Having celebrated their 100th birthday last year, the Victor Harbor Girl Guides is a branch of Guiding in South Australia, and a member of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
Girl Guides empowers girls and young women to try new things, experience adventure, and grow confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.
One of their volunteers, Susan Gower, was born shortly after the end of World War II.
She has spent most of her life in rural areas, where everyone in her family did voluntary work of one sort or another.
When Susan’s daughter joined Brownies she was asked to become the Leader of one of the Brownies packs in town – so she has been volunteering with Girl Guides for more 50 years.
Her application process was as easy as having a chat and doing some training, which she needed to repeat several times each time she moved sections, as there was no uniformity in training back then.
“The ability of being able to give oneself, to help, support and empower other people gives her a great sense of pride and satisfaction,” she said.
“It is exhilarating to see, 20 or 30 years later, the children (as adults) you have worked with/helped, following in your footsteps, volunteering in the same cause.
“It is then that you really know you have done something right.”
She believes without volunteers, the country would not survive, especially not to the current standard of our lifestyle and recommends volunteering to others without hesitation.
She paraphrases one of the Christian Saints by saying: “To give and not to count the cost, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for reward, seems to me to pretty much sum up all volunteers”.
If you are considering volunteering, the Victor Harbor Girl Guides has two opportunities available: Unit Helper and Girl Guide Leader.
For more information or to apply, contact Southern Volunteering on 8552 7858 or regional@svsa.org.au
