Governor General Camp FAQ

The Governor General Camp is a special event organised by Scouts Australia, taking place at Government House in Canberra. It offers a wide range of adventurous activities and experiences for Scouts from across the country.

The camp will be from April 14 to 19, 2024, at Government House, Canberra.

The camp is open to all age groups within Scouts Australia, from Joey Scouts to Rover Scouts.

Activities include high ropes courses, canoeing, team-building exercises, adventure and challenge zones, outdoor skills, cultural and educational visits, and much more.

The Victorian Contingent will travel by bus from Melbourne to Canberra and return. For Joeys, Cubs, and supporting Leaders joining later, transportation will be provided to join the Contingent on-site.

• Scouts, Venturers and Rovers | Leave Melbourne on April 13 around 8pm and travel overnight to Canberra
• Joeys and Cubs | Leave Melbourne on April 15 around 8am
• Joeys, Cubs Scouts, Venturers and Rovers | Leave Canberra on April 19, and arrive in Melbourne in the evening

Yes, this can be arranged. Please email your enquiry, along with the information of all the attendees applicable to: governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au

Driving is discouraged. There is no parking available at Government House. If you choose to drive, you can park at the Canberra International Airport at your own cost. Please note you will be still charged the Contingent fee.

The costs vary by participant type: Joeys and Cubs at $875, Scouts, Venturers, and Rovers at $1,125, and Leaders at $625. Payments will be made through the camp's registration system, with the Victorian payment invoiced separately.

This figure includes the Victorian Contingent fee

Campsites are about 25m x 25m square. Units will be self-sufficient, with daily supplies provided for meal preparation. Service and Activity Leaders will need to bring their own dome tents for accommodation in the Leader camping area.

The National Withdrawal Policy states:

Withdraw Policy

NOTE: These above figures are based on the National Camp fee and do not include your local Contingent refund policy. Please contact your state Contingent for these details.

Victorian Contingent Withdrawal Policy

Each Unit, made up of Scout Groups within a geographically located area, will source their own campsite equipment. This includes tents, dining flies, kitchen equipment, tables, bench seats, and barbecues.

Suggested Unit Packing lists are contained in the Leaders and Helpers Handbook available for download from https://scouts.com.au/blog/2023/11/08/ggs-camp-2024-resources/

The Contingent will supply two pallecons for each Unit to transport their gear to Canberra, similar to those used for Jamborees. These will be available at a common location for packing.

Unit gear will be packed into the 2 available pallecons on Saturday March 23 at the Scouts Victoria QM Store, located at 173 Ordish Road, Dandenong South, Vic, 3172. Each unit has been allocated a set time and have 90 minutes to complete the packing (NOTE: For a Jamboree they only give you 60 minutes).

Your youth member will be tasked with moving their bag to the campsite and back to the bus. Therefore, it is advised to not exceed a weight they are capable of moving. 

Additionally, we must adhere to bus weight restrictions for transport, limiting each bag to a maximum of 20kg to avoid overloading. 

Certainly, you are permitted to bring a stretcher; however, the determination of whether there is sufficient space in the unit pallecons lies with your Unit Leader.

If your Unit Leader indicates insufficient space, you have the option to include the stretcher either within your personal luggage or alongside your luggage, ensuring that its weight does not exceed 7kg.

Additionally, it is imperative to assess whether the length of the stretcher aligns with the dimensions of the tents being taken.

Each member will receive a Victorian Governor-General Camp Badge. There will also be a Victorian Contingent Polo Shirt available for $35, made-to-order. Designs for these items will be released soon, and additional badges will be available for purchase.

Units will be responsible for preparing their own meals with supplies provided by the camp daily.

Participants choosing to drive can meet at the Canberra International Airport, one of the remote locations. However, they need to arrange their own parking at their expense and will be still charged the full Contingent fee.

The notification of allocation to Line and Activity Leaders was dispatched via email on Saturday afternoon, March 2, 2024, communicating their respective assignments.

The allocation of activities to Activity Leaders is under the discretion of the camp's leadership team, and they are diligently working on finalizing these allocations. You can expect to receive communication regarding these allocations in due course.

The assignment of activities to Activity Leaders at the Governor Generals Camp is at the discretion of the camp's leadership team. To enhance your consideration for specific roles, it is recommended to update your skills in your OLEMs application, and the Leadership Team will take this into account during the allocation process.

If there are particular skills you wish the Victorian Contingent Management Team to be aware of, kindly update this information on your OLEMs application. Alternatively, you may send an email to governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au to provide additional details.

Your proactive approach in highlighting your skills and interests is appreciated.

On Saturday, March 2, 2024, an email was dispatched to Unit Leaders, urging them to promptly establish contact with their respective unit members.

Leaders accompanying their Joey or Cub members will be embarking on Monday, April 15, 2024.

Our objective is to have a minimum of 5 leaders on each bus. In the event that we require additional leaders, we may request some Joey and Cubs leaders to join the Monday bus.

We are currently reviewing the preferences you submitted under the skills/job tab on your application to optimize this arrangement. The detailed information regarding bus allocations will be communicated to you during the first week of March.

Governor Generals Camp Mechandise

There is plenty of mechandise that you can order or preorder for the Governor Generals Camp. This is available from Scoup Shop. Please click the link to view items and order https://scoutshop.com.au/t/special-events/ggs-camp

Victorian Contingent Merchandise

We have a Victorian Contingent T-Shirt/Polo avaiable to preorder through your OLEMs application. 

Each attendee will recieve a Victorian Contingent Badge. Additional badges will be avaiable to purchase closer to the camp date. 

Please ensure that this is updated on your OLEMs application. Our Wellbeing team is filtering through this so they can address any additional support required. 

If you would like to speak to someone or would like to bring a specific circumstance up with us, please send an email to governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au Attention: Christine Almaraz, our Welfare Manager

Additionally, we also encourage participants to fill out the Governor General Camp Support Plan and email to governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au Attention: The Wellbeing Team. If you click this link, Support Plan, it will take you to the form. Alternatively, it is also available in the Documents and Forms section of the website. 

If you haven't personally registered for the camp yet, it is imperative to do so promptly. Registering your youth member alone is insufficient.

Additionally, we require that you submit the youth member's Care Plan, which can be emailed to governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au, Attention: Christine Almaraz, our Wellbeing Manager. Following the submission, Christine or one of her team members will initiate contact with you as necessary or upon your request.

The Victorian Contingent Management Team acknowledges the potential challenges and pressures that youth may encounter when attending a camp of this magnitude for the first time. To address these concerns, our management team comprises seasoned leaders with experience across all sections, well-equipped to handle such issues.

Furthermore, each unit will be allocated two Wellbeing Line Leaders, surpassing the standard allocation for a Jamboree. These designated wellbeing line leaders will receive comprehensive support from both our Contingent Wellbeing Team and the broader Contingent Management Team.

If you have any concerns regarding this, please feel free to send an email to governorgeneralcamp@scoutsvictoria.com.au

Yes, individuals from the same group have been placed together in the same unit. Efforts have been made to ensure that groups within your district are assigned to the same units to enhance cohesion and facilitate a sense of familiarity, and community. Additionally, this arrangement will streamline logistics, contributing to the efficient transportation of both attendees and equipment.

It is advisable to bring an extra set of clothing and disposable footwear for potential water activities.

Currently, Joey's and Cubs are not scheduled to partake in water activities; nevertheless, this is subject to potential alterations.

There will be no AC 240V power on the unit sites. Power will be available at the services area for charging large batteries that can be used for lighting, phone charging and medical devices, such as CPAPs and Nebulizers.

The Scout Shop will be onsite and have Governor General's Camp branded Power Banks that can be purchased prior to camp for $40. When depleted, as long as you have not named them, they can be swapped for fully charged units at no cost. After the camp, they are yours to keep.

Photographs supplied for your Governor General's Camp ID card are expected to conform with the Australian Passport Photograph Guidelines.

Technically, the photograph must meet the following criteria:

• Photos must be between 35mm and 40mm (3.5 x 4cm) width and 45mm to 50mm (4.5 x 5cm) height.
• The size of the face from chin to crown can be up to a maximum of 36mm, with a minimum of 32mm.
• The distance from the top edge of the photo to the end of it should be 3mm (0,3cm).
• Australian passport photos should have a minimum negotiated settlement of 600DPI.
• The background of your passport photo should be plain white or light-coloured that contrasts with your face.
• The photograph must be no more than 6 months old, and a full-face view of your head and shoulders.

Clearly size can be adjusted because we’re digital, subject to clarity. So the first 4 items we should be able to adjust.

Additional Australian passport photo guidelines listed below.

• Facial expression. Don’t smile or frown. Keep a neutral expression
• Pose. Keep your eyes open and mouth closed. Face the camera directly
• Clothing. Wear your normal clothes, but opt for darker colours that won’t blend with the background
• Facial hair. Keep your beard as is if you normally wear it
• Head covering. Wearing headgear (hats, hair bands, etc.) is strictly prohibited. You can cover your head only for religious or medical reasons. In that case, the headgear must be plain and without any patterns
• Glasses. You can wear glasses, but only if you provide a signed medical statement. It’s best to take glasses off
• Hair. Your whole face must be clearly visible. Consider tucking your hair behind the ears and tying longer bangs with hairpins

Water needs to be stored on your unit site. The water available around the camping area is sourced from Lake Burley Griffin and should not be used for drinking. Potable (drinking) water taps are located in the service area and is from the Canberra water mains. You will need to collect it, when needed, from this supply, meaning taking one of your 20L containers on a trek cart to fill.

Hot water services need to be gas ring burner style or if you want to use mains pressure systems, you will need to BYO pump to provide that pressure.

We cannot just tip waste water on the flower bed or grass. Waste water, like the used dishwashing water, must be collected in a suitable receptacle and brought to the waste water disposal tanks at the services area.

Most tent pegs are fine. If your unit is camping on the lawn area (no, we don’t know where you are situated yet), you will be provided with details of where a picket can be drive and where they cannot.