Ownership of their flags

The District has a set of flags that, as the Guides become familiar with, are gradually brought into the program framework and used throughout different activities and events. Traditionally flags are were the people rallied to 'support' their people. The most used have the pink one, the blue one and the World Girl Guide and Girl Scout Flag.

By the end of term two 2010 there was a need arising for two meetings to occur.  Several attempts were made to begin a second meeting time.  Literally to no avail.  However we adults persisted.

Over the last few terms the Guides have had

• Free standing flags seen during the program.


• The flags having a special emphasis during horseshoe.


• The visitors stand up the front on the Left but next to the Leaders.


• The three most used flags at things like the District Morning teas and the District Campfire - just to name a few events.

The primary focus of the program over the current two months has involved developing a District Identity, bonding the Guides together with activities where the Guides are comfortable with their own advocacy styles leading into governance of their decisions.  The core group of girls attending the Guide meeting has grown in number.  The parents are spreading the word amongst their friends. Thus are seen by their daughters as supporting them in their Guiding endeavors.  The efforts put into developing the expanding core of different aged Guides is having positive results.

So much so that a once the Guides had voted on which flag [pink or blue] would represent their meeting time they are identifying with 'their' flag. Last night just as horse shoe was forming the 'pink' flag on its flagpole was installed to the Right of the Horse Shoe head.  When asked why the blue one was not up the Guides were informed that the blue flag is used on Thursday afternoon meeting. Of course only the older Guides attend this meeting.  If these Guides wanted to stand under 'their' flag they were welcome to come to a Thursday meeting.  The results were two fold.

•  The older Guides are committed to attending Thursday afternoons.


• The older Patrol now stands on the Left side of the Horse Shoe. The younger Guides on the Right... under their flag. 

The consensus for this action came from Guides who used what they had seen, been shown how to do, fleadingly understood a process that enabled them to feel comfortable with making a decision, offering an alternative and carrying the deceive  These Guides have bonded with each other and are rallying under their meeting times flag. 

Now to encourage the interest in attending the Baw Baw Region event of 'Flying the Flag' at Gippsland Heritage Park, Moe.  Acknowledging that Guiding is part of a uniformed World organisation.  Australian Girl Guides rallying together under just one World Flag.

The underling process of 'flag ownership' will carry on until they have earned their World Guide Badge and fund raised for their new uniforms on which to wear that badgeSource: http://whynotgirlguides.blogspot.com/2010/08/ownership-of-their-flags.html