Top honours for Drouin Guide
Drouin Girl Guides recently held a special presentation to celebrate member Libby Haynes being awarded a Queen's Guide Award.
The highest achievement in Girl Guides, it has been 25 years since Drouin Girl Guides had a Queen's Guide in its ranks.
Senior guide leader Renee Hewlitt said the award represented years of commitment, leadership, service, resilience, adventure, and personal growth.
"Awards like this are not earned overnight. They are built slowly — camp by camp, challenge by challenge, badge by badge, and moment by moment. Behind this achievement are countless hours of hard work, determination, and a willingness to step outside of comfort zones.
"But what makes this award truly special is not just what Libby has completed — it is the person she has become along the way.
"Through guiding, Libby has shown leadership, kindness, encouragement, and dedication to her unit and the wider guiding community. She has supported younger Guides, taken on challenges, created memories, and helped shape the experiences of others around her," she said.
Renee said Libby achieved her Queen's Guide journey with the support of many people including leaders, family, friends, fellow guides and mentors.
She said the achievement was a celebration of Libby's contribution to guiding and the example she had set for younger Guides.
"You have shown what it means to challenge yourself, persevere, and grow into a confident young woman prepared to lead and serve others," Renee said.
Attending the presentation, Federal Member for Monash Mary Aldred congratulated Libby for her work and commitment over many years.
"What Libby has achieved is tremendous," Ms Aldred said. "I was honoured to be invited by Libby to attend her award ceremony in Drouin, having been interviewed as part of her award assessment."
The Queen's Guide Award is the peak achievement award for members of Girl Guides. It provides extraordinary opportunities for leadership, personal development and self awareness.
Libby wrote to Ms Aldred in September last year for an interview on communications in parliament. The results helped Libby complete a research challenge in her Queen's Guide Award assessment.
"It was a real privilege to congratulate Libby on her hard work and dedication to completing a very difficult assessment process," Ms Aldred said. "Libby's achievement is a great
reflection of the calibre of young leaders in our region and their commitment to our community," Ms Aldred said.
Drouin Girl Guides welcomes new members and volunteers wanting to get involved.
