Opening
a
New
Unit
GIRL GUIDES WESTERN AUSTRALIA
(Revised: July 2014)
CONTENTS
BOOKING THE VENUE
3
Establish preferred time and day
Who to contact
ESTABLISHING A UNIT (GIRL GUIDES)
4
How to find the Girl Guides
Contacting Girl Guides
Introductory Registration Meeting
THE FIRST MEETING
6
Choosing a Unit name for the Unit
Program ideas for the first meeting
REGISTERING YOUR UNIT NAME
7
PROCEDURE REQUIRED FOR OPENING THE BANK ACCOUNT
8
Opening
a new bank account
When a new bank account is opened the bank will require
NEW UNIT GRANT
10
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
11
CHECKLIST FOR OPENING A NEW UNIT
12
D Hodgson L&D July 2014
BOOKING THE VENUE
ESTABLISH THE PREFERRED TIME AND DAY
♣ Establish between the leaders of the Unit the day and time that suits
everyone. Choose few times as the hall may have been booked already be
booked for the time you want.
♣ The times below are a general time allocation for different age groups.
However, you may choose to meet for a different length of time.
 Younger Girl Guides generally meet for between 1-2 hrs.
 Older Girl Guides usually meet for 2 – 2 ½ hours.
 You may also choose to meet for a half or whole day once a fortnight
or month.
WHO TO CONTACT
♣ If there is a Girl Guide/Scout hall in your area then contact the Region
Manager. Community halls are usually administrated by the Local Council
and should be contacted through the Council Administration. Many Local
Councils also distribute a services directory which lists halls and other
buildings and includes a contact number. Some schools may allow Girl Guide
Units to meet at the school.
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ESTABLISHING A UNIT (GIRL GUIDES)
HOW TO FIND THE GUIDES
♣ Check with Region Manager for any names in local Units on waiting lists.
♣ Advertise in local school newsletters.
♣ You might find it easier to start with a smaller group and then build up the
numbers over a few months.
CONTACTING GUIDES
♣ Make initial contact by phone and introduce yourself.
♣ Organise an Introductory Registration meeting (outlined below).
♣ Follow up with a letter to both the Guides and parents which outlines
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Date and time of Introductory Registration meeting
Venue where it is to be held
Name of Leader/s
Contact Phone Numbers
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INTRODUCTORY REGISTRATION MEETING
♣ You should invite your Region Manager to the meeting.
♣ Introduce Leaders to Girl Guides and Parents.
♣ Ask your Region Manager to give a brief overview of the Promise and Law
and the Australian Guide Program, including the concept of Shared
Leadership.
♣ Outline the proposed meeting time and venue. (Don‟t forget most Girl Guide
Units do not generally meet during the school holidays)
♣ Discuss the reason for Girl Guides being a uniformed organisation.
♣ Discuss the costs. This discussion should include all costs.
Membership Fees These are set each year by Girl Guides Western Australia
Management Committee. They are for twelve months and cannot be
refunded.
Term Fees These are generally between $2.00 and $4.00 per week and
include the cost of venue rental.
Unit Fee Some Units charge a one off fee to cover badges, hats, bags,
Handbooks and Australian Guide Program Recognition System books.
♣ Membership Registration – Youth (the most current is available from the
Girl Guides WA website or from Guide House).
Each new girl should be given a Membership Registration Form and New
Member Information Form.

The parent or guardian is to complete the forms and return the New
Member Information Form to the Leader. The Membership Registration Form
is to be sent directly to Guide House. All sections must be completed and
signed by the Leader before forwarding it to Guide House and payment must
accompany this form. Leaders do not accept Membership Registration
Forms.

Once payment is received, a Membership Card and receipt are issued
by Guide House directly to the Girl Guide.

If a Membership Card has not been received by the fourth week, ask
the parent(s) to confirm the cheque has been presented or credit card debited
then contact Guide House. If there are any delays in processing new
membership registrations, Guide House will usually contact the Unit Leader.
Note: If the Registration fee has not been received the new Girl Guide is
unable to attend any Girl Guide meeting or activities as she is not
covered by insurance.
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THE FIRST MEETING
CHOOSING A NAME FOR UNIT
♣ At first Unit meeting Guides and Leaders choose a name for the Unit.
♣ Instructions to help choose a suitable Unit name
1. Geographical area
i.e. Suburb that the Unit meets in.
2. Middle word/name this is an OPTIONAL word/name.
3. Name must end with Girl Guides.
OLD SECTION NAMES ARE NOT TO BE USED: Gumnuts, Brownies, Rangers
as well as numbers as either word or numeral.
Middle name may reflect the Guiding intent or may be a feature of the area.
For example: name of local mountain, creek, flora or fauna.
All Unit Names MUST be submitted to Management Committee for approval,
prior to the name being used for any official paperwork – bank accounts etc.
Management Committee reserves the right to reject any name they feel does not
meet the above requirements.
Examples of acceptable names are:
Brookton Bandicoot Girl Guides
Padbury Adventurer Girl Guides
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♣ It is necessary to discuss with the girls the importance of the name of the Unit.
It needs to reflect not only what they may be interested in at the time but also
for the future. The girls need to be made aware that the suggested name
must be approved by the Youth Program Committee of Girl Guides Western
Australia. A New Unit Registration Form (available from your Region
Manager) must be completed and sent to Guide House.
Until the name is registered the unit is unable to open any bank accounts or
apply for any grants.
♣ Some suggested ways to identify and choose names are:-

Girls brainstorm and come up with a list of names. They could then
secretly vote for their favourite name. The winning name is the one with
the most votes. Older girls could write suggestions then vote by a
ballot.

The Leader may also make suggestions, especially with younger girls
who may have difficulty understanding the concept.
PROGRAM IDEAS FOR FIRST MEETING
♣ Play some active games that break the ice and build trust and friendship.
Some useful resources are:
* Let’s Play Cooperative Games: Terry Watson (Practical Publications)
* Games Galore: The Guide Association, United Kingdom (2001)
(Both of these books are available through Girl Guides Australia)
♣ If you are a new Leader the Girl Guides might also like to choose a name for
the Unit Leaders. Many Leaders are given names of Australian flora or fauna.
It is suggested that Leaders who are not of Aboriginal or Torres Strait descent
do not choose Aboriginal names without consultation with local elders.
♣ Introduce Girl Guiding History. There are a number of excellent publications
containing Girl Guiding History available for sale through Guide Gear or for
loan through the Sally Carlton Library (situated at Guide House and with a
loan catalogue available on the Girl Guides WA website). Ask your Region
Manager or Learning Partner for suitable publications.
♣ Teach some Girl Guiding Campfire songs. A number of songbooks are for
sale through Guide Gear or for loan from the Sally Carlton Library. Recordings
of some of the songbooks are also available.
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♣ Other program suggestions are available from Guide Gear. These in-house
publications are produced by the Youth Program Committee (YPC). Examples
are: In Case of Emergency - Break Glass! and Helping Hands (Packs 1-10).
REGISTERING YOUR UNIT NAME
♣ To register your Unit, complete a New Unit Registration Form (available
from your Region Manager) and forward to Guide House as soon after the
first meeting as possible. It is important to do this to ensure that the unit
name can be approved so that bank accounts can be opened at the
earliest possible opportunity.
♣ Once the Management Committee has approved the Unit Name, a letter and
Unit Registration Certificate will be forwarded to the Unit Leader confirming
the Unit Name.
PROCEDURE REQUIRED FOR OPENING BANK ACCOUNT
Opening a new bank account
Some recommendations when opening a new bank account are: ♣ Choose a financial institution that is easy to access and/or you have a
relationship with. A good relationship with your financial institution may be of
use, for instance when you look for someone to audit your accounts or looking
for sponsorship. Check with your Region Manager if any arrangement exists
in your Region.
♣
Shop around for „community‟ accounts that do not incur any fees and
charges.
♣ Compare the interest you receive on any balance in the account.
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♣
Ask about the frequency of bank statements. It is recommended that you
request bank statements to be generated on the last day of the month on a
monthly basis to allow for easy reconciliation with the Cash Book.
For the annual audit of books a bank statement is needed as at the 31
December.
When a new bank account is opened the bank will require:
 Name of the bank account - All bank accounts must be registered as:
Girl Guides Western Australia Inc + name of unit Example: Girl Guides
Western Australia Inc –Perth Swan Girl Guides
♣ Minutes from the Region Meeting that state the following under a heading of
“Accounts and Signatories” documented within the Region Minutes the
following needs to be written:
Accounts and Signatories for the following units within the …. Region
At this meeting it has been approved for an account to be opened in the name of
(Name of
Unit) e.g. Girl Guides Western Australia Inc Perth Swan Girl Guides
The signatories for this account are to be any two of the following to sign.
(List names) e.g.
Region Manager – Mary Smith
Unit Leader – Jane Brook
Unit Leader – Susie Jones
♣ Girl Guides Western Australia requires Units to open a Cheque Account. Bank
accounts must operate with at least three (3) signatories, with any two (2) to
sign. That the Region Manager must be a signatory on a Unit/Support Group
account. Persons other than leaders may be a signatory. The financial
institution will require proof of identity for all signatories. Discuss this with your
financial institution.
♣ Ensure that all signatories have the identification required to complete the
“100 point identification check” when you go to the bank.
♣ Postal address - Name and Address of the Unit Leader or Treasurer for the
statements to be sent.
♣ The financial institution may require a copy of Girl Guides Western Australia‟s
Constitution, Australian Business Registration, Certificate of Incorporation
and/or endorsement as a deductible gift recipient. Please contact Guide
House if you require a copy of these documents.
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♣ Once the account has been opened please let your Region Manager know the
details of your account including the account number. The Region Manager
will then forward to the Finance Officer at Guide House.
♣ For all information needed on financial matters obtain a copy of: Money
Matters - Making $en$e of dollar$ and cent$( Girl Guides WA publication February 2007). This publication is available through your Region Manager or
Girl Guides WA.
NEW UNIT GRANT
♣ All new units are entitled to apply for a grant available through Guide House.
This grant can be used to pay for leaders‟ registration fees, equipment to set
up the unit and uniforms for the leaders. Application forms are available
through the Girl Guides WA.
♣ Applications for the grant are unable to be lodged until the Unit name
registration has been received.
♣ Some grants are also available through different community groups. These
could include local IGA stores and local Rotary groups.
♣ Once the unit has been operating for at least six months the unit can apply for
Lottery Commission grants available through Guide House. Check with the
Region Manager or Guide House when these grants are available.
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SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
This is a suggested list only and may vary depending on the age of the Girl Guides in
your unit.
Financial Items
 Money Matters - Making $en$e of dollar$ and cent$
 Unit Accounts booklet/Downloaded from Girl Guides Western
Australia website
 Receipt Book
 Exercise Book to record fees and attendance
Girl Resources
 Handbooks for Developmental Stages of the Girl Guides in your
Unit
 Look Wide
 Look Wider Still
 Aim High
 Age appropriate girl resources
 Flag (The Australian Flag is available from your local Member of
Parliament)
 Balls, ropes, hoops
 Cork bags
 Patrol kits (scissors, pens and pencils, glue sticks, paper,
donated items)
 Website address
Leader Resources
 Guide Lines (Policies and Procedures for Girl Guides Australia)
 Leaders Handbook
 The Sally Carlton Library – located in Guide House
 WA Girl Guide Magazine – Wagtale (2 most recent). This is
available on the Girl Guides WA website or by contacting Guide
House.
 Promises Made, Promises Kept – the history of Girl Guiding in
Western Australia.
 Website address www.girlguideswa.org.au Go to the website to
access all the up to date information about Girl Guides WA. As a
leader of a Unit you can register to be able to access your Unit
details.
D Hodgson L&D July 2014
CHECKLIST FOR OPENING A NEW UNIT

Booked venue

Collate a list of names

Set a Introductory Registration meeting date and time

Contact Guides by phone

Send a follow up letter to potential Guides and parents

Set fees based on rental for venue

Hold Introductory Registration meeting – give out all forms

Plan first meeting

Purchase a book to record attendances and money received as well
as a receipt book to receipt all money received.
FIRST MEETING

Choose a name for unit

Choose a name for leaders (if applicable)

Send registration forms to Guide House as soon as possible after
first meeting.

Organise minutes of Region Meeting to open bank account

Open account at bank

As funds are received purchase equipment as required.
FINALLY, HAVE FUN AND ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY WITH YOUR GIRL GUIDES
IN YOUR NEW UNIT.
D Hodgson L&D July 2014