Advancement & Awards Ceremony 2016

Our final meeting of the 2015-2016 Guiding Year was our annual Advancement and Awards Ceremony, where girls received badges, awards, challenges, and certificates, and we had 3 girls move up to the next branch - a Guide to Pathfinders, a Pathfinder to Rangers, and a Ranger to become a Guider.

Our ceremony was very simple, but allowed for recognition of each girl and her accomplishments. We had the girls form a large horseshoe with the open end facing their guests. Six girls were chosen to come forward as and read out the statements about different things we do in Guiding and hold up a themed poster.

Guiding is a journey. 

Some girls start as Sparks, while others join later as Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers or Guiders. Some will have a continuous journey, while others take breaks along the way. Each person's journey will be different, but in our travels, we will all explore...

Service - In 1918, B-P said that a Guide's first duty was to be helpful to other people. Today, we give service through projects that help out local community, our environment, and the wider world.

The Arts - In Guiding we explore our creativity through the arts - drama, music, painting, drawing, writing, crafts, and singing.

Camping and the Outdoors - In camp, we not only learn to appreciate nature, we learn that we can do things for ourselves. Through outdoor activities, we not only learn about the outdoor environment, we also experience it.

Science and Technology - As we explore the world of science and technology, we do experiments, design and build, invent, and take part in programs at universities, aquariums, and planetariums.

Life Skills - While having fun, we learn useful skills, like how to get along with others, how to respect others ideas, how to plan, and how to lead.

The World - Through games, crafts, food and fun, we explore countries and cultures, and join with our 10 million sisters in celebrating our worldwide Movement.

Tonight, 3 girls move on to the next stage of their journey. Whatever path they choose, they will find new experiences and new adventures, with the same fun and friendship they have enjoyed so far.

H. is finishing Guides and is receiving the Guide Challenge Pin to reminder her of her adventures in Guides, and the Lady Baden-Powell Challenge, the highest award for Guides. We wish her happy trails as she continues her journey.

L. is finishing Pathfinders, and is working to complete her Canada Cord, the highest award for Pathfinders. She is receiving the Citizenship Certificate, one of the steps towards the Canada Cord. We hope she will continue her journey and look wider in Rangers.

O. is finishing Rangers, and is working to complete her Chief Commissioner's Gold Award, the highest youth award in Canadian Guiding. She is receiving the Ranger Cookie Campaign Challenge, one of the steps towards the Gold Award. O. is also receiving the Youth Commitment Award from Ontario Council. This award is only presented to girls who have been continuous members of Guiding from Sparks through Rangers (13 years!). We look forward to welcoming her back in September as a Guider.

Our next award is the Make a Difference Award. This is presented to girls who participated in programming related to the Girl Guides of Canada Make a Difference Days for 2015-16. These were: the International Day of the Girl, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, World Thinking Day, International Women's Day and National Mental Health Week. We have 6 recipients: ---

Our top cookie seller this year was ahead of everyone else by at least 8 cases. A. sold a total of 11 cases this year!

Each girl was then called up individually while a list of her program sections/interest badges were read out. Their program badges were stapled onto a footprint and an envelope attached with all of their challenge crests. They also received a Cookie All Stars Certificate and, if they participated, a Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-Up Certificate.

The guests were then thanked for coming, told about the Powerpoint presentation available to watch, and the girls were sent to get their guests orders for juice and ice cream sundaes(!).

All in all, a successful end to the year!

Messy Night!

One of the Facebook Groups I follow is a group for Australian Guiders. I was inspired by an activity that is very popular there, which led to the Caledonia Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers having their first Messy Night! We had beautiful sunshine and 24 degree weather, which meant everyone was ready for water games, paint twister and outdoor fun!

As the girls arrived, we had bubble solution ready for blowing bubbles while we got organized.

We started out with rules:
1. You don't have to get wet if you don't want to, BUT you can't get other people wet without their permission.
2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
3. Don't throw things at people unless instructed to (i.e. as part of a game)

We explained a number of different activities, and let the girls choose which ones they wanted to do. The chosen activities were Bouncy Balls, Shave the Balloon, Paint Twister, Splat Tag, Water Fight, Bubble Art, and Armpit Fudge.

Bouncy Balls
In one cup, combine 4 tbsp warm water, 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp borax. In a second cup but 1 tbsp of white glue and food colouring. Mix the glue and food colouring, then mix the water/cornstarch/borax mixture. Pour the water mixture into the glue. Stir. You'll see it immediately start to clump together. Stir a bit more until you have one, big slimy glob. Take the globe out of the liquid and roll it between the palms of your hands until you have a nice smooth ball. Store in a plastic container or ziplock bag. (If you're ball doesn't bounce well, play with the material like flubber!!)

Shave the Balloon
Girls work in pairs. One girl inflates the balloon and holds it for her partner while she covers
it with shaving cream. She then uses a butter knife (or razor) to 'shave' the balloon, trying not to pop it. If the balloon doesn't pop, 'help' it along with a pin - but be aware that when it does pop, shaving cream will go EVERYWHERE!

Paint Twister
Paint twister is played the same way as regular twister, except that instead of coloured circles on  mat, you make coloured circles of shaving cream mixed with paint on a tarp!

Splat Tag
Two players are IT and each has a water ball (cloth balls that absorb water like a sponge). To tag other players, they throw the balls trying to hit people below the shoulders. When a player is hit, she becomes it. Have a bucket of water nearby for re-soaking the balls.

Water Fight
Buckets of water, water balls and small squirt guns were provided, and everyone had a great time!

Bubble Painting
Mix food colouring with bubble solution in small containers. Dip a straw in the coloured solution. Place the end of the straw just touching a piece of paper and gently blow a bubble. When the bubble bursts, it will leave the colour behind. Repeat until you have finished your design, then let dry.

Armpit Fudge
This is a group favourite! Put 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tsp cream cheese, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp cocoa powder in a ziplock bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal. Smoosh all of the ingredients together until they are blended and the mixture is coming away from the bag. Use the heat from your hands, or armpit, to help mix the ingredients.

Resources
Girl Guides Western Australia - Dirty & Messy Night
PBS Kids - Super Bouncy Ball - www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/super-bouncy-balls/

Outdoor Activities

Due to the weather, we had to flip our final two regular meetings, so tonight became Outdoor Activity Night!

As the girls arrived, those going to camp in June were asked to fill our their menu choices and activity selections and everyone was asked to write down their favourite outdoor games and activities on a large sheet of paper.

We had our regular opening, followed by an active game, then went through some of the activity suggestions from the girls. Capture the Flag and Man Hunt were by far the most popular choices, so we headed outside to play.

The group divided into two teams and each team was assigned half of the space around the church for Capture the Flag. We wound up playing two rounds before moving onto Man Hunt - which was restricted to the space at the back of the church.

As it was cooling off, we went inside to make ice cream! The method we used was mix 2 cups Half and Half, 4 tbsp Sugar and 1tsp Vanilla in a small can. The lid was then secured and sealed with duct tape. The small can was put inside a large coffee can and ice packed around it. Some salt was sprinkled over the ice and the outer lid put in place and secured with duct tape. The girls then sat in a circle, rolling the can back and forth between themselves while singing campfire songs. We didn't quite have time to get the ice cream completely solidified, but it was still pronounced taste and disappeared quickly!

Outdoors Night: Leave No Trace

As due to scheduling conflicts we were unable to take part in the Ontario Outdoors Day on
Saturday, we had our own Outdoors Night on Friday! We based our event on the Leave No Trace Amazing Race instant meeting plan from BC Girl Guides.

We had 6 Guides and 3 Pathfinders join in to try some outdoor cooking, practice their outdoor skills, and learn about the principles of Leave No Trace. Each station had information about the Leave Not Trace principle it represented and instructions for the challenge the team was to undertake.

Once the girls arrived, we prepared supper - pita pizzas with chips, veggies and dip. Each group of 3 had a buddy burner and tea lights to heat up their pizzas and melt the cheese. We were also going to make kick the can ice cream, but as the Guiders forgot to get the ice, we'll be doing this on Tuesday at our Messy Night!

We had 7 stations in total. Four of them were done by all the teams at the same time (competition style), and the other three were done one at a time in a rotation. We alternated competition and individual group activities. The girls were divided up into 3 teams - Team Pathfinders (aka "Boss"), Team A Guides and Team B Guides, each with 3 members. We covered the LNT principle "minimize campfire impacts" with out outdoor cooking. The other six were covered in the game:

Station #1 Dispose of Waste Properly - Cat Holes (Competition)
Identify a landmark on the site that would be about 60m from where you are standing. This is how far from your camp site you should go before relieving yourself.
Follow the instructions below to bury the poop out of the way so that no one and nothing knows you've been in the area.

6 D's of Human Waste Disposal

• Distance - 60 metres from water, trail and campsite
• Dig - with a shovel or trowel
• Depth - at least 15cm deep, 10cm diameter
• Dump - do your thing!
• Disguise - mix, bury, cover
• Decompose - Let nature do its thing!

Each team was provided with a cooking spoon and a ruler, and directed to a patch of soil to dig their whole. The first team to dig a whole of the appropriate depth and diameter won. The holes had to be properly filled in before moving on to the next activity.

Station #2 Plan Ahead and Prepare - First Aid Kit (Competition)
Before you head out on an adventure, you need to be prepared to take care of yourself in case of an emergency.
Put your memory to the test with a First Aid Kim's Game, then test your knowledge of what each item is used for!

The contents of our first aid kit were spread out on a tray and the teams were allowed to look at them for 1 minute. They then had to write down as many items as they could remember. As we went through the answers, we talked briefly about what each item is used for.

Station #3 Plan Ahead and Prepare - Be Bear Aware (Individual Group)
Bears and other wildlife are a real part of outdoor experiences in Canada.
As a team, hang a bear bag to keep your food out of reach of hungry visitors.

The team was provided with a bucket (in place of a bear bag), rope, a carabiner, a stick, an instruction street on the PCT method (see Resources at the bottom of this post), and knot cards for help tying the knots.

Basically, they had to tie the carabiner to one end of the rope using a bowline, and through the weighted end up over the railing (we didn't have a tree with high enough branches). Once the rope was over the railing, they clipped it to the bucket, pulled the other end of the rope through the carabiner, and pulled the bucket up as high as they could. They then attached a stick to to the rope with a clove hitch and let the bucket slide back down until the stick met the carabiner. The idea is that this method allows the food to be far enough from the branch to deter smaller critters, high enough in the air to deter bears, and since the long piece of rope is left hanging, the food is safe even if a bear slashes the rope.

Station #4 Leave What You Find - Photo Challenge (Competition)
Take only pictures, don't even leave footprints!

As a team, move around the site to capture the following things on your cameras. Be creative!

• Wildflower
• Wildlife (insect or critter)
• Life under a Rock
• Dead tree/nurse log
• A hiking stick
• Landscape or sky scene
• 2 kinds of trees

Station #5 Respect Wildlife - Tracks & Scat Game (Individual Group)
De not disturb wildlife, and be aware of what is living around you.

Can you identify animals from their tracks and scat? Use the charts provided to match the track and scat cards to the correct animal.

We used the Leave No Trace: Paw Print & Scat Game from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (see Resource at the bottom of this post for the link). Two charts - one of animal tracks and one of scat photos - were provided and the girls had to sort through the cards and arrange them in the same format as the charts. (There is a second set of cards so this can also be played as a matching game or a memory game.)

Station #6 Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces - Build a Boat (Competition)
When hiking or camping, always use the most durable surface available to protect the
environment.

You have come across a stream on the trail and need to cross it. Work as a team, using the supplies provided, to build a 'boat' to cross the stream. Your boat should be small, big enough for only two people, and it must always have at least one person in it.

Each team was provided with bamboo poles and rope to make their boats. Some of the girls used proper lashing techniques, which resulted in much sturdier creations than those who tried to just tie quick knots. Once the boats were built, it was a race to see which team could get their group across the stream (grassy area) first.

Station #7 Be Considerate of Others - Web Teamwork Challenge (Individual Group)
On your travels, it is important to remember the needs of others as well as your own.

Your objective is to help your team members make their way through the web. Team members must work together to get through the web without touching the ropes - which would disturb others! Can you get your whole team from one side to the other without anyone touching the ropes or the ground?

A web was set up between two trees and the teams had to work together to get everyone from one side to the other.

Resources
BC Girl Guides - The Leave No Trace Amazing Race
The Ultimate Hang - Hanging a Bear Bag-The PCT Method 
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland - LNT Paw Print & Scat Game
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland - Leave No Trace Activities

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

During the second week of May, the Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers took part in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. We cleaned up about 13kg of garbage from a 1km stretch along the Grand River by the Caledonia Dam. Our biggest find? Cigarette butts. Oddest finds? Flip flops (not a pair), a lightbulb, a mason jar, and a golf ball.After we finished our cleanup, we played active games in the park.

Mental Health & Me

The final GGC "Make a Difference" day for the 2015-2016 Guiding year is Mental Health Awareness Week, May 2nd to 8th. A big Thank You to Emily and the 1st St James Guides from the UK who created the Mental Health Awareness Challenge that we used. This challenge asks girls to take part in activities in 3 categories: What is Mental Health?; Say NO to Stigma; and Get Practical.

As the girls arrived, they were asked to add their thoughts to a graffiti wall. One part was headed "Mental Health" and the other "Mental Illness". We then had our usual opening ceremony, followed by an active game. While the girls were playing Everybody's It Tag, the leaders reviewed what the girls had written. It quickly became clear that the Guides had very little awareness of Mental Health and/or Mental Illness.

We started off with a discussion to get everyone on the same page, explaining that mental health includes how we think, feel and behave; how we cope with what happens in our lives; and self esteem/self confidence. We explained that mental illness refers to certain medical conditions (i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder) and that when someone has a mental illness, they are sick and need help to get better. (We kept it very simple given the minimal awareness of these concepts among the girls.)

Our next activity tied in nicely and was an active "Fact vs. Myth" game. The girls sat in their patrols at one end of the room. Each patrol had two cards - one labeled "Fact" and the other labeled "Myth". A Guider read out a fact and the patrols had to decide if it was a fact or a myth and then send someone running up with their chosen answer. The first patrol to come up with the correct card received 2 points and any other patrol bringing up the correct card received 1 point. Where patrols chose the wrong answer, we clarified why the statement was a fact or myth. Here are the statements we used:

• Mental illness is very rare. MYTH - 1 in 5 Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime.
• People with mental health problems caused them themselves. MYTH - There are many influencing factors, including genetics and stress.
• Anyone can have a mental health problem. FACT
• Stress can be a factor that influences mental illness. FACT
• Taking care of yourself, eating well and sleeping well can help you stay mentally well. FACT
• Depression is more severe than feeling sad. FACT
• If you wash your hands frequently you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). MYTH - OCD is not just about hand washing. It is characterized by any repetitive behaviour as well as intrusive thoughts that something bad will happen if you stop the behaviour or do not do it correctly.
• Mental illness is best not talked about. MYTH - As long as it is talked about sensitively, talking can help us to understand how people living with mental illness feel, and help to break down the stigma associated with mental illness.
• You can catch a mental illness from someone else. MYTH - Mental illnesses are based in the brain and are not something that can be passed between people.
• People living with mental illness are not smart. MYTH - Intelligence and mental illness are not related.
• People who have a mental illness don't care what people think or say about them. MYTH
• Mental illness is a medical problem, just like diabetes or asthma. FACT
• People with mental illnesses can't work. MYTH
• Many people with mental illness don't go to treatment because of the stigma of mental illness. FACT
• People with mental illness can't be successful. MYTH - Many highly successful people live with mental illness, including Brad Pitt (Bipolar), Oprah Winfrey (Bipolar), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Bipolar), Emma Thompson (Depression), Jim Carrey (Depression), and J.K. Rowling (Depression)

Due to some behaviours we have observed in our unit, we added in a bullying activity to encourage the girls to think about their words and actions. Each girl is given a piece of paper. They were asked to crumple the paper up, stomp on it, and basically mess it up as much as they could - without ripping it. After they had done this, they were asked to unfold and smooth out the paper - trying to make it look like it did originally. They were asked if the could do this, and were also asked to apologize to the paper. We then talked about how even though they said they were sorry and tried to fix the paper, the damage and scars will never go away. We explained that this is what happens when they make fun of, insult or hurt another person - the scars are there forever, even though you can't see them. (I found this online, but can't seem to find the original source - if anyone knows, please let me know as I would like to give credit.)

As a transitional activity, we did one of the Mindfulness exercises in the GGC Activity Pack. The girls were asked to find a comfortable spot on the floor and close their eyes:

Picture your sense of hearing like a radio that can be tuned into different stations. Right now I want you to tune your radio to the sounds that are farthest away from you for a moment. (Pause to allow the girls to listen.)

Now I want you to change the station and listen to the sounds right around you. (Pause to allow the girls to listen.)

I want you to change your station again now and this time, listen to the sounds of your own body - your breathing, heartbeat and so on. Bring your attention to each part of your body. Staring with the tips of your toes, move your attention slowly up through your legs, hips, back, arms, shoulders, neck and head. (Pause between each body part, and allow the girls time to listen.)

I want you to now change your station again and just listen to your own breathing. (Pause to allow the girls to listen.)

Now change your station again and listen to the sounds right around you. (Pause to allow the girls to listen.)

One last time, I want you to change your station and listen to the sounds furthest away. (Pause to allow the girls to listen.)

When you feel ready to do so, open your eyes and take a deep breath.

Next up was a bit of drama, where the girls split up into small groups to act out scenarios about how to handle unhealthy actions in a relationship. We only used three scenarios, however, the four we had are here:

Scenario #1 Mary is friends with Sally. While talking with a group of friends, Mary insults Sally because of the way she looks. Sally is friends with Mary. Although Mary is insulting her, Sally makes excuses for the way Sally treats her. Jane is friends with Mary and is worried about the way Mary treats Sally, and wants to be supportive.

Scenario #2 Chris is classmates with Leah. She has talked Leah into helping her complete a project. Leah is classmates with Chris. She is afraid to tell Chris no because she doesn’t want to be disliked. Emily is friends with Leah. Emily wants to tell Leah that she doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.

Scenario #3 Paige is hanging out with a group of friends, including Beth and Jessie. Paige leaves her phone with Beth while they go to the bathroom. Beth is hanging out with a group of friends, including Paige and Jessie. Beth finds an embarrassing picture of Paige on her phone and sends it to the rest of the group. Jessie is hanging out with a group of friends, including Paige and Beth. Jessie gets the texted photo and knows that Paige didn’t send it and wouldn’t want others to see it.

Scenario #4 Julie is friends with Carly and doesn’t want her to be friends with anyone else. Carly is friends with Julie. She wants to be friends with other people as well, but is afraid Julie will be jealous. Riley is Carly’s sister and is worried about how jealous Julie gets if Casey talks about doing something with another person.

Our final activity was to make Stress Balls. We filled a balloon with rice to make the core, and then stretched two other balloons over the ball to give it more strength. The meeting ended with reminders for next week and Taps.

Resources

Girl Guides of Canada - National Mental Health Week Instant Meeting

Kids Help Phone -  1-800-668-6868 or www.kidshelpphone.ca

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) - www.cmha.ca

Children's Mental Health Ontario - www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/

Healthy Minds Canada-Mental Health Resources - healthymindscanada.ca/resources/

Bell Let's Talk - letstalk.bell.ca/en/