Orange Girl Guides nab more than $22,000 for club's very own equipment

Mentoring groups of girls between the ages of five and 17 years old, the young women are about to welcome half-a-dozen brand new canoes, several oars, a big trailer and even their very own carport to store it.

"Before, we had to either borrow canoes or hire them, so we're over the moon about this [grant]," Ms MacRae said.

"It couldn't have come at a better time and our senior guides unit is growing as well, they love to go canoeing."

Which Ms MacRae says is a huge ode to the senior girls' leader, 27-year-old Cassie Talbot.

Guiding girls from the ages of 13 to 17, she said Ms Talbot regularly goes above and beyond for the organisation.

"[Cassie] is brilliant and a godsend to the senior guides," Ms MacRae said.

"She's pretty switched on to what their needs are and has only recently gotten back from Mardi Gras from taking two of the girls down [to Sydney], all voluntarily.

"She truly goes out of her way for them."

Which is another reason why before securing more than $22,000 in funding, member for Orange MP Phil Donato went in to bat for the group.

The girls will now be able to practice with their own equipment at Lake Canobolas for the state regatta they enter each year.

This also comes with the opportunity to grow their own life and leadership skills in the process.

"It teaches them teamwork when they have to navigate a two-person canoe, because if they don't work together then they all end up in the water," Ms MacRae said while laughing.

Mrs MacRae said the club's members will take pride in its brand new gear and protect it all by purchasing a double carport with its recent grant success.

They're also hoping it will bring in new girls to join the guiding ranks, with the not-for-profit organisation coming up to its 100^th birthday in a few years from now.

"For the girls who might be wondering 'what's in it for me', it's really just the urge to have fun and to help support girls in their own areas to grow into responsible members of their communities," she said.

"It makes them think and they're all there to improve themselves and help the community by broadening their leadership abilities."

Groups are broken down into junior guides aged six to 10, guides 10 to 13 years, and senior guides from 13 to 17 years old.

They meeting weekly during school terms and, with their leaders, set their own programs at the start of every month.

Activities can include anything the group agrees on, such as going to the movies together, sporting challenges and outdoors programs, are are designed to include core traditions and values of the club.

"The little ones mainly want to go to the movies, bless them, but it's always steered around our seven fundamentals such as leadership traditions and so on," Ms MacRae said.

"We work all of those into the program, so it supports them to think independently and in a group setting.

Orange's junior guides meet every Monday from 5pm to 6:30pm at the Girl Guides Hall at 365 Peisley Street.

Guides meet there each Wednesday from 5:30pm to 7:30pm and seniors gather every Tuesday evening, 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

"And when you take on leader role we have our own traditions where we choose a flora or a fauna to have as our guiding names," Ms MacRae said.

"We have a wallaby, platypus, koala - we've even had a 'Vegemite' before!"

For those wishing to get involved, more information can be found on the Girl Guides Australia website.

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