Afternoon Tea in Support of the 2020 Girl Guides Queensland Annual Awards

Speech delivered by Mrs Kaye de Jersey:

State Commissioner, Mrs Kathryn Pearson and Board Members; Chief Executive Officer, Ms Kim Harrington; members of the Girl Guides family.

It is my great pleasure to once again be presenting the Queen’s Guide and Adult Awards, as it has been my privilege and pleasure to do for the past five years. 

This year I take particular pleasure in being able to do this in person.

At this time last year when presenting the Awards, it would never have occurred to me – to any of us – to relish the fairly simple act of meeting in person.

But this is a year unlike any other, and among the many lessons that COVID-19 has taught us one of the greatest has been to take nothing for granted. 

I was very proud, as Patron, to observe the resilience of Guides and Leaders as they moved to guiding online at the end of March.

The last line of the Guide Law exhorts us to ‘Live with courage and strength’, and it was wonderful to see that being put into practice around the State.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new State Commissioner, Mrs Kathryn Pearson, to the role, and to congratulate her on her appointment. The role of State Commissioner is a very important, multifaceted one, and I thank Mrs Pearson for bringing her energy to the role.

I would also like to thank our outgoing State Commissioner, Ms Velia Nicholls, for her many years of dedicated service. Her passion for Guiding and her support of the girls and leaders under her stewardship have been inspirational.

The primary purpose of today’s event is, of course, to congratulate the recipients of Queen’s Guide and Adult Awards. 

The setting of personal goals, culminating in the receipt of a badge, is an integral part of Guiding. I congratulate each girl on the milestones she achieves on her personal guiding journey. The Awards that I am proud to present today are in recognition that that journey has been taken to its highest level.

The attainment of the Queen’s Guide Award is an exceptional achievement, and the recipients, their families, their Units and their Patrols can be justly proud. 

Likewise, the bestowal of the Emu and Wattle Awards signifies that the recipient deserves recognition at the highest level as a result of personal commitment and service. 

I thank the Award recipients for that service and dedication, and congratulate them once again on their outstanding achievement.