The Queen's Guide Award is the ultimate award in guiding. It is a series of challenges that allows you, as a member of the Senior Section, to develop your own skills while contributing to guiding and your local community. The Award is designed to be flexible so that you can fit it around your current commitments and still continue if your situation changes.
A copy of the record book is included with your CD. It is also available to buy from Trading Service or your local guiding shop.
Who can help me?
Your Queen's Guide Coordinator (referred from here on as 'the Coordinator') will be your main point of contact regarding any queries or clarification during the period that you are working on the Award.
Your mentor will offer you advice and guidance through the Award and help you plan and review your progress.
Your District/ Division Commissioner will be interested to know your plans and will help you meet your challenges. She will be a good point of contact for help in working with other units.
Your assessors -these will be people with knowledge and experience in the challenges you are undertaking. They will give you useful pointers for getting the most out of the challenge and wilt support YOU with your progress.
Can other projects that I'm working on be counted towards the Award?
Projects that you are undertaking for other awards - such as Look Wider, the Young Leader Qualification, the Leadership Qualification and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award may be counted towards your Queen's Guide Award as long as this is included in your initial plan. Projects that you are undertaking at school or college may not be Used, although if you wish to develop your work on these projects further then they may count towards your Award.
If you undertake a challenge that involves working for an award or qualification from a body other than Girlguiding UK, the conditions of both the Queen's Guide Award and the additional qualification must be observed.
If you have previously completed your Senior Section Permit or Camp and Holiday Scheme, this can be counted towards your Award. Remember -each project or event can only be used for one clause or element.
Choosing an assessor
Before starting each clause or element you will need to pick someone who can confirm you have completed the challenge. This person, the assessor, may be able to give you useful pointers for getting the most out of the clause and be able to discuss your progress while you are completing the challenge. Agree your choice of assessor with both your mentor and Coordinator.
Completing a clause or element
Once you have completed a clause or element, complete the appropriate section in your Record Book and ask the relevant assessor to sign it, adding comments if they wish.
The Promise
If you have not made your Promise, you will need to do so before the end of your second year working for the Award. The Promise and Law are at the heart of all guiding activities and by making your Promise you are declaring your commitment to the shared values of guiding.
Flexibility
While you are working on the Award, you may find that some plans need to be changed. This is fine -just talk the changes through with Your mentor and keep your Coordinator informed.
During your initial planning meeting you may identify that you will need some time out during the three years when you will be working for the Award. This could be for a variety of reasons, for example,college courses, studying tor exams, a gap year, moving house, getting married etc.
You can take up to 12 months out from the Award, which should be planned at the beginning of the Award wherever possible. It is possible to arrange time out during the Award if the need arises by discussing this with your mentor and Coordinator.
Finishing the Award
Once you have completed all the clauses, complete your Record Book and send it to your Coordinator. She will confirm that you have completed the Award, send the book to Girlguiding UK to be signed by the Chief Guide and inform your Country /Region office.
After your Award is confirmed it is time to celebrate! This is an opportunity to thank those that have helped you through your Award and gives you a chance to display everything you have achieved to become a Queens Guide. Why not invite your family and friends, the local media and other people involved in guiding in your area? You will also be invited to a formal presentation of your Award organised by Girlguiding UK. Details of this will be sent to you after you have completed the Award.
Below are the answers to a few questions, and some hints and tips about the award to help you get started.
Who can do it?
Any member of the Senior Section aged between 16 and 25.
How long will it take?
The Award must be completed within three years of your official start date and, in any case, before your 26th birthday.
What will I get out of it?
You will get a great sense of achievement from completing the Award. The challenges allow you to develop your skills through activities that you enjoy. The skills that it will help you to develop include working as part of a team, time management, organisational skills, planning, evaluation and communication skills - all of which will be useful at work, in guiding and life.
Once you have completed the Award you are presented with a silver brooch and an enamel badge, and a certificate signed by Her Majesty the Queen.
How do I get started?
Once you have read through the syllabus and decided to work for the Queen's Guide Award, it is easy to get started:
- Contact your County Queen's Guide Coordinator and your District /Division Commissioner to let them know that you plan to work on the Award.
- Register for the Award by completing Girlguiding UK's Queen's Guide Award Form (S/QG). Click here to download the form.
- Choose a personal mentor. This will be someone that you know through guiding that will be happy to offer you advice and guidance while you are working on the Award.
- Hold an initial planning meeting with your mentor. The date of this meeting wilt be your 'official' start date. At this meeting, you should roughly outline how you intend to complete the Award within the three-year period. Remember that you can complete the challenges in any order. Once your plan is complete, send a copy to your Coordinator and get started!