Ripley's Aquarium

On Saturday, April 9th a group of 49 Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers and Adults from Binbrook, Brantford and Caledonia spent the day at Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto.

In the morning, everyone met at the Aldershot GO Station to take the train into Toronto. We basically filled the top level of one car! The trip there was punctuated by songs at different points and many trips to 'experience' the toilet on the train.

When we arrived at Union Station, we found a space to eat as we had found out only a few days before that we couldn't take outside food into the aquarium (we had thought we had permission as school groups do). Eating and washroom break finished, we took a short walk, and were at the aquarium!

Everyone split up into small groups to freely explore the exhibits. We saw sharks, stingrays, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, various types of fish, kelp, coral, anemones, eels and so many more creatures! Some of the girls were brave and actually touched horseshoe crabs, rays, and a white-spotted bamboo shark.

After about two hours, we all met again near the entrance and each group received program sheets to complete. Some groups had another snack and everyone had a washroom break at this point as well. The Guides worked on sheets to earn the Ecology and Endangered Species Badges, and the Pathfinders worked on sheets to complete the Up Close and Personal With Nature Module and pieces of several other modules.

Later on, we all headed back to Union Station to have another snack before heading home. With the wonderful assistance of a GO Transit Security Officer, we were able to get everyone into the same car and level - once again, we took over the upper level of one car. The train was quiet full as a baseball game had ended about the same time. Once again sang part of the way home - people not with our group were warned they were joining a group of about 50 girls and adults and it could be loud! The girls had a great time and would do this trip again!!

The "Challenge" Challenge

April started off with a visit by the 2nd year Brownies from the 3rd Caledonia Brownie Unit.The 8 girls who joined us were divided up between the Patrols, and we created a 4th Patrol for the evening to keep the groups to a manageable size!

As the girls arrived, each was asked to make a name tag using index cards and decorating with markers and stickers.

We held our usual opening ceremony, with the Brownies placed into the Guide Patrols, and then had everyone introduce themselves. Our Active Living Patrol for the week then led an active game before we moved onto our program.

The Guides have been working on the Diversity Challenge from BC and the Brownies 100th Anniversary Challenge from NS, so we used activities from these challenges as the basis for our meeting.

Our first activity was the "Who Are The Lucky Ones?" Game from the Diversity Challenge. Each girl was given a card and a napkin and a plate of Smarties was placed in the middle of the circle. Each girl read her card out in turn and followed the instructions (usually to take no treat!). We then talked about how the girls felt and if they thought what had happened was fair. (Each girl did get a few Smarties to eat after the game!)

We then played a game from Japan called "One-Legged Race". In this game, players stand in teams at one end of the room. The first player in each team runs to the far end of the room and then returns by hopping (keeping their feet and legs together to make a single leg). The first team to have all their players complete this trip wins.

Next up, we explored fractals and each girl created her own triangular fractal pattern. The girls stated with a triangle of paper and were asked to mark the halfway point on each side and then draw straight lines with a ruler to create a total of four triangles. They then coloured in the centre triangle. Each of the three remaining triangles was then divided in the same way and the one in the centre coloured in. Girls could continue as far as they wanted and then colour in all the triangles if they wished. See the image at the right for a better explanation!

The Fractal Foundation has a one-page explanation of Fractals in Math and Nature -
fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/WhatIsaFractal-1pager.pdf

An active game followed - Chopstick Race - the girls were in Patrols, and had to manipulate chopsticks with one hand to pick up pieces of sponge from to opposite end of the room. One girl per Patrol at a time and only one piece of sponge at a time! The Patrol with the most pieces of sponge at the end was the winner. (Despite many protests of "I can't use chopsticks", everyone managed very well with this activity.)

Our last activity was a Brownie Badge Quiz using images of early badges. Each Patrol had a sheet showing 9 old badges and they had to decide what it was called, what would need to be done to earn it, and which current Brownie badge it was related to. The answer sheet is below:

We ended the meeting with a couple of campfire songs and reminders about the aquarium trip on Saturday and next week before closing with Taps.


The Diversity Challenge can be found on the BC Council website -
www.girlguides.ca/WEB/Documents/BC/DiversityChallenge_2014.pdf

The Brownies 100th Anniversary Challenge can be found on the Nova Scotia Council website -
www.girlguides.ca/WEB/Documents/NS/challenges/branch15.doc

Bits & Pieces

To end off March, we had a meeting where girls could catch up on pieces of badge work they missed earlier in the year and work on indoor clauses for some outdoor badges.

We held our usual opening followed by an active game. The girls were then told they could choose any of the activities provided to work on. Each activity was written on an index card and these were placed around the room. Girls chose activities that interested them or that would help them complete badges.

Resources and materials were provided for the following activities:

Arts

• Create a work of art based on a dream or fantasy. (Art Production #1)
• Experiment with colour; mix colours and use them in a picture. (Art Production #3)
• Design a package for a product (i.e. a cereal box, DVD cover, toy package) (Art Production #5)
• Write a song or make up new lyrics to a well-known song. (Campfire Leading #4)
• Make a list of ideas for skits, mime, campfire games, etc. that you could use in a campfire program. Perform at least one of them. (Campfire Leading #5)
• Plan and lead a 15 minute campfire. (Campfire Leading #6 & 7)

Outdoors

• Share about a hike you have taken - when, where, why, with whom. (Hiking #2)
• Make a kit list of what to bring for a day spent in the outdoors, including cooking lunch. (Exploring #2)
• Use a street map to give directions. (Exploring #4)
• Design a simple first aid kit for a Guide to bring to an outdoor event. Explain why you have chosen each item. (Outdoor Adventures #2)

Personal Growth

•  Make a list of things you would like to do in Guiding. (One-By-One-By-One Challenge #9)
• Write a short formal letter. (Business Communications #2)
• Make a poster showing different types of communications (Business Communications #8)
• Create a flyer to advertise a Guide event. (Business Communications #4)
• Write a short news story about a Guide activity. (Business Communications #5)

STEM

• Make a Pinwheel. (Engineering Challenge) 
• Build a Raft using the materials provided. (Engineering Challenge)
• Make and fly a Hoop Glider. Make adjustments to your design as needed. (Engineering Challenge)

We ended with a 15 minute campfire planned and lead by two of the Guides to finish off their Campfire Leading Badge.

Therapeutic Paws of Canada

As a welcome back from March Break we had a visit from Nicole, Cheryl and Shaili from Therapeutic Paws of Canada.

We held our usual opening ceremony followed by an active game, before introducing Shaili to the girls. The girls learned lots and had fun doing skits and games with Shaili. And Shaili enjoyed all the extra snuggles and treats! The program lasted about an hour (and then Shaili got some extra attention from the Pathfinders!)

 

Therapeutic Paws of Canada is a non-profit organization of volunteers providing animal resources for human needs (physical, mental, educational, motivational, socialization) through regular visits to hospitals, residences, schools, etc. More information can be found on their website at tpoc.ca/.

Our visitors were from the Haldimand County Branch, but there are branches across Canada. See the local Facebook page here - Therapeutic Paws of Canada - Haldimand County

Some of the Guides then took part in an evaluation day on April 10th where dog/owner teams were being evaluated for certification to work with children. See the post about that day here - TPOC Haldimand County IWC Evaluation Day

Famous Five Challenge

In honour of International Women's Day on March 8th, we worked on the Famous Five Challenge from Alberta.

As the girls arrived, they continued working on their footprints showing their personal Guiding Journey. We held our usual opening ceremony, followed by a game led by the Active Living Patrol for the week.

We started by asking the girls if they were persons - a unanimous yes. Then we asked if girls and women had always been persons - another yes, but some girls looked a bit unsure. This led into a discussion of the Persons Case and the role of the Famous Five in ensuring that all girls and women would be recognized as persons under the law.

As part of this introduction, we watched the Heritage Minute about Emily Murphy:

We worked through a series of facts, as provided in the challenge pack, about the Famous Five, having the girls go to one side of the room for 'True' and the other side for 'False'. To get everyone moving, we used the Participation Story that is provided for Brownies, but added the girls running to the end of the room and back to use up some excess energy.

Our final activity involved talking about rules and laws and then having the girls work in small groups to come up with a campaign to be the leader of the first colony on Mars. They had to work out rules/laws that would be needed and then present their decisions to the rest of the group and try to "sell" their platform.

The Challenge Pack can be found on the Alberta Council website
www.girlguides.ca/WEB/Documents/AB/Challenges/AB-2014-FAMOUS-FIVE-CHALLENGE.doc

Fast Facts About the Famous Five & the Persons Case

Who Where the Famous Five?
The Famous Five is a term created by the media to refer to the five women who took part in the 'Persons Case'. Five people needed to stand together to bring an appeal against a law to the Supreme Court.  The Famous Five were: Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, and Louise McKinney.

What Was the Persons Case?
Did you know that until 1929 women in Canada weren't considered to be persons under the law? Five courageous Alberta women couldn't believe this either! They appealed the law to the Supreme Court of Canada and eventually the Privy Council in London, England. The new ruling, that women were indeed persons, meant that women could now hold federally appointed offices, such as belonging to the Senate of Canada.

What Started the Persons Case?
When Emily Murphy became the first female magistrate in the British Commonwealth in 1916, a lawyer questioned her right to hear the case because, under the law, she wasn't a person. She asked the Province of Alberta for a ruling, and in 1917 Alberta declared that both men and women were equal under the law. Because this ruling didn't apply to federal appointments, she decided to try to change the law.

What Happened During the Persons Case?
1917 - Emily Murphy launches a series of petitions, gathering thousands of signatures, asking politicians to change the law and recognize women as persons.
1927 - After the petitions failed, Emily Murphy gathered four of her friends - Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, and Louise McKinney - and they petitioned the Supreme court of Canada to have women declared as legal persons.
1928 - The Supreme Court of Canada turns down the petition, so the five women took their case to the Privy Council in London, England.
1929 - On October 29th, women were finally recognized as persons under the law.

January & February With the Pathfinders and Rangers

Outdoor Know-How
January started off with a meeting to finish up the Outdoor Know-How Module by making high-energy snack bars, taste-testing different pre-made high energy foods, and planning a campfire that will be used for Thinking Day in February. We used a fruit and nut bar recipe for our baking, and discussed different types of foods that can be eaten for an energy boost during outdoor activities. Some of the foods we sampled were Trails Mixes, Almond Butter, Dried Fruits (banana, pineapple, papaya), and Nuts. (We have no allergies in our unit, but did talk about how it is important to know about allergies beforehand and prepare foods that everyone can enjoy.)

No-Bake Fruit 'n' Nut Snack Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Chopped Cashews
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)
1/4 cup Almond Butter
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Butter

Directions
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with tin foil. Lightly grease foil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies, almonds, cashews, cranberries and raisins.
3. Place agave nectar, almond butter, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour liquid mixture over cereal mixture and stir gently to coat. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan.
5. Chill for 1 hour or until completely firm. Once firm, cut into 12 bars and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Healthy Eating
The second week of January we joined the Guides for a visit to Zehrs - see post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/healthy-eating-at-zehrs.html

Winter Camp
The Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers held our annual winter camp weekend at Camp Teka in mid-January - see post here http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/winter-camp-at-camp-teka.html 

Thinking Day Planning
The rest of January was spend exploring World Guiding and making plans for our annual town-wide Thinking Day event. We started off with a quick facts quiz about Thinking Day and the Canadian World Friendship Fund to get everyone thinking on the same lines. After, we did a WAGGGS Quiz - girls were allowed to use their phones and books to find the answers, as well as their own memories. Planning for Thinking Day involved looking at the activities in the WAGGGS Thinking Day Pack, coming up with ideas, and considering if each activity was suitable for girls aged 5-11 to do at the same time (this was the most difficult part, I think!).

WAGGGS Quiz
1. In which four countries can you find a World Centre? England/UK, Switzerland, Mexico, India
2. Where is the fifth World Centre located? Africa
3. Who was the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides? Robert Baden-Powell
4. At which World Centre can you go skiing? Our Chalet
5. Why do Guides and Scouts shake with the left hand? The story about B-P meeting the Ashanti people in Africa, and when meeting their chief, he put down his shield which was held in his left hand. By leaving himself vulnerable to attack, he placed his trust in the other person. B-P then adopted this for Scouting.
6. At which World Centre might you wear a sari?  Sangam
7. In which country did Guiding begin? Great Britain/UK/England
8. Where is each World Centre located?  Pax Lodge - England; Our Cabana - Mexico; Our Chalet - Switzerland; Sangam - India; Kusafiri - Africa
9. How many countries are members of WAGGGS? 146
10. What does WAGGGS stand for? World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
11. What does "Pax" mean? Peace
12. What does "Sangam" mean, and what language does it come from? Coming Together - Sanskrit
13. What languages are spoken in Switzerland? German, French and Italian
14. What is the date of World Thinking Day? February 22nd
15. Which World Centres have swimming pools? Our Cabana, Sangam
16. What flag is flown at all World Centres? World Flag
17. What are the 5 WAGGGS Regions? Western Hemisphere Region, Europe Region, Africa Region, Arab Region, Asia-Pacific Region
18. Who started the Girl Scouts in the USA? Juliette Gordon Low
19. One World Centre takes guests to visit a woodcarver. Which one? Our Chalet
20. at which World Centre might you visit Big Ben? Pax Lodge
21. At which World Centre might you make a pinata? Our Cabana
22. Which World Centre has an elephant for a mascot? What is her name? Sangam - Sangalee
23. Which World Region does Canada belong to? Western Hemisphere Region
24. How often does WAGGGS hold a World Conference? Every 3 years
25. What is the World Bureau? The administrative body and office for WAGGGS, located in London, England

Find Your Inner Leader
 With the arrival of February, we took a break from our planning to work on our leadership
skills. We started the evening off by looking at what makes a good leader. The Pathfinders added skills and qualities they associated with being a good leader to a poster with a picture of a Pathfinder. We then talked about which of the skills and qualities they feel they already have and which ones they need to work on. Next, we looked at Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats and applied each to our Thinking Day planning to see how they worked. Last, we all took a Leadership Quiz to see what type of leadership we prefer, leading to a discussion about different types of situational leadership:

A. Directing Style - Getting the Job Done
This style is used when something needs to be done quickly. It provides clear expectations on who, what, when and how something should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. When using the directing style, leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. This will be the primary leadership style in situations where girls need a lot of direction or where safety is a concern.

B. Selling Style - It's a Good Plan, Don't You Think?
This style is used when leaders need group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative.

C. Participating Style - So What Will It Be?
Here leaders offer guidance to group members, participating as part of the group and facilitating input from other group members. Here the leader plays more of a teaching role and engages girls by encouraging contributions.

D. Delegating Style - It's the Journey, Not the Destination
Leaders in this situation offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. It is typically used in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise or where the process is more important than the outcome. Though it may lead to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation, it can also lead to creative results and be empowering for the group members.

Thinking Day Preparations
The second week of February was spent getting ready for Thinking Day. The Pathfinders and Rangers made the craft kits for the beaded bookmarks, create a bingo card for the Initial Bingo Game, choose countries for the WAGGGS Compass Game, and prepared to lead the different activities at our Thinking Day event.

Spa Night
The week before Thinking Day was turned over to the Pathfinders for a Spa Night. The girls did facials, nail painting, foot soaks and hair. They had a great social night eating and talking!

World Thinking Day
February finished up with our annual town-wide Thinking Day event - the girls did a great job leading the activities! See post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/02/happy-world-thinking-day-2016.html 

Happy World Thinking Day 2016!

The Caledonia Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers got together at the end of February to celebrate World Thinking Day! This year's theme was "Connect", so the Pathfinders and Rangers led a variety of activities to help everyone connect with Myself, Friends, WAGGGS, and the World.

As the girls arrived, each Unit gathered in their assigned corner of the room and handed out name tags, which were colour co-ordinated to form 3 mixed-age groups later in the evening. Each Unit added their pinwheels to our wall as part of our service project, the Healing Classrooms Challenge from Student's Rebuild. By making and submitting photos of our pinwheels, $215 will be donated to the International Rescue Committee's Healing Classrooms Program, working with Syrian refugees in Iraq and Lebanon.

Our program began with a welcome to all Units and a brief overview of the World Thinking Day "Connect" theme. We then had the Spark opening, Brownie opening, and Guide opening, before forming one large circle. The first activity, Connect With Friends - Bingo, was explained and the girls sent back to their leaders to get bingo cards and pencils. The girl had to mingle and find other girls to initial their cards based on the statements (i.e. likes chocolate, has a brother). The Guides were not allowed to get initials from other Guides, and it was pointed out that one of the Pathfinders likes unicorns, which helped to break the ice and get everyone started!

The next part of the meeting was spent in mixed-age groups, rotating through 3 stations.

Connect With Myself - Beaded Bookmarks
At this station the girls used twine and beads to make a beaded bookmark. They were given green beads for Connect With Friends, Pink beads for Connect With Myself, Blue beads for Connect With WAGGGS, Yellow beads for Connect With the World, Silver beads for New Friends, and Gold beads for Old Friends. This station also became our 'photo station' and individuals/pairs/trios of girls had their pictures taken with the #connect10million frame!

Connect With WAGGGS - World Centres Games
Here the girls learned facts about the 5 World Centres by playing two games. The first game was a variation on the compass points game. Each corner of the playing area and the centre were named as the World Centres. A picture card was held up and described (i.e. picture of the Alps, Our Chalet Pin) and the girls had to go to the corner for the World Centre they thought the picture represented. The second game was a matching game where the girls had to work in teams to sort a set of cards by World Centre. For each World Centre, the cards were: Name, Year Opened, Country Map, Logo that appears on the Participant Pin, Photograph, and a Cultural/Geographical Photograph.

Connect With the World - Chilean Games
For this station, we celebrated our Twinning partnership with Chile by playing two Chilean children's games. The first game was "Atrapar la Cola" (Catch the Tail). In this game, players form two teams. Each team then makes a chain, linked by each player holding the hips or shoulders of the player in front. The goal is to keep your chain from falling apart while trying to link up with the opposing chain before they link you with you! The second game was "Help!". In this game, one player is the chaser who tries to tag the other players. If a player is in danger of being caught, they can should 'Help!'. If someone else comes and holds their hand before the chaser tags them, they are safe and the chaser goes on to another player. Players may only hold hands for 3 seconds - BUT the chaser cannot stand and wait for them to let go. When a player is caught, they become the new chaser.

After finishing the stations, we gathered to take a group photo using our #connect10million frame, and then made a big circle in the centre of the room, and the Pathfinders led a campfire. Songs included: Fire's Burning, Kookaburra, and the Penguin Song. We then closed with Spark Closing, Brownie, Closing, and Taps.