Girl Guides of Canada

About 4 pages (1,101 words)

Girl Guides of Canada Guides du Canada

Organizational data
Headquarters	Toronto
Country	Canada
Founded	1910
Membership	116,206
Chief Commissioner	Myrtle Corkum
Website	http://www.girlguides.ca
Scouting portal

Girl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928. As of 2006, the association has 116,206 members^[1].

1 History
2 Program
3 Girl Guide Cookies
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

History

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: Toronto, Moose Jaw and Winnipeg. The First Toronto Company held the first-recorded Girl Guide Camp in Canada on the banks of the Credit River in June of 1911. By 1912, the movement had spread to all parts of Canada, and had become so popular that on July 24 1912 Agnes Baden-Powell created Lady Mary Pellatt "Chief Commissioner of the Dominion of Canada Girl Guides". Many Guide events were held at her home, Casa Loma, in Toronto. It is now a tourist attraction with a special Girl Guide display. In 1917 the Canadian Government passed an Act of Parliament approving the Constitution of the Canadian Girl Guides Association as it was then known. In 1918 Newfoundland's first Guide Company was formed, although the Province itself, did not become part of Canada until 1949. The Salvation Army adopted Guiding as part of its program for girls in 1937, and it became officially associated with the organization. Although the Army disassociated itself in 1998, it continues to offer a form of Guiding to its girls.

Badge issued for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation

The Canadian Girl Guides Association changed its name in 1961, again by Act of Parliament, to "Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada". In 1962 "Les Guides Catholiques du Canada (secteur français)" became members of Girl Guides of Canada. This organization had originally been active only in the Province of Quebec but over the years had developed a small membership in other Provinces as well. It had its own program, uniform and administration, but 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", and in 1995 they became officially affiliated with Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada again, as "Guides francocanadiennes". This affiliation ended in 2006.

Program

Girl Guides of Canada is the largest organization for women and girls in Canada, with 116,000 members at the present time. 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 – 15), and Senior Branches. There is also a program for girls who, for whatever reason, are not able to physically attend unit meetings. They have a membership (Lones) that allows them to carry out the programme of their branch by correspondence. Two of Guiding's newest initiatives are Extra Ops and Trex. These programmes are for members of Guiding who have more specific interests (i.e: Camping or Hiking) Adult women (18+) are welcome in the organization as Leaders (Guiders), who can work with any age grouping of girls. There are also places for volunteers in Public Relations, office jobs, and other important facets of the organization.

Sparks

The Sparks program is for five and six-year-old girls. Sparks participate in a wide variety of activities with other girls of the same age. The Sparks uniform is pink and they wear their enrolment pin and other badges on a tabard.

Brownies

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 a varied program of activities.

Guides

Guides are girls between 9 and ll-years-old. Guides are encouraged to do service projects to help their communities. Guides learn about people in other countries. They are also encouraged to discover and explore issues which are important to them. There are four program areas: You in Guiding, You and Others, Discovering You and Beyond You.^[2]

Pathfinders

Pathfinders are girls between 12 and 15-years-old.

Senior Branches

Options for older girls (ages 15 – 17) include:

Cadets
Junior Leaders
Rangers

Girl Guide Cookies

Girl Guide Cookies are a time honoured tradition in Canada. They were first baked by a Guide Leader in Regina in 1927 as a simple way to raise money for uniforms and camping equipment.^[3] Girl Guide cookies have gone through many recipe changes but the goals remain the same. Girl Guide cookies today are the largest fundraiser and are used to help support the girls in their program and activities.

References

^ Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada. World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
^ Girl Guide Branches - Guides. Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council (September 2005). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
^ Cookie Story. Girl Guides of Canada Guides du Canada. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.

External links

Official website (English) (French)

• • e Scouting in Canada
Associations	Association des Scouts du Canada · Girl Guides of Canada · Scouts Canada
Provinces	British Columbia · Alberta · Saskatchewan · Manitoba · Ontario · Quebec · New Brunswick · Nova Scotia · Prince Edward Island · Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories	Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut