Guide leader leaving

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 537, 24 May 1994, Page 7

Guide leader leaving

By

Michele

Monaghan

Girl Guide district commissioner Joanna Saunders is leaving. After being in Waiouru for eight years she says she is tired of the isolation. "I rather enjoyed Waiouru, it's just time to go," she said. Joanna has been district commissioner (Rangers, Girl Guides, Brownies and Pippins) for three years and was a guide leader in Waiouru for four and a half years prior to that. She said being district commissioner was a giant public relations operation, liaising with the higher powers within the guiding movement. When she arrived in Waiouru the guide movement was in good shape and was thriving. "The Guide Association as a whole has always been strong in Waiouru, every time we've lost a leader we' ve gained two," she said.

Girl Guiding can be done through correspondence: two Ohakune Guides pursue their interest in this way. Joanna said these girls come through to Waiouru about once every six weeks. Joanna, her husband Alan, their two children and the cat will be living half way between Bulls and Ohakea. Alan has been successful in gaining a promotion to Ohakea, working for Serco. She has also been involved with the Waiouru Playcentre and one of her last jobs will be providing costs for the centre's civil defence package. The couple are expecting their third child and Joanna says she will be straight off to the hospital at the first sign of labour. Their youngest daughter Catherine was born in the car a couple of minutes out of Raetihi. Joanna said she will be continuing with guides once everything and everybody has settled in.