The Holmesville resident was at a camp doing a team-building exercise with her fellow guides, when she realised the importance of leadership skills.

She was asked as the leader to direct the group using limited skills.

“Each of us was given a disability, such as blindness, and we had to set up the tents,” she said.

“It was a real eye opener for me, learning how we all had different skills and how they all had to come together to get the job done.”

At the camp, she also learnt about time management, how to lead and how to run a meeting.

The camp was just one of the many tasks Megan completed to earn the Queen’s Guide Award.

Next month Megan will be presented with the award – the peak achievement for youth members of Girl Guides Australia aged between 14 and 18.

To achieve the award, Megan had to complete a series of activities, including looking after a junior Girl Guide unit, organising a debutant ball and comp-leting challenges under each of the seven fundamentals of Girl Guides – promise and law, guiding traditions, service, outdoors, world guiding, patrol system and leadership.

Megan started her quest in 2006 and finished it just shy of her 18th birthday in August last year.

Amelia Tomkins of Warners Bay Girl Guides oversaw most of Megan’s journey.

“She is the first Warners Bay division recipient of the award in six years, and it may very well be across Newcastle as well,” Ms Tomkins said.

“It’s a lot of hard work – I can’t even calculate the number of hours it would have taken her to achieve all she has done.”

Megan will be presented with the Queen’s Award in late February.

Go to www.girlguides-nswact.org.au to find out more about Girl Guides in your area.