Do you feel as if Girl Guide biscuits have been around for ever? Well, not quite – but it’s 50 years this year since they first “hit the market” and they have retained their popularity throughout all those years as well as having additions to the range. This year they will be on sale from March 3-17…and Guiding have moved with the times, you can now buy your GG Biscuits online via the website http://www.girlguidingnz.org.nz/

The original old favourites sell for $2.50 per packet, and the “half-covered” chocolate ones and “minis” at $2.80 per packet. There’s even a recipe book, “Begin with a Biscuit” which you can also buy for $9.50 from the website! The chocolate biscuits were introduced in 1999 and Minis in 2003, but the plain one is still the most popular with 53% of sales, chocolate on 27% and Minis 20%.

Girl Guides first started officially in Britain in 1910– a result of the sisters of the first Boy Scouts wanting to join in. The same happened in NZ, with Scouts starting up in 1907 and girls insisting on being part of the action – the first ones were “Girl Peace Scouts” – and in 1912, they became officially affiliated with the UK organization and in 1923 the Peace Scout Movement became the NZ Girl Guides Association.

These days there are just over 15,000 members (2000) leaders in Pippins (5-7½ years), Brownies (7½-9½), Guides (9½-13), and Rangers (13-18), with the greatest number in Wellington and Auckland.

The biscuits are a major source of fund-raising, most going to the Guiding areas where they are sold, with a small percentage going to regional and national organisations to assist in offering girls more opportunities to extend their experience, enjoy activities with their peers and develop personal qualities and values.

Not only do the biscuits raise funds here, but they are also sent to most Australian states, where the selling period is in May. As a Guide in Tasmania, I can remember selling the biscuits, so it’s been a tradition for a while. I’m told that the Queen’s Guide Award is still one of the pinnacles of achievement for Guides, but particularly in Rangers, the programme has been extended to focus quite strongly on the outdoors, community and leadership and there are certificates to aim for. A whole section of the programme is devoted to contemporary issues such as law and order, social issues, safe guarding (self defence), while Future Focus looks at budgeting, self sufficiency and future prospects.

For Brownies “Discover It” gives opportunities to explore, build and use their imagination.

“Green Machine” looks at the environment and issues and uses the three “Rs” – Reduce, Reuse Recyle. The “Live It Up” programme covers food, health and hygience and community topics.