The Girls' Brigade International Council

New Zealand

General Information  
Area 269,000 Sq.Km
Population 3.8 million
Currency 1 NZ $ = 100 cents
Government Independent member of the British Commonwealth
Time
Prime Minister Helen Clark
GMT + 11hrs
Languages English and Maori (multi lingual). New Zealand is a multi cultural country with many Pacific Islanders, Indian, Asian and more recently, Iranian people making it their home.  
Religions Predominantly Christian
Major Industries Food processing, wood and paper products, wool, textiles, dairy products, iron and steel
     

Map of New Zealand

Geography
New Zealand is in the South Pacific Ocean to the south east of Australia. It stretches 1600km from north to south and consists of two large islands and a number of smaller islands spread over hundreds of km of sea. The North Island (115,000 sq km) and the South Island (151,000 sq km) are the two major land masses; the next largest is Stewart Island (1700 sq km), which lies directly beneath the South Island. The North Island has a number of large volcanoes (including the currently active Mount Ruapehu) and highly active thermal areas, while the South Island boasts the Southern Alps - a spine of magnificent mountains running almost its entire length.
 
Climate
A constant wind blows over New Zealand from west to east as a result of its location in the 'roaring forties' latitude. Winter is between June and August and summer from December to February. Temperatures are a few degrees cooler in the South Island, and both islands receive snow in winter. Both Islands have discrete patterns of rainfall, due to their different geological features. The South Island has a wet climate to the west of the Southern Alps and a dry climate to the east; while the North Island's rainfall is more evenly distributed.
 
Wildlife
New Zealand has a large array of flora, much of which is native and protected in national parks and reserves. These include giant gum-producing kauri, kohekohe forests, rimu, beech, tawa, matai, rata; ferns and flax; alpine and subalpine herb fields; scrub and tussock. One of the most noticeable plants is the pohutukawa (known as the New Zealand Christmas tree) which explodes with brilliant red flowers around December. Curiously, native fauna is limited, with the only indigenous mammal being the bat. Bird life, however, has thrived and includes the morepork, tui, weka and the kea. Introduced species - pigs, goats, possums, dogs, cats, deer and the ever-present sheep are found throughout New Zealand, but the large number in the wild has had a damaging effect on the environment. New Zealand's offshore waters hold a variety of fish, including tuna, marlin, snapper, trevally, kahawai, native trout, whitebait and shark; while its marine mammals - dolphins, seals and whales along with the giant albatross and yellow-eyed penguins attract nature-lovers from around the world.
 
Cuisine
In recent years this has been largely influenced by the different ethnic groups who have made their home in New Zealand. Most towns have Asian, Indian, Greek and Italian restaurants which are well patronised. A traditional New Zealand meal would be roasted lamb and vegetables followed by a steamed or baked dessert or in summer, a barbeque followed by pavlova and fruit salad. A large variety of shellfish and Hangis (meat and vegetables cooked in the ground) are popular with Maori and European alike.
 

The Girls' Brigade
 
Age Groups : Juniors 5 - 8 years
  Seniors 9 - 12 years
  Pioneers 13 - 17 years
 
Uniform : Juniors Juniors wear a white shirt, blue sleeveless pinafore, red cardigan, white socks and black shoes. Badges are sewn on the top right of the pinafore.
  Seniors Seniors wear a white shirt, blue skirt with a single pleat at the front, blue crested sweatshirt, white sock and black shoes. Service awards are sewn underneath the crest of the sweatshirt and metal badges are placed on the left sleeve.
  Pioneers Pioneers wear a white shirt, blue skirt with a single pleat at the front, blue jacket, tights and black shoes. Service awards are sewn on the top right of the jacket front and special badges are placed on the right hand side. An optional uniform is a crested blue or navy sweatshirt worn with trousers.
  Leaders Leaders wear a white shirt, a dark blue uniform consisting of a collarless jacket and straight skirt. The lanyard of rank is worn on the left shoulder. For Company nights, a Leader's sweatshirt is worn with dark trousers.
 

Badge Work : Each age group focuses on a different part or our motto: seek, serve and follow Christ.
  Juniors Juniors complete ten subjects over the year to earn their Star Award. The Star Award represents the 'seeking' part of our Motto.
  Seniors Seniors complete five subjects over the year to earn their Circle Award. The Circle Award represents the service that GB practises to one another, their church and to God.
  Pioneers Pioneers complete the Triangle Award by completing one of each subject. The Triangle Award has three equal sides which represents the relationship with God, others and ourselves. The Pioneer programme focuses on the 'following Jesus' aspect of the Motto. Pioneers also work for the Brigader Brooch, the highest National Award. To earn this award, a Pioneer must complete all four triangles, participate in local Company, Church and Community Service/Events and hold the last two Level Awards. Pioneers can also work towards the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the Queen's Award. There are opportunities given to Pioneers aged 15 and up to attend Young Leaders in Training courses which teach valuable skills.
  The following awards can be gained in addition to the yearly programme: Level Badges - four material badges awarded during different years, two in Seniors and two in Pioneers. These badges help develop the girls' knowledge of the Girl's Brigade Movement. Service Awards - recognise a girls' weekly attendance at Girls' Brigade and other Christian events such as church, youth group etc.
 
National Commissioner : Mrs Lorna Child
 
WEB SITE : www.girlsbrigade.org.nz