Lara Abraham, 13, was presented with the award at a recent Girl Guide meeting.
Lara Abraham, 13, was presented with the award at a recent Girl Guide meeting.
A Stratford Girl Guide has achieved the highest award possible in the Girl Guiding organisation.
Lara Abraham, 13, says being presented with the Aoraki Award was a proud moment for her.
"I was really excited to receive it and am pleased I have managed to earn the award during my time as a Guide."
The Aoraki Award is named for New Zealand's highest mountain, and can be translated to mean cloud piercer. In the New Zealand Girl Guide organisation, it represents the peak of achievement and adventure for a Girl Guide.
Lara set herself the goal of achieving the award and has worked towards that goal steadily since she joined the Guide unit in 2017.
"Before then I was a Brownie, so have been involved with the Girl Guides in Stratford since I was about 7."
Lara says Girl Guiding is a great way to meet new friends, and in fact it was a friendship that started her own Guiding journey.
"My friend Morgan Hobo invited me to an evening at her Brownie group one week. They called it bring a friend, and Morgan brought me along for it. I liked it, and thought it was a fun thing to do after school one day a week, so I joined up."
Six years later, Lara has no regrets and says she would recommend joining a Brownie or Guide unit to anyone wanting to learn new skills, meet new friends and have lots of fun.
"We work towards different badges, and each badge you have too learn things for, or do something special."
In total, Lara herself has achieved nearly 40 badges, representing achievements in a range of areas, including giving her time and volunteering as a unit helper, arts and crafts activities, going geocaching, cooking on a camp fire and lots more.
When it came to working towards achieving the Aoraki Award, Lara says she enjoyed the whole process, but especially organising her own camp weekend.
"I had to do all the planning, from where we stayed, to the activities we would do. I organised the menu as well."
Having achieved the Aoraki Award, Lara's time with Girl Guiding isn't over, as she will now move on to be a Ranger.
"There isn't a unit here, so I will be doing it online mainly. There are opportunities however to join up with units at times for particular activities."
Lara's sister Taylor, 8, is a member of the Stratford Brownie unit.
She will also be quite likely to still attend some Brownie and Guide meetings in Stratford, as her younger sister Taylor, 8, is a member of the Brownies. Just like her older sister, Taylor enjoys the friendships and activities on offer through the unit.
"And I am looking forward to doing a camp one day too."
