The group has accepted the move by council to demolish the existing hall, unit leader Rachel Sutton somewhat begrudgingly accepting the decision to shift to a new Echuca East building being built by the shire.
The Guide hall is scheduled for demolition at the end of the year.
While Rachel will not be complaining about her new headquarters, there is obviously a close connection to the hall and the history it holds for the club.
Guiding Victoria Campaspe River Region district manager Yvonne Stewart, however, is clear just how much she will miss the building.
She has a long, and distinguished, history of service with the Guiding movement and said from her Lockington home last week that it was a “very disappointing decision”.
“The girls that come up here from Melbourne can’t believe we have such a wonderful hall,” Mrs Stewart said.
“Showers, toilets, a kitchen and, more importantly, a fenced-off backyard for all the outdoor activities that we do.
“The people I have spoken to at the shire, prior to Rachel coming on board, probably just don’t understand how important the hall is to us.
“I understand we need to move forward. It is just hard for me to accept this decision.”
Mrs Stewart started in Guides with the Lockington unit and progressed into the role of region leader.
“I am the district manager for Campaspe, within the river region,” she said.
Her area includes Echuca, Swan Hill, Maryborough and Bendigo, as far as Heathcote and all points in between.
Guiding has had several shake-ups to its management model in recent years, but one thing has not changed according to Mrs Stewart: the need for a suitable and purpose-built venue.
“The new building won’t have the same feel. I know we have to move with the times, but it just will not provide us with the same facilities,” she said.
Mrs Stewart’s major disappointment was for the people who no longer were involved with Echuca Guides, those who did all the work to build the hall in the first place.
“That hall was built on voluntary labour. The shire was good enough to let us put a brand new hall on crown land, so it is a sad way for its life to finish,” she said.
“I am just not sure that the multi-purpose building will have the same feel.
“I just don’t think it will be for the betterment of Guiding. It sort of takes our identity away.”
Mrs Stewart said the character of the current building would be lost at the new location, along with the important outdoor activity area.
“We won’t be able to leave things hanging because it is a multi-purpose building,” she said.
“If we go outside we are going to need more people to manage the girls, because we will be open to the general public.
“At the Guide hall there is a fence and the girls can do outdoor cooking, and all sorts of things.
“The Guide hall at the moment has a high wire fence around it. It is fantastic for sleepovers and things like that, we can lock the gate and the hall, everyone is safe.”
Mrs Stewart said she at least hoped the new facility would allow for the Guides to erect their memorabilia, to create their own space.
"There is so much memorabilia that is important to the history of Echuca Guides. I would love to see that hanging in the new building,“ she said.
Mrs Stewart said one of the saving graces was that she believed the Guides would be among only a small group of tenants in the building.
“It will now be up to Rachel and the girls to create their own identity at the new building,” she said.
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