Ranger Guides Ella Pinfold and Regan Christensen, with Mayor Tracey Collis, have earned their Queen’s Guide Award, the highest award in GirlGuiding. They were presented with their certificates at the Tararua District Council Pahīatua service centre and will travel to Government House later in the year for their awards to be recognised by the governor-general.
Two Pahiīatua Rangers have received the highest award in Guiding, the culmination of four years of work.
Ella Pinfold and Regan Christensen both received the Queen’s Guide Award from Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis at the Pahīatua council chambers.
Later in the year, they will have the award recognised by the governor-general at Government House.
The Queen’s Guide Award syllabus was first introduced in 1946 and could be awarded to Guides aged 11-17 years.
In 1953 the award was changed and made available to Ranger Guides only and has remained the highest award in Guiding since then.
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II the name has remained the same as a mark of respect and as a legacy to the Queen’s relationship with Girl Guides.
While the specifics of the badge have been modernised over the years, the badge still requires Rangers to show leadership and undertake advocacy, develop a love of the outdoors, give community service, learn new skills and have new experiences that push their comfort zone as it did way back in 1946.
Ella and Regan, both students at Tararua College, have been working for four years to earn the award.
They completed 60 hours of community service, planned and led a camp to Whanganui, attended a Queen’s Guide retreat, held their 12x12 challenge badge for three years and completed 12 interest badges.
The interest badges covered diverse topics such as vehicle maintenance, looking at different faiths through food, law and order, camping and tramping, trying new sports and outdoor activities, learning about Anzac Day, undertaking performance arts, advocating for animal welfare, investigating native plants and animals as well as learning to make the most of yourself, making and eating food from around the world and learning about New Zealand women in history.
To celebrate completing the Queen’s Guide Award they decided to do the special activity badge and spent a couple of days in Taupō, sky diving, jet boating, bungy swinging and speeding down the luge.
Pahīatua Ranger leader Nanette Davenport also received acknowledgement for having volunteered as a Guide leader for over 45 years. Nanette has not only been a leader of girls in Guides and Rangers in Pahīatua but has also served GirlGuidingNZ in numerous other roles.
As a trainer for leaders, she has influenced the experience of many thousands of girls all over the country. She was also on the organising committee of a jamboree, Era 2000, held in Carterton and has served in various positions locally and regionally over the 45 years.
With the closing of Pahīatua Rangers there are no longer Girl Guides operating in Pahīatua. There have not been Pippins, Brownies or Guides for a couple of years as leaders could not be found. Girls wanting the GirlGuiding experience can attend a unit in Woodville that meets on a Monday night, where Nanette still occasionally gives her time to Guiding.
There were 24,318 breath tests recorded in the region in just one month.