Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When you are five or six, being a Girl Guide seems like a lot of fun, but I want to pay tribute to one particular guide, a member of the Hazelbrook-Lawson district, who through weeks and months of hard work was able to achieve her Queens Guide Award recently. Rachel Florey, from Wentworth Falls, completed a huge array of tasks for her Queens Guide Award just before her 18th birthday. I was honoured to be part of the awards ceremony held at Lawson earlier this month.

The Queens Guide Award is the peak achievement for youth members of Guides Australia. There is a series of challenges that Rachel had to complete. The one that stood out to me most was the planning and execution of a coast-to-coast walk across England. This was not a hypothetical task; this was an actual trek, and Rachel had to plan it down the finest detail and then do it. Her family trusted that she would get it right, because they went too—entirely in her hands; a big responsibility for Rachel. That really goes to the heart of the Queens Guide Award. It is about challenging yourself. Of course, she did not do it on her own. Rachel was supported by a group of people, including Senior Guides leader, Sue Bell; Rachel's parents Jane and David; and her Guide group. Rachel demonstrated maturity and poise as she accepted her series of awards, well supported by her district and region.

I would also like to pay special tribute to Sue Bell. After 24 years with Hazelbrook-Lawson, she is retiring as an active unit leader. Her legacy will live on in the young women that she has mentored over all those years.