David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to speak this afternoon about some recent visits I made to Girl Guides associations in my electorate.

There is a strong Girl Guides tradition in the electorate of Banks, with five groups currently active. Girl Guides aims to give young girls an important education outside of school in four key areas: character and intelligence, skill and handicraft, physical health and service for others.

I recently visited groups in Revesby and Lugarno. Revesby Girl Guides meet weekly at Endeavour Hall during the school term. They engage in activities aiming to help the kids learn important new skills and, additionally, to develop skills in leadership. The guides progress through challenges, with the aim of earning badges and progressing over time into more challenging divisions. I thank in particular at Revesby Girl Guides the leader, Natalie Albrecht, and organisers, Diane Albrecht and Beryl Matthews.

Over at Lugarno I was fortunate to visit Lugarno Junior Girl Guides—indeed, on the same day that I visited Revesby. Lugarno Girl Guides also do a terrific job in helping to develop those important personal skills in girls. Thank you to Kim Phillips, the organiser of the group, and to everyone else who is involved in helping to give the girls in our local community important skills as they grow.