Summer Camps 2008 – Girls Grow with Camping
Registration is underway for our Summer Camp programs at 10 locations across the province. Brochures have been mailed to last year’s campers and all our Members will receive a postcard with Summer Camp information in mid-March. Please encourage your girls to join us at Summer Camp 2008. Financial assistance is available for Members. For more information on our fun and exciting Summer Camp programs and applications forms, check out our website at http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/summercamps.htm

Summer camp is not just for girls! Applications are now being accepted for volunteer and staff positions at camp. More details are available on our website at http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/volunteer_camp.htm or contact the Summer Camps Manager at summercamps.manager@guidesontario.org or 1-877-323-4545 ext 2359.

Guide Store Hours - Easter
Please be advised that the Mississauga and Ottawa Guide Stores will be closed Good Friday, March 22nd and Easter Monday, March 24th.

Shopping!!!
As you plan your spring activities don't forget shopping opportunities for camping, ceremonies and end of year gifts. You can shop through the e-store, by mail, or fax or by calling our help desk to talk to a live person.  Check out all the opportunities available to you by clicking here, or call 1 877 323 4545 ext 2357.

Have you tried shopping at the Online shopping site? If not plan to shop with us soon! No traffic, or store line-ups to add to the stress of your busy day.  You can shop 24 hours while sitting in the comfort of your own home. Our Online shopping site is easy to navigate, has secure payment options and your order is delivered to your front door with 48 hours!   It's as easy as that! A new search feature has been added to the site to help you quickly navigate the products you are looking for. http://www.thegirlguidestore.ca/

If you wish to mail or fax in an order for delivery please use this updated form that will help you calculate your purchases.

We Are Listening
We are listening to Guiders and understand that for some with dial up internet service that the PDF attachment for this monthly electronic newsletter is causing difficulty. Beginning with this issue, we will be forwarding the Ontario Guider E News without the PDF attachment. You can access the PDF version of the newsletter on the Ontario Council website. We will however, continue to send a separate email to UA’s with the PDF attachments (one with photos and one without !) for ease of access to send out to those Units without email access.

Welcome Senior Branches!
Beginning with this issue of E-News, we are happy to announce that all registered Senior Branches Members will now receive this monthly resource delivered directly to their own e-mail inbox. We are looking forward to “sharing” content from these young ladies in future issues too. Whether it’s an exciting International Trip Diary or a recount of a memorable experience – we can’t wait. Watch for our “Sr. Branches Reflections” section beginning in April. Today’s girls are tomorrow’s Guiders!

Counting Down to Provincial Annual! A Difference of One; Inform, Involve, INSPIRE!
Plans are coming together for the most wonderful opportunity for Guiders to connect and learn over the weekend of November 21-23, 2008. Be sure to look for the Registration information in April on the Ontario Council or in the Ontario Guider E News.

100 Years Ago in Canada … When Guiding First Began …
… most women and girls washed their hair once a month.
… only 8% of homes had telephones.
Guiding in Ontario is gearing up for a spectacular celebration in 2010. Stay tuned to Ontario Guider E-News for updates and teasers as our plans unfold for unique celebration of 100 years of Guiding. Watch for details on our all-branch Challenge coming soon!

Ontario Guider E-News Needs New, Distinctive Name!
Guiders have told us that our “Ontario Guider E-News” is easily confused with national’s own monthly electronic newsletter - National News. We need your input! Help us find a new and unique name for the Ontario Guider E-News that makes us “rise to the top” of Guider’s inboxes!

Please send your ideas and suggestions to the Communications Adviser at communications.adviser@guidesontario.org.

Our April issue will see the introduction and use of the new name selected from your feedback – and the lucky Guider submitting the winning title will receive a $25 credit for use in our On-Line Guide Store!

And the Winner Is …
Beginning with the March issue of Ontario Guider E-News, we have “hidden” the word “Guider” in one of the articles below. It will appear exactly as you see it here. When you find this hyperlink, click on it and send us an e-mail in the window that opens with the subject: Found It! We will choose one winner randomly each month for a $25 credit for our Online Guide Store or one of our two Ontario Guide Store locations. Good luck! Each month’s winner will be announced in the following month’s E-News.

Looking for Super Citizens!!!
We have been approached by TVO to participate in their Super Citizens program. A natural fit for an organization that has 1,000’s of super citizens amongst our Members!

Please read the criteria below & if you know any youth Member who meets the criteria, please forward their name, mailing address, a summary letter of the activity they have undertaken that makes you believe they are a candidate for this opportunity and confirmation from the girl & her parents that they are aware of the submission. Please also include your name and address.

Girls selected by TVO will be highlighted on a 2 minute show as part of the regular Super Citizen shown on TVO.

Apply to:
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
Attention: Executive Coordinator
14 Birch Ave.
Toronto, ON M4V 1C8

Email: executive.coordinator@guidesontario.org

Criteria:
“Super Citizens” are Ontario youths (ages 6-14) who are doing incredible things to help out their community, country or the world. This could be anything from raising money for charity, organizing a garbage brigade, volunteering at homes for the elderly, to collecting pop tabs for wheelchairs---could be any good act or deed that benefits someone other than themselves.
The incredible ‘act’ must be initiated by the youngster – and they must be able to speak confidently about what they accomplished in detail—how they got the idea, how they organized, and what were the clear outcome/results (ie raise ‘x’ amount of dollars, affected some kind of change in the community, or world around them).

Deadline:
The initial deadline is March 20, 2008. Please continue to send girls names in for consideration after this time as there are many opportunities for highlighting our Super Citizens.

Additional Opportunity:
Girls who are highlighted on these applications may also be asked to participate in a showcase at the Provincial Annual in November 2008.

Girl Forum Update (view photo)
Ontario's new Girl Advisory Forum had its first-ever meeting in February, with girls aged 14-18 coming together from across the province to discuss their proposed ideas for such things as environmental projects, summer camps, international trips, camp properties and communications. The girls had a chance to meet and share their views with the Administrative Community Leaders, the provincial Advisers and the 2010 task group. Watch for some upcoming website changes resulting from their discussions! The first change in communications happens today, with the E-News being sent directly to Senior Branches members for the first time.

The Girl Forum members are now hard at work exercising their leadership and analytical skills by conducting focus groups with units in their home communities. If one asks to visit your unit to solicit the girls' ideas about camps and Girl Guide camp properties, please say yes. The data these girls gather will be invaluable to Guiding.

Led by Brittany Chandler, 17, of Branford, the Forum's discussions will continue over e-mail for the next few months. Two members, Paula Sanderson of Toronto and Samantha Shewring of Sudbury, will represent GGC at the United Nations Association of Canada's "Healthy Communities, Healthy Children" conference in Gatineau in mid-March. Ontario Council looks forward to hearing about their experiences, and to girls playing a bigger role than ever before in shaping Ontario Guiding's future.

This Safe Guide update includes the following important topics:
• Safe Guide Procedures for submission
• I have no ACL, who do I list on my Safe Guide forms and who can I get support from?
• Safe Guide forms – how many copies of my activity package do I need to send in?
• Email Submission of Safe Guide forms – Guider signature no longer required
• First Aid certificates – do I need to send in a copy every time?
• Updated Image Release (IR.1) form
• Safe Guide Assessors – Here to help you

SAFE GUIDE PROCEDURES – PLEASE PRINT ATTACHMENTS

Each unit should have received a copy of the Community Model of Guiding Procedures Manual (with the yellow cover). New Safe Guide procedures have now been developed and should be printed and added to your Procedures Manual. There are 3 separate procedures for Safe Guide activities:
1. Level 2
2. Level 3 and 4, except for International Travel 72 hours or more (Revised)
3. Level 4 International Travel 72 hours or more (NEW)

These documents outline the submission and Safe Guide assessment process for your activities. They indicate how much advance notice is required when submitting an activity for approval, who to send your forms to and how you will be notified that your activity is approved. The procedure documents also include information about required follow up after your activity.

Please take a moment to download each of the procedure documents. For easy reference, your activity package should be sent in as follows:

Level 2: 14 days in advance to your Unit Administrator
Level 3 and 4: 21 days in advance to Province via safeguide@guidesontario.org or via fax to 416-920-1440

I HAVE NO ACL, WHO DO I PUT ON MY SAFE GUIDE FORMS AND WHERE CAN I GET SUPPORT?

When completing the emergency contacts section on your Emergency Response Plans (OA.5) Guiders have been told to include the name and contact number of their Administrative Community Leader (ACL) where the form asks for the Commissioner. However, some communities do not yet have an ACL. If you do not have an ACL, please leave this section blank.

In the event of an incident where Safe Guide tells you to contact your Commissioner, please contact the Provincial Office using the NEW emergency on-call number 416-926-2350 or toll free at 1-877-323-4545 ext 2350. The Senior Leadership Team at GGC-Ontario Council rotates responsibility for this phone and will be able to assist you.

If there are other matters for which you’d like to let someone know but it is not technically an incident, you may contact your Unit Administrator. She will do her best to assist you.

SAFE GUIDE FORMS - HOW MANY COPIES OF MY ACTIVITY PACKAGE DO I NEED TO SEND IN?

The Safe Guide indicates that you should send in 2 copies of your C.2a and various documents when requesting authorization. However, multiple copies are not always needed – it depends on how you send in your forms.
By Mail:
• If you are sending your forms by mail, please send in one full set of your signed forms. If it is a Level 2 package, it will be left for the Safe Guide Assessor to review.
• For Level 3 and 4 activities, your paperwork will be scanned and emailed to a Safe Guide Assessor for review.
• For international travel 72 hours or more, please continue to send in three complete copies of your activity package. One will be kept at our office for filing, while the other two will be sent out to the Safe Guide Assessor and the Provincial International Adviser for review.
By Fax or Email:
• When you submit your Level 2 forms to the community office by fax, your Unit Administrator (UA) will print it, if necessary, and leave them for the Safe Guide Assessor to review. If your activity is approved, a copy of the signed C.2a will be faxed back to you, or scanned and then emailed to you. Only the signed C.2a is returned.
• When you submit your Level 3 or 4 forms to the provincial office by fax (416-920-1440) or email (safeguide@guidesontario.org), the Program Administrative Assistant will scan the documents, if necessary, and then email your package to one of our provincial Safe Guide Assessors.

If your activity is approved, a copy of the signed C.2a, C.7a, IT.2 or IT.3 will be faxed back to you or scanned and emailed to you. Only the authorization form will be returned to you.

Regardless of how you submit your forms, always keep a copy of your complete package (either on your computer or a printed copy) as you will, in most cases, only receive the signed authorization form back – not your entire package. As well, your extra copy will also serve as a backup if there are transmission issues or it is lost in the mail.

E-MAIL SUBMISSION OF SAFE GUIDE FORMS – GUIDER’S SIGNATURE NO LONGER REQUIRED

National has recently revised the Safe Guide forms that are submitted for the authorization of activities (C.2a, C.7a, WA.1, IT.2, and IT.3) and the Emergency Response Plan (OA.5) so they can be submitted as an email attachment without the Guider signing them.

In the past, a Guider would complete the form, print it, sign it and then fax it, mail it or scan and email it on to have the activity approved by the Safe Guide Assessor.

This change will simplify the approval process and eliminate the need for scanning which was burdensome for our Members.

Effective immediately, a Guider who wishes to email her forms for approval must include her iMIS number (your unique membership number) on the form. The forms have been updated to include this information. To download the most up to date forms, please click here.

When sending your attachments, the actual email message must include the Responsible Guider’s name, iMIS number and the date and location of the activity.

Though a signature is not required from the Guider for the submission of the form, the responsible Guider must sign the form prior to the activity.

If the activity is approved, the Safe Guide Assessor and/or Water Activity Adviser must print and sign the form to indicate approval and return a signed copy to the Responsible Guider by fax, scan/email or mail. The SGA/WAA must keep a copy of the Guider's email message with the original signed / authorized form.

FIRST AID CERTICATES – DO I NEED TO SEND IN A COPY EVERY TIME?

Starting in March 2008, Unit Administrators will begin to input Emergency First Aid certificates into iMIS. When you obtain your Emergency First Aid certificate, please check to see if it includes the expiry date. If not, ask the instructor to write it on and initial it.

Forward a copy of your certificate to your Unit Administrator at your community office noting that you’d like it entered in your iMIS profile.

When you submit Level 2 Safe Guide activities, the Unit Administrator will now check iMIS for the Safe Guide Assessor to confirm if the Responsible Guider and/or the person listed as the First Aider has current first aid qualifications entered into iMIS. It may take some time to get them all entered, so please be patient, particularly if you are asked to forward another copy.

For Level 3 and 4 activities, the Program Administrative Assistant does check iMIS to see if the first aider’s qualifications are listed there and if they are still current. If you are not certain that these qualifications are in iMIS, please submit a copy with your forms to avoid unnecessary delays and specifically ask that it be entered into your iMIS profile.

Please note that for International Travel 72 hours or more (Level 4), you must submit a copy of your first aid certificate regardless if it is in iMIS or not.

UPDATED IMAGE RELEASE FORM

National has also made a small revision to the Image Release Form (IR.1). In the bottom section, parents/guardians now only have to check a selection and sign the form. The form no longer needs to be initialed by parents/guardians. The new form has been posted in the forms section on MemberZone at http://forms.girlguides.ca/default.aspx#applications. The previous version of the form will still be accepted if submitted.

YOUR SAFE GUIDE ASSESSOR IS THERE TO HELP YOU

As mentioned in the last Safe Guide update in the February e-news, the Safe Guide Assessors (SGAs) are there to guide you. Have you heard from your fellow Guiders that they are frustrated when asked to submit additional information? Do you know Guiders who would like a refresher on what to submit when sending in their forms? Why not contact your SGA through your community office and request a forms workshop. The SGA will provide an overview and answer your questions.

Questions?
Should you have any questions regarding these changes, please email safeguide@guidesontario.org.

Earth Day – April 22nd
If you haven’t already started planning for Earth Day (April 22nd) this is a good time to think about what you can do. Talk to your girls/Guild Members. Are there any environmental projects they are especially interested in undertaking? Check if your municipality is doing a project or clean up that you can help out with. Pick a project that you care about and make a difference! If you’re not sure what to do, don’t forget about fun favourites like Yellow Fish Road and Pitch-In week.

Earth Hour is March 29th from 8 – 9pm.
Here’s a great chance to show that you’re concerned about global warming and you’re ready to do something about it! If your unit is getting together during Earth Hour, turn off your lights/appliances and have some earth-friendly fun. You can use this as a learning opportunity to educate your girls about global warming and how their choices impact our planet. But don’t just have a boring meeting in the dark! Challenge yourselves to pick any piece of program and do it within an Earth-friendly meeting – by going electricity/battery free and not producing any garbage in the process. Get active, make some music (from scratch!), create something new from something old, or go outside! To learn more about Earth Hour, check out: http://www.wwf.ca/EarthHour/. If your unit does anything really neat for Earth Hour that you’d like to share, email it to environment.adviser@guidesontario.org

Spring is a great time to learn about the living world around us.
Plant a seed and watch it grow! If your unit takes part in maintaining community gardens or simply wants to grow a gift for Mother’s Day this year, now’s the time to start your plants from seed indoors. Use recycled items (yogurt containers, egg cartons, etc) for your pots, and all you need is some soil, seeds, a sunny window, and a loving person who remembers to water the plants regularly! If you can, visit with a gardener/farmer/naturalist to find out about native species, what kinds of plants grow well in your area, and good ways to get things growing.

National Sponsored Trip Opportunity for Young Adults
WAGGGS Around the World (World Thinking Day) Session at the Sangam World Centre in India, February 13-March 9, 2009 - Ontario has been invited to submit 2 applications for consideration by a National Selection Team to attend this event. This event is open to Members 18-30 years of age. For more information about the event, the Ontario Financial Policy and how to apply, please download the Fact Sheet from our website.

The Ontario Deadline for application submission is: Monday, May 5th, 2008. All applications must be received at the following address by the deadline date in order to be considered in the Provincial Screening:
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
Attn: International Coordinator
14 Birch Avenue
Toronto, ON M4V 1C8

See WHERE in the WORLD our Members are TRAVELING!
To help promote International Independent Group Trips and share where our Members are traveling we have now posted the following details on MemberZone.
• Responsible Guider’s name
• Trip Destination/date
• Community #
• # of girls
• # of adults
• Branches involved
This list can be accessed by logging in to Member Zone on the National Website: www.girlguides.ca, under the Ontario section. For the month of February, we did not receive any IT.2-Intent to Travel forms for 2009 and beyond for approval.

Are you interested in helping with International Guiding or in need of help with International trip planning?
If you are a Guider who has planned an International Independent Group Trip in the past, or are currently planning an International group trip and would be interested in mentoring other Guiders wishing to plan their first International Group Trip, please contact the International Coordinator via e-mail: international.coord@guidesontario.org. If you are a Guider thinking about planning an International Independent Group Trip and would like some guidance on where to start, the International Coordinator is happy to help!

Independent International Trip Subsidy Now Available
This Subsidy can be applied for if required. Ontario Council will provide a subsidy of $100 per participant if specific criteria are met. As cookies are our prime fundraiser, all groups asking for subsidy must participate in all cookie campaigns from the start of their fundraising until the trip date. To qualify for the subsidy, the following criteria must be met: To qualify for the subsidy, the following criteria must be met:

Criteria:
• The trip must be a girl trip and at least 75% of the participants must be girls
• The International trip must be over 72 hours in length
• The trip must be Provincially approved as per the Safe Guide
• Participation in all cookie campaigns from the time the IT.2-Intent to Travel is approved

Available Subsidy:
• $100 per girl participant
• Subsidy of adult Member participants will be limited to $100 per adult required by ratio. Any other adult participants beyond ratio will not receive subsidy.

Step 2: If your Unit meets the criteria, upon receipt of your approved IT.3 – International Group Trip Authorization, download the Independent International Trip Subsidy Application from the Ontario website: http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/forms.htm

Step 3: Complete the application form, attach your trip participant list and submit both at least 2 months prior to your trip departure date in order to ensure your subsidy is processed prior to your travel date. Submit the application to the International Coordinator via:

E-mail: international.coord@guidesontario.org
Fax: (416) 920-1440
Mail: Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
Attn: International Coordinator
14 Birch Avenue
Toronto, ON M4V 1C8

Once the application is reviewed, the Responsible Guider will be notified of the approval status. Upon receipt of the final pre-trip required documents (as per the IT.1 – International Trip Planning Timeline - 4 weeks prior to the trip departure date) monies will be forwarded from the Provincial Office. If your Unit is on Centralized Banking, the money will be transferred directly to your Unit Account. If your Unit is not on Centralized Banking, a cheque will be issued and mailed to be deposited into your Unit Account.

If you have questions regarding this subsidy, please contact the International Coordinator via e-mail: international.coord@guidesontario.org or phone: (416) 920-6666 x2484.

Dominica Adopt-A-Unit
The Adopt-a-Unit Program with Girl Guides of Canada and Dominica is well under way and the monthly packages continue to be mailed. To see what items have already been mailed to the Units in Dominica, a supply list is posted on our website and will be updated each month.

To 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 5th of the month for which your community is assigned to ensure your wonderful items are included in the package being sent to Dominica.

Thank you to the volunteer Guiders who have been packaging the items for shipment to Dominica each month from their community office.

Reflect on World Thinking Day 2008 – February 22nd
How did you celebrate World Thinking Day 2008 with your unit and Guiding sisters? Please share your stories and photos with us by sending them to international.adviser@guidesontario.org or international.coord@guidesontario.org

Pen Pal Requests Now Posted By National Council
National Council has now implemented a Pen Pal Request list on MemberZone for all Members in Canada to access. This list will include all requests, including those directed to Ontario Council. For this reason, the Pen Pal Request list will be deleted from the Ontario section of MemberZone.

To view the International Pen Pal Requests or contact information for requesting Pen Pals in other member countries, log on to MemberZone: https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/Important%20News/pen-pals.aspx

Fun Food Etiquette from Around the World
How much do you know about dining in other countries? Find out on the link below. You may be surprised at some. http://fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf

National Volunteer Week – April 27 to May 3, 2008
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council appreciates all that our Guiders do for Guiding. Your contributions provide our girls with the tools to become better citizens and to be the best they can be. We are proud of our Members and your successes and we would like to share our recognition of your contributions to your community.

If you would like your employer to receive a letter from the Provincial Commissioner recognizing you as a Member of Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council, please complete the attached form and return it to:

By mail:
Membership Support Coordinator
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
303 – 250 Merton Street
Toronto, ON M4S 1B1;

By e-mail: membersupport.coord@guidesontario.org

Please reply no later than March 21, 2008 to request a letter in time for Volunteer Week!

New Girl Member - How Do I Register Her?
Girls can join Guiding at any time of year. Even though census is over you can still register new girls in your unit. Send the original A.5 and Image Release form along with the Membership fee payment to your Unit Administrator and she will input the girl into iMIS and send you an updated unit roster. Unit must forward payment with the registration form. The Membership fee is an annual fee of $125. These funds make camping, training, program and international opportunities possible and greatly enhance the quality of programming service and administration offered to our Members. If a girl is unable to pay, financial assistance is available. Our current Members will have the opportunity to renew their Membership this spring to secure a spot in the unit for next year. Details of the spring renewal process will be available shortly.

Brownie Guiders
Brownie Splash is back! The pool season will be upon us and what a better way to provide one more opportunity for Ontario children to learn basic water survival skills and Water Smart education?

Brownie Splash allows girl Members to experience the three educational themes highlighted in the Swim to Survive program:
• always swim with a buddy
• check the ice
• wear a lifejacket or PFD

Girls will participate in a pool session to practice the 3 essential skills of Swim to Survive and, through a service project, share their knowledge with their peers. Meeting information can be found on the Ontario Provincial Website until the end of March. After that time it will be relocated to MemberZone. Click here to view the program flyer.

Spark Guiders
Have you received your complimentary temporary tattoos for doing Sparks Ablaze with your Units? If not, please send an e-mail to program.admin@guidesontario.org and we will put them in the mail. If you did not have an opportunity to do the Sparks Ablaze during the fall, you can still contact your local fire station to set up a visit and do the Sparks Ablaze meetings. It is never too late to learn about fire safety!

If you have any action shots from your visit to the fire station, please send them to program.coord@guidesontario.org as we are developing a slide show to put on the website. NOTE: You must provide the names of the girls in the photo so we can verify image release forms are on file. We may not use all photos submitted due to space limitations.

New Ranger Program Update
National is in the design stages of the new Ranger program. They are working on the training, pin design, and transition document. The new Ranger Guider manuals will be sent to every registered Senior Branches Guider compliments of Ontario Council when they become available.

New Girls’ Website – Sparks, Brownies, Guides
Have you had a chance to visit the site? http://www.girlguides.ca/ggcgirls.html Help spread the word with your girls! National is looking for your opinions and your ideas that can be placed on this site. If you have any content for this site, please send it to program.adviser@guidesontario.org

New GGC Challenge
Anne of Green Gables is celebrating 100 years and the foundation in collaboration with CanWest Raise a Reader and GGC have developed a challenge. The launch of the site was February 12, 2008. You will find information about this challenge and how to receive a kit or instructions on downloading it from www.girlguides.ca. The kit includes two recipes, instructions on scrapbooking, a dance and a poem. Girls will complete a number of activities depending on the branch they are in, and a crest is available through the stores. The challenge is for 2008. In conjunction with PEI, there is a contest to win a trip to PEI.

Day of Action
The Day of Action was well received across Canada and GGC is going forward with developing a new tool for this project. GGC is looking for Units from all branches, both rural and urban, to pilot this new tool before it can go public. The tool is on community safety and the units will be asked to follow some activities that will promote safety in their community.

If your Unit is interested, please send the following to program.adviser@guidesontario.org
• Unit Name
• Contact Guider’s name/ contact information
• Location

Volunteer Opportunities
Program Resource is looking for volunteers who would like to help with the development of new challenges and resources. Please complete a Volunteer Application Form to apply.
• Tobacco- Free Challenge
• Ontario/Nunavut Challenge
• Healthy Living Meetings
• Sing Ontario Sing
• Camping Online Resources-

Volunteer are needed to support Program Resources Specialty Community to be a liaison with the Unit Guiders around different aspects of Program.
• Partnerships/Other Organizations
• Resources in Offices
• STEM
• Resources for Guiders
For more information about these projects, please contact the Program Coordinator at program.coord@guidesontario.org

Alberta Diversity Challenge
Alberta Council has developed an exciting Diversity Challenge for all branch levels. The link for this challenge is below for easy access. You will need to click on the appropriate branch level and scroll through the booklet until you find the challenge. Crests for this challenge are available through their Guiding store. Have fun with your girls! http://www.albertagirlguides.ca/challenges.html

Unit Resource Activities
Do you have a skill that could assist a Unit in giving the program an extra sparkle? Do you have something unique to offer to the Unit such as, sewing PJ bottoms or Project WILD workshops? Please fill out the Resource Guider Form on the Ontario website and send it to program.coord@guidesontario. Everyone has a skill to offer! Click here to view activities.

Don’t forget you can receive Safe Guide and Orientation training online through the Learning Library a National GGC initiative. Ontario Council supports the payment of Safe Guide, Orientation and Foundation module – Unit Guider Stream TEAM trainings. Just email adult.admin@guidesontario.org for a E- Learning PIN request form first.

• National’s emphasis is on one stop selling, with cookies in hand out in the community, not on pre-orders. We are also asking Units to consider returning to the community through door to door sales as well. There will be some mystery addresses throughout the province selected at random. If girls show up at the mystery address in uniform, to sell cookies, they will have won a prize. Prizes to be announced later.

Community 19
International Peace Light reaches Toronto (see photos). This holiday season, the Members of the Latvian Girl Guides in Canada (consisting of the 390th Toronto Guides, the 390th Toronto Pathfinders and the 540th Toronto Rangers), all part of GGC’s Community 19, as well as a Unit in Hamilton, received and shared an unusual gift: the International Peace Light, which arrived in Toronto on December 14, 2007 courtesy of the Latvian Boy Scouts from the Greater NY Councils BSA Latvian troop 0748.

The International Peace Light website describes the history and meaning of the Peace Light:
“ Now in its 21st year, the Peace Light from Bethlehem campaign was originally organized by the Austrian Broadcasting Company - ORF (Linz) - and was part of a large charitable relief mission - Light into Darkness, for children in need in Austria and abroad. Since 1986, there has been a great deal of co-operation between Scouts and Guides in many countries which has allowed the light to travel throughout Europe, such that the light is passed on 23 European Countries and for the past few years on to America . Each year, a child from Upper Austria fetches the light from the grotto in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The light is then flown to Austria from where it is distributed at a Service of Dedication to delegations from across Europe who take it back, with a message of Peace, to their own countries for use at ecumenical services throughout the Continent. Scouts and Guides can then take the light on to other churches, hospitals, old people homes, prisons, and places of public, cultural and political importance - to anybody that appreciates the significance of the "gift". In past years the light has been presented to Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, Mikhail Gorbachev, former King Hussein of Jordan, EU President Romano Prodi and other members of the European parliament in Strasbourg, the UN Troops in Kosovo and to Ground Zero, New York”

The light was shared along with wishes of friendship, peace and harmony among our girls and Guiders, who, along with representatives of the Latvian Boy Scouts in Canada, presented it to several churches in the Greater Toronto area, the Latvian retirement home “Kristus Darzs”, to the Lutheran Synod of Eastern Canada in Guelph, Ontario and, of course, shared it with friends, neighbours and family. Many commented on the wonderful sense of calm and peace that the light brought to their seasonal celebrations.

We were honoured and proud to be among the latest participants in the Peace Light tradition, and hope that in the future, the Peace Light can become a part of the Guiding and Scouting tradition in Canada and glow in all of our communities from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Community 23
On Saturday, February 16th eight local Guiders (see photo) received Membership pins ranging from 25 years to 45 years in Guiding! We held a potluck/ awards gathering at Oshawa Guide House, with special guest Susan Birnie in attendance. The afternoon event was informal, but everyone got a chance to mingle and get acquainted with other Guiders in our community.

Community 32
The Beeton Girl Guides 'Get a Clue' !! At the end of January the 1st Beeton Guides made the trip to Toronto for a Science Centre Sleep-over! This was our first time at the event as there is usually a waiting list but this year we made sure we got in! And it was definitely worth waiting for. What a fantastic program they put on for the girls. We studied forensic science and had to find 'clues' to figure out who stole the Poison Dart Frogs! So with our list of suspects in hand we headed out and using fingerprints, hair samples and DNA made our best guess as to who the culprit was. The girls enjoyed a Survivor-like game show, watched an IMAX movie and got to explore the exhibits before and after hours! The Science Centre team led a very organized well structured event, yet with lots of free time. Our detectives hats are off to them! A great time was had by all and the girls are already asking about next year. If your Unit is looking for a fun program you don't want to miss this one!
Submitted by: Laura Cartledge (aka 'Shamrock'), 1st Beeton Guides

Lilac Trefoil Guild
Membership in the new Lilac Trefoil Guild in Thunder Bay has blossomed to 31 – a mix of seasoned Guiders, active Unit Guiders and ladies returning to Guiding after several years absence. We have challenged ourselves to be active and to try new things – we held a golf tournament (where everyone received a lilac-coloured golf ball), a curling tournament (with instruction from an Olympic team curling coach) and most recently a pool tournament (that even a snow storm couldn’t cancel). We have been active in community service by participating in the Undercover Project (providing new socks and underwear to Thunder Bay’s needy children), adopted a family at Christmas through Children’s Aid Society and had orientation at a local Nursing Home to offer our assistance wherever needed. We recently held a game night where we collected funds to donate to the CWFF. Of course, good food and laughter were part of every meeting as we enjoyed the fun and friendship that is Guiding.
Submitted by – Carol Daley – Lilac Trefoil Guild

1st Nepean Trefoil Guild
1st Nepean Trefoil Guild has had a busy fall and winter. We had a fall camp with complete turkey dinner - this was just a time to relax and get to know each other better. We attended a live theatre performance following dinner in November. A few of our Members attended the "Light up the Night" at Upper Canada Village. I went another time with family and friends and it's well worth the drive - very beautiful with all the lights on the individual buildings, horse drawn sleigh ride and skating on the outdoor rink.
In January we held our joint birthday party to celebrate the beginning of a new year and our birthdays. We are participating in a joint Guide/Scout church service for Thinking Day. In March and April, we will be having a course on Self Defense, put on by one of our Member's husbands. We are planning a hike for May and our year-end dinner outing. Plans are also underway for a fall camp again.
Submitted by Marilyn Fischer, President - 1st Nepean Trefoil Guild

East Gwillimbury, Golden Keys, 1st Meeting Place and 1st Newmarket East Trefoil Guilds
In last month’s E-News, we shared our exciting plans to host a community wide Thinking Day event for girls at which they could visit the four World Centres. The event was held during Thinking Week and was a resounding success (see photo collage)! We had spaces for 100 girls and 30 Guiders and we filled every spot! Armed with passports containing symbols for each of the four World Centres, a Thinking Day crest and each centre’s song lyrics, the girls began their journey at Our Cabana in Mexico where they made bookmarks, sampled fresh guacamole and viewed interesting Mexican artifacts. At Pax Lodge in the UK, girls participated in a game of word matching, sampled cucumber sandwiches and apple cider and made delightful little teapot crafts. Our Chalet in Switzerland involved flag making, and sampling of Swiss cheese and of course chocolate. Girls were also challenged to assemble picture puzzles of the buildings at Our Chalet. And finally at Sangam in India, girls experienced Sari wrapping on paper dolls, making henna tattoo handprint designs and were able to experience the application of a bindi decoration. Upon visiting each World Centre girls were rewarded with a special stamp or sticker for their passports! The evening wrapped up with campfire songs and dismissal. Very special thanks to the many Trefoil ladies that assisted with the event – before, during and following! Our efforts were rewarded with the happy and exhausted faces of 100 girls ranging in age from the youngest Spark to the mature Sr. Branches girls! Pats on the back ladies – it was awesome!!
Submitted by – Lisa Baxter, East Gwillimbury Trefoil Guild Member