Joining St Joan's
If you have a daughter keen to join a St Joan's group, the first step is to submit an expression of interest above, and contact your local group leader (view map here). Isolated girls living outside of a group area can join the Assisi group, who are led by Guild headquarters. They will lead you through the following steps and support your family through your daughter's journey in St Joan's Guild.
Getting Started
After submitting an Expression of Interest and being put in contact with your local group you will need to register your child. Registration covers 12 months of the program and is set at $200 per child, with 10% off any additional daughters and a cap of 4 daughters in the program at one time, any additional daughters may join the program for free.
Your daughter will be added to a level in the program. Your daughter's age will determine which level she is in: Little Flowers for 5-8, Lilies from 9-11, Trailblazers from 12-14 and Standard Bearers 15-18.
All girls start the Foundation areas of the program from the beginning, regardless of age, however they can only win badges and skill cards from their level.
The Kit
All girls receive their level badge, local group stripe, Program Booklet, Journal and Skill Card folder on registration.
The uniform can be purchased from the guild website shop and consists of a black skort and blue polo shirt. Parents are free to find less expensive alternatives to the Australian designed and made uniform, but will need to check with their group leader first that the alternative style and colours match the official uniform. Whenever girls are working as a group they are expected to wear their St Joan's Guild uniform.
If girls misplace or damage any part of their kit, or skill cards and badges, replacements can be purchased from the website shop.
Completing the program with the group
Every St Joan's group has the freedom to run the group as best fits the leaders and families involved. The group leader works with the girls and their parents to facilitate completing the program by organising learning opportunities. In some groups this may mean weekly in-person meetings, in others once a term with online resources and meetings organised. Bushwalks, service projects and projects may be completed as a group or individually. All groups are supported by Guild headquarters and may fundraise to help cover excursions or speakers.
Groups can be no less than three girls from three different families and no more than 20 girls in total.
Completing the program in the home
Most components of the program can be completed at home with the family. Parents are supported by headquarters in finding good quality resources to help their girls learn new skills. Family bushwalks, camps or holidays can be excellent opportunities to complete tasks in the program.
Parents need to keep records via photos, and the girls keep journal entries of the tasks they have done. These records are uploaded by parents in the online Members Portal. The group secretaries view these records as evidence of steps completed before contacting Guild headquarters for badges or Skill Cards achieved.