Members of original Guide group celebrate 70 years

Twenty-eight of the original group of First Ettalong-Woy Woy Guides, Brownies and Rangers celebrated 70 years of guiding on the Peninsula in October.

The group meet at the Blackwall Guide Hall on October 28 to celebrate the Guiding movement's achievements on the Peninsula.

Organiser Ms Fay Donnelly said the Ettalong-Woy Woy chapter was the first of all Central Coast Guides.

Ms Donnelly said all women who took part in the first generation of the Guides (1948-59) were invited to attend the anniversary celebration and some travelled from around the country to take part.

"In the early days we had to meet at the Ettalong Scouts Hall but our company grew rapidly in its first year," she said.

"After many fundraising endeavours, the company had raised the funds it needed to have its own Guiding Hall built, which still stands to this day," Ms Donnelly said.

During the celebration several pieces of memorabilia were also put on display with one member acquiring the treasured Sea Ranger Log Book, a document containing logs and other historical text from the early days of the chapter.

The Sydney Guide headquarters had to be petitioned to release it for the event, said Ms Donnelly.

"After a generous lunch, the ex-Guides exchanged humorous stories and sang campfire songs from our youth," she said.

"Those who could remember the songs and their actions from so long ago enjoyed much laughter.

"This happy occasion was proof of lifelong friendships through Guiding," Ms Donnelly said.

SOURCE:

Media release, 7 Nov 2019

Fay Donnelly, First Ettalong-Woy Woy Guides