Centenary Unit

Program Booklet

“Prepared for the Future”

 

Prepared  by  a  team  of  Guide  Leaders  and  formatted  by  Georgina  Richardson  to  support  the  introduction  of  the  Girl  Guides  Western  Australia  Centenary  Challenge,  June  28  2014.  

Every  effort  has  been  made  to  check  and  acknowledge  the  sources  of  the  information  in  this  document  but  if  there  are  any  errors  please  accept  our  apologies.  

Girl  Guides  WA  would  like  to  thank  Burns  and  Baker  Accountants  Pty  Ltd  of  South  Perth  for  their  assistance  with  the  printing  of  this  booklet.  

 

 

Unit Meeting Program To introduce the Centenary of Guiding in WA Challenge to the unit

AIM: To celebrate the beginning of the Centenary Year (July 2014 – June 2015) in WA and

introduce the Centenary Challenge to unit members with a ‘fun’ meeting program.

TIME activity may take

ACTIVITY description/ instructions

FOCUS of the activity

RESOURCES needed to do activity

5-10 mins.

OPENING: Colours or regular opening World Song or Centenary Song Reading: Article from newspaper calling meeting

Tradition • Flag if desired • Words to chosen

song printed Article provided

10-15 mins

ACTIVE GAME: Musical Chairs/ Musical Bobs Played using Guide songs included with program

Physical activity and familiarisation with song tunes

• Chairs (if needed) • Songs & method of

playing them

20-30 mins

PASS THE CHALLENGE PARCEL: Played in a circle – with music or using a timer to stop the parcel for the next unwrapping

To get a taste of “The Challenge”

• Pre-prepared ‘parcel’ with challenges between wrappings

• Materials needed to do challenges

20-30 mins

CHARADES/ SKITS: Each patrol picks a scenario slip from a lucky-dip. After a brief (5 min.) preparation time each patrol performs their ‘moment from WA Guides’ history

Working as a patrol looking at events from GGWA’s history

• Printed and cut up scenario slips put in a ‘lucky dip’ container

10 mins BIRTHDAY CAKE: Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to GGWA Ceremonial cutting of cake and enjoy!

Celebrating our 99th birthday

• An appropriately decorated birthday cake

15-20 mins

INDOOR CAMPFIRE/ SING-A-LONG: Using popular tunes with Guide words which have been appropriated to Guiding over the century

Guiding songs • Music/songs provided

• Words – on wall using data projector OR

• Large song sheets or individual sheets

5-10 mins

CLOSING: Final colours or regular closing with quote from BP and Taps or regular closing song

Tradition • Quote from BP provided

The Unit may choose to rearrange or select only some of the suggested activities but it is hoped that all will try the Centenary Song, celebrate the 99th Birthday and participate in the Pass the Challenge Parcel activities as a ‘warm-up’ to using the Centenary Challenge over the following 12 months.

 

The meeting program has also been set out in a demonstration unit meeting format with space left for delegation of tasks among Leaders/ helpers and room for evaluation notes.

Leaders will need to prepare activity materials before the meeting, including: • making the Pass the Challenge Parcel with the printed challenge slips between each layer of

wrapping and ensuring that the materials needed to do the challenges are handy • printing off the readings for the Opening and Closing • printing the ‘scenario slips’ for patrols to select for the charades/skits activity • creating an appropriately decorated Birthday Cake • providing something to play the songs on • providing some way of sharing the song words – individual or shared song sheets or large

format sheets or a data projector. If not confident singers, Leaders may like to listen to the songs a few times prior to the Guide meeting to familiarise themselves with the tunes.

To develop the Birthday Party theme further, units might like to decorate the hall or meeting space with blue & gold balloons; streamers etc. or make party hats at a previous meeting.

 

MUSICAL CHAIRS/ MUSICAL BOBS

The reason for including this game, apart from burning off that initial ‘beginning of meeting’ energy, is for the Guides to hear the songs a few times before the ‘sing-a-long’ session at the end. For those who can’t remember, Musical Chairs is played with a row of sturdy chairs or stools lined up down the centre of the room – one less chair than players. The players process / dance around the chairs in a circle while the music plays. As soon as the music stops each player tries to sit on an empty chair. The one left chair-less sits out and a chair is removed each time before the music begins again. Musical Bobs is just the same except that instead of sitting on chairs the players bob down to a crouch when the music stops and the last one down sits out. This one needs a lot more supervision than using chairs to prevent arguments over ‘who was the last’!!

PASS THE CHALLENGE PARCEL

(The parcel needs to be prepared before the game!)

This is played exactly like the party game ‘Pass the Parcel’ with all players sitting in a circle and passing the parcel around from one to the next. The music or a timer is set to stop at random intervals and the person with the parcel being passed into their hands at that moment holds the parcel. She unwraps one layer and discovers the ‘challenge slip’. She performs the challenge … maybe with a little help from her handbook or a friend.

When she has completed the challenge the music or timer is restarted and the parcel resumes its journey around the circle. The very last layer taken off will reveal the ‘surprise’ prize for the person who has just unwrapped it.

There are Challenge slips to go on every layer of the parcel except the first. If you have a very large group and wish to make up a few more challenges go ahead. If you consider the challenges too difficult or too simple for the girls in your unit adapt / rewrite them to suit. These were all taken from either the Centenary Challenge or the girls’ handbooks.

How to play suggested Games!

PATROL CHARADES / SKITS The ‘scenario slips’ need to be printed off, cut up, folded in half and put in a box or basket. Each Patrol chooses someone to ‘lucky dip’ a ‘scenario slip’ for the patrol. This will give them the scene and action for the skit they must perform. The ‘scenarios’ are all based on events from the history of Girl Guides WA. Allow about 3 to 5 minutes preparation time (these are not full blown plays – they are just a quick acting-out exercise) then each Patrol performs their scene for the rest of the unit. If possible, perform them in chronological order to give a better picture of the Guide story. As with the Pass-the-Parcel, if you think they are too difficult or too simple for your girls – rewrite them.

 

Pass the Challenge-Parcel Challenges

For her Golden Bar Test a Brownie in 1919 had to know about the flag of her country. Draw a picture of the Australian Flag with all the parts in the right places.

The Tenderfoot Test, which a girl had to pass before she could become a Guide, required her to tie a reef knot. Could you pass this test?

WAGGGS has 5 world regions. Can you name them all?

At the 4th International Conference of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, held in 1926 in USA, it was decided to have a special day each year when Guides and Scouts all over the world expressed their joy and thanks for being part of an international movement. What was the date chosen for this day of ‘thinking of our sister Guides and Scouts’ and why was that date special?

In the original Girl Guide Laws number 10 said “A Guide is thrifty”. Explain what ‘thrifty’ means.

During World War II Guides set up the G.I.S. What does G.I.S. stand for and what did it do?

For the agility clause of the 1919 Golden Bar Test, a Brownie had to hop around a figure-of-eight. Are you able to do this Brownie test?

To earn the Rescuer Badge of 1943 a Guide had to know how to call an ambulance or the fire brigade. Explain how to make an Emergency Services call today and what information you will need to give.

When working towards her Commonwealth Knowledge Badge in 1954 a Guide needed to be able to name countries that made up the British Commonwealth of Nations. Can you name 4 of them?

 

In October 1957 J.O.T.A. was started. What does J.O.T.A. stand for?

To pass her Tenderfoot test and become a Guide, a girl in 1968 had to be able to tie a sheet bend. Would you be able to pass your Tenderfoot Test?

At the Golden Jubilee Rally at Claremont Showgrounds in 1965 Guides did demonstrations of Guiding skills. One demonstration was how to put on an arm sling. Can you demonstrate how to put an arm sling on someone?

If she wanted to earn the Star gazer Badge a Guide in 1966 had to name all the planets in order from the sun. Can you?

In England Lord and Lady BP called their home ‘Paxhill’. When they went to live in Kenya they called that home ‘Paxtu’. The first International Camp held in Hungary in 1939 was called ‘Pax Ting’. Our WA campsite at Lesmurdie was called ‘Paxwold’ and the World Centre in London is called ‘Pax Lodge’. What does ‘Pax’ mean and in which language?

In 1985 Girl Guides WA raised $25 000 to start an internal radio station for entertaining sick children at Princess Margaret Hospital. What is the name of the PMH radio station?

In 1980 a new badge for Guides to earn was introduced … the Asia Pacific Badge. Can you name 3 countries in the WAGGGS Asia Pacific Region?

To pass the original Second Class Badge as laid out in 1912 in ‘How Girls Can Help to Build up The Empire’, a Guide needed to have some knowledge of Morse Code. Can you show the 5 vowels in Morse Code?

A First Class Guide had to know all the points of a compass. Can you draw the 8 main compass points?

 

Charade or Skit Scenarios

First week in July, 1915 After the public meeting at which it was decided to form Girl Guides in Perth, interested girls were invited to Mrs Osborne Wilson’s house, 19 Angove Street, North Perth. Dozens of girls turned up from all over Perth and the house was filled with eager, chattering girls – even crowded into the hallway and the laundry. They tied knots with pieces of string, drew flags and tried to learn the Guide Promise and Guide Law. Your patrol will act out being some of these first Guides at their first Guide experience at Mrs Wilson’s home.

1925 The Girl Guide Association, after only 10 years, did not have very much money. They rented a one room office in Davilak Chambers, 538 Hay Street, for 10 shillings a week as the Girl Guide Headquarters. However. they found that there was just not enough money to pay for a part time Secretary to keep track of all the paperwork for the 1000 Guides now in WA as well as renting the office space. Luckily for the Girl Guides, a very generous man named Mr Twitchem gave them a gift of 700 pounds to pay for a Secretary. In 1925 this was a huge sum of money. Your patrol will act out the meeting at which Mrs Church (in charge of the Guides’ money) tells the other committee ladies – Miss Bull (in charge of country guiding), Mrs Black (in charge of training Leaders), Mrs Coombe (who looked after equipment ) and Mrs Fothergill (Head of Tests) about Mr Twitchem’s generous donation. Mrs Church had put the money in the bank and they could use the interest to rent 2 rooms at the Turf Club Building which was at the end of Howard Street, Perth as well as employ Miss Christina Brown as the Girl Guides part time Secretary.

18 May 1931 Lord and Lady Baden Powell arrived in Perth for a visit. They came by train to Perth Station where a car was to meet them and drive them to Government House to stay with the Governor and Lady Campion. So many Guides and Scouts and other people had gone in to Perth to see them that the streets were packed and police had to walk in front of the car to clear a path for it to drive forward. Your patrol act out the police and Lord and Lady BP trying to get the car through the crowds from the station to Government House … some of you will need to be the crowds!

 

5 September 1947 On her way to Perth by train from the Eastern States, Lady BP stopped off the train in Kalgoorlie to see the Goldfields Guides. While there she was delighted to present the very first Queen’s Guide Badge to be earned in WA. At a big ceremony she presented Marjorie Genge with her badge. This was a very new badge only recently introduced to Guiding. A Guide had to work very hard to achieve to achieve her Queen’s Guide Badge and the badge was named for Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI (and our Queen’s mother), who had once been a Guide Leader in Scotland. Your patrol will act out Lady BP presenting Marjorie with her Queen’s Guide Badge In Kalgoorlie.

September 1947 The highlight of Lady B-P’s visit to Perth in 1947 was the opening of the new beachside campsite at Seaward (now the Swanbourne SAS Barracks). In beautiful sunshine, Lady BP arrived and walked through a Guard of Honour with her Standard carried in front of her. She declared the campsite open and then surprised everyone by presenting the very popular State Commissioner, Lady Lee Steere, with the Silver Fish award – the highest award given in Guiding at that time. Your patrol will act out this exciting event in Guiding history.

October 1957 Jamboree of the Air was first held in October 1957 – a hundred years after Lord BP’s birth. Guides and Scouts all over the world could talk to each other on amateur radio (called ‘ham’ radio) over the weekend when ‘ham’ radio operators invited them into their radio ‘shacks’. Your patrol will act as some WA Guides and some Girl Scouts from the Philippines talking to each other over the radio about the big world jamboree that was held in the Philippines in 1957 to celebrate the Centenary of Lord BP. (You may need to check that you know the phonetic alphabet when giving your radio call sign!)

 

May Day 1974 After many years of work and fundraising, ‘Our Barn’ at York was officially opened by the Governor. York Guides, riding their ponies, led the Governor’s car in a parade up the road to Our Barn. Sir Wallace Kyle cut the celebration cake with his ceremonial sword and Brownies danced a May Pole dance on the terrace Your patrol will act out the opening of Our Barn.

1985 To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Girl Guides, members in WA raised money to start up an internal radio station to entertain the sick children in Princess Margaret Hospital. With Penny-Parties (where all sorts of games and quizzes cost only 5c to have a turn) and Candy Capers (where Guides made all sorts of delicious sweets and lollies to sell on stalls), they were able to give the hospital $37 000 to set up Radio Lollipop. Your patrol will act out a Guide patrol raising money for Radio Lollipop in 1985.

 

Quotes to read at opening and closing

OPENING Lord Henry Barron, Governor of WA was quoted in the Scout Weekly of October 1914 as saying …

“The Girl Guides should start in Western Australia. Since the outbreak of the war, increased attention has been given by ladies to the study of first aid and ambulance work, also sick nursing. These subjects form an important part of the training of the Girl Guides and the time is very opportune for someone to volunteer as a leader for this movement, the training of which is bound to immensely benefit the girl individually and also the Empire of which she is also an important citizen.”

At the April 1915 meeting of the Women’s Service Guild a unanimous decision was made to found Girl Guides in WA. A public meeting was advertised for 28 June 1915 in the Perth Town Hall. The meeting was attended by all the leading members of the Perth community including the Governor, the Lord Mayor, the Archbishop and other leading churchmen, the Women’s Service Guild and Mrs Edith Cowan (later the first woman elected to WA’s Parliament) and of course masses of interested girls.

The rest, as they say, is history!

CLOSING From BP’s last letter …

I believe God put us on this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a child so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are grown up.

Be content with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try to leave this world a little better than you found it ….

 

 

Songs Appropriated by Girl Guides

Fun and Friendship

(Tune: The Yellow Rose of Texas – An American folk song from the American Civil War)

Oh, we’ll have fun and friendship as Girl Guides always do With Laws as bright as diamonds and still our Promise true We’ve Guiding songs to cheer us; Adventure is our quest As we travel down life’s highway prepared to do our best.

…and a silly version:

Oh the Yellow Rose of Texas and the Man from Laramie

Invited Davey Crockett to have a cup of tea The tea was so delicious they had another cup

And left poor Davey Crockett to do the washing up!  

Adam s Fam ily Grace

(Tune: theme song from The Adams Family TV series of 1964 based on a cartoon series from

1938)

Da da da dum (click click) Da da da dum (click click)

Da da da dum Da da da dum Da da da dum (click click)

We’re hungry and we’re thirsty We’re feeling rather empty We want to fill our tummies And so we thank the Lord

 

 

It’s A Good Tim e (Tune: It’s a Long Way to Tipperary – a music hall

ballad of 1912 which became popular among the soldiers of World War I )

It’s a good time to get acquainted

It’s a good time to know Who is sitting right beside you And to smile and say ‘Hello’

(Turn to person beside you and say ‘Hello’) Goodbye lonesome feeling

Farewell glassy stare. Here’s my hand, my name is …….

(shake hands with person beside you and tell them your name)

So put your’s right there.

…or as a lunchtime Grace

It’s a long time since we had brekky It’s a long time till tea

So we’re thankful for this lunchtime and it’s grateful we will be

Thank you to the QM and thanks to God above We will try our best to do our duty and share our

Guiding love.

Softly Falls the Light of Day

(Tune: Oh Tannenbaum – a traditional German folk song from the 16th Century which became a

popular Christmas song in the early 1900s. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree)

Softly falls the light of day as our campfire fades

away Silently each Guide should ask “Have I done my

daily task? Have I kept my honour bright? Shall I guiltless

sleep tonight? Have I done and have I dared everything to Be

Prepared?”

Stars have come to end the day; daylight fading fast away

All our work and play is done. Time to rest for everyone

Thanking God for everything - time to laugh and time to sing

It’s been a day we won’t forget Let’s make tomorrow better yet.

… and a silly version:

Softly falls the rain today as our campsite floats

away Silently each Guide should ask “Did I bring my

SCUBA mask? Have I tied my tent flaps down, learned to swim

so I won’t drown? Have I done and will I try everything to keep me

dry?  

 

My Favourite Cam p Things

(Tune: My Favourite Things – a song from the

Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music of 1959 which became a movie in the early

1960s)

Dewdrops on gumboots and bowls of rice crispies Woodsmoke on kettles and stew cooked in dixies

Sturdy wood gadgets all fastened with string These are a few of our favourite camp things.

Green coloured ridge tents put up in a hurry

Whistles and cow horns and goulash with curry Wild ducks that fly with the sun on their wings These are a few of our favourite camp things

Girls in blue dresses with navy blue jackets

Can’t get to sleep for the noise and the racket! Bright golden mornings that make us all sing These are a few of our favourite camp things

When the camp ends – when the coach comes

When we’re feeling sad We simply remember our favourite camp things …

And then we don’t feel – so bad.  

Rem iniscences of Paxw old

(Tune: One More Step Along the Road I Go, based

on a gospel song of 1971. These words were written for the ‘Farewell to Paxwold’ event in the early 2000s

when the campsite was given up)

Our place of Peace; retreat for young and old Cookouts, hikes; the flower decked hills unfold.

Long will be the stories told Of our campsite home, our dear Paxwold. But it’s from the old we travel to the new

Growth brings constant change our whole life through.

Little girls’ first nights away from home

Bedrolls dry although it rained and rained Leaders led and Trainers trained

Each memory, like the rocks, will still remain For it’s from the old we travel to the new

There’s still lots of travelling left to do

Though no longer to the hills we go The Guiding Spirit’s strong and it will show

Those whose Promise has been kept Will carry on and become better yet

‘Cause it’s from the old we travel to the new And Guiding’s in our hearts our whole life through.

Note: Pax means ‘peace’ in Latin

 

 

Girl Guides Western Australia Centenary Song

This Song is based on a song written for the 14th Anniversary of Guiding in WA. It was sung on 29 June

1929 at the celebrations held in Claremont Showgrounds attended by 700 Guides. The tune was an old tune called ‘Maresfield Road’ or ‘The Road to Maresfield’.

Verse 1. Today we sing of our birthday One hundred years ago When Guides in Western Australia Began with a bang you know. Chorus: And now a century on The spirit of Guides is still strong We learn ‘n laugh, ‘n camp, ‘n canoe Giving service and having fun Verse 2. Today we sing of the Leaders And Guides who made our past With wit and determination They’ve built us something to last Chorus: And now a century on The spirit of Guides is still strong We learn ‘n laugh, ‘n camp, ‘n canoe Giving service and having fun Verse 3. Today we sing of our sisters One hundred years from now Their world will be radically different And their lives will be nothing like ours Chorus: But still a century on The spirit of Guides will be strong They’ll learn, ‘n laugh, ‘n camp, ‘n canoe Giving service and having fun.