BE A LEADER

BE A LEADER

BE A LEADER

BE A LEADER

Become a Leader / Volunteer

Irish Girl Guides (IGG) provides a non-formal educational programme in the Republic of Ireland that is dynamic and flexible while offering values-based training in lifeskills, decision-making and leadership. Our Leaders work in a voluntary capacity and are trained to implement our programme in which the needs of the individual girl are a priority.

Guiding gives you the chance to help the next generation to learn to live and grow into adults equipped to cope with the joys, the anxieties, the fears, and the demands of life. Guiding encourages the best in us as it gives us the opportunity to discover new ideas, new skills, new experiences, and new friendships.

You will find that the friendships you form with other Leaders and your relationship with the girls will enrich your life and help with your personal development. It will also provide you with important lifeskills that are transferable to other aspects of your life such as career, travel, studies, family, and friendships.

There is a place for everyone in IGG and there are many different roles that you can take up that suit your availability and your skill-set.

Watch our volunteer video!

Below is IGG’s Volunteer Policy which outlines the roles and responsibilities of both our volunteers and the organisation.

IGG seeks to involve suitable adult volunteers who share the ethos and values of our organisation and have an interest in the development of girls and young women. IGG welcomes volunteers from all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths, and abilities to be Leaders. All our volunteers complete a screening process when they begin volunteering with us. They also receive training and must complete several requirements to gain a licence, called a warrant, after which there are many different opportunities available to them.

Women who take on leadership roles have the opportunity to increase their organisational, youth work and outdoor knowledge, and improve their skills by working in teams with other like-minded people.

TYPES OF VOLUNTEERING

Leaders

A Leader is an adult aged 18 or over. They set the tone, generate the atmosphere, plan and run the activities and demonstrate the Guiding principles so that they become intrinsic for the girls in the Unit. There is a support network of volunteers and staff available to help each volunteer on her leadership journey.

All adults wishing to become Leaders with Irish Girl Guides must successfully complete the screening process which includes Garda Vetting. All adults attending overnight IGG events in any capacity also need to have completed the screening process. All our Leaders receive Safeguarding and Child Protection training which incorporates information on child protection. IGG has a Safeguarding Officer in place to support our Leaders in all matters relating to screening and Garda Vetting.

Irish Girl Guides is a uniformed organisation and we expect all of our members to wear the correct uniform for weekly meetings, events and trainings. Leaders have a number of different uniform options as described here.

Non-Unit Volunteer (NUV)

Leaders who are no longer able to commit to running their own Unit may be willing to support Units in their District or Area and occasionally help to run a Unit meeting when the regular Leaders are not available, for example because of illness or holidays. They may also be able to volunteer for a committee role depending on their availability, administration or specific skill teaching. Leaders who want to stay involved as full members, but are not attached to a Unit, can register as a Non-Unit Volunteer.

Unit Helper

A Unit Helper is an adult aged 18 or over who helps out with a Unit occasionally i.e. ‘now and then’, ‘from time to time’, ‘irregularly’, ‘once in a while’ when additional help is needed e.g. at Unit meetings, holidays or camps. This includes someone who is on a parents’ rota and includes both males and females. Unit Helpers who attend regularly (for example to help a member with special needs) or those who attend residential events must successfully complete the full Unit Helper screening process including Garda Vetting.

Unit Helpers are not obliged to attend Unit meetings every week or take part in programme planning and other extra activities. Unit Helpers are there as a support to Leaders and girls within the Unit. They do not take on the responsibility of running meetings on their own or being left on their own with the girls. Unit Helpers may wear an orange neckerchief but do not wear a uniform or make their Promise as they are not members of IGG. They do, however, need to be in agreement with the fundamental principles of Guiding and enjoy working in partnership with girls and adults.

If you are interested in volunteering with Irish Girl Guides (often referred to as IGG), in any capacity, please fill in your details below and we will forward them to our Regional Development Officer in your area. She will have a good idea of which Units need additional Leaders or Unit Helpers and can help to start you on the road to becoming a Leader.

Have you read about Irish Girl Guides and the Promise that all members make? (Unit Helpers are not required to make the Promise)

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Promise and Law for the Leader

When you become a Leader you will learn about the significance of the Promise and Law in our programme. Leaders are expected to set a high standard and act as positive role models for the girls in the way they work together as a team, the way they wear their uniform and the pride they take in being a member of Irish Girl Guides.

When being enrolled as Leaders, the Promise made is the Guide Promise:

I promise on my honour, to do my best

To do my duty to my God* and my country,

To help other people at all times,

And to obey the Guide Law.

*The word “God” can be replaced by the word “faith” according to one’s spiritual beliefs.

The Guide Law we are promising to obey is as follows:

  1. A Guide is honest and reliable
  2. A Guide is loyal.
  3. A Guide is useful and helps others.
  4. A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every other Guide.
  5. A Guide is polite and considerate.
  6. A Guide cares for all living things and their environment.
  7. A Guide is responsible and respects authority.
  8. A Guide has courage and is cheerful in difficulties
  9. A Guide makes good use of time, talents and materials.
  10. A Guide respects herself and others in all she thinks, says and does.

Warrants

A warrant is a licence to be a recognised Leader in IGG. To hold a warrant you must be an enrolled member of IGG. To become an enrolled adult member of the organisation, you must successfully complete the screening process and either make or reaffirm your Promise as a Leader.

There are two stages in the warrant process – Assistant Leader warrant and Leader warrant. The scheme is based on a period of service with a Unit. Everything you do, as a Leader in your Unit and as a member of your District, forms part of your pre-warrant training.

The requirements are stated in IGG’s online Handbook, and hints and tips for warrants are laid out in our Leader’s booklet Leading The Way. The same requirements apply to Ladybird, Brownie, Guide and Senior Branch Leaders.

It is anticipated that volunteers will gain their Assistant Leader warrant in the first few months of their involvement. Fellow Leaders and staff will work with you as you progress through these requirements.

Once you have completed your Assistant Leader warrant, you can work towards your Leader warrant requirements. To qualify for this warrant, a longer period of commitment to leadership in IGG is required, more experience must be built up and the ability to accept full responsibility for all aspects of the Unit’s activities must be demonstrated. After a review has been carried out, you also need to be recommended to receive your Leader warrant.

Frequently Asked Questions

No external qualifications are needed. You just need to enjoy working with girls and young women and you can gain Irish Girl Guides’ qualifications once you are enrolled as an adult member of the organisation.

Training is provided through local, regional and national trainings and at your weekly Unit meetings. Trainings cover a wide range of subjects including the Promise and Law, programme planning, first aid, outdoor activities and child protection.

Garda Vetting for the Youth Work sector for new volunteers is now mandatory. People who have on-going contact with children, in the provision of leisure or physical activities (paid or voluntary), other than those who assist ‘occasionally’ or in the course of a family or personal relationship, must be vetted. This applies whether the person works alone or accompanied by another adult. Failure to comply with this duty is now an offence under legislation.

Garda Vetting is only one element of IGG’s recruitment and selection procedures and new volunteers must successfully complete all elements of the screening process before becoming registered members of IGG. The information disclosed through IGG’s screening process will at all times remain confidential and be treated with the utmost respect. All personal information received verbally or in writing will be treated as confidential.

If you cannot commit to a weekly meeting, you can become a Unit Helper or a Non-Unit Volunteer. Unit Helpers attend meetings occasionally to help out but are not members. They do not wear uniform but may wear an orange neckerchief, and they are not obliged to take part in programme planning or extra activities. Unit Helpers are not Assistant Leaders and should not be left on their own or with other Unit Helpers to run the Unit. They must complete a Unit Helper Agreement Form.

Alternatively you can be a Non-Unit Volunteer and volunteer for a specific role within the organisation, for example helping to organise an event or working on one of our many committees in a variety of different roles. You will be a member of the organisation, wear the Leader uniform and make your Promise and Law like other members. Contact us (https://irishgirlguides.ie/contact-us/) to find out the best way you can share your skills with us in IGG.

You can contact your local Unit to get an introduction to Guiding. Alternatively, contact National Office and they will put you in touch with the appropriate person in your locality.

A warrant is a licence to be a Leader with Irish Girl Guides. To hold a warrant you must have successfully completed the full screening process and be an enrolled member of IGG. There are two stages in the warrant process – Assistant Leader warrant and Leader warrant. The scheme is based on a period of service with a Unit. Everything you do as a Leader with your Unit contributes towards your training.

We have Regional Development Officers who work in each Region and can support you on your journey with Irish Girl Guides or you can contact National Office who will put you in touch with the most appropriate person to help you get started. If you have a local Unit, you can contact them directly and the local Commissioner will help you through the process.

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