Trainings

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

I was asked if I would be interested in writing a blog post on the latest Alberta provincial training I went to. Absolutely I said. When I first signed up for the conference I had to figure out what sessions I wanted to take. All the sessions were based on one simple theme –  ‘Our Favorite Things’. Things like program (consisted of WAGGGS, team building, outdoor activities), STEM, and the Arts.

One session was ‘Wild Science for Sparks and Brownies’ where we learned how to make elephant toothpaste, paper towel rainbows, lifting ice cubes, dancing raisins, and fake snot. All were very cool science experiments that you could easily do with things from your own home. After making fake snot, everyone was sharing what colour snot they had: purple, green or blue. Quite funny!

The second session was ‘Boomwhackers to Chimes’ where we sang well-known songs with long tubes to beat on our wrists. After we learned how those worked, we got to move up to tone chimes. Marion was an awesome instructor teaching us all about the word ‘Echo!’ and how it meant ‘repeat after me’. We got to sit in super comfy chairs for an hour (unless we were up playing!)

In the middle of the afternoon we got to play games in the dark (really!). One game that we did (thankfully I never got picked!), involved one person standing in the middle with a flashlight and they had to go up to someone else and ask for the names of the people sitting on either side of them, as well as how those people were feeling.  If they answered good, then you stayed where you were, but if even just one of them was so-so, everyone had to find a new chair to sit in. The last one standing then became the person in the middle. It was fun listening to who everyone was (and how everyone was feeling), and even more entertaining to have to find a new chair (keep in mind this game was all in the dark!)

My favourite session by far was our team building activity. And, it was with…wait for it…rubber chickens! We did many different activities that built our team skills.

The best part of any Guiding activity (no matter where you are) is the laughs and giggles you get to have. And obviously meeting new friends. I got to share a room with a girl I had met last year at the same training event. We had met online through Twitter, and then when I got to the location, I realized her room was right across the hallway from mine. This year I met up with a few others I had met last year and a few new ones on top of that.

Another favourite part of any Guiding activity is the food. I mean, what activity in Guiding does not include getting fed something?! Every camp is meal, snack, meal, snack, meal, and then did I mention a snack?

Anytime I get a chance to go to a training, I jump on it (as long as I can afford it!) as it’s so worth learning something new, and meeting other Guiders.

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Jenn is a Guider in Central Alberta who loves working with younger girls and hopefully will become a teacher in the next few years to work with the younger grades. Read a previous post by Jenn on GirlGuidesCANBlog: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do.

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Geo-What??? Or How to Hunt for Treasure in Your own Backyard

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

When I first heard about something called Geocaching through a friend, I was intrigued.  It combines some of my favourite things:  hiking, exploring, history, environmental awareness, and just a little bit of mystery!

What is geocaching, you might ask?  Essentially, it’s a giant treasure hunt, played all over the world!

When you geocache, you use a GPS (short for Global Positioning System), or GPS-enabled device (think iPads and Smartphones), to find a set of coordinates where someone has hidden something (known as a “cache”).  The cache can be tiny or large, and contains anything from a logbook of people who have found that cache, to larger items that can be traded.  Caches can be hidden anywhere – a hole in a tree, attached to a fence by a magnet, or camouflaged in the forest.  Some caches have a theme, and some take you to an area of geological or historical significance.  Other caches require finding multiple locations to find the “treasure” at the end, or contain “trackables” – coins or other items with a unique code that can be tracked as they move around the world.

The great thing about geocaching is that it is easy to learn, gets you outside and moving, and once you have a GPS or have downloaded the geocaching app, it’s basically free to do!  It’s a great activity for all ages (my Spark-aged daughter LOVES it…how cool is it to hunt for treasure when you’re five years old???), and it’s something that is a wonderful bridging activity…older girls can help younger ones navigate with the GPS.

Here’s how to get started with your unit:

- Visit the official website for Geocaching, and it’s here that you find the coordinates for geocaches hidden all over the world!

- Create a profile, then read “Geocaching 101”.  There are lots of helpful hints and instructional videos that can help you understand the game.

- Go to Hide and Seek a Cache.  Here you can find coordinates and hints for each geocache.  There are many different options for finding caches in your area, such as by postal code, by cache name, by GPS coordinates, and more.

- Assemble your geocaching kit:  I find it helpful to have a backpack with supplies, such as my GPS, extra batteries, a hat, coat, sunscreen, first aid kit, cell phone, camera and pencil and paper (basically, all the “stuff” we take with us when we go on a hike).  I also have a small Tupperware container with crests, magnets, small dollar store toys, etc. that I can leave if I want to take something from a cache.  One of the courtesies of geocaching is that if you take something from a cache, you leave something else of equal “value.”

- Follow the “rules” of geocaching:  respect private property, and don’t let the Muggles see what you’re doing (a term borrowed from Harry Potter – people who do not know about geocaching are referred to as “muggles” by geocachers).

- Finally, take along a garbage bag, and “cache in, trash out” – geocachers share with Girl Guides a respect for the environment, and a desire to make the world a better, cleaner place.

For more information and ideas for geocaching with a unit, Girls Scouts USA has put together a great resource kit (PDF) for planning your own geocaching event.

So what are you waiting for….get out there and start hunting!

By guest blogger and Guider ‘Glowie’, aka Megan Gilchrist. Megan is the Contact Guider for the 7th St. Catharines Guiding (multi-branch)Unit. Read Megan’s other contributions to GirlGuidesCANBlog: Hands-on History, Every Penny Counts, and “Multi-Branch” Means More Fun!

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Have you done an activity for our National Service Project: Operation Earth Action? Don’t forget to log your actions and share your photos with us!

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Figuring Out Your Feelings

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

May 6 – 10 is Mental Health Week in Canada. This is a great time to consider how you deal with your feelings, or how you can help a child identify what she’s feeling.

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This post is about your regular feelings that crop up on a daily basis. If your feelings regularly overwhelm you, cause you intense distress, or cause you to behave in ways that you are uncomfortable with, please seek assistance from a professional or from a parent, teacher, Guider or a trusted adult. They can help.

You have every right to your feelings.

No matter what a given situation brings up for you, it’s okay to feel that way, but you have to choose how to act on those feelings. The first step is to learn to work through and communicate your feelings effectively.

While emotions can initially be very intense, the strongest burst only lasts about 90 seconds before your body will naturally relax and the feeling will melt away. The feeling only lasts longer if you fight it or if you choose to sustain it.  Without your choice, your immediate flash of anger, sadness, or, excitement will pass very quickly if you just breathe through it and wait it out. (This is also true of other people’s feelings, so you can wait them out too.)

After you’ve breathed through the intensity, you are left with the part of a feeling you can deal with. The part that gives you information about things that are important to you; things that you might want to continue or that you might want to change.

Once you have that information, you’ll want to learn to communicate those feelings effectively. Here are some steps to help you do that.

1)      Ask yourself ‘What am I really feeling?’

Sometimes one feeling masks another, for example, jealousy might feel like anger. Writing, meditating, and talking aloud to yourself can help you get a clearer sense of what emotion you are processing and then you’ll have a good starting point for discussing it.

2)      Then ask ‘Who do I need to discuss my feelings with?’

It can be hard to deal directly with the person who stirred up those feelings for you, but that’s usually the best way. Dealing with that person’s friends, family, or, supervisor can create more problems than it solves.

3)      Plan what you are going to say, and use ‘I’ and ‘If…then’, and ask for specific action

You can’t read people’s minds, so you don’t know their intentions.  You can only know your own mind and intentions, so speak from there and plan what you are going to say before you say it. Using phrases like those below can help:

‘I’ statements

“I feel angry when you take my things without asking.”

“I feel bad when you post those things about me online.”

“I have a lot of fun whenever we hang out.”

“If…then…” statements

“If you keep taking my books without permission, then I will start locking my door. “

“If you keep posting about me, then I will unfollow/unfriend you and I will tell your parents.”

“If you feel the same way, then let’s hang out more.”

Ask for specific action

“Please stop taking my things.”

“Please stop posting about me, and take those things down.”

“Would you like to play laser tag with me and my friends on Saturday?”

Most people do not want to hurt other people’s feelings. While they may react defensively at first, usually people will try to change their actions to help prevent others from feeling bad. It’s hard for someone to guess how their actions will affect someone else, and unless you tell them, they don’t know to change.

Being clear about your feelings and the actions you would like the person to take will go a long way to helping you feel better. Even if the other person doesn’t change, advocating for yourself will make you feel empowered, and their reaction will let you know if you want to associate with them in the future.

Resources:
One Move Forward

Palo Alto Medical Foundation website

By guest blogger Christine Hennebury. Christine is a writer, storyteller and life coach who lives in Newfoundland and Labrador. Helping people feel a little better right now is one of her favourite things to do. Read one of her previous posts on GirlGuidesCANBlog: Don’t Forget to Breath.

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CMHA Mental Health Week 2013

CMHA Mental Health Week 2013

With all the stress and challenges of life today, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) encourages all Canadians to pause and reflect on our mental health and well-being during Mental Health Week, May 6 – 12, 2013. This year, CMHA is focusing on increasing awareness of youth mental health and mental illness by providing information, resources and the practical strategies and advice required by young people and their parents, caregivers and teachers to address youth mental health issues.  We’ve highlighted a select number of related girl programming activities that you could do with your unit to celebrate Mental Health Week, and to help girls be confident, resourceful and courageous, and to make a difference in the world.

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Geocaching with our Travel Bug

Posted on May 8, 2013 by

Remember how fun it was to go treasure hunting as a kid? Did you know there are real life treasure hunts taking place all around you – and all over the world? Did you know you can go with Girl Guides as part of a badge? Well, you can!  Explore geocaching!

In a nutshell, geocaching is treasure hunting using GPS-enabled mobile devices (smartphones, iPads, or portable GPSs) to locate the hidden geocaches, or treasures.  Some contain trinkets for swapping. The thrill is the hunt as many geocaches are very well concealed. You have to put your thinking cap on! You can find out all about geocaching and find caches near you at www.geocaching.com.

2nd Kemptville Pathfinders

2nd Kemptville Pathfinders

As part of our “Finding Your Way” Pathfinders badge, the 2nd Kemptville Pathfinders went geocaching in the Ferguson Forest Centre, Kemptville, Ontario. The girls each took a turn navigating with the iPad. After a long winter, it was nice to hit the trails, get some fresh air and exercise as well as the excitement of finding the caches.

We also planted a “travel bug” (trackable) item in one of the caches. This is an item other geocachers take and place into other caches. The item’s progress is logged along the way so you can go online and see where your travel bug is going! The mission of our travel bug is to have its picture taken with other Girl Guide groups around the world. Within a week of planting our travel bug, it has already travelled 130km to Kingston, Ontario. We look forward to seeing where in the world it goes!

Whether you’re in it for treasure, adventure, exercise, or a challenge, you won’t be left disappointed!

By guest blogger Carolyn Lundy, 2nd Kemptville Pathfinders.

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It’s Hunger Awareness Week! A week dedicated to raising awareness of the solvable problem of hunger in Canada. Food banks across the country hold events to tell the story of the work they do, and the stories of hungry Canadians assisted by food banks. Visit HungerAwareness to read more.

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Healthy Friendship Recipes

Posted on May 6, 2013 by
Spark and Guider baking

Spark and Guider baking

What does it take to make a good friend?

“Kindness!” One of our Brownies finds the word “kindness” written on a slip of paper and puts it into  the bowl. “A good friend is definitely kind,” she says.

“And helpful!” another Brownie chimes in, putting the word “helpful” into the bowl next.

The next Brownie puts her finger on the word “controlling”. “I don’t think a good friend is controlling,” she asserts, “or pushy,” she adds, pointing to that word. “Those words don’t go in the bowl.”

“But a good friend is encouraging,” says the last Brownie in the patrol. “That can go in our recipe.”

The Brownies are sitting in their patrols, sorting words. Kind, helpful, encouraging. These words describe a good friend. Pushy and controlling? Those don’t. The girls are writing recipes, and words are their ingredients. A recipe for what? For a good friend. At this meeting, we’re learning about healthy and unhealthy friendships. What does it take to make a healthy friendship? Better look in the bowl and see which ingredients made it in.

Girls have friends at school, in the neighbourhood and in Guiding. Knowing the difference between  healthy and unhealthy friendships can help them avoid harmful situations and build positive connections with their peers.

Here are some of the activities that we used to explore healthy friendships. We did these activities with Brownies, but girls of all ages need to know what distinguishes healthy and unhealthy friendships. Most of these activities are modified from the Girls Empower Challenge and can be used with other branches.

  • Find out what a good friend looks like. Divide the girls into small groups and have each group trace one girl, lying down on a large piece of paper. Together, the girls draw attributes of a good friend on this figure and write their explanation: “A good friend has hands for helping.” “A good friend has eyes that are looking out for you.” “A good friend has a big heart.”
  • Sing “Make New Friends” and discuss the lyrics. When we sing, “One is silver but the other’s gold,” what do we mean? What do we mean when we sing, “A circle is round, it has no end, That’s how long I want to be your friend”?
  • Have a healthy friendship relay race: Have the girls line up in groups at one end of the room, and place a set of statements about friendships at the other end of the room. They crab walk (or move another way) to get to the far side of the room, pick up one statement at a time and bring it back to their team. When all the statements have been collected, the teams categorize the statements as describing a “healthy friendship” or an “unhealthy friendship.” Statements might include, “I am afraid my friend will get mad if I say or do the wrong thing,” or “I feel safe when I am with my friend.” Go through the statements afterwards with the whole unit.
  • Think about what it feels like to be a good friend, and to make a new friend. Have the girls sit with their eyes closed while you ask them to imagine being at a new school on the first day of the year, sitting quietly through class then going outside for recess alone. Ask them how they feel when another student comes over to them and asks them to play. They might feel excited, valued, welcomed or amazing, as our Brownies said.
  • Write a recipe for a healthy friendship. In small groups, have girls sort words into two categories: healthy and unhealthy friendships. When they have sorted the words, all the “healthy friendship” words are laid out on the floor and the girls used these to help them write their “Recipe for a Good Friend” on a recipe card. Make sure the girls know that they can use other words if they like, as well as the ones that they have sorted.

So what does it take to make a healthy friendship? It’s different for everyone. It might take 2 cups of fun, 10 1/2 cups of trust, a spoonful of inspiration, a sprinkling of listening and understanding, 3 cups of hope and 100 cups of respect, as one Brownie wrote on her recipe card. Oh, and a smile on top, too!

What does it take to make a girl who recognizes the difference between healthy friendships and unhealthy friendships? It takes a lot of things. And one of those things might be the opportunity to think about this difference with her peers in a safe space, like Guiding.

Guest blogger Melissa Moor By guest blogger Melissa. Melissa is a Queen’s University student and a Guider with the  5th Ottawa Brownies, 17th Kingston Guides, 17th Kingston Pathfinders. Melissa has also written previous posts for Girl Guides of Canada’s blog: Brownies on Ice, Guiding Parliament, A Silent Meeting, Using Children’s Books in Meetings, It’s Not a Box!, One Plus One Equals Brownie Math,  The World Girls Want for the(ir) Future, Young Women’s World Forum 2011: Wrap-up from Switzerland. She has also reviewed several books from our adult book club: Persuasion, Everything We Ever Wanted, and Flight Behaviour.

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It’s Mental Health Week! Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Mental Health Week, May 6-12, 2013, is an annual national event that takes place during the first week in May to encourage people from all walks of life to learn, talk, reflect and engage with others on all issues relating to mental health. Visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca for more information.

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Cookie Time is Bonding Time

Posted on May 3, 2013 by

At the little tender age of five, my daughter Amelia already loves Girl Guide cookie sales. She joined Girl Guides late in the fall when cookie sales had already started. Yet despite that challenge, she managed to sell 10 cases, making her the best seller at our branch. Even older girls asked if she could sell their cookies when they had extras unsold. At that time, she had heard about the Cookie All Star incentive rewards for different sales levels and wanted to reach the top level. Although I now realize that she could have reached it if she really wanted to, back then I didn’t want her to burn out in her first year.

This year, Amelia received 12 cases of cookies to sell and was already filling her pre-paid sales from family and friends after the unit meeting. Within days she sold nine cases.

Recently, we had a fast-paced week going door-to-door and participating in the Cookie Blitz. We live in a high traffic community so we were able to set up on pretty much the only road in and out. The area is safe and allows vehicles to stop and pull over without interfering with moving traffic. We set up a sign to let drivers know we were up ahead, and that they could stop safely on the side of the road to buy cookies from us.

Amelia and her aunt selling cookies

Amelia and her aunt selling cookies

Thankfully, my sister helped out as we got quite busy at times and the extra set of hands (that know how to count out the proper change) kept things moving quickly. It was chilly out there but lots of smiles and laughs in between customers as we were sitting at about -5 C° with the wind chill at times, and the sun barely shining through the clouds. But our spirits were bright enough that we never really felt the chilly weather!

I have always considered my daughter and I close but this really helps keep that bond tight as we sang, danced, held hands, and sneaked a kiss or nose rub kisses as we were out selling Girl Guide cookies.

Amelia selling cookies

Amelia selling cookies

And of course, Amelia is enjoying Sparks beyond just the cookie sales! She wants to return next year. I too am amazed at her enthusiasm for selling and how hard she is working despite being so young. I look forward to all the years my daughter stays in Girl Guides, which I hope is until she goes off to college.

Thank you Girl Guides of Canada for keeping our bonds strong!

By Sarah, Amelia’s mom.
Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Naughton), Ontario

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie All Stars deadline extended!

Cookie All Star Banner

This is your last chance to register your girls for this excellent incentive programme. Please ensure ALL qualifying girls are registered by the closing date – Monday May 6th.   Cookie All Stars FAQ (PDF)

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May Book Club Choice: City of 1,000 Dolls

Posted on May 1, 2013 by
GGC Book Club for Adults

GGC Book Club for Adults

Welcome to She Said/She Said, where GGC Members from across Canada are our book reviewers who share their opinions about this month’s book choice: City of 1,000 Dolls  by Miriam Forster (published by Harper Collins Canada).

She Said: Alexis Maartman-Jones
Victoria, British Columbia

Image City 1000 DollsI won’t ever look at cats the same, but I’ll keep judging books by their covers. My justification for the latter is that so far, my first impression of novel cover art has been an accurate barometer for reading enjoyment. And I love the cover of City of a Thousand Dolls: strong and fresh – and Miriam Forster serves up both for the reader.

Jumping into the book blind (meaning I did not read the book summary), I stuttered a bit with the number of characters – Forster’s dramatis personae are many, and the city and its surrounding environment she describes are a goldmine for the imaginative reader. All the characters and the houses within the city deserve thoughtful consideration to construct a full image in your mind’s eye, an effort that rewards the reader with an all-access pass into this unique and engrossing world.

Ironically, the freshness that I was looking for in a book threw me for a loop. I’ve been so conditioned to visualizing a Caucasian cast in a North American culture. I admit, Forster’s story took some turns that felt awkward but, in the end, I realized that it was awkward only because it was a divergence from the typical book written for young adults. It was a welcome change.

Forster gives the reader enough insight to make guesses as to “who done it”, a trait in authors that I really appreciate. Forster keeps you guessing; she keeps you on your toes; she rocks.

But I bet you’re intrigued about my cat comment, am I right? You’ll just have to pick up the book and dive in. You won’t be disappointed.

She Said: Cassandra Calverley-Johnson

Set in a foreign word rich with powerful monarchs, masters of beauty and music, and murder, City of a Thousand Dolls, by Miriam Forster is captivating from start to finish. No matter your genre preference there is something here for everyone. From the coming age tale of a girl trying to find out who she is; to the interlaced back story of the world she lives in: its’ rules, customs and beliefs. This novel is truly a worthy read.

We see the world through the eyes of Nisha Arvi, a girl quickly nearing her 16th birthday. Nisha is the errand girl for the Matron of the City of a Thousand Dolls, abandoned at the city gates when she was 6 and deemed too old to start any formal training in the city, so the Matron took her in. Nisha has many friends in the city, most of which are the city cats, because she has a telepathic connection with the cats, (something she keeps secret as no one else seems to have this ability).

This story is action packed from page one. Nisha is constantly in the middle of things, whether it is seeking out her future or discovering her own mysterious past. If that wasn’t enough, girls in the city are being murdered, and when Nisha tries to find out who is the killer she finds herself in even more danger.

This book is packed full of strong powerful women, whether they be a master of medicine or dance, the girls are all seen to be very strong. One part for me that wasn’t so great was that at the girls 16th birthday they essentially get sold to the highest bidder, sometimes to further their career. Sadly, not all the girls were destined for wonderful purchases. Throughout the course of the book though there remains a stirring sense that the principles of the school may not be as sound as first thought, and Nisha in the end sets aside her desires to better the world around her. Overall I found this book to be a positive role model for young girls, and have recommended it to my unit.

She Said: Katie Etzl

A City of a Thousand Dolls is a fantastic book for teens. Nisha, the main character, was abandoned at the city as a small child where children are apprenticed in different fields, such as musicians, healers, and courtesans. When one of the girls dies there is a lot of mystery surrounding the situation as to how it happened, and who did it. The description of life in a faraway land is very interesting and very well done. The facts are real as to how people live and think in other countries and are very well portrayed. Sometimes you even find yourself being pulled towards the ways other people think – that is so very different from your own. I would highly recommend that everyone read this book and I would read other books by this author.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie All Stars deadline extended!

Cookie All Star Banner

This is your last chance to register your girls for this excellent incentive programme. Please ensure ALL qualifying girls are registered by the closing date – Monday May 6th.   Cookie All Stars FAQ (PDF)

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Brownies on Ice

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Most weeks, we have our Brownie meeting in the church basement. Once a year, we have a Brownie sleepover at the community centre and a camp at the conservation area. Sometimes, we hold Brownies at our adopted park, at the local seniors’ residence or at the church down the road where the Sparks meet. This year, we had Brownies at the rink.

A few weeks ago, we didn’t meet at the church, or go through the Brownie opening in our uniforms and indoor shoes as usual. Instead, we met at the local rink down the road, bundled up and ready for the 2013 premiere of “Brownies on Ice”.

Holding a Brownie meeting on the rink allowed the girls to skate, play and have fun. It also allowed us to learn about winter safety and to try some things we do all the time, like the Brownie opening, in a new environment.

The week before Brownies traded the church basement for the skating rink, we got ready for our outdoor meeting.

Activities to Prepare for an Outdoor Winter Meeting (Key to Active Living, Interest Badge: Winter Outside):

  • Dressing Up for Winter: One Guider walks in wearing summer clothes and tells the girls that she is going outside. The girls will tell her that she can’t go outside because she is not dressed properly. The Guiders asks them what would happen if she went outside like that. She puts on one piece of winter clothing and tells the girls she is going to leave again. They will stop her and give more instructions. The Guider continues putting on more winter items until the girls tell her she is ready to go outside safely.
  • Safety Skits: Show what to do to prevent and take care of frostbite, skin on cold metal and hypothermia.
  • Winter Outfits: In groups, girls trace one group member on a large piece of paper. Together, they design and draw a safe winter outfit on the paper.
  • Skating Safety: Demonstrate how to safely carry skates, how to safely clean skates, how to dress safely for skating.

The next week, it was time to hit the ice! Bundled up against the cold, we met at the rink in the park and the skating began. Many of the games we play inside and the activities we do every week can be easily adapted for the ice.

Activities for a “Brownies On Ice” Meeting

  • Brownie opening and closing on ice
  • Play Skating Simon Says
  • Play Skating Follow-the-Leader
  • Play ultimate rock paper scissors on the ice
  • In small groups, make a short skating routine
  • Sing favourite songs on ice

When we were done skating and singing, we glided (okay, piled) into the shack. Hats flew off. Gloves hit the ground. We pried off skates and passed out hot chocolate. One cup each, with three marshmallows.

“Bright Owl,” one of the Brownies piped up as she held her warm cup close, “are we going to be inside next week, or can we have Brownies on the ice again?”

Sometimes a change of scenery is just what the girls need. Going to the rink is not always a possibility. But there are parks and community centres, libraries and museums. Once in a while, get your girls out of that church basement or the school gym. Take Brownies (or Sparks, Guides or Pathfinders) on the road. Maybe even on the ice.

Guest blogger Melissa MoorBy guest blogger Melissa. Melissa is a Queen’s University student and a Guider with the  5th Ottawa Brownies, 17th Kingston Guides, 17th Kingston Pathfinders. Melissa has also written previous posts for Girl Guides of Canada’s blog: Guiding Parliament, A Silent Meeting, Using Children’s Books in Meetings, It’s Not a Box!, One Plus One Equals Brownie Math,  The World Girls Want for the(ir) Future, Young Women’s World Forum 2011: Wrap-up from Switzerland. She has also reviewed several books from our adult book club: Persuasion, Everything We Ever Wanted, and Flight Behaviour.

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What’s new at Girl Guides? Returning girls who are either moving up or changing units can register for the 2013/2014 Guiding year starting 10am EDT Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Don’t forget to register!

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Derby Girl Power!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

Recently, we had members of the 709 Derby Girls come to visit a bridging event with our Brownie and Guide units. We thought it would be a cool new sport to learn about, and we knew the girls would be excited about meeting the Derby Girls, seeing their cool roller derby gear and all their impressive roller skate tricks!

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We had a great group of Derby Girls teach us how to play (in our sneakers), strategize, train, and of course, how to be safe when playing. We learned to “pick a cheek” when falling backwards to protect your tailbone (words to live by!). What we didn’t realize ahead of time was how much more we, and the girls, could learn from Derby and the girls who play it!

While we may not have realized it right away, the Brownies and Guides did, and talk quickly turned to how Roller Derby shares a lot of the same values as Girl Guides of Canada…

Girl Empowerment: Roller Derby is the ultimate Girl Power sport! It’s all about being strong women, working as a team, thinking strategically and making quick decisions. Talk about a confidence booster!

Respect: Roller Derby has its own culture, and a large part of it is safe play and good sportsmanship. Even with the proper safety gear and with everyone being careful, accidents can still happen! When they do, all the players stop, take a knee and wait to make sure that the player is okay – applauding when they get up. After the bout, the teams acknowledge each other’s hard work with handshakes and they choose a player on the other team to receive an MVP award.

Inclusivity: Women of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities are welcomed into the Roller Derby family! While the players come from all walks of life and have very different levels of experience, everyone has their strengths and can find a home in a Derby League.

Our Guides and Brownies had a great night getting to know these great role models and training as Official Junior Derby Girls! We can’t wait to have them back again next year!

By guest blogger Holly Baker.

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What’s new at Girl Guides? Returning girls who are either moving up or changing units can register for the 2013/2014 Guiding year starting 10am EDT Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Don’t forget to register!

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A Step Back into a Brownie Time Machine

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

In planning for learning a bit about the history of Guiding, I wanted to do something different this year. Then I remembered that someone tried to pawn off a bag of old Brownie badges on me years ago. Are you shocked to hear that she held on to that bag, like any good Guider-Hoarder would? I found enough badges to do four stations, so that all our Brownies could earn a “realllly old brown triangle badge!”

The 111th London Brownies arrived to our weekly meeting and were asked to sign up for one of four badges. All they were told was the name of the badge, and that we only had a certain number of each badge.

At the station for the Photography Badge, they were introduced to a 12-year old film camera. “Click” (our photography obsessed leader) asked them how old they thought it was – 100 years old? 78 years old? She told them about the mysterious film cylinder, and together they loaded the film in the camera. As per the badge work criteria, they each took four photos of different subject matter, and Click had the film processed over the next week.

Over at the Hostess Badge station, the girls learned about a story that helped them remember how to organize the cutlery on a properly set table. They made a GIANT mock invitation, and had to think of all the important information that needs to be included. They also made a thank-you card to appreciate some of their favourite people…their Brownie leaders!

Photo courtesy Bri Arnold

Photo courtesy Bri Arnold

At the Jester Badge, two girls had the opportunity to go nuts and dress up in crazy clothes. We then “recited children’s poetry” to each other (because that’s what the Brownie Manual told us to do!). We quickly made up silly actions to our Brownie Opening Song. Then they got to choose a fun song and make up a silly dance to the music. And ta-da! Two new jesters were born.

For the Athlete Badge, the girls were put through a rigorous physical test. It included throwing a tennis ball into a small bucket from a distance of 4 metres, jumping straight up to a height of half your own height, push-ups catching a bean bag from a distance of 5 metres, and skipping forward for 30 seconds. We had a good laugh about how specific the criteria were for this badge, as it even had different criteria for girls aged 7 and 8! Guider Cosmo, who ran this badge, noted that if she was being a really strict leader, many girls wouldn’t have earned the badge! They put a great effort into it though, and they were sweaty and smiling!

We had a ton of fun stepping back in time and earning badges from 25 years ago. It was an easy meeting to plan and execute, and had the girls thinking about how similar Brownies was “back in the day!” As one of our Brownies said at the end of the meeting, “It was cool to see what Brownies did a long time ago! Brownies has always been fun!”

Written by Bri Arnold. Bri is a leader in the 111th London Brownies, as well as the 1st Ontario Lone Sparks and Brownies. She is at Fanshawe College for Early Childhood Education, and runs a day camp for youth with disabilities in the summer. Read her previous posts on GirlGuidesCANBlog: Lending a Hand to Camp and Lone Guiding Rocks.

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What’s new at Girl Guides? Returning girls who are either moving up or changing units can register for the 2013/2014 Guiding year starting 10am EDT Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Don’t forget to register!

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This Earth Day Build a Bat House

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

Program planning starts with an idea – a spark that with a little time and effort can quickly become a heart-warming campfire.  This is exactly what happened with the bat house project for the 157th Guide unit in the Calgary area.

Leaders with cups of tea sat around a table going through the program that needed to be covered for the coming year and up came the Beyond You, Try New Things Section and the conversation went something like this:

“How about we have the girls build something with hammers and nails?”

“Perhaps a bird house?”

“I read something about bats, what do you think about a bat house?”

“Sure let’s do it!”

This was the spark that started our unit’s bat house project. Bat house construction was put on our meeting schedule, followed by enlisting a volunteer to cut boards and to teach the girls how to make bat houses.

The flames of the fire were growing as leaders started searching for information on bats and bat houses. A bat house design was chosen and information sheets were prepared for the meeting. When the girls heard they’d be building bat houses, their enthusiasm only provided more fuel for the fire.

Meeting time arrived, bat information sheets were dispersed and we discussed bats.  Much to the surprise of the leaders, the girls embraced the project.  They weren’t scared of the possibility of encountering a bat, surely most of them had read the Twilight series and heard about vampires and bats and their wicked ways! They saw bats as cool creatures; after all they eat mosquitoes. One girl even thought they were cute!  Success!  Perhaps it was the information sheets, at least the leaders like to think so.

The fire that started with a spark is now becoming a raging blaze; hammers, nails, boards, and other construction material was being transformed into bat houses. Many of the girls started tentatively; they had never held a hammer before and its weight felt uncomfortable in their hands.  However, before long the tools no longer felt foreign and the construction proceeded with a new-found confidence.

The night did not go flawlessly, there were a few fingers hammered some boards nailed in the wrong spots and a slight design modification was needed mid-stream.

Learning to overcome obstacles is all part of the process, part of the learning.

We have reached our goal – Yahoo! Each patrol worked as a team to build a bat house ready for its winged residents. They are amazed at what they have created in an hour and a half.  Their pride for their accomplishment adds more fuel to the fire.  Time for the fire to wither away and become ashes as the project is done.

Wait, not so fast – the leaders come forward with more fuel for the fire, a plan to hang the bat houses at camp. The bat houses were hung with care in locations determined to be favourable to bats (they don’t like their houses in trees).  The project is now complete but the fire continues to burn gently.  The bat houses remain at the campsite and remind the girls, leaders, and other camp visitors how a spark can be turned into a gentle warm fire.

Of course the fire will grow to be its warmest when we discover that bat families have made their home in our bat houses.

Guest blogger Shannon

blogger Shannon

By guest blogger Guider Shannon Jaeger, Calgary Area. This article/blog originally appeared in the GGC Alberta’s BluePrint publication.

Bat House Information Sheet

 A note to Guiders, as this project involved learning about bats and providing a home, it covered several Guide program areas:

  • Beyond You, Try New Things, #2 Find out how to use basic tools
  • Beyond You, Learn About Our Environment, #2 Learn about an organization or person who is a leader in promoting a healthy environment
  • Guiding And You, Be Involved In Your Community, #4 Participate in a Green Connection environmental service project

A couple of great resources for information about bats and bat houses are the Environment and Sustainable Resource Development’s website.

The US National Parks website.

Bat Trivia

  • Bats eat insects!  A single little brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes in one hour. They do their hunting in the evening
  • Some bats migrate, but most of the bats in Alberta hibernate in caves, walls or attics in the winter
  • Female bats live in colonies and in late May/early June they give birth to one or two pups (babies).
  • Animals that eat bats include: owls, cats, skunks, snakes and raccoons.
  • Bats roost in trees, buildings or caves.  At night they roost in packs to stay warm.
  • Big brown bats are reported to reach flying speeds of up to 65 km/h.
  • The two most common types of bats around the Calgary area are the little brown bat, big brown bat, and the silver-haired bat.
  • Bats live about 6 to 7 years, but can live more than 10 years.
  • They sleep a lot, almost 20 hours a day to conserve energy for hunting.
  • Bats use sound to find their prey by emitting a sound and listening for the sound to return to them after bouncing off of they pray.

Bat House Construction

In case you are interested in making your own bat house …

It’s best to get the house plans and follow them.

Materials you’ll need to buy

  • 2 pieces of (4’x4’) and 1” thick outdoor grad plywood
  • 2 pieces of 1”x6”x8’ pine or cedar
  • Mesh, HDPE plastic netting 7’x36”
  • Nails
  • Acrylic caulking
  • Staples
  • Tools (table saw, hammer, caulking gun)

 Installing

  • DO NOT hang in tree or shady area. Make sure the house receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day
  • Mount at least 12 feet above the ground
  • Hanging the house near a pond or stream may increase the chances of attracting bats
  • Clean the bat house each winter (bats will be hibernating elsewhere)
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Future Radio Star Reporters

Posted on April 20, 2013 by

One of the requirements for the reporter badge involved writing an ad, so we had our girls in the 1st Fairview Guides split into groups and write three 30-second radio commercials. We had received a couple of sample ads from the station ahead of time so we could discuss what made them catchy, the concept of “target audience,” and the how-to’s of writing a radio spot.

1st Fairview Guides visiting with FX101.9 host Denyse Sibley

1st Fairview Guides visiting with FX101.9 host Denyse Sibley

The girls came up with three ads. The best part? Watching the girls’ excitement when they actually hear their ad on the radio!

By guest blogger Rhiannon Morgan of the 1st Fairview Guides.

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What’s new with Girl Guides? This weekend is COOKIE DAYS IN CANADA when hundreds of girls and young women will be in 100+ Sears stores nationwide selling Girl Guide Cookies to support their activities, community service projects and international adventures. Each of the units participating in Cookie Days will have a limited supply of hot-off-the-press “Cookie Recipes for Girl Greatness” recipe cards, so plan to get there early if you want a copy. But don’t forget that if they have run out you can still download pdf versions!

Not sure if there will be girls at your local Sears – check out the Cookie Finder Map for all locations and follow us on Twitter – @girlguidecookie and @girlguidesofcan

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Yes, She’s a SPARK. No, She isn’t Cute.

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

When I was a Spark and Brownie Guider, I often heard Guiders say with envy ”Oh, your unit can sell cookies so much easier because you have cute Sparks and Brownies.” Or they would say proudly “We can sell cookies in a snap, because we have cute Sparks and Brownies. Do you want us to lend you one?”

Now that I’m a Pathfinder Guider, STOP!

I wince each time I hear this, and I desperately hope there aren’t any girls, younger or older, within earshot.  It is usually meant in good humour, as a tease between Guiders.  But please think about the undermining and self-esteem-eroding messages we ALL hear in this.

If a young girl hears her leaders praise her efforts at selling cookies “because she is cute”, what does she learn? That it is her physical appearance that is compelling. That the people who buy and support Guiding are doing so because of her cuteness. That she is effective because she is cute.

What do the older girls learn from this? That they are less effective; less able to “compete” with their younger Guiding sisters because they are not as cute.  Will my wonderful, confident, intelligent, capable Pathfinders carry this impression with them as they find their place in school, in their careers, in their relationships, and in society?

What do Guiders learn from this? That we are in competition with each other to try to sell cookies?  And that our “success” is based on how cute our girls are?  That females are more successful if we are cute or pretty?  That we can manipulate and compete if we are cute or pretty?

For me, this is NOT what Girl Guiding should be instilling in our girl or adult members. So please – praise the girls for how polite and friendly they were (sales skills).  Praise them for how well they set up their sales table, and made it easy for customers to know why the cookies are for sale (presentation and communication skills).  Praise them for choosing good places to sell (marketing plans, market research).  Praise them for how well they cooperated together (team work). But please stop undermining us all by suggesting we succeed or fail based on how cute we are.

We succeed with our great ideas.  We succeed with our passion, strengths, and talents.  We succeed with the care and support of others.  We succeed because we believe in ourselves. We succeed when we have goals and a vision for what can be.

That’s what we want to teach our girls.

By first time guest blogger Katherine Corbett, aka Chickadee, of the 1st Oak Ridges Pathfinders, Oak Ridges, Ontario.

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What’s new with Girl Guides? This weekend is COOKIE DAYS IN CANADA when hundreds of girls and young women will be in 100+ Sears stores nationwide selling Girl Guide Cookies to support their activities, community service projects and international adventures. Each of the units participating in Cookie Days will have a limited supply of hot-off-the-press “Cookie Recipes for Girl Greatness” recipe cards, so plan to get there early if you want a copy. But don’t forget that if they have run out you can still download pdf versions!

Not sure if there will be girls at your local Sears – check out the Cookie Finder Map bit.ly/GirlGuideCookies for all locations and follow us on Twitter – @girlguidecookie and @girlguidesofcan

Posted in Cookie Bits N Bites | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cookie Recipes for Girl Greatness

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

PrintWhat do you get when you introduce one of Canada’s best loved foods to some of Canada’s favourite chefs?

You get Cookie Recipes for Girl Greatness of course!

We all know that the only thing better than enjoying Girl Guide cookies straight out of the box are the recipes that use our classic chocolate and vanilla and chocolatey mint cookies! With that in mind, Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada challenged Canadian chefs and bakers to create their most scrumptious recipes using our famous cookies and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

The six delicious recipes are:

These recipes are a great way to promote Girl Guide Cookies and increase your sales.

  • Make one or two of these recipes or create one of your own and offer samples to everyone who walks by your table at your next cookie event.  After just one bite, I bet there would be few people who will say ‘no’ to buying an extra box of cookies.
  • Print your favourite recipes from girlguides.ca and use them in your cookie display.
  • If customers want to know where they can get their own copy then you can give them one of the notecards with the Cookie Recipes for Girl Greatness logo and web address that we’ve put  on Members Zone in the Cookie Selling Resources folder.
  • Or maybe you could print off copies of your favourite recipes and offer them to customers who buy multiple boxes.

We are sure the girls will think of lots of innovative ways to use this new selling tool! All six recipes are available on our updated recipe page at girlguides.ca, and special recipe cards can be picked-up in select Sears stores across the country during Cookie Days in Canada, this weekend – April 20-21.

Do you have your own delicious recipe using our cookies?

If you think that you have a recipe to rival those of our celebrity chefs, we would love to share it with everyone. Send your recipe to ckhelp@girlguides.ca and who knows it might be the next dessert featured as a Cookie Recipe for Girl Greatness.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie Day in Canada 2013 is April 20 (and 21 in select locations) across Canada. Cookie lovers: don’t forget to check out our Cookie Finder Map to find a location near you! Cookie sellers (Guiders): don’t forget to add your unit cookie sales event to our interactive cookie drive map.

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Are you a Swap-a-holic, too?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

Hat crafts. Traders. Swaps. You can call them whatever you want. I call them “my addiction”. My name is Alana, and I am a swap-a-holic.

It started innocently enough. When my daughters were Sparks, a fellow Guider showed up at an event with her camp hat. I thought, “How cute! We’ll have to make some at our sleepover.” And so we did. Then we made more at camp. And more the next year. Five years later, my camp hat has gotten so heavy that I have a permanent crick in my neck.

I don’t know why, but those tiny little crafts really appeal to me. Our collection has grown to include seven hats, four banners and hundreds more we simply have no place to put.

I can make a hat craft out of anything. Springs from the inside of pens and bits of coloured wire left by the phone repairman are perfect robot parts. Tiny bits of fun foam are just the right size for ears on inch-long bunny slippers. Broken pencils? Keep those! They’re perfect for Yahtzee-in-a-film-canister. And speaking of film canisters, I have hundreds stored in my basement… just in case!

I’ve created an army of swap-a-holics. My Guides want to make hat crafts all the time. They come up with new ideas, and bring them in to share. I love seeing how the girls take an idea and make it their own. We hosted a Thinking Day Swap Exchange, where we had 80 Sparks, Brownies and Guides come together to make and trade hat crafts. It was an awesome night, and we saw amazing creativity from the girls and Guiders.

Alana Coneen pic of daughters

Madeline and Abigail. Courtesy Alana Coneen

But why limit yourself to face-to-face trades? The Internet has let us connect with other “hat craft addicts” all over the globe, and we’ve traded with girls from Alaska to Australia. We pin them to a world map, and use them as a tool to learn about WAGGGS.

If you’ve never made a hat craft, there’s no time like now to start! Hit Pinterest, Google and Facebook for tons of great ideas. And e-mail me. Because, you know, it’s an addiction.

Alana is a Guider with the 2nd Bedford Guides. She loves to share her addiction and can be reached at coneen (@) smallducks.com.

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Earth Day 2013What’s New with Girl Guides? Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide. On April 22, more than 6 million Canadians join 1 billion people in over 170 countries in staging events and projects to address local environmental issues.

Environmental awareness and action has always been an integral aspect of Girl Guides of Canada’s programming. The 2012-2013 National Service Project encourages Members to work together and make a difference in the world! And here are a select number of related girl programming activities, outside of the National Service Project, that you could do with your Unit to celebrate Earth Day and to help girls be confident, resourceful and courageous, and to make a difference in the world.

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You’re a Teenage Girl Living in a Scary World. Be True to You.

Posted on April 12, 2013 by

This guest blog post was written in response to the recent death of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons, and the October suicide of Amanda Todd. We encourage Guiders to share this post with your Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers. Then share it with every daughter, mother, aunt, father and brother as an eye opener to how we can (and should) choose to stop bullying and violence against women. Together we can make a difference.

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From an adult now on the sidelines of high school:

Dear young girls of Guiding,

Give a moment of your time to an “elder”? I want to, no, I feel the need for us to have some girl talk. I hope you are already spending time talking to your moms, your leaders, a teacher, a doctor. Someone who listens to you and acts on the issues and problems you have or have asked them to help you with. And while guidance and opinions from others will help you make informed decisions, so will one other thing: being authentic yourself with the one person who should help you build your ethics, morals, self-esteem and confidence: you.

note image. Sarah LyonWhen I was a teenager there were only two ways that gossip spread between my friends: on the telephone at home, or through this sophisticated system: delivered by hand as you passed a friend in the hallway. Only two sets of eyes read these long letters (unless you were caught by a teacher and had it taken away).

I won’t lie to you and say that back then we never talked mean gossip about other girls (our friends or strangers). And I won’t insult you by saying no girl was ever bullied by other girls in my school (or that I didn’t participate in it).

Bullying is not new to our world. But the seeming need to share/post/text details is.

I feel fortunate that as a teen, I didn’t have the Internet, or a cell phone that does more than dial another phone. And especially, I feel fortunate that there was no social media.

The issue with the Internet that you have grown up with is that it is a media, a culture, that is owned by everyone. Both the people trying to do good in the world, and people trying to do bad.

What you have to figure out, make up your own mind about, is where in that world do you stand?

  • As a bystander, or
  • As someone who stands up for things that are wrong.

There is a big difference between posting/sharing things that are harmful to other people and actually reporting it.

The use of Facebook, Twitter, texting and blogging is still pretty new in the world. Large businesses are spending a lot of money to figure out how to properly use these tools. And many are forgetting to take time to talk to young adults and to some extent, children, on how to best use these tools safely.

My best advice is pretty simple:

  •  If a text is being sent around with a rumour in it, insert your name there instead of that other person. Would you send it now?
  • If a picture is posted where you know something is wrong, picture you or your friend in it. Would you share it now?
  • If you are asked to bare a body part that is normally covered to someone who says “trust me, I won’t show anyone,” imagine that picture on every news channel and online. Would you send it now?

No matter what decade you live in, no matter what the generation, being a teenager is hard. But one day you will be sitting where I am (after high school and into your twenties or thirties). My wish for you is that you sit there knowing you stood up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves, or for those who needed the help of fellow classmates/friends to speak up for them, to stop the rumours circulating. I wish you never look back on this time and regret not finding out who you are: a person who does good.

By guest blogger Sarah Lyon of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

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Hands-On History

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

I admit it – I’m a history geek. I love visiting historic sites, I search out the history section in the book store, and I regularly PVR shows on the History Channel. I have a degree in History, and training as a Museum Professional. So I guess it’s natural that as a Guider, history creeps into our meetings on a regular basis.

“What?”  You might ask?  “Bore the girls with dry names and dates of places and events that happened long before they were born?”  I’ve found a lot of people have had bad experiences with history, and think that it has to be dry, dull, and lifeless.

But history ISN’T boring!  Really, it’s all about storytelling, and everyone loves a good story!  Especially when that story tells you about your own past, or about what it was like for people, just like us, in a different time.

In our unit, we have done everything from visiting the Medieval era at camp (complete with knights’ quests, writing with quill pens, and dressing in costumes) to having a Girl Guide uniform fashion show, to see how we would have dressed if we lived 25, 50, or even 100 years ago!  We have dyed fabric using plants, just like the pioneers in our area did, and baked bread and made our own butter.

Without exception, these “hands-on history” sessions have been wildly popular with the girls!  They request these activities over and over again, and are always the favourite things mentioned when we review the year.

But how do you get started?  What if you don’t have a history degree or haven’t worked in a museum?  And how do you make history fun for the girls?

Never fear!  There are tons of resources at your disposal. Here are some of my favourites to get you started:

  • Want to learn about Girl Guide history?  Try your Provincial Archives!  Ontario Council provides Heritage Uniform Rentals for a nominal fee. You can find their program here.  There is also an online Canadian Guiding Badges and Insignia Resource. Do a little research and find out what your provincial or territorial council has to offer.
  • Girl Guides Canada has a great online photo-sharing initiative called HerStory: Then and Now. Check out photos of uniforms, people and cookies of the past!
  • What to share the story of your town, village or city with your girls, but not sure where to start?  Try your local museum! Community museums have a wealth of information and are eager to share their stories. Many also offer special programs for Girl Guide groups geared to specific badges, and are most likely willing to work with you if you have a topic or badge you’d like to explore. For example, our local museum rents (for a small fee) Educational Resource Kits that include costumes, replica artifacts, craft ideas, books, and other resources. We have used them as jumping off points for themed meetings, camps, and badge work.
  • Why not bring in a resource person?  Want to learn a heritage skill like baking, quilting or weaving?  Try contacting a local historic site, craft guild, or fabric shop. Maybe a Trefoil Guild member has a skill she could share?  Re-enacting groups are active in many parts of the country; perhaps they would be willing to come and do a demonstration or join with your girls in a project.
  • Don’t re-invent the wheel. Use resources at your local library and on the Internet. Two Guiding resources are great for finding themed meeting and camp ideas – try Becky’s Guiding Resource (the camp theme books are great!)  or GuideZone for ideas from other Guiders for historic themes!
  • All communities have a history!  Go for a walk in a historic district, plot a hike to visit historical plaques, or participate in a program at a National Historic Site. Parks Canada runs programming at many historic sites, and some even run day or overnight programs – a great historic location for your next sleepover!

History doesn’t have to be boring – get out and explore your past!  The girls will never know they’re learning, and you’ll be rewarded with a chorus of eager history buffs in the making, asking, “Can we do that again?”

Megan with her daughter By guest blogger and Guider ‘Glowie’, aka Megan Gilchrist. Megan is the Contact Guider for the 7th St. Catharines Guiding (multi-branch)Unit. Read Megan’s other contributions to GirlGuidesCANBlog: Every Penny Counts, and “Multi-Branch” Means More Fun!

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie Day in Canada 2013 is April 20 (and 21 in select locations) across Canada. Cookie lovers: don’t forget to check out our Cookie Finder Map to find a location near you! Cookie sellers (Guiders): don’t forget to add your unit cookie sales event to our interactive cookie drive map.

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The “Outsider” Girl Guider

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

At a time when a girl can choose Scouts or Girl Guides, is there really much difference? Or can she get a little bit of both in Girl Guides?

This year Scouts Canada is hosting a jamboree at Sylvan Lake.  The 64th Edmonton Pathfinders were eager to go to this jamboree and so was I. But as a Ranger, I was too old to attend as a youth but too young to attend as a supervisor. So I signed up to be an Offer of Service (a volunteer) at the jamboree.

During the first team meeting I had with the Scouts I confessed I was a Girl Guide. They all chuckled and said, “It’s okay. We forgive you.” I didn’t know what to make of this – I have always been proud to be a Girl Guide but suddenly I was an outsider.

Part of my job before the jamboree is to talk to Scouts and Guides and see what types of things they are doing to prepare for the event. I got two Scouts from the 59th Edmonton Scouts and two of the 64th Pathfinders to talk to; this is when I realized I was not an outsider, just a different species of the same breed.

Both groups are selling sweets and having bottle drives to fundraise, and everyone is looking forward to a week playing in the lake. Neither group really cares about the other being there; they realize that there is a greater opportunity for excellent badge trading from a whole new audience.

Just because we are in Girl Guides doesn’t mean we can’t join in the Scouting fun. We are one in the same and the Canadian Jamboree is just a great opportunity for other Guides and Scouts to realize this.

Megan Lamothe

Megan Lamothe

By guest blogger Megan Lamothe.

Megan is a 3rd year Ranger in the 64th Edmonton Rangers and received her Chief Commissioners Gold Award in her second year of Rangers. She loves volunteering at camps and traveling, and is looking forward to an international trip to Kenya this summer.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? World Health Day is Sunday, April 7th and the 2013 theme is high blood pressure. We highlighted for you a select number of related girl programming activities that you could do with your Unit to highlight health issues.

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Make Your Own Wordle Shirt

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

I remember the year they introduced the wordle shirt. That shirt WAS Guiding. It was perfect. I remember thinking… finally there is a piece of clothing that is cool. I would wear mine to camp, to the gym… even to school!

My guiding friends and I on the Ontario Adventure Trip to Ecuador in 2009

My guiding friends and I on the Ontario Adventure Trip to Ecuador in 2009

A few years later… I am now the DC for Cornwallis District in the south end of Halifax and I still wear my wordle shirt as often as I can.

The problem is… it, like all my other GGC paraphernalia, has shrunk.

So what’s a girl to do but make her own.

This weekend was our District’s Brownie and Guide Sleepover Extravaganza and between swimming, zumba and yoga we managed to find time for the Guides to learn how to silk screen.

What you need:

A silk screen, silk screen fabric paint, a squeegee, card stock, pencils, scissors and t-shirts.

Here’s how we did it:

  1. Each girl got a strip of card stalk to write a word that to her, was synonymous with Guiding.
  2. The girls then cut out their words to make individual stencils.
  3. The leaders then took all the words and tried to fit them onto the silk screen.
  4. While the girls played Apples to Apples, we tapped all the words down and filled in all the gaps with scrap card stalk.
  5. Once the screen was ready, we got the girls to put their names on their white t-shirts and to put a piece of cardboard in the middle of their shirts. (This ensured that the paint did not bleed through.)

Then it was Go Time!

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6. We carefully put the screen down on the t-shirt to make sure it was where we wanted the design to end up and got all the girls to help press down the screen and hold the t-shirt so it didn’t move.

7. One leader put a line of paint along the top and a line of paint along the bottom. Then the other leader pushed and pulled the squeegee all over the screen to make sure the paint covered the whole surface.

8. Once it was all painted, we took off the excess paint (you want to make sure there is as little as possible left on the screen) and got ready to lift. Half the girls held down the t-shirt while the other half lifted the screen straight off the t-shirt…

…and voila, we had our very own wordle shirt.

We then went and repeated the screening process on all the other t-shirts. The parents were impressed and the girls LOVED their new shirts.

Here are some helpful tips:

After the first shirt is done, be really careful putting the screen down- you only get once chance!

Once all the shirts are done, you can take a paint brush and fix up the shirts as you wish. Sometimes the half printed letters give it a vintage feel, other times you can’t read the word. Make your own judgement call.

We let the t-shirts sit for the rest of the day and by the time the parents came to pick them up, they were dry!

I told all the parents to wait another 24 hours to make sure the paint was FULLY dry and then to wash them inside out the first time.

For Guiders wanting to try this…

This took us a good two hours to do with the Guides plus time for them to sit and dry. I would recommend this craft as a slumber party/camp craft for Guide-age girls but Rangers and Pathfinders might be able to get it done in a meeting.

Photo Courtesy Paula Sand

Photo: Paula Sand

Total cost: $50 for the screen, paint and squeegee that all can be used again and $3 per t-shirt.

Craft ranking: 5 out of 5.

By guest blogger Paula and originally appeared on The Sanderson Post.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie Day in Canada 2013 is April 20 (and 21 in select locations) across Canada. Cookie lovers: don’t forget to check out our Cookie Finder Map to find a location near you! Cookie sellers (Guiders): don’t forget to add your unit cookie sales event to our interactive cookie drive map.

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A Spirit Revitalized

Posted on April 1, 2013 by

In March 2012, I left my home in Calgary to spend a year volunteering with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to social and economic change in developing nations. I chose to visit India on my journey because I felt it was a country that would challenge me and give me incredible opportunities for growth. Boy was I right!  India was a chaotic mess of emotions for me and as a single female traveling alone, it was incredibly challenging. While there, I was robbed, starved, discriminated against, harassed and stalked; and I witnessed some of the saddest lives and the worst conditions that exist on our planet. In many ways, India didn’t agree with me, nor I with it. It pushed me down, tore me up, took my lunch money and made me cry.

It also opened up my eyes to what life is like for a large percentage of humanity. Most of it isn’t pretty. However, though there is a lot about India I would consider ugly, while I was there I also saw examples of beauty far surpassing what I think is possible in the most picturesque and privileged circumstances. India, in a sense, forced me to crawl through the mud, up the side of a mountain and ultimately, come out on top. Dirty, but still on top and still smiling.

If I had to choose the perfect last day in India, this would have been it. I went to Pune to visit one of four world centers of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and when I flew across India to visit Sangam, I did it for two reasons. The first, and most powerful, was for my mother. A lifelong devotee to the organization, I knew that my going would give her as much joy as the souvenirs I could bring home. The second was to satiate my thirst for accomplishment. Visiting Sangam, I was slowly chipping away at a life’s worth of lists: two out of four World Centres, six out of seven continents, and so on. I never expected my visit to rekindle a long lost sense of belonging that dawned early in my Guiding life and continued through my adult years.

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Having been a member of the organization for as long as I can remember, I felt that I’d come too close to not visit. As luck would have it, I arrived on a very auspicious day – the first day of the Discover your Potential event, hosting about 50 members from all over the world. The staff and volunteers were dressed in beautiful saris and the entire place was abuzz with excitement. I was given a tour of the lush green property and even the morning drizzle couldn’t dampen the energy of the moment. After my tour, I was invited to stay for lunch, and enjoyed a delicious and traditional Indian meal seated next to Aruna Butala, the House and Property Manager from India and at the same table as a few other Canadians.

I’ve always been amazed at how, when traveling abroad, complete strangers can become best friends in an almost instant. The same is very much true of attending Guiding events. I was welcomed to attend the event’s opening ceremony and community tour with the participants and started to quickly get to know some of the girls. Oddly connected in ways beyond Guiding – a shared desire to move to a particular country or through similar and strangely specific career objectives – I found myself surrounded with friends almost immediately. So much so that when asked if I wanted to stay for dinner, I didn’t hesitate to accept. I couldn’t imagine peeling myself away from the atmosphere of acceptance and love at Sangam.

At dinner I sat amongst a group that had arrived from the UK and we bonded over the patience-imparting experience that is travel within India. Enjoying the tantalizing samosas, we all remarked at how far we’d come in our journey to be sitting at the same table eating foods none of us would have enjoyed back home. There is something at Sangam, and it’s not just the piquant food, that enlivens and strengthens connections between strangers.

The evening ceremony, a beautiful mix of traditional Indian rituals and long-standing Guiding customs, took place in the Lady Ratan Tata Memorial Hall, with everyone dressed in uniform. Thanks to a generous fellow leader from Canada who lent me her extra shirt, I fit right into the warm and inviting environment, which glowed from the candlelight of the evening aarti. Our foreheads were marked with turmeric and saffron and we were presented with delicate devotional flower necklaces. We tasted sweet coconut and sugar and before the evening ended, Jen Barron, Sangam World Centre Manager, sought me out to thank me for coming and to present me with the Sangam pin. I’d shown up as a day visitor and ended up being a part of the whole opening ceremonies. I was honored by their inclusion and felt a sense of belonging that I hadn’t yet felt in India.

As I got into the tuk tuk to head back to my hotel, long after sunset, the girls stood under the archways of Sangam, waving and singing good-bye. In the dark, I couldn’t help but smile to myself, with tears in my eyes. The truth is, I’d come to Sangam simply to say I’d been there, but just as they opened the gates and I walked through, the spirit of Sangam somehow opened up my heart and stepped inside.

Kate at Sangam.

Kate at Sangam.

By guest blogger Kate (Katherine) Istead.
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What’s New with Girl Guides? Cookie Day in Canada 2013 is April 20 (and 21 in select locations) across Canada. Cookie lovers: don’t forget to check out our Cookie Finder Map to find a location near you! Cookie sellers (Guiders): don’t forget to add your unit cookie sales event to our interactive cookie drive map.

Posted in Global Guiding | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Constant Quest for Adventure

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

My new year’s resolution for 2013 was to sleep outside at least one night every month of the year. This goal is born from a passion for outdoor adventure. I feel like I am the best version of myself when I have a backpack on or a paddle in my hand. I love following a path or a river and seeing where it will take me. It’s usually somewhere pretty fun.

I started camping with my family, but also went camping as a Brownie and Guide. I learned to backpack as a Pathfinder and then was fortunate enough to backpack a lot while working on my Duke of Edinburgh Award with my Ranger unit. In my last year of university I started volunteering with a local Guide group, and of course, taking them to camp. I also started to get back into tripping on a personal level, enjoying many excellent adventures with friends.

After four years of Guide camps, I was thrilled to find out about the Trex program. This sounded like the perfect way to mesh my work with GGC and my passion for outdoor adventure. Being a Trex Guider was an amazing experience for me. We went backpacking and canoe tripping, along with lots of other adventures.  It was fantastic to give others the opportunity to adventure camp. For me, it was important to repay the gifts that I had been given as a youth member. Our adventures started small, and as my skills and confidence grew, so too did the trips I took my girls on.

Image: Sara Rykov. Photo credit: Alison Shipley

Image: Sara Rykov. Photo credit: Alison Shipley

I have Girl Guides to thank for helping to develop my outdoor skills and setting me on a constant quest for adventure. As a result of my skills and passion, I have eaten dinner while watching the sun set in some amazing places and had many laughs with friends around remote campfires. My adventure continues….and so, I wonder, where will the path take me this month?

By guest blogger Sara Rykov. Sara is a Guider who lives in Toronto, Ontario but can usually be found out and about looking for her next campsite!

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Planning on taking girls camping? Check out these resources. Want to know more about training options? There’s an Outdoor Leadership program overview (contact your province for training opportunities). Note: member log-in required to access both of these links.

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Rock Stars Among Us

Posted on March 25, 2013 by

I was a quiet, introverted teen looking for my place to shine. Girl Guides was that place – to be recognized and to develop into my own person. My Guider made me feel like a Rock Star.

Draw the Curtain: Encourage Them to Shine

There are girls craving to step from behind the curtain to engage at centre stage of life. They are the quiet high-achievers; the quiet leaders. Quiet high-achievers have so much to contribute, but often their anxiety about their performance keeps them small and invisible. It’s up to us to identify those girls and help them develop into Rock Stars in a healthy way that supports their self-regard, self-actualization, and overall well-being.

Encourage What’s Healthy: Watch for the Traps

Can you spot the high-achievers? They exhibit the following eight typical behaviours that can spur healthy growth, but can also be traps that hold them back.

  1. Driven: Think of girls who are driven to earn badges. Nothing gets in the way of their goals.  However, they become so caught up in their goals that friends and fun get pushed aside.
  2. Doers: They do it well; they do it quickly. However, because nobody can do it as well or as quickly as they can, they appear bossy or they drift into solitary pursuits.
  3. Highly motivated: They take goals and achievement seriously. However, they fail to see what’s really important about the experience – learning, friends, and fun. This can lead to burnout and dropout.
  4. Crave positive feedback: They care how others perceive them and their accomplishments.  However, they tend to obsess over criticism and take it to heart.
  5. Competitive:  Their quiet competitive nature contributes to growth.  However, they may obsessively compare themselves to others leading to a chronic sense of not being good enough and acute unhappiness.
  6. Passionate about their successes. They feed on the highs of their successes.  However, they are subject to crippling lows and tend to give more attention to what’s lacking (the negative), rather than what’s right (the positive).
  7. Safe risk-takers: They won’t cause you to go grey with the risks they take.  However, because they are so passionate about success, they shy away from risk. They won’t stray far from their comfort zone in order to grow.
  8. Conscientious: They won’t let you down. However, they are guilt-ridden. No matter how much they accomplish, they believe it’s never enough. Their need to have and do more is insatiable.  This need will drain their energy as they grow into women.

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week (April 21 to 27) and Global Youth Service Day (April 26-28), consider how you can provide healthy opportunities for your quiet high-achievers and empower girls to become Rock Stars.

Resource: 8 Behaviours of high-achievers based on “The Paradox of Excellence” (HBR, June 2011) by Thomas J. DeLong and his daughter, Sara DeLong.

Patricia at Brownie Enrollment, 1959

Patricia at Brownie Enrollment, 1959

By guest blogger Patricia A. Muir, Professional Certified Coach, Maestro Quality Inc. Patricia is an avid supporter of girl greatness and women’s leadership. She credits her own leadership development to the opportunities provided by Girl Guides of Canada. As a quiet, introverted high-achiever, Patricia was “driven” to earn her Gold Cord (a.k.a. Canada Cord). She spent summers at Doe Lake and travelled to Our Cabana in 1969. Patricia recently participated as a GFSC Mentor and derived great pleasure and inspiration from working with Pathfinders through leadership and social action. Patricia lives, works, and volunteers in Mississauga, Ontario.

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Girl Greatness Award Pin

Girl Greatness Award Pin

Do you know a resourceful girl in Guiding? Encourage her to nominate herself, or to be nominated by another girl member, for the Girl Greatness Awards! The other nomination categories include: confidence, courage, and making a difference. Hurry though, because the nomination deadline is Sunday, March 31, 2013.

[Note: Nominations can ONLY be submitted by girls. We want to hear from girls describing in their own words why or how they have demonstrated confidence, resourcefulness, courage and making a difference in their community.]

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One Step at a Time (It’s Worth It)

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Our Sparks Unit is really taking it’s time fulfilling Girl Guides’ National Service Project. But good things do take time. What is the point in rushing things so that there is nothing to remember later? Operation Earth Action is a wonderful project and should be done with care and passion.

Our Sparks have become more and more involved in their environmental care, at home or at meetings and outings. They have done a lot of growing and it is nice to hear and see the knowledge they gained from it. When they mention what they have changed at home, at school, or found out themselves – with their parents or on their own, it shows us Guiders that we are doing things right!

During our monthly road cleanup conversations, we always have a laugh and become prouder by-the-minute when we hear them tell us what can be composted or recycled and what shouldn’t be dumped in nature. They even tell us “people should know better; they’re adults”. Right they are.

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Our last Road cleanup in January started with rain and cold weather, but again, our Sparks LOVED it. Nothing seems to stop them! A lot of smiles and laughter heard from sayings like “Oh look! That can be composted”, and “that can be recycled“. But the best part was when one of our Sparks said: “I found a wheel from a car. What’s that doing here?” A Guide responded by saying:  “I found the rest…Well parts of it.” She was holding the front light of a car up in her hands while standing in the ditch. Further down a father shouted “I found a stereo and my daughter has the speakers. Want to have a party?”  We all had a good laugh.

Our Sparks do like being active and we like keeping them that way. We have also found that bridging with another unit makes things easier especially when older siblings are in Brownies and Guiders’ children are in girl guides too.

I think in the end we all know why those things ended up on the road, and where they should have been in the first place.  Again I think that project has brought the best out of everyone and involved us all in a really good way!

By guest blogger Ramona Abraham – Guider Diamante, Sparks, Chilliwack, BC. Read Ramona’s previous post on GirlGuidesCANBlog: Operation Earth Action.

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scholarship poster 2013

scholarship poster 2013

What’s new with Girl Guides?

Whether enrolling in college, university or a trades program for the first time or heading back to school part-time as a mature student, the Girl Guides of Canada national scholarship program supports girl and adult Members in their post-secondary education!

The deadline is fast approaching: April 1, 2013.

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What the World (and Guider Sarah) Needs Now

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

March 20 is the International Day of Happiness. Here is a special post to mark the day.

Happiness, to me, is like a bubble blown from a wand into the wind. It floats near me; then away. It slowly dances a tease –“I’m just within reach!” – and then it’s gone; taken by either the wind, or popped in my hand.

When I have caught a bubble, I’m not happy…I’m thinking about the other bubbles: why don’t I have them all?

I just never seem to be able to say: this is it. I have finally achieved happiness.

As an adult there is always something I want; something I need to achieve. Graduate from university (pop goes a caught bubble in my hand). Not getting that perfect career job right away (bubble floats away). Friends getting married (bubbles floating by me…). Lose job (bubble popped by the wind in front of me). Finding someone who loves me and makes me feel safe (bubble caught, cautiously, in the hand).

I know that I am not only the bubble chaser, but also the one blowing them from the wand. My expectations of myself are high and demanding. Recently I have been meeting with a leadership coach who immediately identified that when I make daily to-do lists, I literally write down everything I need to do, which really is a week’s worth of tasks not a day, so my list is never achieved and I leave work feeling like I failed. Each to-do is a mini-bubble floating in my office that joins together to create that huge hybrid-bubble structure.

My struggle to capture happiness is new to me, coming later in life. And no I don’t smile and laugh in public, then sit, contemplating life, somber and alone in the dark at home.

Maybe it’s because now I have access to hundreds of TV channels promoting the happiness of weddings, babies or just being a rich woman, or if it’s this new requirement that one has to post about every life detail on social media; but when I catch a bubble my thought isn’t one of happiness, it’s “well, now that I have that, I want that other thing.” I always seem to think that the next bubble will bring that ever elusive happiness.

Maybe it’s because selling happiness has popped up on bookshelves and magazine covers a lot lately. It must be the new trendy word for 2013 because the United Nations has even declared a whole day of Happiness, March 20. Thanks United Nations, no pressure World.

The President of the U.N.’s General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser says the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal.

“I believe that the proclamation of an international day of happiness by the General Assembly to be observed over a year with full participation of the international community as a whole would be a forward looking way of focusing on the value of happiness as a universal goal and aspiration on the lives of all.”

And I know that this post may sound whiny, and I can hear what some people are saying to their screens: “Be happy with what you have: family, health, employment.”  And I am. But is that contentment or happiness? How do you measure if you are on the path to happiness?

There are days when I want to walk away and travel the world, or pack everything I’ve worked at to follow a career aspiration I once had, a long time ago: I have always been that little girl lining up all the bubbles for myself, so that I could go pop, pop, caught’em all. But it’s not realistic. There is debt to pay, family who need support, a life I have of responsibilities.

I also know that these really, truly, are not life and death problems, I am very fortunate (and over analytical, internalizing too much). Food, shelter, health, equality. These are universal basic human needs. The Global community should be focused on that, instead of the myth that is happiness.  

What the world (and Guider Sarah) needs now, are lower expectations of self. You can be happy, why then put pressure on yourself to have happiness?

Sarah

Blogger Sarah

By guest blogger Sarah Lyon of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Check out her own blog ‘Sarah Smells the Roses‘, as well as her previous blog posts for Girl Guides of Canada:

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UN Image for World Water Day 2013

UN Image for World Water Day 2013

What’s New with Girl Guides? March 22, 2013 is World Water Day! World Water Day offers us the opportunity to raise awareness around water issues affecting us locally and globally especially since 2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation! Here are a select number of related girl programming activities that you could do with your unit to celebrate the day!

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged | 1 Comment

Sparks and Books with No Bounds

Posted on March 18, 2013 by
Emma and Julia from Books with No Bounds. Image source: http://bookswithnobounds.com/

Emma and Julia from Books with No Bounds. Image source: http://bookswithnobounds.com/

 

 

I’m 14 years old (Emma) and my sister (Julia) is 15 years old and we live in Oakville, a community in southern Ontario. Our organization, Books With No Bounds, is run just by us, through the generosity of school, community and organization book drives. We call ourselves TEENS on a MISSION to bring books and improve LITERACY among First Nations youth in remote communities of northern Ontario. We have sent more than 12,500 books to Aboriginal children and teens of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.  These communities are extremely isolate, generally only accessible by plane.

Recently, it was an incredible experience for us to meet such wonderful young leaders during our presentation of Books With No Bounds to the members of the 15th Oakville Sparks Unit.  We spoke about what we do and what we’ve accomplished.  The Sparks were thrilled to hear about our journey to help literacy skills in remote communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.  When we asked if they had any questions, it really warmed our hearts to hear how much they love reading and wanted to make a difference in the lives of those kids who didn’t have access to books.  The Sparks enjoyed the hands-on experience of touching the gloves and moccasins given to us as gifts and when we asked if they could write some positive messages on our ‘helping hands sticky notes,’ they immediately lined up and wrote touching words and pictures.  Our experience with these inspiring young girls meant the world to us and we hope we’ve helped to inspire their efforts to be the change in this world.

Don’t forget to watch our latest video about Books with No Bounds!

By guest bloggers Emma and Julia Mogus.

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UN Image for World Water Day 2013

UN Image for World Water Day 2013

What’s New with Girl Guides? March 22, 2013 is World Water Day! World Water Day offers us the opportunity to raise awareness around water issues affecting us locally and globally especially since 2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation! Here are a select number of related girl programming activities that you could do with your unit to celebrate the day!

Posted in Awesome Activities | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t Forget To Breathe

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

Note: This article is referring to occasional, manageable anxiety. If you
feel anxious all the time, or if your anxiety is out of proportion to a given situation, you should talk to a guidance counsellor or a psychologist for additional help.

Like most Girl Guides, you are probably pretty busy. Between school and homework, afterschool activities, and Guiding, you have a lot of details to remember and you most likely try to do a lot of different things at once – studying, texting, and planning, all while doing an activity.

Switching your attention from one thing to another, going back and forth between things that are going to happen, things that have happened and the thing that is going on now can sometimes leave you feeling frazzled and anxious.

Anxiety is most likely to occur in those times when you are concerned about the past or the future and forgetting to focus on right now.  That lack of focus often prevents you from taking action in the present. Then, those anxious feelings make your body react like it is in danger: your muscles tighten; your breathing is shallow; and your heart races.

To calm down, you need to let your body know that everything will be okay.

Once your body can relax, your mind will usually follow.

These four tips should help you deal with any anxiety you are feeling right now, and help you to keep it under control in the future.

Girl Guides 2010 PSA Still image

Girl Guides 2010 PSA Still image

Breathe Deeply

When you are freaking out, you are probably breathing shallowly – just in your chest. Try breathing a full breath:  Fill up your belly, then your chest, and release it the same way. Imagine the oxygen spreading throughout your body and bringing a feeling of calm.

You can also calm yourself by borrowing a yoga technique called Nadi Shodhan Pranayama, which helps still the mind by focusing attention on the breath.

Remember your body

Try doing a small, repetitive physical action. Wiggling your toes or your fingers, stretching your neck, or even thinking about a sensation – how your pants feel against your knees, how your toes feel in your socks – can bring your thoughts out of the anxiety spiral.

Regular exercise can also help reduce anxiety, so find ways to get moving whenever you can.

Practice relaxation

You can’t be anxious and relaxed at the same time, so if you can identify the place where your body is holding the tension (your jaw, your hands, your leg muscles) and choose to relax them, that will help a lot.

You may also want to try a progressive relaxation exercise like the one in this video that teaches your to relax each of your muscles in turn.

Prepare in Advance

If you are anxious about a future situation, walk yourself through it in advance. Imagine the things you have to do, how you will do them and how you will handle it if things go wrong. Remind yourself of times when you have done similar things and they have turned out just fine.

You can also reduce your anxiety around exams and presentations by making sure that you plan as much time as you can for reviewing the material in the way that makes the most sense for you.

Anxiety is a normal part of life, it can help us recognize when the things we are doing are important to us. Luckily, as Guides, you are already doing two of the important things that experts recommend to reduce anxiety: volunteering and spending time in nature, so you are already on the way to feeling better.

If anxiety still creeps up on you, then remembering to breathe, to connect to your body, to practice relaxation, and to prepare in advance, will help you to manage those feelings.

For some more tips on reducing anxiety please see:  ‘5 Ways to Deal with Anxiety’ from KidsHealth.org

By guest blogger Christine Hennebury. Christine is a writer, storyteller and life coach who lives in Newfoundland and Labrador, helping people feel a little better right now is one of her favourite things to do.

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Join GGC

Join GGC!

What’s New with Girl Guides? Our new 3-tiered online registration process means that registrations for the 2013/2014 Guiding year will be spread out over three periods:

1. Girls returning to their Unit: 10 AM EDT on Tuesday, April 2nd to Tuesday, April 30th.

2. Any returning girls (moving up or changing Units): 10 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 1st to Sunday, June 2nd.

3. Any girl, new or returning: 10 AM EDT on Monday, June 3rd and onwards.

Please note: Online registration will be shut down starting today Monday, March 4th until 10:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, April 2nd. Any girls that decide to register for the 2012-2013 Guiding year during this period can still use paper registration to join a unit.

Posted in Awesome Activities | 2 Comments

A Pathfinder Guider Job Description

Posted on March 13, 2013 by
Pathfinder image girl guide store

Photo source: Girl Guide store website

Recently I was asked to come up with a Pathfinder Guider job description, specifically what kind of person it would take. I think this is a bit like asking what kind of parent makes the best parent – it’s hard to pinpoint because there are so many ways to go about it.  But I put my thinking cap on and came up with some ideas that describe some of what I do as a Pathfinder Guider.

Like all levels of Guiding, you have to truly enjoy the age group. Many people find teens to be intimidating but mostly they are really just oversized Brownies with a bit of attitude. ☺ Much of this is really applicable to any level of Guiding, anyway.

A Pathfinder leader is someone who will:

  • Teach by example. The girls will be watching so you better practice what you preach.
  • Let the girls plan. Organizing meetings, camps, activities and ceremonies are all within a Pathfinder’s ability.
  • Let the girls do it. In fact, insist that they make the attempt.
  • Let the girls fail. Experience is a better teacher than we are.
  • Be encouraging.
  • Make the meeting place a safe space to talk. Teen girls have lots to discuss and sometimes what they have to say is not for the faint of heart.
  • Listen and guide the topics to find the teaching moments.
  • Be able to step away from “leading” and let the girls step up to it.
  • Add some adventure. These girls may be able to do more than you. Can you keep up?
  • Know when to offer a hand, opinion, or guidance.
  • Be silly or stern when appropriate.
  • Bring ideas and enthusiasm to every meeting.
  • Be in awe of what girls this age can accomplish.
  • Be prepared for some amazing growth and change. You will witness a girl go from childhood to the brink of adulthood in her three years.
  • Be spontaneous and take some calculated risks.
  • Provide a safe environment.
  • Change with the girls. The group will change every year. Some groups require a more formal meeting to keep on track. Sometimes you have a loud, outspoken group. Sometimes you have one that is very quiet.

By Kathleen Spilek, 1st Woodlawn Pathfinder and 1st Woodlawn Trex.

Note: This blog was originally a response to a question posted on Brownies Meet blog https://www.facebook.com/BrowniesMeet/posts/546879628663924

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Girl Greatness Award Pin

Girl Greatness Award Pin

What’s New with Girl Guides? Ready? Set! Nominate for the Girl Greatness Awards! Girl members are encouraged to nominate a fellow girl in Guiding for one of the award categories. Girls can also nominate themselves. Nominations can ONLY be submitted by girls – not by parents or Guiders.

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Guiding Culture Shock

Posted on March 11, 2013 by

I recently spent three years in Guelph, Ontario for university followed by seven months in China for an internship, so I was a little apprehensive about heading home to Montreal. I worried that all the friends I hadn’t seen in a long time would have moved away or forgotten about me, I agonized about what I was going to do with myself now that I had finished my undergrad education and I was apprehensive about readjusting to my old lifestyle. Basically, I was concerned about where I would fit in again in my own hometown.

When I moved to China, I went through a great deal of culture shock, and had a similar experience waiting for me when I got home. Readjustments are tough no matter the circumstances. I spent weeks applying for jobs, but while I did, I figured I might as well contact my old Guiding district. I had been with the same one from Guide age right up to my first year as a leader when I moved to Guelph (where I continued with Guiding) and was happy to learn that many of the same leaders were still around.

Not only were they happy to have me back as a leader, but I had five different units asking me if I wanted to join their meetings. These people hadn’t forgotten me at all! In fact, they welcomed me back with open arms. I think it’s true what they say – in Guiding you have sisters all over the world. It really is a culture of its own.  And what came as a shock to me – although I suppose it shouldn’t have – was how little time it took me to feel welcome again!

Guiders were some of my first friends when I moved to Guelph and I am sure they will be wherever I end up in life!

Guest blogger Elizabeth

Guest blogger Elizabeth

By Guider Elizabeth, 85th Montreal Guides. Elizabeth has been a Guider for 5 years, both in Guelph, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. Meeting night is her favourite time of the week because she never laughs as hard as with the girls. Read her previous posts on GirlGuidesCANBlog:

Mother-Daughter Guiding, Camp Food: Not Just for Camp, and What are Jeans Good For?

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UN Image for World Water Day 2013

UN Image for World Water Day 2013

What’s New with Girl Guides? March 22, 2013 is World Water Day! World Water Day offers us the opportunity to raise awareness around water issues affecting us locally and globally especially since 2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation! Here are a select number of related girl programming activities that you could do with your unit to celebrate the day!

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Happy International Women’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

Ever since “I promise[d] to share and be a friend”, I wanted to help people.  And when “I promise[d] to do my best, to be true to myself, my beliefs and Canada…”, I knew I wanted to experience the United Nations. Today I am part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts‘ (WAGGGS) delegation at the 57th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN!

Saffina at CSW event in UN, New York

Saffina at CSW event in UN, New York

The theme this year at the CSW is ‘Ending Violence against Women and Girls.’   This is a topic very important to me both personally and professionally which is why I applied for this exciting opportunity.  This is an issue that affects every age, nation, region, culture, race, and class – including girls and Guiders around the world.  This was a chance to make change, lobby and influence those in power, and share with and learn from others on a global scale – how could I not apply!?

When I was six, I went to New York for the first time.  I suppose that is when my love affair with ‘the city that never sleeps’ began.  Now twenty years later, the lights, the buildings, the magic…and the UN…is even more amazing than I remember.

Maybe that’s because I have had this incredible opportunity to observe deliberations at the General Assembly and hear what each country has to say…or maybe it’s because I can attend different events with people from every walk of life and hear their personal stories and share our ideas to create a better world…perhaps it is the passionate and smart WAGGGS’ delegates I have learned from and formed great friendships with…or is it because I heard Michelle Bachelet, the first Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, speak and inspire girls and women everywhere? Maybe it’s just the pizza… In any case this has been a wonderful and life-changing experience.

At the Commission on the Status of Women, I have learned so much and made great connections.  Every day was exciting and challenging.  By challenging myself every day, I developed excellent leadership skills.  When you are passionate about a cause, nothing can stand in your way.  I thought about the Brownie unit I lead and what kind of world I want for them.  I want them to know they can do anything.  The importance of leadership, particularly youth and female leadership is indescribable.  I was overjoyed and somewhat surprised at the number of amazing young women (and some young men!) in attendance at CSW making their voices heard. I had no idea there was such a great deal of youth involvement.  Guiders sharing their life experiences and standing up for girls rights was truly uplifting!

And because of this, when days were long and hard…I remembered how important this cause was not just to me, but to all women and girls around the world.  Before CSW, I was honestly feeling somewhat hopeless and bitter about the status of women and girls but now I am motivated, inspired, and very hopeful.  We have a great generation of girls and women leading the way.  From a whisper to a shout – we can make change!

Guest blogger Safina

Guest blogger Safina

By guest blogger Saffina.

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Happy International Women’s Day! Every year on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD), which falls within International Women’s Week (IWW), from March 2nd to March 10th, 2013.  Here are some girl programming activities to help celebrate the day with girl members in Canada! Be inspired by watching this video:

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“Multi-Branch” Means More Fun!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

I grew up with Guiding, joining as a shy Brownie and going through Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers, and Link.  I never doubted Guiding would remain a part of my life, but I didn’t know that I would begin my journey as a Guider in a rather unique way.

When I finished school, I moved back to my hometown, began a new job, and got married, all within 3 months.  Needless to say, becoming a Guider wasn’t the first thing on my mind!  But one day, I happened to be near the Guide office and decided to pop in.  By the time I left, I was signed up to “help out” with a new unit.

The principal of a local school had called, concerned about the number of “latch-key” kids who were going home to empty houses.  She wanted to introduce a program that would provide a positive environment for girls, and thought of Girl Guides.  An idea was hatched to provide a multi-branch, after-school program for girls once a week at the school, and the 7th St. Catharines Guiding unit was born!

That was 10 years ago.  From a very small number of girls meeting in one classroom, we have grown to 30 girls (and still growing!) meeting in the school’s gym.  We have seen our youngest Sparks grow to Pathfinders and head off to high school.

Along the way, we have learned a few tricks of the multi-branch trade.  We begin our meetings all together with a snack and opening, then break into branches for program work.  We come together at the end for campfire or games and closing.  Sometimes, we do a craft, field trip, or outside activity all together, or have a guest speaker.

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One of the great joys of being a multi-branch Guider is witnessing the Sisterhood of Guiding in action.  The older girls help the younger ones, and everyone knows everyone else’s songs and Promises (a great bridging benefit)!  The more experienced girls mentor the newer ones.  We go camping every year (in tents!) and have never had a girl need to go home because she’s homesick.  The girls intuitively watch out for each other, and celebrate each other’s achievements.

The benefits don’t stop with the girls.  I have the honour of working with some amazing Guiding veterans, who have taught me much about Guiding, planning, and most importantly, being flexible!  And this year, I have the added benefit of sharing the sisterhood with my own daughter, one of the newest Sparks in our Guiding family.

If you ever have the chance to be a part of a multi-branch unit, go for it!  There’s never a dull moment, and it is one of the best rewards to watch girls grow in Guiding!

Megan with her daughter By guest blogger and Guider ‘Glowie’, aka Megan Gilchrist. Megan is the Contact Guider for the 7th St. Catharines Guiding (multi-branch)Unit. Read Megan’s other contribution to GirlGuidesCANBlog: Every Penny Counts.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? Every year on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD), which falls within International Women’s Week (IWW), from March 2nd to March 10th, 2013.  Here are some girl programming activities to help celebrate the day with girl members in Canada! Don’t forget that WAGGGS’s is also having a special 24 hour chat that day!

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From Frustration to Compassion: A Guider’s Journey

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

Please don’t ask me to lead Sparks or Brownies again. Don’t get me wrong: there is nothing more adorable than a Spark selling Girl Guide cookies, or more wonderful than the unbridled inquisitiveness of a Brownie.  But give me a Pathfinder or Ranger unit – that’s where I belong.

Pathfinders are at an interesting stage: learning their place in school and community; some are discovering how to plan and lead; others are already taking on various leadership roles. Their development in three short years is incredible.

We ask our Pathfinders to each take a night to plan and run as their own. As Guiders, we know there are TONS of resources at our fingertips. For some girls, these meetings come very easy, for others not so much. A recent meeting that was to be run by “Amy” was a test of patience. Amy knew more than two weeks in advance that her meeting was coming up; she had also seen her fellow Pathfinders run meetings. Four days before Amy’s meeting, I asked her if there was anything my co-Guider or the Pathfinders needed to provide. Amy was still thinking about what to do; I reminded her of our planning rules – it can be badge work, service project, outing, or challenge from http://www.girlguides.ca or the provincial websites. Exasperation mounted as each day Amy told us that she didn’t know what to do, and we continued to feed her ideas.

The day before the meeting, she requested we do a climbing gym outing; we told her outings needed forms and payment in advance and this wasn’t possible, and pointed her again in the direction of ideas and websites. By meeting date morning, she still didn’t have a plan. In five minutes I printed the Earthquake Challenge from the BC Girl Guides website as a backup for the evening, and thought “How hard is that?”. I reflected on Amy’s family circumstances, learning abilities, school and social experiences, and how they all contributed to her struggle to make a plan and implement it for others: in an instant, I went from frustrated to compassionate.

Amy is slowly understanding her roles and growing her abilities. Our goal as Guiders is to help build confidence in the “Amy’s” in our units and to ease their transition into leadership roles. Our compassion is key at any age: for Sparks, Brownies and Guides learning about themselves and their talents; for Pathfinders and Rangers learning and understanding that their impacts are far-reaching, and seeing how what they do affects others.

I love seeing girls develop ideas and take action for a better world at home, in their units, and globally. In my experiences, the flame in a Pathfinder and Ranger burns brighter with each new goal, and those flames continue to warm my heart.

By Guider Robyn McDonald.

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What’s New with Girl Guides? March is Youth Science Month, a special day designated by Youth Science Canada to raise awareness among teachers and students about the significance of sound science projects, and to highlight the students behind these projects, as a lead up to the Canada-Wide Science Fair (May 11 – 18, 2013). Looking for related girl programming that you could do with your Unit to celebrate? Here are some ideas to help girls explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)!

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Guiding a Family

Posted on March 1, 2013 by

I was never a Brownie or a Guide. So how has Guiding become such a huge part of my family? Quite simply, a small slip of pink paper came home with my oldest daughter nearly 10 years ago. At that age she really craved structure and rewards for her efforts. I thought, this would be perfect for her. And it was perfect for her, much more so than I ever imagined. She made friends who accepted her for who she was. She had Guiders who helped her to discover the things that she excelled in. Today she is in Pathfinders and has had numerous opportunities to travel and explore.

Photo courtesy of Judy Best

Victoria and Olivia – 2nd Almonte Sparks; Gabrielle- 1st Almonte Brownies; Katey – 3rd Almonte Guides; Danica – 1st Carleton Place Pathfinders; Judy – Contact Guider – 2nd Almonte Sparks; Christy – Brown Owl – 1st Almonte Brownies

My niece and sister-in-law were next to join. Unlike me, Christy was a Brownie as a child as was her mother before her. My niece proudly wears her grandmother’s Brownie pin. Christy is now Brown Owl at Brownies. She says she will stay until my youngest goes through. We’ll see about that!

My middle daughter is now in Brownies with her Aunt Christy. She has had her doubts about it all but she has stuck with it and is now excited to be a Guide next year.

I was next to join. I always said I would join when my twins joined. However, last year I got a phone call from Christy saying that Sparks would be gone if they didn’t find leaders. I decided to take it on. But I needed help. I recruited a friend to join me and with the help of Christy and Mary Dillibaugh (Pathfinder leader, community leader, Guider for over 25 years!), we got Sparks off the ground again. I am very proud of what we have accomplished. I love going to Sparks, seeing all of their little faces and hearing their stories.

This year my twins have joined as well so we now have seven members of our family in the Guiding movement. It’s become part of the glue of our family. We always have something to discuss, something to plan together. It’s become a sisterhood in our own family.

By guest blogger and Contact Guider Judy Best, 2nd Almonte Sparks

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What’s New with Girl Guides? March is Youth Science Month and we have a Col. Karen Ritchie Memorial Scholarship worth $2,000! Any registered member who is entering her 1st year of engineering studies on a full-time basis can apply for this scholarship. The deadline for applications is exactly one month away! (Apr 1, 2013)

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What Are Jeans Good For?

Posted on February 27, 2013 by
85th Montreal Guides

85th Montreal Guides

Our district went to a winter camp a couple of weekends ago and quite a few Guides from my unit were in attendance. As leaders, we worried a bit about the extremely cold weather we had been having recently. And so, the meeting before we went we decide to run an activity I remembered doing as a girl. I figured that if it had stuck with me for that long, maybe it would stick with the girls as well.

We split our unit into three groups and gave each one three pieces of clothing. One group got socks, another tops and the last, pants. We set-up the activity so that the clothes they were given were made from different materials including cotton, fleece, wool and nylon. The girls got to dip each garment in water and see how it fared.

They came to many interesting conclusions such as the fact that fuzzy socks are nice and warm when dry, but get wet faster and stay wet longer than their typically unrecommended cotton counterparts and that sweat pants may seem warm, but they are usually made of cotton and stay wet for a long time. They were also able to convince themselves through demonstration that fleece, wool and other synthetic materials would be the best ones to bring to camp.

My favourite comment of the evening came as the last team – the pants one – shared their findings with the unit: “We decided that these nylon pants would be best for the summer and that the fleece ones would be nice and warm for the winter,” they told us. “But these jeans, they’d be good for nothing!” That’s when we knew the message had gotten through!

I guess Confucius was right:

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

Guest blogger Elizabeth

Guest blogger Elizabeth

By Guider Elizabeth, 85th Montreal Guides.

Elizabeth has been a Guider for five years, both in Guelph, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. Meeting night is her favourite time of the week because she never laughs as hard as with the girls.

Read some of Elizabeth’s previous posts on GirlGuidesCANBlog: Mother-Daughter Guiding, and Camp Food: Not Just for Camp.

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Have you taken action for our National Service Project: Operation Earth Action? Don’t forget to log your actions and send us your photos. We want to collect them for a video compilation of Unit activities from across Canada!

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My ELLE Experience

Posted on February 25, 2013 by

Unlike many teens my age, I still actually check my emails on a daily basis. A few months ago I received an email from Girl Guides of Canada about something called the ELLE leadership training, and since I have been in the Guiding movement since sparks, I’ve had the pleasure of having opportunities to learn and grow as a leader. However, there are still so many things I wanted to learn, so I was very interested. Without knowing much about the program I sent in an application and happily (and surprisingly) got accepted.

All ramped up and ready to go, I got on a plane and flew to Montreal, still not 100% sure as to what I was in for. Just outside Montreal at a wilderness resort called Jouvance, I meet the other 33 girls participating in the event. This was the biggest group of ELLE participants the Girls Action Foundation had ever hosted.

Throughout the week we did sessions hosted be fabulously inspiring facilitators, on topics such as anti-oppression, networking, immigrants and accessibility, media and how to get the attention of big companies and how to get sponsors and gain allies. Honestly, I was totally engrossed, being surrounded by girls who care about the issues I do and wanted to do their best to change for the better was awe-inspiring. When we weren’t in sessions, or devouring delicious food, we still talked about the struggles, such as being a girl facing sexism or ageism (since we were all 16-25) which is where people treat or expect different things of you not because of ability or passion, but because of age.

We bounced ideas around, learned new group exercises and faced some tough topics. We knew from the beginning that if we really wanted to make a difference we would need to get down to the grit of it, and although sometimes uncomfortable, I came out with an understanding and view-point that I hadn’t already seen.

ELLE Participants. Photo: Courtesy KickAction.ca

ELLE Participants. Photo: Courtesy KickAction.ca

So I encourage anyone to apply for Guiding trips and events. You just might get accepted to a program the will give you a new perspective on topics that will be shaping our world. And you can be a leading force.

By Elizabeth, Kelowna, BC

This post was originally shared on the Girls Action Foundation blog Kick Action.ca. ELLE is a national leadership program offered by Girls Action Foundation to young women between 16 to 25 years of age. The ELLE program includes a 5-day leadership training, networking opportunities, and Leadership Capacity Grants. Through skill building, peer learning and reflection; young women develop personal and community leadership skills to foster social innovation.

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Have you taken action for our National Service Project: Operation Earth Action? Don’t forget to log your actions and send us your photos. We want to collect them for a video compilation of Unit activities from across Canada!

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Happy World Thinking Day 2013!

Posted on February 22, 2013 by

World Thinking Day card

Each year on February 22, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world celebrate World Thinking Day. Girl Guides of Canada Members use this day as an opportunity to participate in activities and projects with global themes, learn and take action on important issues facing girls around the world.

The themes for World Thinking Day 2013 are “together we can save children’s lives” and “every mother’s life and health is precious.” Here is a special World Thinking Day message from our Chief Commissioner Sharron Callahan:

 

Happy World Thinking Day!

Girl Guides of Canada -Guides du Canada

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Traveling Abroad

Posted on February 21, 2013 by

As a student of international development I have always been passionate about exploring new cultures and meeting new people. In many ways it was this curiosity that inspired me to travel internationally, never realizing what existed in my very own community.

A few years ago I moved to West Africa to work for a government-run middle school in a community of 800 people. At that time I had never lived outside of Canada, let alone on the continent of Africa, and I was entirely on my own.

While in West Africa I lived with a family and quickly developed a strong bond with its youngest member, 13-year-old Naomi.  My favourite part of the day became reading with her after school, a place she was fortunate to attend. Our time reading together soon became our very own book club, and many of the boys and girls (and even parents!) who joined us did so because they weren’t able to go to school. For some, reading with us was the only chance they had to hear new stories, learn new words, and practice a different language.

Shortly after returning to Canada, missing Naomi and our book club, I began tutoring families with their English. Through our time together I realised I could continue exploring, continue learning, right in my own backyard.  My volunteer work afforded me many of the same opportunities that I had while I was abroad, such as building bonds with new people, and learning about their cultures and where they came from.  All of the things I love about traveling, I have learned to do at home.

Canada is made up of people from all over the world, with very diverse histories, cultures and stories. I feel fortunate to be able to learn from that, and I am grateful to Naomi who inspired me to act and make a difference here at home.   This Thinking Day, explore your own community in a new and meaningful way and learn about how you can make a difference.

By Rachael Quick

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Women in the Media: Empowering and Enraging

Posted on February 20, 2013 by

I truly think women in the media can be both empowering and enraging, depending on the situation. There are some television shows/movies/ads that present women in a positive way and some not so. In some media portrayals, they make all the girls look pretty, skinny and tall, which in reality, doesn’t represent most of us. This makes some women/teens think that’s what everyone wants, so they strive to be someone they can’t possibly be, which of course, doesn’t end well. And the way that women portray themselves in media can play a big part in how women are perceived. If those women promote the negative stereotypes that are typically assigned to women, then it’s not going to have a positive effect.

In some media women are portrayed as empowered. Girls and women of all different sizes, races and appearances are featured in ways that counter act the negative stereotypes. In books and movies, some have multicultural or brave female characters which represent women in a good way, rather than the old “Damsel in Distress” stereotype.  I’ve been reading lots of books lately where the female character is the heroine. I’m not talking about Nancy Drew, my mom’s favourite series as a girl, but I books that boys read, too. Divergent by Veronica Roth features Tris (Beatrice) Prior who is short and when she looks at herself she sees a girl who isn’t pretty and that looks like a little girl with eyes and a nose that are too big. Maximum Ride by James Patterson features Nudge who is African-American and insecure about her wings. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins features Katniss who has straight long black hair, olive skin and is generally malnourished because of her district’s poverty. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare features Isabelle Lightwood who is quite tall, with dark hair and eyes and who has some body issues towards the end of the series; as well Clary Fray who is short, with green eyes and red curly hair and is stubborn.

All of these authors have portrayed these girls in a way that readers can identify with. They shatter the old stereotype of the heroine having to be tall, beautiful and full of confidence.

By guest blogger and Pathfinder Sarah. Don’t miss out on reading Sarah’s previous GirlGuidesCANBlog: Online Privacy: A Girl’s Perspective.

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February Book Club Choice: The Painted Girls

Posted on February 15, 2013 by
The Painted Girls. Harper Collins Canada

The Painted Girls. Harper Collins Canada

Welcome to She Said/She Said, where GGC Members from across Canada are our book reviewers who share their opinions about this month’s book choice: The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan (published by Harper Collins Canada).

This book is intended for adults aged 18 and older, and may contain profanity, scenes of violence and sexual content.

Stephanie Nash

Stephanie Nash

She Said: Stephanie Nash
Guider, 2nd Mount Hope Guides & Pathfinders

Late 19th century Paris, a family struggling with circumstance.  The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan tells a story of three sisters, forced to make moral compromises when their father dies and Maman turns to absinthe, dooming them to a life in squalor.

The story is told from the point of view of Antoinette and Marie.  Antoinette, the oldest of the three sisters, feels it is her duty to look out for the younger girls.  She knows that their best chance of survival lies in the ballet and having attended the school herself, she manipulates an audition for the younger girls.  Marie and Charlotte are both accepted in the dance school much to Antoinette’s delight; but, while waiting for her sisters she meets Émile Abadie and her world begins a downward spiral.

Marie, reluctant to leave her studies, joins the Paris Opéra where it becomes evident she has an incredible gift for dance.  It is there that she encounters Edgar Degas and begins modeling, often in the nude, for a meager yet vital income.  Marie’s intelligence and strong spirit are what guide her.  She refuses to become another statistic and works diligently to build a better life for herself; until one fateful day when she is faced with a decision that ultimately becomes her undoing.

The Painted Girls will capture the reader from the start.  Buchanan dives right in painting a scene that leaves the reader wanting more.  How will the girls survive?  Will they be successful at the Opéra?  Will Marie succeed in creating a better future for herself, and will Antoinette finally realize Émile for what he really is?

As a work of historical fiction, Buchanan does an amazing job of incorporating tidbits of reality making it easier for the reader to relate to the characters and their circumstances.  We bond with the girls and find ourselves rooting for them and wanting to help them.  The ending is, in my opinion, exactly what it should be.  It closes off the story nicely and the reader feels complete, not left wanting more.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Rachel S.

Rachel S.

She Said: Rachel Shoup
Guider, 27th Guelph Guides

Though billed as the story of Marie Van Goethem, Cathy Marie Buchanan’s The Painted Girls ultimately tells the story of two sisters, Marie and Antoinette, as they grow up in Paris during the late 1800s. Painted Girls appealed to me because Marie Van Goethem was the real life inspiration and model for Edgar Degas’ Little Dance Aged Fourteen, an artist and artwork I have long admired.

 Cathy Marie Buchanan has expertly woven true-to-life period influences into her book to bring her fiction to life, creating a highly effective piece of historical fiction. Darwinian ideas of criminology weave the lives of Marie and Antoinette into the lives of Émile Abadie and Pierre Gille, two famous criminals of the time. The story grapples with ideas of image, self-worth, and expectations—and one’s ability to either live up to them, or exceed them.

Cathy Marie Buchanan writes from experience. According to her website, she herself practiced ballet as a teenager. This comes across in the writing. She effortlessly adopts the language of ballet. While impressive, this was actually problematic for me. Some further explanation (or even a visual glossary) would have been helpful. Aside from some of the technical language, the story is highly accessible. Told in first person, from both sisters’ perspective, it at times felt like reading a diary. This narrative style gave way to fast-paced reading and an interesting perspective; as a reader I was privy to both sisters’ thoughts.

If you’re going to read this novel, I’d like to direct you towards Cathy Marie Buchanan’s website.  Many of Degas’ works as discussed in the book are available to view and add a much-needed visual dimension to the text. It would have been great to have these images at hand, within the pages of the book. Fortunately, access to these images via the Painted Girls website is the next best thing.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Rachel Shoup is a Guider with the 27th Guelph Guides. She has recently completed her undergraduate at the University of Guelph, studying Environmental Governance and English.

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Guiding and Me

Posted on February 13, 2013 by

After many years away from Guiding I found myself volunteering last year as a leader with my daughter’s Brownie group.  Now my daughter is off to Guides and I am still a Brownie leader.

My original plan was to volunteer the one year that my daughter had left of Brownies and then redirect my energies to my profession and my family.  Halfway through the year I realized that that just wasn’t going to cut it, so I told myself that I would see my first-year girls through to Guides – so two years and then I would be done.

Well, now I know differently – Guiding truly gets into in your blood.  I was a Brownie, Guide, Pathfinder, Junior Leader – I attended camp every spring and every summer, I went to ‘Aggie’ from the time I was 15 until I was too old.  I was a Brownie Leader and worked with my mom’s Guide Unit.  I earned my All Round Cord and my Canada Cord.  I was a Guide when Guiding in Canada turned 70, 75, 80, and 85…  I went to the 75th celebrations at Maple Leaf Gardens!

I took a job in a non-traditional field (forest fire-fighting) and knew how to handle myself in the bush because of Guiding.  I also watched the label of ‘non-traditional field’ disappear.   So why would I need Guiding anymore?  My daughter’s teacher suggested Brownies to help with her self-confidence.  So I learned that I needed Guiding.

And then when I re-joined to help out my daughter’s Unit, I heard a lot about ‘Sisterhood’ – and I thought yada yada yada – whatever!

But I am beginning to understand it.

My daughter, notorious for losing things, went to Guide camp this past summer and of course lost a number of things.  Over the last couple of months, I have slowly recovered these items – because Guiders go the extra step, and have contacted me when they came across the lost items.

And, who but a group of Guiders will play a wide game at a training and throw themselves down on the ground when the group leader yells CODE RED; or will madly call out like barn animals – regardless of who is around?

But truly the reward is the girls.  I taught one how to sweep, I taught another a new song.  One child, I helped be away from her parents overnight, and another I helped through a meeting.   I watched the girls with pride at a Remembrance Day Service, and when helping at a local food bank.  And I realized that this truly is a sisterhood – a sisterhood concerned about the greater good.

And I am very proud to be a part of that, and I plan to stay a part of that for a long time to come!!

Jeannette Thompson
Forest Owl (contact Guider)
2nd Ennsimore Brownies

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Are you a girl or adult member who would like to share a post about an  important topic? Pitch us your idea and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. We’re also looking for writers for these upcoming special days:

  • The International Day of Happiness
  • World Water Day or Earth Hour
  • World Health Day
  • Global Youth Services Day
  • Earth Day
  • Mental Health Week
  • Mother’s Day
Posted in Girls' Guides | 2 Comments

Help to Remove the Stigma

Posted on February 12, 2013 by

Today, I would like to invite all members of Guiding, to talk about the realness of Mental Health.

I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I have been fortunate to have found reassurance in attending my Pathfinder meetings and comfort in sharing in the sisterhood of Guiding. For a long time, I denied that I had an illness, telling myself to ‘just smile’ or ‘suck it up’, too embarrassed to even talk to my doctor about my inner suffering. My illness affected my day-to-day life – from my job to my relationship with those closest to me, especially my husband.

Coming to terms with my illness has not been easy. I have heard several painful comments, that add to the reason so many people go without seeking help, from “Just grow a thicker skin” to “Just pull yourself together”.  Dealing with the negative stigmas associated with my illness has set my healing back. Fortunately, I have been surrounded by amazing friends, many who I gained through Guiding, and an incredibly patient and loving husband, who has taken the time to learn about mental illness and get support for himself – as dealing with my illness has been far from easy.

Many people have commented that if I had cancer they would know how to help me. But I don’t have cancer. I have depression. And just like a person suffering from any illness, I just need those close to me to love me and support me and be there for me – even when it isn’t easy and it isn’t pretty. That’s all the help I need from you.

So I invite you, to talk to your girl members, talk to your sisters in Guiding and especially talk to someone who you might suspect is suffering in silence. And if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.

Some statistics from the Canadian Medical Association taken from www.letstalk.bell.ca

  • 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer some form of mental illness in their lives.
  • 2 in 3 suffer in silence, fearing rejection or judgement
  • Only 49% of Canadians said they would socialize with friends who has a serious mental illness
  • At any given time, almost 3 million Canadians have serious depression
  • For those who seek help and get treatment, a difference is made in 80% of people with depression, allowing them to get back to their regular activities.
Guest blogger Amber

Guest blogger Amber

By guest blogger Amber Wiegand. Amber  is an active and passionate member of Guiding. She works with Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers. She is currently a District Commissioner and Area Program and International Advisor. She just received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal from Girl Guides of Canada.

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Are you a girl or adult member who would like to share a post about an  important topic? Pitch us your idea and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. We’re also looking for writers for these upcoming special days:

  • The International Day of Happiness
  • World Water Day or Earth Hour
  • World Health Day
  • Global Youth Services Day
Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

The Value of Friendship

Posted on February 11, 2013 by

One of my favourite parts of working with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is the creativity it allows. I’ve worked with groups of students and adults of all different ages and explored a variety of influences on body-image, self-esteem, and health with them. And while I have nothing against the remarkable grown-ups I’ve met while doing this work, it’s always the youth who amaze me most with their challenging questions and genuine curiosity. So often they’re keenly aware of the complexity and contradictions that exist around them, particularly when it comes to expectations of beauty norms for women.

One incident stands out clearly in my mind. While facilitating a classroom workshop for 12 and 13-year-old girls, I asked them each to share something that they loved about themselves. One by one, the girls, often shyly, more rarely boastfully, shared aspects of their characters or achievements that they liked. However, about one in every two girls seemed to find the experience painful. They stopped; smiled; looked down; and shrugged. For whatever reason, they seemed to find nothing to say about what they valued about themselves. This could have been an awfully sad moment for all of us. But, as I watched it happen, the girls managed to turn it around. Every time one of them was unable to respond to the question, their friends would pipe up on their behalf, shouting out things that made each other special and unique. The girls who had been unable to speak up came out of the moment smiling, and surrounded by support. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had.

Thinking about this now, in particular on this week that is bookended by Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Bell Let’s Talk Day, I’m struck by how much genuine friendship and support can boost self-esteem and help difficult topics get spoken about. Girl Guides of Canada brings young women together, and this builds friendships. Friendships, in turn, not only strengthen the capacity for compassion and conversation in youth, but they also build resilience. Taking risks, stepping out, making mistakes and having new experiences are all a part of this package.

Love Yourself Challenge - Girl Guides of Canada

Love Yourself Challenge – Girl Guides of Canada

When the National Eating Disorder Information Centre put together the Love Yourself Badge Challenge with the Girl Guides of Canada, we aimed to build connection, resilience, and self-appreciation. Each girl is given the opportunity to earn the badge by demonstrating though a series of acts that she likes herself – and they’re able to do so surrounded by girls doing the same. Over 6,000 of the Love Yourself Challenge crests have now been earned.

The work of learning to care for yourself, and for the people around you, helps build lifelong resilience when we start young. We can help guide young women in helping them to love themselves. But at the end of the day, my bet is that what they’ll remember most is not us grown-ups, but the friends that they made along the way – the ones that encouraged them to speak up, and spoke for them when they lost their voice. Here’s to keeping those voices strong.

— By guest blogger Jackie Grandy. Jackie is the part-time Outreach & Education Coordinator for the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.

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Do you know a girl or adult member who would like to flex her writing muscles? Encourage her to pitch her idea and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. We’re also looking for writers for these upcoming special days:

  • The International Day of Happiness
  • World Water Day or Earth Hour
  • World Health Day
  • Global Youth Services Day
Posted in Awesome Activities | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

A Careful Eye on Gender Messaging

Posted on February 8, 2013 by

Over my past 8 years as a Unit Guider, I’ve taken my girls to a variety of events, outings, and sleepovers – horseback riding, snowshoeing, wilderness camping, heritage villages, wood working workshops, ceramics making, and many more. A common thread, however, has been that I ensure a balance in what some would call traditional “girl” activities and traditional “boy” ones. I want my girls to be able to swing a hammer, sew a button, test limits, explore outdoors, enjoy crafts, and learn new and exciting things.  I want young girls to see the things we do in Brownies and Girl Guides in general, as life skills that promote self-confidence and inspire each girl to reach whatever goal she sets. Yes, a tall order – but instilling girls with the idea that they can do and be whatever they want and not pigeon-hole activities, objectives, and aspirations by gender is one of the main reasons I believe in Girl Guides and volunteer my time as a leader.

As a communication professional, I also believe messaging is very important. We don’t hear direct things like, “girls don’t do that,” or “girls can’t do this,” as much anymore (although sadly, I can’t say it never happens). The messaging these days is far more subtle and, at times, more undermining.  And often presented unconscientiously – as was the case recently with an organization that I believe is normally very supportive and encouraging of girls.

One of my girls’ favourite outings has always been the Ontario Science Centre Sleepover.  If you’ve never been before, I can tell you it is a fabulous program. There are science demonstrations, an IMAX movie showing and – best of all – you and the girls get to explore and sleep right in the Science Centre exhibits. Until very recently, I’ve had nothing but praise for the program, organization, and message presented by the Ontario Science Centre.  Until, that is, I received their promotional material for this year’s sleepover schedule.

The description of offered programs read, in part:

SPACE ODYSSEY: Families, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and all other groups
Calling all junior aerospace engineers and mission specialists! Come to a fun-filled night of space exploration. Blast off for an out-of-this-world overnight experience!

ASTRONOMY ACES: Sparks, Brownies & Guides
Reach for the stars and become a real Astronomy Ace as you gaze out at our galaxy and explore the night sky! Cap off your cool cosmic adventure by dancing your heart out at the DJ/PJ party!

The message in this announcement appears to be somewhat belittling of girls’ ambitions. The (mostly) boys’ groups are described as junior aerospace engineers and mission specialists; the girls are gazing at the stars. It implies that the groups with the predominately male participants are more likely destined for serious scientific careers. The girls get a cool DJ/PJ party…. although, actually, the DJ/PJ party is included in both programs.

I read the material over a number of times, stewed a bit, and finally decided to contact the Ontario Science Centre with my concerns.  I expressed my disappointment in their messaging and asked if the groups were, in fact, being presented with different programming.

Kudos to the Science Centre – they responded quickly and explained the root of the different messaging.  An excerpt from their response:

“When we develop the Sleepover activities, we use the Scouts Canada Badge Requirements; and the Girl Guide Badge Requirements as tools to create the content that will be most suitable to their needs.  The Girl Guides’ badge is called “Astronomy”; the Scouts badge is called “Space Exploration”.  Because we often also use wording similar to the organizations to reflect this alignment, the two themes are named differently.  This is the reason why, and the only reason why, there are two distinct themes.”

The response went on to say that “We hope our experiences inspire curiosity for all our visitors, whether they choose to take the path of a backyard stargazer or an aerospace engineer.  We know both boys and girls have the capacity to be either.”

When I read the explanation about the different themes, it did make a certain amount of sense and I wondered if Girl Guides needed to share responsibility in this for promoting star-gazing over space exploration. Then I thought…hey, wait a minute…”star gazing” is more than just looking up at the sky. Research astronomers make fascinating discoveries about the unknown reaches of space and, by extension, the origins of the universe and life here on Earth.  The astounding images we’ve seen from the Hubble space telescope would never have come to light without the knowledge and dedication of astronomers. Astronomy involves more than a backyard telescope; it is massive relay alignments, observatories, space-based lenses and transmitters, and supercomputer analysis. None of this is reflected in the Science Centre program description.

Despite there being separate badge programs, the issue remains that the boys’ program was career-based and exciting while the girls’ description was passive and emphasized a dance party that is, in fact, also included with the boys’ program.

If I were to rewrite the text for them, it might go something like this:

ASTRONOMY ACES: Sparks, Brownies & Guides

Reach for the stars exploring galaxies as an Astronomy Ace. Find out how research astronomers are unraveling the mysteries of the Universe and making new discoveries in the far reaches of space.

With the help and support of Girl Guides of Canada, we again went back to the Science Centre with this idea and suggested even that perhaps they may want to include a mention about Canadian Astronaut and Honourary Lifetime Girl Guide Member Roberta Bondar to maintain a career emphasis parity in the program descriptions.

I’m pleased to say that the Ontario Science Centre was again responsive to my and Girl Guides’ concerns.  They agreed to modify the email-based communications going out about the Sleepover program; however, printed materials had already been produced and could not be changed at this time.

The final promotional content that was re-released to their email mailing list reads as follows:

ASTRONOMY ACES: Sparks, Brownies & Guides (girls only events)

Reach for the stars and become a real Astronomy Ace as you gaze out at our galaxy and explore the night sky! Be inspired by stories of the adventures of Canadian Astronaut and Girl Guides of Canada Honourary Member Dr. Roberta Bondar. Cap off your cool cosmic endeavour by dancing your heart out at the DJ / PJ party!

I am grateful to the Ontario Science Centre for their willingness to listen to concerns and take corrective measures. I can’t say that I’m 100 per cent satisfied with the final copy – the dance party reference remains (unnecessarily as the dance party description is also included in the “both programs receive…” section of the release) and it still feels a bit passive with the “star gazing” description. I am pleased to see the Dr. Bondar reference but I’m unclear as to whether the OSC has actually modified the planned program to now include information about Roberta Bondar or if it was simply added to the promotional material.

It’s a work in progress but thinking critically and speaking up about this sort of subtle and unconscious gender bias is important for ourselves as woman and the girls we mentor.

By guest blogger and Community Guider Jannene MacNeil. Jannene is a professional writer with a personal interest in science and a published book on telecommunications technology.  She is a Community Guider and has volunteered at the Brownie and Guide unit levels for almost a decade.  Her unit, the 29th Burlington Brownies, will be attending this year’s Science Centre Sleepover program, which will hopefully inspire the girls with scientific curiosity and a drive for exploration.

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Do you know a girl or adult member who would like to flex her writing muscles? Encourage her to pitch her idea and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. We’re also looking for writers for these upcoming special days:

  • The International Day of Happiness
  • World Water Day or Earth Hour
  • World Health Day
  • Global Youth Services Day
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The Power of an Expert

Posted on February 6, 2013 by

We all wish that we were good enough at everything to teach the Girl Guide program in fun and creative ways for every activity, badge, and skill. But I know that while I am pretty good at most things and pretty great at some others, there are some activities best left to the experts. The nice thing is they are all around us! Many grocery stores have nutritionists who can give talks or grocery store tours, a choir director can come in for a session, dance groups love teaching children, and sports coaches or even teams may adopt a unit for a night to teach them something new.

Our Guides are crazy about dance, singing, music and anything performing. We wanted to give them a night of dance but none of us felt qualified to give any real instruction or leadership. With this in mind, this fall I approached Tina, a dance teacher/fitness instructor at my local gym, about doing a workshop with our Guides and was elated when she agreed! We had a dance night in December where she taught the girls a warm-up, steps in various styles, and a short routine. She also led a discussion on healthy eating and incorporating movement and activity into your day, no matter what form it takes on.

Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

To complete the Body Works badge we asked a local optometrist Dr. Bill Clarke (and father of two of the girls in our unit) from the Ottawa Optometric Clinic to explain all about our eyes. He has worked with other units in our area before from Sparks to Guides and gave a wonderful presentation about eye health, diseases of the eyes and how to correct them and the importance of regular checkups when the girls are growing and developing.

Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

What made the talk stand out was that he brought in glasses that mimicked different eye diseases and let the girls wear them and pass them around to “try on” what it feels like to need glasses and not have them. The girls really enjoyed the talk and benefitted from someone how has experience with talking to kids. He is even going to put our group photo in his office, which the girls are very excited about.

Working with our “experts” was a fabulous experience and I learned a few tips along the way that will help make any expert-night a seamless experience.

  • Ask well in advance and be flexible with meeting times. The experts have their own schedules to work around as well.
  • Ensure you have the right space. We needed to swap spaces to get a gym to dance in. You may need to find a location with a kitchen or an outdoor space etc.
  • Give the expert a copy of the relevant program work. It will help them to tailor their programming for the age and requirements. The expert may not cover all your program requirements, but if the girls have fun, consider it a success!
  • Join in! This is a great chance to be hands-on and learn something yourself. Maybe even enough to lead the group’s activity in subsequent years if your expert isn’t available.
  • Say thanks. Send a thank you note, either from Guiders or the whole group, to say thank you for their time and expertise.
Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

Dr Clarke with Girl Guides

After our wonderful dance experience we are actively looking for ways to incorporate other Experts into our programming to give the Guides experiences we never would have been able to ourselves.

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By guest blogger and Guider Michelle Parsons, 154th Ottawa Guides. Michelle is a PhD student at the University of Ottawa in Biochemistry. She likes to exercise and bike in the summer, and is learning to cook (slowly). Michelle tries to put as much STEM into her programming as possible. She also enjoys getting crafty and is occasionally known to join in a game of tag or wink murderer with the girls.

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Every Penny Counts!

Posted on February 4, 2013 by

Every year, in the weeks leading up to World Thinking Day, our unit talks about Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world, and ways that we can be a part of the Sisterhood of Guiding.  This year, we decided to try something we had never done before: to raise money for the Canadian World Friendship Fund (CWFF).

After today (February 4th, 2013), the Canadian Mint will no longer be circulating pennies.  We thought that the phase-out of the penny was a great opportunity to raise money and awareness for the Canadian World Friendship Fund in our unit!

Once we explained what the CWFF was, the girls were very enthusiastic about the idea.  They each made a “penny bank” (out of re-purposed plastic cups and old, washed out vitamin bottles).  Armed with a letter to families explaining what we were doing, and after covering some safety points (the same as cookie sales: only ask family and friends, and make sure you have your family’s permission), we sent out our penny collectors to rustle up some change!

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The girls returned after the first week with baggies, cups, bottles and baking containers filled with pennies.  At our meeting, we split into groups and got to work.  Being a multi-branch unit, we divided the tasks into age-appropriate jobs:  Sparks counted the pennies into piles of 10 cents each, the Brownies counted the piles and determined totals for each level, and the Guides made posters so we can graph our progress each week (we have a unit challenge to see which branch can raise the most change).

After only one week, our collection exceeded our expectations.  The girls have been so enthusiastic that we have readjusted our original goal and have doubled the amount we are aiming to collect for the CWFF.

Not only are the girls learning about helping others around the world, they are covering many parts of the program, including International Guiding and math skills (to name just a few), and having a ton of fun!

We’d like to challenge other units to find creative ways this Thinking Day to raise money for the CWFF!

Megan with her daughter

Megan with her daughter

By guest blogger and Guider ‘Glowie’, aka Megan Gilchrist. Megan is the Contact Guider for the 7th St. Catharines Guiding (multi-branch)Unit.

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Do you know a girl or adult member who would like to flex her writing muscles? Encourage her to pitch and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. We’re looking for writers for the upcoming special days:

  • The International Day of Happiness
  • World Water Day or Earth Hour
  • World Health Day
  • Global Youth Services Day
Posted in Awesome Activities | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Why I Volunteer with “The Trefoil”

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

The other day I had to submit my resume for the chance to be a delegate at a conference. I would be representing a volunteer organization, so I felt it necessary to really highlight the volunteer experience I have, versus the work experience.

For a moment – it was quite overwhelming.

In the process of writing this resume I actually had to come to terms with the fact that I still have managed to raise my hand one or two more times than I had planned to during this year, when volunteers were called for.

Currently:

  • I am a member of four external organizations (other than work/professional ones)
  • I have responsibilities in three of them
  • I have to hold/attend two meetings per month X three organizations

For a moment, it got me down. But I didn’t have time to sit and cry about it, I had to write a blog post for Girl Guides of Canada – an organization I have been a volunteer with since I turned 19. (One of my favorite ways to volunteer with Girl Guides is via the national office and social media: I am a contributing blogger to their GirlGuidesCANBlog).

I had been putting off the post for longer than a responsible volunteer should have (see the above list as to maybe why). The post, like most that I write, was about a topic I could relate to/speak about: tattoos and Guiding.

I submitted it and thought, maybe, some of the Guiders might be offended, but overall it was a positive piece about inclusivity.

What happened? People misconstrued the words in the wording of GGC’s Facebook post. They came out fighting for an organization they love, thinking maybe it was no longer being inclusive – something that makes Girl Guides of Canada great in all of our opinions.

I love being the volunteer Public Relations Advisor for Dartmouth Shore Area and a guest blogger for Girl Guides of Canada, because we have opened up a dialogue using social media that was once held behind closed doors and in the corner of rooms, between volunteers. We need to be honest about the issues that exist, find best practices and support each other in a new generation of Guiding. We also need to be proud of the passion we have for the organization, it’s why we volunteer.

FB post image

FB post image

Why I volunteer for Girl Guides of Canada can be found in this picture. There were 81 comments that day on GGC’ s Facebook post – all from women who volunteer with passion for an organization that doesn’t care about your race, nationality, economic status, tattoos or colour of your hair.

It makes me not even question why I volunteer. In fact, it is one of my gardens’ roses.

By Sarah. This post originally appeared on Sarah’s personal blog Sarah Smells the Roses. Don’t forget to check out her previous blog posts for GirlGuidesCANBlog: Permanently, a Girl Guide, No one [except ourselves] Puts a Guider in the corner, and many more.

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Do you know a girl member (5-17+) who would like to flex her writing muscles? Encourage her to pitch and write a guest blog post for GirlGuidesCANBlog. It will definitely be an empowering experience for her!

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Trex would make for awesome Pokémon Trainers!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by

Girl Guides has seriously affected the way I approach Pokémon.

Ever since I was a kid, I always imagined what I’d be like as a Pokémon trainer going on my journey, and one of the biggest things that I always got hung up on would be my outfit.

It’s only tonight, just now, as I’m designing a “Me as a Pokémon Trainer” character and trying to get a cool-looking outfit down on paper that I realize exactly why I could never figure out what bothered me about the outfits the characters wear.

They’re completely impractical for being out in the wilderness.

I mean, think about it: these kids go out into the wild, on their own, at 10 years old, wearing nothing but a short-sleeve shirt, short-sleeve jacket/vest, jeans (or in the girls’ cases, shorts or mid-thigh-length skirts), sneakers, and a hat or bandana. Oh, and a dinky little backpack for stashing pokéballs and potions and TMs/HMs (Technical/ Hidden Machines) and whatnot. They don’t have tents or (human) medical supplies or even a change of clothes. What if these people get cold? What if it rains or snows? What if your clothes get torn or wet and you need to change into something dry so you don’t, I don’t know, die of hypothermia or whatever? What if you break your leg in the middle of the woods, or get an infected wound with no civilization for miles? Yeah sure sleeping out in a field under the stars is a cute idea and all, but you have to remember this is the Pokémon world, where every dozen steps or so you’ve got some wild rabid critter jumping out of the tall grass or whatever to bite your face off. At least a tent might offer some protection.

My years in Girl Guides under the wise, watchful gaze of Denise Hennebury has taught me that first and foremost, you need to dress in layers, and bring clothes that are actually suitable for the types of weather you might face along the way. The outfits typical Pokémon trainers are depicted wearing put all the emphasis on aesthetics and throw the whole “wilderness survival” thing entirely out the window.

And don’t even get me started on the backpack. Don’t. I mean, for goodness sake, they don’t even bring trail mix, or that water sanitizing stuff!

So if anybody needs me, I’ll be over here huddled over my sketchbook and designing my character like a smart person would and like my Guiding leaders would have expected me to – to actually be able out-survive the rest of these other horribly unprepared trainers in their miniskirts and jeggings.

Pokemon Girl Guide Sketch by Terri

Pokemon Girl Guide Sketch by Terri

Pokémon: IT’S SERIOUS BUSINESS OKAY DON’T JUDGE ME. I’m not over-thinking this stuff, everyone else just isn’t thinking about these things enough!

By guest blogger Terri.

We want you to be one of our guest bloggers! Never ‘blogged’ before? That’s ok! It’s just like telling someone a short story! Email us your idea.

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged | 2 Comments

Permanently, a Girl Guide

Posted on January 28, 2013 by

I was a young Guider when, as many young adults of my generation have made the choice to do, I let someone have “craft time” on my body, drawing and colouring in a tattoo (or two).

And to be honest, while I could have worn uniform pieces that covered them up all the time, I choose not to. Guiding is an open space for truthful conversation with our young members (and believe me, the Brownies know what tattoos are and the Rangers are trying to figure out what they would get if they had the chance). My tattoos led to open dialogue about our bodies and about age restricted activities.

Still skeptical about tattoos in Guiding? What if the artwork was our beloved trefoil? I floated that question at a recent Guiding meeting and the response was pretty positive; most said that if they ever got a tattoo, it would be to show their passion and dedication to our organization with the Trefoil.

Neither of my current tattoos are “brand logos”, so I was interested in speaking with someone who already had a Trefoil inked on their body. Guider Heather is a 20 year member of Girl Guides of Canada, and has been a Spark, Brownie, and Ranger leader. This dedicated volunteer also has over 20 tattoos, including a Trefoil.

“Originally, I thought to get the trefoil permanently to commemorate the 100th

anniversary celebrations. After much consideration, I decided it would be a perfect choice for me, as I have been in Guiding for all but the first four years of my life,” says Heather. “Being a member of Girl Guides of Canada has shaped the person I am and being involved has opened up a world of opportunities for me.  I am certain that I will always be involved and love GGC. Having the trefoil on my head though, was originally suggested by my husband as a joke, but I thought it seemed fitting, as I always have GGC on my mind!”

Photo: Heather Jennings-Brown

Photo: Heather Jennings-Brown

Like me, Guider Heather has been able to turn the conversation about her body artwork into an open dialogue with her Units.

“When it comes to the girls, the younger ones love the vibrant colors and cartoon-ish look of my tattoos, and the older girls enjoy being able to ask questions about all my ink. My Ranger Unit was able to help me choose a new tattoo, visit my artist, ask questions, watch me get tattooed, and see first-hand the proper procedures for tattooing.”

For Guider Heather, having tattoos and being in Guiding has been mostly positive.

“The only issue I did have was with parents of two of my Rangers. They seemed uncomfortable about my appearance,” she recalls. “Those girls were not able to go on an inter-provincial trip with the Unit, and I feel it was due to the parents’ inability to trust me as a Guider who looks like me.  I am very grateful to all the parents that are able to get to know who I am and that I can develop great Guider-Parent relationships before they make judgments.”

So if you are recruiting a new leader and you see she has a tattoo, for the love of all things Trefoil, don’t turn her away! If the tattoo is not of a morbid or offensive nature, all Guiding members should be allowed to be themselves, leaders not excluded.

[Thank you Guider Heather Jennings-Brown, Fort Simpson, NWT for sharing your story with us!]

By Guest Blogger Sarah Lyon.

SarahBy guest vlogger & blogger Guider Sarah of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Check out her own blog ‘Sarah Smells the Roses‘, as well as her previous blog posts for Girl Guides of Canada:

Posted in Girls' Guides | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

2nd Chilliwack Guides Pledge to Do More

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

We are the 2nd Chilliwack Girl Guide Unit in Chilliwack, B.C..  Our third-year Girl Guides planned and led a meeting to help the other girls in the Unit earn the National Service Project: Operation Earth Action crest. The main activity, Making Your Own Green Cleaning Products, was only one element of the evening which also included a group pledge and a recycling game. Our pledge may appear ’wordy’ but it was the result of five enthusiastic girls who, after doing some research, were super motivated to make a difference.

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

Our Pledge to the Earth:

We, the Girls and Guiders of the 2nd Chilliwack Girl Guide Unit, pledge to do more for the Earth than recycle; to do more for nature by reducing the amount of garbage and pollution we produce! 

We will choose to use re-useable water bottles and cups at our weekly meetings, camps and events instead of disposable dishware.  With the knowledge we gain tonight about non-biodegradable ingredients in cleaning products, we promise to make better choices when we shop. 

We will avoid buying products that are over-packaged or ‘disposable’ and take reusable totes to the store. 

We will reduce the amount of energy we waste by: turning off lights and unplugging electrical devices we aren’t using and not running the water when we brush our teeth or wash our face. 

Each of us will strive to leave a healthier eco-system for future generations to enjoy.  This is our pledge to the Earth!

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

After everyone in the Unit participated in making/signing the pledge and playing the recycling game, we broke into smaller groups and were led by the third years through three different green cleaning product stations where each girl made their own shampoo, laundry detergent and facial mask. Here is a testimonial from Natalia, one of our third-year Guides who helped lead the night:

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides

“What I learned at our Operation Earth Challenge Meeting was how to make your own environmentally friendly laundry soap, shampoo, and face masks. All the ingredients were natural, organic, and won’t harm the environment. We also made up and played a game called “Recycle Depot.” It was a mix of Rock, Paper, Scissors, What Time is it Mr. Wolf? and tag. What I learned is how to help the environment by cutting down on your waste, making your own green products, and mainly saving the environment. We can all do little things that make a big difference in our world. I was glad to help lead this night. I think everyone had a lot of fun!”

By guest blogger and Guider Shelagh Goff. 2nd Chilliwack Girl Guides. [Photo Credit: Guider Carol Murphy.]

Have you done an activity for our National Service Project? Don’t forget to log your actions and share your photos with us!

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Guiding Girls to See What Others Cannot

Posted on January 23, 2013 by

To celebrate the birth of Louis Braille, who developed the Braille system of printing and reading when he was 15 years old, January is Braille Awareness month.  We thought this might be a nice opportunity to introduce the girls to this very important method of communication.

The question was, how to make it interesting and relevant?  Our first thought was to make a quick stop at our local branch of the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) to see if they had any resources to offer, and they sure did!  They gave us these really cool cards that had a list of visual impairments along with a hole to look through so the girls could actually see what it would be like to live with each of the impairments.  They also gave us pamphlets that had Braille writing on them so the girls could feel the actual texture of the raised dots. These went over really well with the girls; they loved looking through the holes and commented on how difficult it could be to live the life of a visually impaired person. The message seemed to really hit home that there are resources who can make it easier, and that everything is possible to those with reduced eyesight.

Braille Alphabet (Source: CNIB.ca)

Braille Alphabet (Source: CNIB.ca)

We worked in partners and used toothpicks to poke holes in paper and sent Braille messages to each other.  All the leaders had fun with this, too, as the girls were trying to see how many of the answers we’d get right.

We discussed Louis Braille, and spoke about the history of Braille and that it wasn’t taught to the visually impaired until well after Louis Braille‘s death.  We also talked about places where they have seen Braille during their daily lives, such as in elevators, restrooms and in schools. We finished the night with a game of Braille twister!  The girls had to play with their eyes closed and the spinner was all in Braille.

I was so impressed at how well the girls took in the information and worked really hard to make their Braille messages for each other.  I think that this activity taught the girls that anything is possible for everyone – living life is INCLUSIVE!

By guest blogger and Guider Melanie Pereira-Tucker, 14th Oshawa Girl Guides

We want you to be one of our guest bloggers! Never ‘blogged’ before? That’s ok! It’s just like telling someone a short story! Email us your idea.

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A Girl Guide Cookie Complaint

Posted on January 21, 2013 by

new cookie box

Dear Girl Guides of Canada,

Hello, my name is Anya and I am a Girl Guide in Canmore, Alberta. I have recently been selling the fall Girl Guides Cookies, and I really like the new design on the boxes. I think you just need to change one thing. I think there is way too much packaging that isn’t necessary. The cookies come in a plastic container that is wrapped in plastic wrap, and enclosed in a cardboard box. That means only two of the three layers of customer packaging can be recycled. Plastic is made from oil, therefore it is not sustainable, because oil is a non-renewable substance. I think Girl Guides of Canada should take a lead on not wasting renewable substances and protecting the environment. By using sustainable substances in the cookies wrappers, you will be on our first steps to being an Eco-friendly organization. I think you should remove the two plastic wrappers, and have a paper bag in the box, or you could change the packaging completely, and stack the cookies in a recyclable tube that will be easy to ship and still as easy to handle as they are in the current packaging. This way the cookies will be more appealing to Eco-friendly customers, they will cost less to produce, and will be cheaper for Girl Guides, so more money would go to the Girl Guides of Canada program, to be used for camp and other reasons that would help the organization.

On your website you say, “Girl Members will contribute to a better world by providing service, by speaking out, and by taking action on issues that are important to them”. This issue is important to me because I would like Girl Guides of Canada to be not only friendly to us, but to be friendly to the environment. Our environment is very important to me because the Bow Valley is a wildlife corridor right next to Banff National Park.

Would it be possible to start a campaign on the GGC website, Facebook, twitter and blog for Eco-friendly cookie packaging? I was thinking because people might think the same as I do, and may be concerned about the cookie packaging not being Eco-friendly. I was wondering if I could write a blog post on this subject for GirlGuidesCANBlog?

If you have questions, or answers please reply.

Sincerely,

Anya

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