Speeches
Saturday, 12 September 2026
Opening ceremony of the 27th Australian Trefoil Guild Gathering
I am delighted, as Patron of Girl Guides SA, to welcome you to Adelaide for the 27th Trefoil Guild Gathering.
To those who have travelled from around Australia, I extend a very warm welcome.
As I approach the end of my term as Governor, I have found myself reflecting on the positive impact that being a member of Guides or Scouts, a sports team, Army, Navy or Airforce cadets, the CFS or Surf Lifesaving, or indeed just about any organised activity, has on our young people. It gives them the skills and often the confidence they need to be engaged active citizens throughout their lives.
In my community role, as patron of a wide range of organisations, I also see adult volunteers, many of them wearing more than one hat, active in our community, and many of them having been Guides or Scouts in their youth.
I joined the Brownies when I was eight. In preparation for speaking to you this morning, I looked back at the Brownie Promise I made in 1969.
I promise that I will do my best:
To do my duty to God,
To serve the Queen,
To help other people,
And to keep the Brownie Guide Law.
Many of you will have made this promise or perhaps a more contemporary version of it.
You will probably also know that Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret became Guides when they were only a little older than I was.
The 1st Buckingham Palace Company was formed to allow the princesses to be part of the movement alongside the children of the palace staff.
I am sure the movement gave them skills and confidence that remained throughout life, as it has for many others.
On a small, but important practical note, I still remember how to tie slip knots and reef knots - one of the many small gifts of Guiding that stays with you!
Friends
It is always a special time when like-minded people come together to meet in person and to share friendship, memories, and laughter in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Personal connection is vitally important in a world where communication is increasingly being defined by text messages, emails, video calls and quick voice grabs on television and computer screens.
While technology has given us remarkable ways to stay connected, there is something unique about being together - seeing familiar faces, making new friends, simply enjoying each other’s company and sharing experiences.
That’s why the Girl Guides movement – a movement that as Trefoil Guild members you keep alive – has an important role to play in today’s fast paced world.
The pledge of respect, honesty, friendship, making good choices and living with courage, and strength by doing your best endures through generations.
I have been heartened to see those values in action when meeting the young women taking part in Guiding.
I have always been impressed by the girls’ vitality, keenness to explore their worlds, and commitment to their communities.
They are becoming leaders. Leaders who care. Leaders who respect others. Leaders who use their time and their voices wisely. Our community is strengthened by it.
As Trefoil Guild members you have encouraged, mentored and supported these young women and seen the movement in action and I thank you for that.
Service doesn’t have an expiry date. The way we serve may change, but our commitment endures.
Now you are providing a place where the values and friendships developed through Guiding can continue throughout your own lives and be passed on to others.
Many of you have given decades of service to Guiding in Australia, because you care, because you want to see young women thrive. There can be no greater gift than to give back to others.
Through you, the next generations of women can feel that they belong, they can contribute and they are thoughtful and optimistic citizens.
You have led by example and I commend the Trefoil Guild for the wonderful contributions you make to charities and various causes and your fundraising to support guiding.
Friends
It is often said: once a Guide, always a Guide. By coming together and sharing your experiences, you demonstrate that this remains true.
Guiding is not something you leave behind. It is a set of values, friendships and a spirit of service you carry through life – and pass on to those who follow.
Have a wonderful 27th gathering to “meet, mingle and mentor”.