MORE than three decades of selfless community service have resulted in top honours for Millicent resident Heather Lowndes.
The long-time Girl Guides and Scouts instructor will receive the 2017 Wattle Range Citizen of the Year Award at Millicent’s official Australia Day function.
Ms Lowndes has clocked up 26 years as a guide leader in her hometown of Canberra and in Millicent and almost eight years at the helm of the Scouts.
After joining the national guiding organisation at eight years of age, Ms Lowndes became a leader of a Canberra group at 18 years old.
“My father had been involved in Scouts for years and I guess my interest came from that,” she said.
“It was in the early ’60s when I joined and that was really the heyday of the organisation.
“There were a lot of members and all the halls were being built then.”
Ms Lowndes moved to the region from the capital territory to complete a degree in forestry in the early ’80s.
However, after meeting her future husband, Ms Lowndes remained in Millicent and joined the guides group as a leader.
“I was not sporty at all and that’s the main way people get involved in their communities,” she said.
“I was not working because I had a young baby, so you do what you know.
“When I first started with Millicent, the leaders were Gwen Kitto and Faye Hunt, and we had meetings at the old hall behind the museum.
“During my time as leader I had four boys so at the end of 1985 I left the guides.
“You cannot justify being a guide leader with boys, so I was a cub leader for five years.”
Ms Lowndes remained with the Scouts until 1994 and ultimately rejoined the Girl Guides in 1999 where she has remained since.
“I have seen hundreds of girls go through the program under my leadership and it’s wonderful to see so many girls get so much out of it,” she said.
“I have a lot of fun too and it’s great to have a bunch of girls that may not have common interests get together and cooperate.
“Scouts follow a much more rigorous, prescriptive badge system, whereas guides have a very girl-centred program.
“The girls quite often run the nights themselves.”
Ms Lowndes said the female-orientated and female-only organisation aimed to provide training in life skills, leadership and decision making through projects and activities.
“I try to get them camping, there’s a bit of a push to do kayaking at the moment and the girls are really enjoying sewing which is a surprise,” she said.
“I also like to get the girls to the big camps in Sydney, Tasmania, Hindmarsh Island and Iron Knob.
“We were in charge of the state camp in Lucindale, and we had the whole region planning that one.
“We’re hoping to get another camp in April.”
As well as leading the Millicent Guide Girl Shooting Starz and the Scouts, Ms Lowndes serves as the guides’ regional manager, learning partner and regional outdoor assessor.
“As regional manager, I oversee the Millicent, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Bordertown groups,” she said.
“The learning partner sees me helping new leaders getting through training.
“I have always served other people, and I have always worked in the community and done some sort of volunteering.”
