Girl Guides of Canada: Difference between revisions

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Girl Guides of Canada
Template:Lang-fr
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Country	Canada
Founded	September 7, 1910
Membership	Girls: 76,449 Adults: 20,700 As of 2018[2]
Chair, Board of Directors	Robyn McDonald
Affiliation	World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
Website https://www.girlguides.ca
Scouting portal

Girl Guides of Canada (GGC; Template:Lang-fr) is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in September 7, 1910 and GGC was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928.^[3]

Mary Malcolmson organized the first Canadian Girl Guides Company to be officially registered in St. Catharines, Ontario; their registration is dated 1910-01-11. A park in St. Catharines was later named for Mary Malcolmson. Other Guide Companies were registered later in 1910 in Toronto, Moose Jaw and Winnipeg. The First Toronto Company held the first-recorded Girl Guide Camp in Canada on the Credit River in June 1911. By 1912, the movement had spread to all parts of Canada and had become so popular that on 24 July 1912 Agnes Baden-Powell created Mary, Lady Pellatt "Chief Commissioner of the Dominion of Canada Girl Guides." Many Guide events were held at Lady Pellatt's home, Casa Loma, in Toronto. It is now a tourist attraction with a special Girl Guide display.

The first Canadian companies were constituted as part of the British Girl Guides Association.^[4] In 1917, the Parliament of Canada incorporated the organization under the name of "The Canadian Council of the Girl Guides Association".^[4] This Act has only been amended twice: first in 1947 to allow for the further acquisition of property,^[5] and later in 1961 to change the name to "Girl Guides of Canada" (Template:Lang-fr).^[6]

In 1918 Newfoundland's first Guide Company was formed, even though the Province did not become part of Canada until 1949.

The Salvation Army adopted Guiding as part of its program for girls in 1937 when it became officially associated with the organization. Although the Army disassociated itself from the program in 1998, it offers a form of Guiding to its girls.

A recent initiative Girl Guides of Canada has undertaken called “Thought Leadership”. They research the challenges and issues facing girls and use this information to develop relevant programming.^[7] Their most recent report Sexism, Feminism & Equality: What Teens in Canada Really Think, released in October 2018, highlights how young people feel about gender inequality and how this inequality impacts their lives.^[8]

In 1962 "Les Guides Catholiques du Canada (secteur français)" became a member of Girl Guides of Canada. This organization had originally been active only in the Province of Quebec but had developed a small membership in other provinces over the years. It had its own program, uniform and administration. Still, it acknowledged the Chief Commissioner of Canada as the head of Guiding in Canada and had membership in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. In 1992 "Les Guides Catholiques du Canada (secteur français)" became a separate, unaffiliated organization known as "Guides francophones du Canada". In 1995, they became officially affiliated with Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada again, as "Les Guides franco-canadiennes". This affiliation ended in 2006.

Girl Guides of Canada is the largest organization for women and girls in Canada. The membership is organized into different groups according to age. These are Sparks (ages 5 and 6), Brownies (ages 7 and 8), Guides (ages 9 – 11), Pathfinders (ages 12 – 14), and Rangers (15-17+).

The new program called Girls First was just launched in 2018 and is meant to be a catalyst for empowering girls.

There is also a program for girls who cannot physically attend unit meetings for whatever reason. They are known as 'Lones' and complete the program of their branch by correspondence with a Lone Guider.

Two of Guiding's newest initiatives are Extra Ops and Trex. These programs are for members who have more specific interests (i.e. Camping or Hiking), Trex and Extra Ops programs are generally adopted by girls who are already a member of a branch of Guiding.

Adult women over the provincial age of majority^[9] are welcome in the organization as Leaders or Guiders. There are also places for volunteers in Public Relations, office jobs, and other important facets. A program for women ages 18–30 called "Link" is in place for young women who wish to retain or establish their ties with Guiding but who may not give their time to the extent of being a Guider. However, Link members are sometimes Guiders or will hold other positions within the organization as well. Link members choose to meet when convenient to do so and will often participate in various Guiding events.

Adult members over the age of 30 have the option of becoming Trefoil Guild members. A woman can opt to be a member of the Trefoil Guild and participate in other organization roles. Trefoil Guild groups usually meet once or twice a month, and often participate in various Guiding events. Many Trefoil Guild members are senior citizens, some of whom have decades of Guiding experience.

The Sparks program is for five and six-year-old girls. With the introduction of Girls First in 2018, the Sparks program now has more badges. When the Spark program was first created, the Sparks’ uniform was a t-shirt with the Sparks promise, "I promise to share and be a friend." printed on it. With a change in uniform across the national organization, Sparks then wore the same blue T-shirts as were worn for members participating in Brownies through Rangers, except with pink inserts at the collar and sleeves. Now Sparks through Rangers and Guiders (adult volunteers) wear a navy-blue t-shirt with a small trefoil on the left just about chest height. The organization's name is written on the top of the sleeve in French and English. There is also a large Trefoil on the back of the shirt. The shirts are available in either a short sleeve t-shirt style or a long sleeve tunic style. Sparks wear their enrolment pin and these badges on a sash.

Brownies are 7 and 8-year-old girls. Brownies are 7 and 8-year-old girls. Brownies aim to develop a sense of identity and a positive relationship with others by participating in various activities. Brownies now follow the Girls First program. Their uniforms used to be brown, then changed to orange and navy blue, then Brownies wore the uniform blue T-shirt with brown inserts at the collar and sleeves. Now Sparks through Rangers and Guiders (adult volunteers) wear a navy-blue t-shirt with a small trefoil on the left just about chest height. The organization's name is written on the top of the sleeve in French and English. There is also a large Trefoil on the back of the shirt. The shirts are available in either a short sleeve t-shirt style or a long sleeve tunic style.

Guides are girls between 9 and 11 years of age. Guides are encouraged to do service projects to help their communities. Guides learn about people in other countries and are encouraged to discover and explore important issues. Their uniforms, originally navy blue, were then sky blue and navy blue. With the organization's shift in uniforms, the Guide's uniform was the blue shirts with navy blue inserts and the collar and sleeves. Now Sparks through Rangers and Guiders (adult volunteers) wear a navy-blue t-shirt with a small trefoil on the left just about chest height. The organization's name is written on the top of the sleeve in French and English. There is also a large Trefoil on the back of the shirt. The shirts are available in either a short sleeve t-shirt style or a long sleeve tunic style. The old program called "Guides on the Go" and was first introduced in 2006. There were four program areas: You in Guiding, You and Others, Discovering You and Beyond You. Guides can earn their Lady Baden Powell Award, the highest achievement a Guide can earn, and many different discovery badges. Occasionally Guides mentor sparks and brownies, earning themselves a crest entitled spark/brownie helper. Guides now follow the Girls First Program.

Pathfinders are girls between 12 and 14 years old. They focus on community service, leadership and camping. In Pathfinder units, the girls are very independent and plan many camps, district camps, and meetings. The units are usually very small, so the Pathfinders are close friends and very welcoming to new members. Their uniforms were green T-shirts, or white tee shirts, with the opposite-coloured sleeves, then the uniforms were blue with green inserts on the collar and sleeves. Now Sparks through Rangers and Guiders (adult volunteers) wear a navy-blue t-shirt with a small trefoil on the left just about chest height. The organization's name is written on the top of the sleeve in French and English. There is also a large Trefoil on the back of the shirt. The shirts are available in either a short sleeve t-shirt style or a long sleeve tunic style. Girl Guides of Canada revised the Pathfinder program, and the new edition, "Listen, Learn, Lead, Live!", was released in 2006. Through program work, girls can earn their Canada Cord, the highest achievement earned by a Pathfinder. To earn the Canada Cord award, a Pathfinder must complete all eight Girls First Program Area badges, demonstrate leadership by participating and leading three camps, earn their community service award, and participate in bridging activities with other Girl Guide units, learn about first aid and earn their Citizenship Certificate. Girls have three years to complete this if she chooses to. The Canada Cord requires a significant commitment to guiding to be achieved. Any girl registered in Girl Guides as a Pathfinder is eligible to earn her Canada Cord award, regardless of how long she has been a member of Girl Guides of Canada.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Now Pathfinders also follows the Girls First program.

As of September 2008, girls between the ages of 15 and 17 are known as Rangers (before that date three branches of the GGC existed for youth in this age bracket: Rangers, Cadets and Junior Leaders, the latter two now defunct). This Ranger program was very flexible and allowed members to pursue Guiding areas that are of interest to them (Camping, working with younger members, community service, etc.). Adult leaders are there for guidance, but it is the Rangers who were responsible for planning and executing their activities. The Ranger program now follows the Girls First Guidelines. The Rangers uniforms were the same as those worn by the adult members, with a necktie that is white with red maple leaves. Then they were updated, and the uniforms shirts matched the rest of the girl uniforms with red inserts on the collar and sleeves. Red is the colour that is associated with the Ranger branch. Now Sparks through Rangers and Guiders (adult volunteers) wear a navy-blue t-shirt with a small trefoil on the left just about chest height. The organization's name is written on the top of the sleeve in French and English. There is also a large Trefoil on the back of the shirt. The shirts are available in either a short sleeve t-shirt style or a long sleeve tunic style. Awards that can be earned while in Rangers include the Girl Guides of Canada Chief Commissioner's Award, the Cookie Campaign Challenge Pin, the Ranger Service Project Pin and the Commonwealth Award. The Chief Commissioner's award has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The Chief Commissioner's Gold Award is the ultimate award a youth member can earn within Girl Guides of Canada. Rangers can also earn the Ranger Certificate for being an active unit member and the Junior Leader Certificate for helping with a younger branch of Guiding.

Adult women can be a leader in a unit, or they can choose to be a member of Link or Trefoil Guild, depending on their age (Link 18-30^[10] Trefoil must be 30+^[11]). Some members choose to participate in both functions.

The Guiding movement is based on the principles outlined in the Promise and Law. Every Guide makes this promise when she is enrolled. The Promise and Law were renewed in 1994, and on 13 January 2010, the current Promise was unveiled.

• The word God or the word faith is chosen according to each girl's own personal convictions.
• The Brownie Promise finishes with "And respect the Brownie Law".

I promise to share and be a friend.

The Guiding Law challenges me to:

• Be honest and trustworthy
• Use my resources wisely
• Respect myself and others
• Recognize and use my talents and abilities
• Protect our common environment
• Live with courage and strength
• Share in the sisterhood of Guiding.

• A Guide's honour is to be trusted.
• A Guide is loyal.
• A Guide is useful and helps others.
• A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every Guide.
• A Guide is courteous.
• A Guide is kind to animals and enjoys the beauty in nature.
• A Guide is obedient.
• A Guide smiles and sings even under difficulty.
• A Guide is thrifty.
• A Guide is pure in thought, word, and deed.

A Brownie is cheerful and obedient. A Brownie thinks of others before herself.

Introduced in 2018, The Girls First program is split into eight areas with three themes in each area. Girl Guides earn badges for each theme and program area they complete. It is recommended that Sparks and Brownies do 6-8 activities per theme. Guides, Pathfinders and Ranger complete 8-10 activities per theme to earn the theme badge. A Girl Guide is to complete two themes before receiving the program area badge. Program area names and descriptions from Girl Guides of Canada.

1. Guide Together a. Explore what it means to be part of Guiding in Canada and the global Guiding Movement. In this program area, you'll learn about Guiding history, enjoy tons of fun and games, and find out what it's like to be a Girl Guide at various ages here in Canada and around the world. Welcome to the sisterhood! b. The themes for this area are Our Story, Spirit of Guiding and Global Guide.

2. Explore Identities a. Explore what makes you unique and appreciate the difference in other people. In this program area, you'll spend time getting to know your true self and discover the value in how we're all so unique. Tap into the power of being YOU! b. The themes for this area are Being You, Different Together and Gender Power.

3. Build Skills a. Explore the life skills you have now – and the skills you want to build. In this program area, you'll learn how to fix things and make things and plan and budget. You'll also look into your future and explore jobs and careers. Get out your toolbox and make space on your dream board – let's get going! b. The themes for this area are Money Sense, Life Stuff and How-To.

4. Be Well a. Explore what keeps you feeling good physically and mentally and how they work together in your life. In this program area, you'll learn how to support your mighty mind, find a balance for your body, and support others in feeling strong and confident. Take a deep breath and find your focus – your journey starts here. b. The themes for this area are My Mighty Mind, My Physical Self and My Healthy Relationships.

5. Experiment and Create a. Explore how the world works and put your stamp on it! You'll do hands-on experiments in science, tech, engineering, and math in this program area. You'll also have fun and express yourself with art. This is your space to use your creativity to make new things and find solutions. Grab your lab coat – it's about to get creative in here! b. The themes for this area are Science Lab, Design Space and Art Studio.

6. Connect and Question a. Explore your connections with others in each of the communities you're a part of – from your unit to your global neighbourhood. In this program area, you'll discover more about your local communities, learn about Canada as a nation, and dig into big picture issues as you explore how you want to make a difference. Spin the globe and check out the world – it's about to get a whole lot bigger! b. The themes for this area are Local Communities, Canadian Connections, World Stage.

7. Take Action a. Explore how to turn your thoughts and passion into action! In this program area, you'll find the tools and encouragement you need to help you make your mark and push for the changes you want to see in your world. Grab some friends, get planning, and make a difference! b. The themes for this area are Your Choice, Your Voice, Your Action.

8. Into the Outdoors a. Explore the nature all around you – from the bird on your windowsill to the wildlife in Canada's national parks! In this program area, you can discover new things in nature, experience camping, go on adventures as a unit, and find new ways to stand up for our one and only Earth. It's your world – step outside and do some exploring! b. The themes for this area are Nature Discoveries, Camping Skills and Adventures, Our Shared Planet.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).</ref>

Girl Guide Cookies are a tradition in Canada. Inspired by America's Girl Scout Cookies, they were first baked by a Guide leader, Christina Riepsamen, in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1927. They were sold door-to-door, with a bag of 12 cookies costing 10 cents (equivalent to CA$1.73 today), to earn passenger rail fares for a camping trip to a lake. The sales were brisk, requiring extra batches to be baked to meet demand. It was then adopted as a simple way to raise money for uniforms and camping equipment.^[12][13]

In 1929, the National Headquarters began selling the cookies across Canada. Girl Guide cookies have gone through many recipe changes but the goals remain the same. Girl Guide cookies today are the largest fundraiser for the organization, and are used to help support the girls in their program and activities.^[14]

There are two different cookie campaigns, one in the fall and the other in the spring. The fall cookies are the chocolatey mint cookies, similar to the Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies sold in the United States. The classic vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies are sold in the spring.

Manufactured by Christie's from 1960-2003, they are now made by Dare Foods Limited. This was due to Christie's inability to meet the Girl Guides' new "nut-free" requirement.

According to, modern Girl Guide Cookie history began in 1946:^[15]

• 1946—Introduction of vanilla crème cookie, maple cream and shortbread
• 1949—The embossed trefoil on the cookies was introduced in Ontario. The supplier was Barker-Bredin. The price is 25 cents a box (equivalent to CA$3.22 today).
• 1953—A box of 24 cookies is 35 cents (CA$3.93 today). The sandwich-type cookie, in vanilla & chocolate, is introduced
• 1955—The cookie supplier becomes Weston's, Canada. Price rises to 40 cents a box (CA$4.46 today).
• 1960—The supplier changes to Christie's. They make a special sugar-topped cookie to celebrate the 50th Jubilee of Guiding in Canada
• 1963—Girl Guides switches to plain cookies
• 1966—Vanilla & chocolate sandwich-type cookies brought back
• 1967—Canadian centennial cookies produced
• 1968—The price rises to 50 cents a box (CA$4.18 today)
• 1985—Special cookies to celebrate 75 years of Guiding in Canada
• 1993—Chocolate mint cookie introduced, starting in Ontario
• 1995—Chocolate mint cookie introduced to all provinces
• 2003—Supplier changes to Dare. They did face some complaints when the taste changed after the switch to Dare Foods.
• 2012-The Spring cookie campaign sees a price increase to $5.00 a box. The first time in nine years.^[16]
• 2020-With the COVID-19 global pandemic, Girl Guides of Canada had to adapt their cookie-selling techniques. A Canadian Tire franchise owner in Leduc, Alberta, started selling Girl Guide cookies in their store. Canadian Tire and Sobeys, Metro, Freshco's, Loblaws, and Save on Foods all agreed to sell Girl Guide cookies in their stores and give 100% going back of the money to Girl Guides of Canada. ^[17][18][19]

In Fall 2020, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in-person cookie sales being difficult, Girl Guides of Canada created a website for online cookie sales^[20]. Members of the public can buy cookies to support a Girl Guide they know personally or buy cookies from the organization.^[21]

Guiding Mosaic 2010 was held in from 8–17 July at Guelph Lake Conservation Area in Southern Ontario. Over 2,500 girls and women attended the camp.^[22] Participants came from across Canada as well as from many countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

On 8 July 2010, Canada Post made a stamp to commemorate the Girl Guides' centennial.^[23]

• Official website (in English and French)
• Guides francocanadiennes (in French)