Holiday Closures Please note that Ottawa and Mississauga Guide Stores will be closed from December 15 – January 7th. All offices will be closed from December 22, 2007 until January 2, 2008. The e-store will remain open. Do you know someone that isn’t getting E-News? Perhaps she has her filter set too high on her computer and the E-News delivery is blocked. The Ontario Guider E-News is a bulk e-mail and therefore may be landing in the “Junk E-mail” box, so please suggest she check there! Perhaps we have
an out of date e-mail address for her in iMIS and she can update
it as follows: E-News is also readily available in PDF format from your Community Unit Administrator. Simply drop your UA an e-mail and request that she forward it to you. This is great for those Guiders that would prefer to print the E-News and read it at their leisure rather than on-line. If you are not a Unit Guider, you may access the PDF from http://www.guidesontario.org/enews/e-news_december/Ontario%20Guider%20E-News%20DECEMBER.pdf
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Safe Guide Update - Please click here for the December Safe Guide Update. Special thanks to our volunteer Safe Guide Assessment Team coordinator, Lori Prospero from Community 8 for working to facilitate the Safe Guide process in Ontario.
* $70,000 and counting! This is the amount of District money that has been rebated to Units so far. Cheques are issued when all the District’s Units and the past District books are reviewed and forwarded to the Area Treasurer. The amount received by the Units is based on the money in the District account divided by the number of girls in the District’s January 2007 census. The maximum allocation is $25 per girl member. Any surplus funds have been set aside for new Unit start up. If you have not got around to getting your books reviewed, now is the time!
* Local Specialty Communities: A group of Trainers decided to get together to plan trainings for their local Guiders. They know that new Guiders need to complete Orientation and Safe Guide and that there is a new T.E.A.M. module on anti-bullying that all Guiders would find useful. In another town, Guiders have decided to get together every couple of months to plan joint activities. They also enjoy each others’ company and want to ensure that the new Guiders connect with the sisterhood of Guiding. Both of these examples show that Guiding is alive and well! Both are great examples of the community model of Guiding at work! A need is recognized and local specialty communities have evolved to meet those needs.Some Guiders have been waiting for directions on how to begin a local specialty community. There is not a formal process. See an opportunity – recognize a need – and just begin! More information on event planning will be available in 2008 as our event planning software is put online. If you are planning an event for five or more Units or an adult only activity, and need to communicate or request subsidy for the activity, contact the Event Coordinator at event.coord@guidesontario.org.
* Canada Cord and other Award Ceremonies: During 2008, we are planning to hold 5 special ceremonies at locations across the province to recognize our girls and Guiders who are award recipients! Stay tuned for details this spring.
* Trainer Recertification: The Learning and Development section has been working very hard to process the recertification documents for our Trainers. By the end of the year, all Trainers meeting the requirements will receive letters indicating their Trainer status. Thanks so much to each of you for the support you are providing to our Guiders this fall.
* Finance Training: Wow – what an undertaking to bring 3500 Units onto the new banking system! A very busy team of volunteer Trainers are educating over 100 Units a week by conference call and face-to-face sessions. Please be patient as you await your turn and when it is your turn, please be sure to follow through on your commitment to be on the call or at the training!
* Invitation to Donate: From Rainy River to Cornwall, from Iqaluit to Windsor, girls and women benefit from membership in Guiding. One of the key results of the community model of Guiding is the high degree of equity that is now in place across the province. We have instituted very aggressive subsidy programs for our girls. Based on need, a girl may receive up to $90 towards the payment of her registration. She is also eligible for up to 50% of her camping costs throughout the year and also up to 75% (maximum of $350 for each of two weeks) for OCA summer camping at our facilities. No girl should be turned away because of an inability to pay.
Ontario Guiding also provides terrific program opportunities for our girls. One of the highlights this year was IMPACT, an event for Guides in partnership with the Western Hemisphere Regional Conference. It was an unforgettable experience for our girls. “When I came here everything seemed awesome and everything was as cool as it seemed.” “I loved every part of this week and I know I’ll carry those memories forever!”
You are invited to support opportunities like these through a donation. Receipts for charitable donations will be issued for donations of $20.00 or more effective January 1, 2008. (Note: this does not include Membership fees). Donations may be designated to one of our funds such as the Girl Subsidy Fund, the Campership Fund, or the Isabel Kerr Ontario Scholarship Fund or may be designated to one of our camp properties or to overall girl programming. The choice is yours!
Ontario Girl Guides can also be designated as your organization of choice in donation matching programs through United Way or through your employer. Check to find ways to maximize your donation. Thank you for your financial commitment to our organization.
Click here to download donation form.
I want to thank each of you for the time, enthusiasm and dedication that you have put into Guiding this fall. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the past few months. Thanks for the extra measure of patience that everyone has demonstrated! Many teams of volunteers and staff are already working hard to evaluate processes and to develop plans to address your concerns. We will share the results in the new year.
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.
Marnie
Volunteers Needed for Provincial Task Groups and Specialty Communities!Task group members and a Task Group Chair are currently being sought for approved Provincial Projects in 2008. These task groups will work collaboratively with provincial staff and Advisers to develop, implement and evaluate the following 2008 projects. Please complete the Provincial Volunteer Application form to apply for any of these roles.
Program Resources Adviser Needed
Ontario Council is searching for a Provincial Program Adviser to begin January 1, 2008. We would like to thank Kris McGee for her years of dedication to providing girls with fun and innovative program ideas. If you or someone you know would like to work with a team of volunteers to focus on providing our girl members with exciting new initiatives as well as helping our Unit Guiders with program resource information, please complete the Volunteer Application Form and submit on or before December 15, 2007 to:
Membership Support Coordinator, GGC
250 Merton Street, Suite 303, Toronto, ON M4S 1B1Sing Ontario Sing
This music challenge encourages members to expand their musical knowledge and sing, sing, sing. Song selection, challenge outline and evaluation will be part of this project.Tobacco Free Challenge
The members of this task group will liase with the Ontario Cancer Society to further develop and implement a similar challenge inspired by Girl Guides of Nova Scotia. Task members will create the challenge and prepare it for distribution across the province.Healthy Lifestyles Event/Challenge
This project will focus on Pathfinders and Senior Branches members. Instant meetings will be developed to support the programming in the units. Task group members and chair will determine the content and format for this project.Roll out of training for the new Senior Branches Program
Some of the specific skills/abilities and knowledge we will be looking for:
- knowledge/experience with the Senior Branch age girls/young women
- ability to develop/design/deliver training materials through a variety of techniques and/or delivery systems
- willingness to commit time and perhaps some travel to this project
Roll out of training for the new OAL Training Modules:
Some of the specific skills/abilities and knowledge will be looking for:
- knowledge/experience with camping/outdoor activities in a Girl Guides of Canada setting
- enthusiasm/passion for providing outdoor &/or camping experiences
- familiarity with and support for Safe Guide processes and procedures
- ability to develop/design/deliver training materials through a varietyof techniques and/or delivery sytems
- willingness to commit time and perhaps some travel to this projectTrainer Enrichment Events Planning Team
Some of the specific skills/abilities and knowledge will be looking for:
- event planning skills
- knowledge/experience in the design/development/delivery of continuing education/enrichment activities for people involved in delivering education or training program
- enthusiasm/passion for delivering interactive, objective based educational experiences
- willingness to commit time and travel to this project (this will involve 3 face to face delivery sites/dates across the province tentatively scheduled for May 2008)Environmental Representatives
Responsible for:
- Finding out about new environmental projects and learning experiences available in your area and making this information available for local Guiders
- Helping develop new environmental projects in your local area
- Reporting the great stuff units in your region are already doing to the Environmental Adviser so we can share these ideas with other guiders across the province
- Communicating with the Environmental Adviser about upcoming events and activitiesYellow Fish Road
If you have recently organized a Yellow Fish Road project for your unit/group, our environment.adviser@guidesontario.org would like to hear from you! We’re hoping to make this project more widespread and are looking for information from Guiders who were involved in organizing this service project previously.
Archives - Heritage Meeting in a Box
The Provincial Archives Specialty Community is looking for a member who is familiar with girl program for all branches and has a keen interest in delivering program in a creative and entertaining manner. We propose to make available to Unit Guiders a “Heritage Meeting in a Box,” appropriate to the age level they work with. Archives wishes to make a program ready “Treasure Chest” of activities that will allow the leaders to enjoy an exhilarating meeting with the girls based on a Heritage theme. The Box will be available online for a nominal fee to cover shipping charges and will include activities that highlight guiding history later in 2008.Program Resource Award Liason
If you are interested in, or experienced with the Commonwealth Award and/or the Duke of Edinburgh Award, you might be interested in working with provincial volunteers and staff to promote and encourage participation of our youth members.
Cookie Task Group Member
The Cookie section is seeking volunteers to work on a Special Task Group to reposition the cookie cupboards within the province. The Task Group will be made up of Guiders from all across the province to provide a wide range of experience. No previous experience with cookies is necessary; however an ability to communicate with businesses and individuals to seek out and arrange cupboard locations is required.Cookie Task Group Chair
The Cookie section is seeking a volunteer to Chair the Special Task Group to reposition the cookie cupboards within the province. This individual should possess strong leadership qualities, as well as effective communication and interpersonal skills. No previous cookie experience is required; however knowledge of the cookie process is a definite asset.Provincial Cookie Specialist
The Cookie section is seeking a group of Guiders who are passionate about cookies to serve on a Provincial Cookie Specialty Community Group. This group of Guiders will assist with the management of cookies within the local community groups including arranging selling venues and blitz campaigns for the units in the vicinity. This Specialty Group will work closely with the Provincial Cookie Adviser and the Cookie Coordinator to ensure the smooth operation of cookies throughout the province. Candidates should possess strong communication and organizational skills. No previous cookie experience is required; however knowledge of the cookie process is a definite asset.
Short Term International Specialty Community Volunteer Opportunity
Guiders are needed who live close to their community office in London, Mississauga, Hamilton and Kingston to help package the Dominica Adopt-A-Unit items and coordinate shipping to Dominica with the assistance of the International Coordinator at Ontario Guide House. It is a short term time commitment of 1 or 2 visits to your local community office. Please see the sponsorship chart in the Dominica Adopt-A-Unit section of this newsletter for the months your assistance would be needed. Contact international.coord@guidesontario.org if interested and available to assist.Provincial Recognition
Select 5 appropriate locations in Ontario to present awards to girls and Guiders – larger centres may provide best opportunities for convenience and venue availability.
Work with Membership Advisers and ACLs to recruit local volunteers to assist with event planning and logisticsMembership Awards
Develop recommendation for new Provincial award, including selection criteria.
(Former Area Awards have been discontinued. This task group will assess the need for and viability of a new award.)
Kinderstart
Conduct pilot project in 2008 to welcome girls of Spark age through an invitation to parents and girls (based on a project developed in Newfoundland and Labrador).
Work with selected School Boards to send information to parents of Spark age girls (school boards to be determined by census 2008 data).
Evaluation of pilot project.
Tradeshows
Select 5 tradeshows in locations based on need, audience, potential and impact to promote Ontario Guiding and attract new girl and adult members.
Recruit local volunteers to organize logistics of selected shows and attend and run shows – set-up, booth staffing and take down.
Work with Tradeshow/Event Toolkits Task Group Chair on standard trade show rules for displays.
Tradeshow/Event Toolkits
Design 3 themed display kits for use at tradeshows and & Promotional Materials other Guiding events. Work with Tradeshows Task Group Chair to ensure displays meet criteria and requirements of standard trade show rules (i.e. booth space, height restrictions, flame retardant material, etc.) Develop high quality promotional materials for use as giveaways at tradeshows, events or any venue where we are promoting GGC.Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards
Most people appreciate a little recognition for their contributions, but unfortunately we can all be somewhat negligent in giving it.
Others, especially the young people in our community, don't consider what they do to be deserving of recognition. Yet, a little recognition goes a long way to reinforce the importance of contributions to our community.
We are proud to support the 2007 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards so we can help to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of young people in our community.
Please help us by nominating a young person, aged 6-17, who is involved in community service; has performed acts of heroism; is contributing to the community while living with limitations; or is a good kid who shows a commitment to make life better for others, possibly doing things not expected of someone their age.
Coordinated by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association and supported by TD Canada Trust, this program will recognize all young people nominated. Each nominee receives a certificate of recognition from their community newspaper.
Up to 12 of the nominees and one group are then chosen as the final recipients to receive the Award, during a special ceremony in the Spring of 2008.
Nominations will be accepted until December 28. Forms and further information about the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year program can be obtained from this newspaper, online at www.ocna.org - Awards, or by calling OCNA at 905- 639-8720 ext. 228.
Nominate a young person today; they deserve to get a little recognition from our community. It's up to us.
Click here to view brochure.
Click here to view form.
Chocolatey Mint Cookies – Need More? We Got ‘Em!
As the Fall 2007 Chocolatey Mint Cookie Campaign winds down, some Guiders may think that they are unable to sell cookies until the Spring 2008 Classic campaign. Well… guess what? Chocolatey Mint cookies are available until March 2008.
There’s no better time than the Holiday Season to canvas your neighbourhoods with a fresh supply of our Chocolatey Mint cookies. In addition to the many delectable treats that can be made with our cookies as the “secret ingredient”, a box or two also makes a great gift for teachers, bus drivers, newspaper carriers and anyone else you can think of.
If you need extra cookies for your Unit to take advantage of the Holiday Season, contact our cookie.coord@guidesontario.org to arrange for some. We have 7,000 cases available and look forward to your call.
Is your unit planning a Thinking Day event? Challenge your girls to find a way to incorporate mint cookies into their activities!
Cookie sales can complement any Guiding event or activity. We encourage units to start planning early so that all of the necessary paperwork is complete come the day of the event.
If your unit wishes to hold an event and are looking to sell cookies, we want to hear from you. Extra cookies are available until March 30, 2008. Please send your requests to:
Cookie Coordinator
1-877-323-4545 x 2440
cookie.coord@guidesontario.orgTHANK YOU to all Ontario Guiders for your hard work and perseverance in organizing cookie blitzes and events throughout Province during this very challenging campaign.
Spring 2008 Classic Cookie Campaign - New Online Ordering to be Available
Here in the cookie department we are getting ready to introduce Ontario’s new Online Ordering Website.
The new ordering website will be open to all units the 1st week of January for the Spring 2008 Classic Campaign (regular orders).
This new tool has been created to allow unit guiders to place their cookie orders online themselves and choose the delivery location where they would like their cookies to be delivered.
This website will be user friendly and will make ordering cookies quick and easy.
We will be sending out more information pertaining to this website leading up to its launch. We want to ensure that all units have familiarized themselves with the new process so that when it comes time to order, everyone will be prepared.
Cookie Blitzing and Mall SalesAs a reminder, any unit planning a Cookie Blitz or Mall Sale, must complete and submit all appropriate paperwork pertaining to your selling event.
What is always needed:
- Safe Guide FormsWhat is needed if requested by location:
- Proof of Insurance
- Signed Contract
- Lease Agreement
- Signed Letter of AuthorizationPlease refer to the Procedures Manual for more information pertaining to Insurance and Safe Guide Forms. Procedure Manual is found on the Ontario section of MemberZone. https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C12/Ontario/InTheLoop/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Book your camp for 2008 now!
Camps and meeting halls are being booked now for 2008.
For the following locations, contact the property.admin@guidesontario.org
• Camp Ma-Kee-Wa
• Bonita Glen Camp
• Camp Woolsey
• Camp Wyoka
• Camp Adelaide
• Camp Caritou
• Camp Dahinda
For all other camps and meeting halls, continue to book your camps and events as you always have, through your Local Property Group.
We will let you know once centralized booking is up and running. Until then, the status quo for booking continues.Camping and Outdoor Activities
Meeting ideas for the winter months that involve outdoor activities can range from full winter camping to a meeting involving purposefully wandering around town.
These meetings ensure that the girls are visible out in your community. They can incorporate program work through fun and innovation. One such activity that is fun at this time of the year is playing “Kim’s Game” with storefront windows. Kim's Game is an exercise used to develop a girl’s capacity to observe and remember specific details.
With Holiday displays in abundance at this time of year, it’s fun for the girls to orient themselves around your town/city (selecting the choice few city blocks) and play this memory game. Have the girls orient themselves with the emergency services locations including telephone booths. Use Kim’s Game at interesting storefronts, where girls view the window for a specific time, then, as they wander away to another storefront, are quizzed about what they saw.
This game escalates in “fun” as the opportunities increase, and the girls become more aware of the variety of “stuff” on display. Depending on the age group, discussions can arise as to costs of items, necessity of having them, alternatives etc. Blend Kim’s Game with fruitful discussions on the locations of emergency services, types of stores, offices or businesses available in your neighbourhood.
The end of the meeting could entail a group discussion about the advantages of living in your neighbourhood, changes that could be made to improve where they live, or simply what they saw.
Have fun!
5 Region Challenge
Asia-Pacific Launches January 2008!In 2006, you explored Africa; in 2007, you ventured around the Western Hemisphere; and in 2008, the challenge continues. In January 2008, discover music, dances, crafts, recipes and much more from the 27 countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. The challenge will be available on Ontario Zone.
[For some wonderful Asian-inspired ideas to get you started, click here.]Remember, the Five Region Challenge is a chance to learn about the 146 countries where Guides live. Each year you will learn about one of the WAGGGS five regions and earn a diamond-shaped crest. Earn all five to form a brightly-coloured star radiating from a map of the world. Crests are available from the provincial Guide stores and the Asia-Pacific Region crest will be available when this part of the challenge launches in January 2008. Check out the beautiful crest and note the placement of Asia-Pacific.
It's not too late to start this challenge and continue through the years with all five challenges. Enjoy!
Minutes, Minutes - Who has the Minutes?
An appeal from Archives
As part of our mandate to preserve and protect Ontario's Guiding history, Ontario Council Archives volunteers have asked for all Area (and Division and District if available) minutes, newsletters and annual reports to be submitted for microfilming. The archives volunteers around the province have been diligent in trying to acquire and complete the files. However, despite their best efforts there are still some gaps. If you have in your possession any of these items, please contact us to see if we need what you have. We will check with the archives volunteer who has the file, and let you know what we require. If we do not need the documents you have, you may confidently recycle them knowing that copies will be preserved and available in the archives. Please contact us at archives.adviser@guidesontario.org and allow us a week or two to get back to you. Thank you for your help in preserving Guiding history!
One-stop shopping for Program Resources
Are you looking for ideas, games, crafts, music, activities and more? Volunteers and staff work together to support challenges, partnerships with outside agencies, youth member events and much, much more. If you have a great idea to share, please send it to the Program Coordinator at program.coord@guidesontario.org
To everyone who took a minute to answer the Bag-A-Cork surveys in last month’s E-news, thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
I am collecting cork/my unit is collecting cork, what do we do with it all?
If you are collecting cork individually or with your unit or Trefoil Guild, please make sure you are registered with Province. After collecting and sorting your cork, contact the cork coordinator at bagacork.coord@guidesontario.org . From there you will be directed as to where to take your sorted cork.
Why isn’t there a cork collection bin in my local LCBO or Wine store? Only registered stores and breweries collect cork for the program. To be registered a unit or individual must be picking up regularly from that location. Not all LCBO’s have a unit or an individual collecting from them. Only once an affiliate is paired up can they collect cork for the program.Why have cork collection bins been removed from the collection sites in community? Collection bins have been removed from locations where there was no unit or individual responsible for emptying the bin and sorting the cork. When a bin is not serviced regularly, cork piles up! Only collection sites where there is someone to service the bin are currently operational.
I’ve got bags full of cork in my house/shed, what do I do with them? If you have bags of unsorted or sorted cork please contact the Bag-A-Cork Coordinator at bagacork.coord@guidesontario.org . We will be able to provide you with a location to drop off the sorted cork or to assist you with finding a unit who can sort the cork or with a location that is collecting cork.
At the completion of your Sparks Ablaze meetings, please fill out the Evaluation Survey so your girls can obtain their tattoos.
Check out these Sparks! They lit up the fire hall in Deep River Ontario.
The Adopt-a-Unit Program with Girl Guides of Canada and Dominica is well under way and the November 2007 package from Ontario Girl Guides (Hamilton office) has been mailed to Dominica. To see what items have already been mailed to the Units in Dominica, visit the supply list posted on our website. http://www.guidesontario.org/program/travel.htm The list will be updated each month. In November, the following items were mailed to Dominica:
Brownies
- song booklet
- craft items including magnets, yarn, plastic cord (gimp), beads, straws, clothes pegs
- Canada fact sheets
Guides
- song booklet
- craft items including magnets, decals, stickers, plastic cord (gimp), metal juice cans
- Canada fact sheets
Rangers
- Canada flag
- pens and pencils
- pencil sharpeners
- maple leaf craft
- Canadian animal photos
- word search
- Canada fact sheets
- song bookletTo get your unit involved in the Adopt-a-Unit project, please check the schedule below for your Community’s adoption month. Remember our Guiding sisters in Dominica are in great need of our support each month. Please send your unit’s items for the project to your community office by the 10th of the month for which your community is assigned to ensure your wonderful items are included in the package being sent to Dominica.
MONTH COMMUNITIES December 2007 1 2 3 4 5 39 January 2008 13 14 15 16 24 25 February 2008 17 18 19 20 33 34
News and Information from our Dominica Guiding Sisters - Most of the Dominica units have access to tape recorders or CD players so they are able to listen to tapes or CDs of songs sent to them. The units there are eager to learn, not only about Canada, but about each province as well. The Dominica units are particularly interested in receiving a flag of our province. Each unit in Dominica is making a collection of information about its partner province in Canada. They would love to receive whatever information about Ontario we can provide.
Most of the units in Dominica have two leaders aged 18 and older. Young Leaders are members of the unit who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities between the ages of 12 and 18 years. The young leaders sometimes meet monthly at training sessions in Self Development. They also work individually on a program which enables them to achieve a Duke of Edinburgh Award or certificate of achievement.Several of the units in Dominica have been able to save up some money of their own to use to correspond back with units here in Canada. If your unit is interested in pen-paling with a Dominica unit in the 2 Districts that Ontario is supporting, please prepare your communications to the unit and direct it to the Community office where the next Dominica Adopt-a-Unit package is being sent from. Please ensure that you label your communications/correspondence with the branch level and unit (based on their registration amounts) that your unit wishes to communicate with. Please understand that mailings to and from Dominica take a long time, so your unit will probably not receive a response in a short time frame.
As of September 2007, Ontario has raised $28,548.78 for the Canada World Friendship Fund (CWFF). Thank you for the donations and keep up the fantastic teamwork!
Please continue to direct your pennies, loonies and toonies to our Canadian World Friendship Fund (CWFF). This money helps Girl Guides of Canada support International Guiding through:
• Out Travel Grants
• In Travel Grants
• The Four World Centres
• WAGGGS Mutual Aid
• WAGGGS Thinking Day Fund
• International Emergency Disaster Relief FundEach member of Girl Guides of Canada has been asked to make a $2 donation to the project. As of September 2007, Ontario has raised and donated $3,412. Thank you to all who have supported this project to date. Remember, these donations are going towards purchasing new uniforms, recruitment and improving the overall quality of Guiding in Dominica through program activities. We are continuing to receive donations, so keep up that great work! Your support is greatly appreciated by GGC-Ontario Council and our Guiding sisters in Dominica.
World Thinking Day 2008 – February 22ndJust a friendly reminder, World Thinking Day 2008 is fast approaching! The theme for 2008 will be ‘Water’, focusing on the aspects of water and sanitation, affecting the health of girls and women all over the World. To help you prepare and celebrate February 22nd, 2008, you can now access a variety of resources on the website. http://www.worldthinkingday.org/en/home
November was a month full of Guiding activity in communities! Many, many units attended Remembrance Day services across the province; from legions in smaller communities to the War Memorial in the nation’s capital. Ontario Council supported many of these activities by providing wreaths at ceremonies for girls to present.
Guiding on parade is happening all over as members of Guiding participate in Santa Claus parades throughout Ontario. Congratulations go out to our Chatham Girl Guides! Their spectacular float won 1st Prize in the non-commercial category of the Chatham Sertoma Santa Claus Parade and Guiding was vibrant and highly visible on the themed "Girl Guides Light up Girls Lives" float. The Sudbury Santa Claus Parade saw 50 girls on the float 'Girl Guides Visit The North Pole Under the Northern Lights' along with a special guest, Kikano,, returning to her home in the North Pole!! See photos here. Once again members of Guiding in Ontario participated in one of the largest Santa Claus parades in the world in Toronto…perhaps you saw them on T.V.!
Units have been progressing well with program, including guest speakers, hikes/ orienteering, parties and enrollments and of course Cookie sales! Service projects are also in focus.
The 96th Nepean Guide Unit launched a drive in October 2007 to collect new/used school supply items for the children in Afghanistan. Local schools and churches generously volunteered their support toward this initiative to assist the unit. With the help of the 55th Nepean Brownie Unit and the 28th Nepean Spark Unit to sort the school items collected have been shipped to Khandahar to be dispersed to the local schools there. To give the boxes a personal touch, the girls added special notes wishing the children peace in their lives and hope that they would enjoy the school supplies.
See photo here.Thank you to all those who assisted in Ottawa with the donation of cookies to a number of womens’ shelters, community food banks, senior’s homes, and the Salvation Army shelter. See photo here.
Adult members were very busy planning and attending Guider Meet & Greets and Training days in November. A big thank you to Trainers and other members that worked to plan these events. “Let’s Get Creative” and “On the Ball with Guiding” were only two large events that were enjoyed by hundreds of Guiders. These days were filled with enrichment sessions and trainings. All adult members are encouraged to attend these days that provide an opportunity to learn and network with your sisters in Guiding.
On the Ball with Guiding. See photo collage here.
Ontario Guider E-News Feedback
We hope you enjoyed our third edition of Ontario Guider E-News! As it is our intent to produce this publication monthly, we're seeking feedback. Pease tell us what you liked, disliked or would like to see in future issues. Drop our Communications Coordinator an e-mail and share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you.
Would you like to feature something in next month's issue of Ontario Guider E-news? If yes, please send your article to our Communications Coordinator no later than Monday, December 10th for consideration.