and experience the animal encounters until late in the night before sleeping under the stars in the middle of the theme park. They have attended Snoozefest in previous years at Luna Park and Kryal Castle.
With such enthusiasm from its young members and experiences on offer to them, the strength of the Sale Girl Guides looks set to continue well into its second century.
To celebrate their first 100 years of Guiding in Sale, today’s members invite all former Guides, leaders, families, friends, and anyone interested in learning of the unit’s past, present, and future to join them on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm at the Sale Guide Hall, 118-120 Market Street, to enjoy afternoon tea and peruse the historical displays with official proceedings at 2pm.
For further information, phone District Manager Helen Holliday at 0438 378 687 or email: helen.holliday@guidesvic.org.au
