Girls get guiding light

By Bridget Cook
THE Pakenham GirlGuides participated in week of sharing, activities and challenges this month to help celebrate the centenary year of Girls Guides.
To mark the 2010 International Year of the Girl Guides the Pakenham group joined more than 2500 Girl Guides and leaders from across the globe in Geelong for a week.
As part of the celebration, the two leaders and eight girls, three of them with special needs, from Pakenham participated in a range of activities including an evening at Adventure Water Park in Geelong, visiting the Melbourne Zoo, the Aquarium, Eureka Tower and the MCG and had the opportunity to meet the cast and crew on the set of Neighbours.
The girls were also faced with many challenges throughout the week including rock climbing, hiking, surfing, kayaking and horse riding.
Pakenham Girl Guides leader Sonya Boloski said the week celebration was one big adventure.
“Everyone had a ball,” she said. “It gave them the opportunity to meet new people, be a part of a fantastic group and do things they would have never done before.”
She said it was a particularly great experience for the three girls with special needs as it was one of their first times away from home.
“These girls were able to enjoy the camp like everyone else and just be another teenager,” she said. “They all took part in every activity the same as everyone else and had a ball.”