Annual Report 2018
Calgary Area Council 2188 Brownsea Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T2N 3G9
☎ Phone: 403-283-8348 [email protected] http://www.calgarygirlguides.com
Printed: April 2019
CONTENTS
Message from the Area Commissioner ...... 1 Financial Report ...... 2 Cookies ...... 4 Our People ...... 6 Facilities ...... 11 Camping...... 13 International ...... 17 Membership ...... 18 Program ...... 22 Public Relations ...... 25 Training ...... 28 Districts ...... 30 Link ...... 53 Trefoil Guilds ...... 54 Area Adult Events ...... 58 Donations ...... 61 Index ...... 62
Representatives of Calgary Area received the Community Facility Enhancement Program Grant for $107,343 to cover 50% of the cost of the Team Adventure Park at Camp Jubilee. The cheque was presented on behalf of the Government of Alberta by MLA for Banff-Cochrane, Cameron Westhead in the presence of Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung.
Our Commissioner team at the Calgary Area Dinner
MESSAGE FROM THE AREA
COMMISSIONER
Area Commissioner: Arzmund Teja
2018 was a great year for Calgary Area! It started off with a bang when the January census showed that Calgary Area grew membership to over 5900 members! Fun and engaging programming at the unit, district and Area level continued to make Guiding a program of choice for families in Calgary. Exceptional volunteers gave of their time and talents to create inclusive environments for all members. We recognized the contribution of our amazing members at the Calgary Area Youth Awards, Trefoil Tea, Calgary Area Dinner, Volunteer Awards Celebration, and the Memorial Grove Ceremony.
In 2018, Calgary Area welcomed its first Area Link Unit and hosted the Provincial AGM and Banquet. Some highlights for the year included STEM Days for all branches, Archive and Alberta History Heritage Nights, Sparklefest, Brownie Camp Academy, Guide Skills Day, Backpacking and Canoe Weekend, Nite Trek, Spring and Fall Ranger Camps, and Tenting 101. Our International Committee supported many Independent trips and Nationally Sponsored travellers while our Training Committee was busy offering dozens and dozens of trainings on a huge variety of topics to our 1000+ volunteers. Our four camps offered hundreds of campers the opportunities to explore and appreciate the awe-inspiring beauty of our natural surroundings.
Guiding continued to be active and highly visible throughout Calgary, Cochrane, Canmore, Banff and Chestermere at parades, sports events, trade shows, community events, Cookie Campaigns, Thinking Day celebrations, Remembrance Day commemorations, and hundreds of service projects.
2018 drew to a close with the eagerly anticipated opening of the new Team Adventure Park at Camp Jubilee!
As I write my last annual report and reflect on the fact that my term as Commissioner for Calgary Area comes to an end in a few months, I would like express my sincere gratitude and admiration to the staff and volunteers with whom I have had the privilege to serve.
Yours in Guiding, Arzmund Teja, Calgary Area Commissioner
Annual Report 2018 Page 1
FINANCIAL REPORT
Calgary Area Treasurer: Shalyn Davis
Statement of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2018
2018 2017 2018 2017
Revenue Expenses
Cookies 1,614,866 1,595,359 Cookies 1,294,342 1,279,176 Membership fees 264,728 245,872 Administration 380,308 361,700 Camp facilities 178,519 184,483 Camp facilities 142,094 166,736 Unit facility rental 74,950 187,187 Area events 143,715 143,556 Fund development 70,009 76,183 Unit facility rental 213,313 218,819 Area events 78,120 49,149 Membership fees 107,436 107,508 Other 15,322 83,669 Fund development 13,858 24,245 2,295,066 2,301,740 2,296,514 2,421,902 Excess revenue 1,448 120,162
Page 2 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Reserve Funds Calgary Area has reserve funds that are set aside to ensure funding for critical infrastructure and important projects that fall outside of our normal budgeting process.
2018 2017
Reserve
Stabilization reserve 338,480 378,480 Guide House lease 40,390 250,000 Property maintenance and improvements 177,300 150,000 Rental assistance -- 50,000 Jubilee playground -- 40,000 Area events fund 20,000 15,000 Finance Information Support Team The Finance Information Support Team (FIST) provides support to the district and unit treasurers through multiple ways. This includes overseeing the review of district and unit books semi-annually, reviewing budgets in the fall, reviewing trip binders, and monitoring an email account that all district and unit treasurers can reach out to with any bookkeeping related questions.
In addition, the committee provides semi-annual District Commissioner and District Treasurer (DC/DT) workshops where there is an overview of different bookkeeping and compliance topics.
FIST Team in 2018: Barbara Augustyn, Shalyn Davis, Morgan Hansen, Gillian Hogg, Susan Sarrasin, Michelle Tremblay, Audrey Van Aelst, Donnelle Watson, Sandy Williams
Annual Report 2018 Page 3
COOKIES
Cookie Coordinator: Amanda Rose
As the Girl Guide official fundraiser, revenue from selling cookies allows us to
■ Subsidize registration fees for families ■ Maintain our Calgary Area office and camps ■ Provide Area-wide programs for girls ■ Train and support our Guiders ■ Deliver programming for girls, including unit meetings, service projects, field trips, sleepovers, outdoor adventures, camps, and international travel Our cookie sales keep increasing. In 2018, Calgary Area sold an amazing 42,150 cases of cookies. (Each case has 12 boxes of cookies inside.) That's $2,529,300 worth of cookies!
Spring Cookies: 22,341 cases
Fall Cookies: 19,809 cases
Page 4 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Cookie proceeds are divided in the following ways.
Annual Report 2018 Page 5
OUR PEOPLE
The Area volunteers and staff work together to Grow Guiding and support our members! Commissioner Team
Area Commissioner: Arzmund Teja
Deputy Commissioners: Kathy Dion Denise Lawson Cyndi Williams
Left to right: Denise Lawson, Kathy Dion, Arzmund Teja, Cyndi Williams
Page 6 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Staff The staff are an important resource for all Calgary Area Girl Guides and volunteers. In 2018, Calgary Area hired a new operations coordinator, Jocelyn Desmarais.
Administrative Assistant: Brandy Brigden
Membership Database Coordinator: Brenda Shandera
Operations Coordinator: Jocelyn Desmarais
Bookkeeper: Bushra Ikram
Camp Maintenance: Terry Lloyd, Darrel Woldum
Left to right: Brandy Brigden, Brenda Shandera, Terry Lloyd, Jocelyn Desmarais, Bushra Ikram
Annual Report 2018 Page 7
Area Council The Calgary Area Council includes our Area Commissioner, Deputy Area Commissioners, Treasurer, Committee Advisers, and District Commissioners.
Front row seated (left to right): Jan McCaghren, Cyndi Williams, Arzmund Teja, Kathy Dion, Denise Lawson, Karma Lanneville Standing (left to right): Annette Jaenen, Meribeth Barclay, Leslie Horton, Teresa Nelson Keller, Elena Favaro, Christie Courtland, Rosanne Bowman, Melanie Murray, Caitlin Reid, Marcie Calhoun, Spencer Tomasello, Leslie Jones, Laurie Holtby, Joelle Callaghan, Jovita Dias, Lisa Franklin, Holly Sweeney, Jennifer Bridle, Devina Shah, Bonnie Jones, Joan Gallagher, Laurie Lin
Page 8 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Committees Calgary Area includes six committees that run programs, give training, promote Girl Guides, and generally support our members. Each committee includes an adviser, and many committees also include a team to assist in running programs. The committees include the following:
■ Camping ■ International ■ Membership ■ Program ■ Public Relations ■ Training
Left to right: Jovita Dias (PR), Jan McCaghren (Training), Leslie Jones (Camping), Laurie Holtby (Membership) Not Pictured: Michele Harding (Program), Colleen Reynolds (International)
Annual Report 2018 Page 9
Girl First Champions In 2018, an active transformation of the Girl Guide program began, to meet the changing needs of girls today and into the future. Girls love choice and want activities that are relevant with their peers, their community and their world. The new programming allows girls to actively shape their own Guiding experience as they build the skills and confidence to take on any challenge. Guiders across the country submitted their interest to be champions for this exciting new change. Western Canada Girls First Champions gathered in Edmonton to learn about the program and how to support Guiders in embracing the changes so they could rally their girls toward exciting program options.
2018 Calgary Area Girls First Champions: Ashley Barclay (Crystal Palace), Kate Bourne (Annie Bannister), Danielle Brunelle (Deerfoot), Sue Fortunka (Famous Five), Nikki Giguere (Annie Bannister), Lisa Gray (Patterson), Kate Hanna (Westglen), Michele Harding (Westglen), Sheliza Ismail (Paxhill), Trish Kristianson (Deerfoot), Lauren Ostridge (12 Mile Coulee), Amanda Saigeon (Westglen), Catharine Schamber (Sarcee Hills), Cyndi Williams (Patterson), Karla Williamson (Nitanisak) Archives
Archivists: Eileen Johansen Sharon Brigden
Calgary Area is very fortunate with the collection of archives that we have. We have uniforms from most decades, programming materials from the 1920s and forward, as well as examples of badges, crests and pins. We have many of the souvenir items from several decades.
We welcomed many girls to an archive event this year. In the fall, we asked the Program Committee to take over managing the events for the girls. We still do events for districts and adult groups ourselves. Our collection continues to expand due to the generous, and greatly appreciated, donations from so many of our members and their families.
Page 10 Calgary Area Girl Guides
FACILITIES
Deputy Area Commissioner: Denise Lawson
Calgary Area maintains four properties for the camping enjoyment of our membership. Collectively, they offer unique opportunities to teach girls about the environment, work as a team, gain leadership skills, and build self confidence.
In February 2017, Calgary Area streamlined our camp booking office procedures with an online booking system called “Let’s Camp”. Not only is the process more efficient for Guiders and staff alike, it has facilitated the collection of more accurate usage statistics. Camp Jubilee Camp Jubilee is our largest, most developed site, offering day use, residential, and tenting opportunities. Due to its location within Cochrane town limits, many diverse groups come throughout the week to enjoy the natural outdoor space or to use the buildings for meetings and retreats. Weekends during the Guiding year, the buildings are usually rented to Guiding groups. Weekdays, the camp is home to a couple of nature-based preschools and high school outdoor education programs, and in summertime the camp is used for fairs, weddings, reunions, company picnics, and summer camps. We are proud to offer our largest building in December to the Cochrane Activettes for their “Share Your Christmas” charity campaign.
In 2018, several safety upgrades were undertaken at Camp Jubilee: a fire panel now protects Namiyi Den, and enhanced water treatment and a septic alarm were installed in Centennial House.
And, following a rigorous consultation and planning process, the new Team Adventure Park was constructed on the hill behind Pallesen House. This was the first phase of a three-phase playground project. Fifty percent of the cost of the Team Adventure Park was funded from a Community Facilities Enhancement Grant from the Alberta Government. Fundraising has commenced for the next phase of the project!
Annual Report 2018 Page 11
Camp Iasg Camp Iasg is a minimally developed site, one hour west of Calgary. The land has marshes, forests, and grasslands to explore. Shelter is available in a yurt.
Over 900 camper days were logged this year at Iasg, an increase of almost 30% above 2017. Revenue for the site also increased.
Camp Westover Camp Westover continued to delight girls and Guiders with canoeing and backpacking options. More girls used canoes this year than in the last several years. Westover attracts a dedicated group of volunteers who do much of the maintenance around the site, and they launch and land the dock seasonally every year.
Camp Mockingbird Camp Mockingbird is located about two hours northwest of Calgary. It is “off grid”, but buildings are heated and lit with propane fixtures. Camp Mockingbird was open for the spring, summer, and early fall and logged almost 3700 camper days, including the ever popular “Nite Trek” and a new event called “Tenting 101”.
Girl Guide Centre The Calgary Girl Guide Centre, located on the north bank of the Bow River in Calgary, is leased from the city for a nominal fee every year. It houses administration, property coordination, and membership services for the Calgary Area. Members use the conference space for program events (such as STEM days), training events, unit meetings, Trefoil events, and many other diverse uses. About 50 groups used the facility for sleepovers. The building is also used for Area council meetings, committee meetings, storage of PR supplies, and historical archives. In 2018, a new HVAC system was installed. The roof was re-shingled and several windows were changed as part this project.
We are fortunate to have a wealth of property resources in Calgary Area, and we take pride in our stewardship.
Page 12 Calgary Area Girl Guides
CAMPING
Camping Adviser: Leslie Jones
Deputy Adviser: Philippa Wagner
Camping Team Front row seated (left to right): Skye McIntosh (Secretary), Leslie Jones, Philippa Wagner (Deputy) Back row (left to right): Nikki Giguere, Barb Gowan Mullie, Donna Yaklin, Lynette Lui, Victoria Woodward, Maire Shelast, Kate Johnston, Kirsten Johnston Not Pictured: Kate Bourne, Katelynne Saville
2018 Camping Events The Calgary Camping committee had a busy year in 2018, organizing and running 10 Area camping events. The following is a summary of the events.
Brownie Camp Academy Date: February 3, 2018 Location: Camp Jubilee Number of Brownies: 235 Number of Unit Guiders: 45 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 52
The Brownies traveled from station to station learning about tents, first aid, bunk etiquette, fire safety, and camp chores, and they made their very own tootsie rolls! The day ended with a campfire.
Annual Report 2018 Page 13
Spring Ranger/Pathfinder Camp Date: March 2 to 4, 2018 Location: Camp Jubilee Number of Pathfinders, Rangers, and Trex: 18 Number of Volunteers (Adults): 3
Pathfinders, Rangers, and Trex members braved the snowy weather and had a great time at camp. Girls participated in the new National Decode Challenge as well as creating a variety of artworks in many media forms including culture jamming of ads, painting, photography, and silk-screening t-shirts. The shirts were designed by the girls using impactful words after a discussion on what Rangers and Guiding in general meant to them. The weekend ended with a gallery of their works that parents shared in when they arrived for pick-up.
Sparklefest Date: April 14, 2018 Location: Camp Jubilee Number of Sparks: 236 Number of Unit Guiders: 56 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 29
Sparks and Guiders arrived with energy and smiles. The day started with a flag raising ceremony. The Sparks then proceeded through five stations, nature bingo, first aid, craft, wide games and they made their own snack of kibbles and bits! The fun and active day ended with everyone around the campfire!
Camp Quest Date: April 20 to 22, 2018 Location: Camp Jubilee Number of Guides: 135 (12 units) Number of Unit Guiders: 33 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 21
Guides and their leaders braved the cold weather to attend the camp. The Guides rotated through stations learning about outdoor cooking, compass and trail, knots and gadgets, tents and shelter building, safe use of axes and knives, fire building, and games, along with a campfire and night wide games. And what better way to thoroughly enjoy the outdoors than sleeping in tents!
Page 14 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Discover Iasg Date: May 13, 2018 Number of Pathfinders: 4 Location: Camp Iasg Number of Unit Guiders: 5 Number of Brownies: 16 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 3 Number of Guides: 22
This event was open to all branches. We encouraged the older girls to come out and camp for the weekend. All units participated in letter boxing, wide games, and learning wilderness skills.
Backpack Weekend Date: June 1 to 3, 2018 Number of Rangers: 6 Location: Camp Westover Number of Unit Guiders: 22 Number of Guides: 38 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 15 Number of Pathfinders: 53
This year, we added the Guide day trip/canoe option on Sunday. The notoriously capricious June weather largely cooperated as 97 Pathfinders, Rangers, Trex and their leaders backpacked in on Friday evening and participated in canoeing and backpacking workshops on Saturday. As the campers headed out on Sunday morning, Guides and leaders hiked in for the day to enjoy the wildflowers and an introductory canoe experience.
Tenting 101 Date: September 14 to 16, 2018 Location: Camp Mockingbird Number of Brownies: 55 Number of Guides: 82 Number of Unit Guiders: 43 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 45
Tenting 101 was a joint effort between the Training committee and the Camping committee. The trainers worked with the Guiders providing OAL training. The Camping committee and many fabulous volunteers had the Brownies and Guides rotating through fun stations with a camping theme. The girls participated in outdoor cooking, compass and trails, archery, wilderness activities, first aid activities, wide games and a campfire.
Annual Report 2018 Page 15
Canoe Day Date: September 22 to 24, 2018 Location: Camp Westover Number of Guides: 53 Number of Pathfinders: 60 Number of Unit Guiders: 22 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 11
113 girls and 29 leaders managed to get their paddle sessions out on the water despite the chilly weather! Eleven Paddle Canada certified canoe facilitators and two shore crew fitted participants with life jackets and paddles, led them through an introductory shore training on canoe parts, safety, and paddling strokes, and supervised them during a roughly 75-minute paddling session on the lake. A roaring campfire on shore was greatly appreciated by the units to keep warm and fully enjoy their paddling experience.
Nite Trek Date: October 12 to 14, 2018 Location: Camp Mockingbird Number of Pathfinders: 345 Number of Unit Guiders: 84 Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 93
The theme this year was Harry Potter. We had 35 Pathfinder units and 11 Ranger units plus numerous volunteers out for the event. The first team of Pathfinders stepped off at 7:30 pm with the last teams leaving at 12:50 am! After completing the hike, the Pathfinders warmed up with hot dogs and hot chocolate before heading off for bed in their tents. The volunteer Rangers managed to stay warm at their stations despite the chilly weather!
Fall Ranger Camp 2018 Camping Participants 236 Sparks Date: November 23 to 25, 2018 306 Brownies Location: Camp Jubilee 330 Guides Number of Rangers: 10 466 Pathfinders Number of Volunteers (Adults, Rangers): 4 36 Rangers 310 Unit Guiders A small but mighty group of Rangers from 5 Calgary Area Ranger 277 Volunteers units came together for a weekend of fun and friendship. The girls created paper crafts, learned to knit and made Gnomes, baked delicious cookies, muffins and other desserts, learned the Maori stick game/song, and walked into Cochrane to go bowling. But best of all, the girls renewed old friendships, formed new friendships and found ways to be inspired by the world around them.
Page 16 Calgary Area Girl Guides
INTERNATIONAL
International Adviser: 2017/2018: Colleen Reynolds 2018/2019: Cyndi Williams (Acting)
In 2018, eight international trips were made by Calgary Area units. Switzerland (Our Chalet) was the most popular destination, followed by France, England, and Iceland. Other countries visited included Costa Rica, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. One provincially-sponsored participant from Calgary Area travelled to Ecuador, and three nationally-sponsored participants travelled to England, Switzerland, and Australia.
Pax Lodge
Costa Rica
Our Chalet and France
Annual Report 2018 Page 17
MEMBERSHIP
Membership Adviser: Laurie Holtby
Calgary Area had a slight increase in membership in 2018. From January 2018 to January 2019, Calgary Area grew to 6001 total members, an increase of 1.39%.
Period Girls & Adults Total Percent Youth Members Increase
January 31, 2018 4883 1036 5919
January 31, 2019 4901 1100 6001 1.39%
Numbers of Girls by Branch
Page 18 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Our Volunteers Calgary Area grew to 1100 adult members in 2018. Our adults participate in roles such as Unit Guiders, District Commissioners, Trefoil Guild members, and Area volunteers. You will never find a
more dedicated group of people!
Member Communications
ENews Editor: Angela Macleod
Calgary Area keeps its members informed with our twice monthly CalgArea ENews. All upcoming Calgary Area events are highlighted in ENews.
Website
Website Coordinator: Louise Winhold
Our Area website includes a wealth of information about our upcoming events, and it contains our online booking system for events and campsites.
Annual Report 2018 Page 19
Awards Girl Guide awards recognize volunteers for their dedicated service. In 2018, 170 awards were presented to our members, recognizing achievements including providing special programming for girls and volunteering at the district or Calgary Area level.
It is with great pleasure that we recognize our volunteers for their service. The following awards were presented to our members in 2018.
Award # Presented Certificate of Appreciation 13 Letters of Commendation 4 Calgary Gold Special Award 4 Gold Thanks 1 Silver Thanks (for non-Guiding 7 members) Bronze Unit Guider 46 Silver Unit Guider 26 Gold Unit Guider 8 Team 10 Commissioner 4 Bronze Merit 24 Silver Merit 10 Gold Merit 5 Medal of Merit 5 Alberta Rose 1 Provincial Commissioner Promise 1 Fortitude 1 TOTAL: 170
The Awards were presented at district and Area events, at the Calgary Area Dinner in May, and at
the Volunteer Awards Celebration in October.
Page 20 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Awards Committee
Awards Lead: Bev Wahl
The Awards Committee assists members with submitting awards, reviews the applications, and hosts an annual volunteer celebration.
Left to right: Johanne McIntosh, Bev Wahl, Laurie Holtby, Rosalyn Schmidt Not Pictured: Lydia Karabin, Cynthia Zuidema
Annual Report 2018 Page 21
PROGRAM
Program Adviser: Michele Harding
The Program Committee is passionate about helping Unit Guiders provide excellent programming. Our job is to make the job of Unit Guiders easier! We do this by providing resource support directly to Unit Guiders, running a variety of Area special events, and acting as a liaison with outside organizations. Youth Awards Ceremony Calgary Area is very proud of the 285 Guides, Pathfinders, and Rangers who earned 317 program awards in 2018. These included 137 Lady Baden-Powell, 54 Canada Cord, 12 Commonwealth and 114 Trailblazer Awards. About 750 girls, family, and guests packed the Knox United Church for the annual youth awards ceremony on Sunday, October 28. The ceremony was emceed by radio DJ, Kirsten Steier. Guest Speaker, Carolyn Ganes, spoke of her untraditional path to the Olympics and World Championships and encouraged girls to not be afraid to have big dreams. Attendees enjoyed a reception after the ceremony.
Page 22 Calgary Area Girl Guides
STEM Events In 2018, we continued our relationship with the University of Calgary Cybermentor program to provide STEM events for every branch level. A total of 750 girls attended four events throughout the year. Each event included three or four STEM activities in round robin format.
Girls were able to program Spherobots and Lego Mindstorms robots, build electrical circuits, build models of viruses and bacteria, analyze a crime scene, explore the science of sound, incorporate elements of nature into engineering designs, design and build catapults and much more.
Geocaching Day Program Committee hosted our fifth annual Geocaching Day on April 15. About 150 girls from Brownies and up gathered at South Glenmore Park on a cold, snowy day to learn and do geocaching. Units attended in three shifts and everyone completed the requirements of the Alberta Geocaching Challenge.
Annual Report 2018 Page 23
Heritage Nights Heritage Nights with Rob Lennard, the History Wrangler, were first introduced in fall of 2017. They were such a big hit that we held them six times in 2018 and about 750 girls of all ages attended. Rob Lennard delivered high-energy evenings of original music, stories and information about Alberta history proving that the past is a blast! We are very grateful to the Southern Alberta Pioneer’s Building and Fish Creek Historical Society for hosting us at their historic properties.
Archives The Program Committee took over running archive programming in the fall of 2018. We thank all the dedicated Trefoil members who hosted programs for many years before us. Throughout the fall we recruited a new team of eight ladies led by Wendy Saddler. The team hosted one event for 60 Brownies and Guides and started work on many ideas for expanded programming to launch in 2019.
Page 24 Calgary Area Girl Guides
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PR Adviser: Jovita Dias
The PR Committee promotes and administers positive internal and external relations for Girl Guides within Calgary Area. 2018 has been a busy year for Calgary Area PR. We started the year off with the Calgary Hitmen Game with Otter B riding a Zamboni and winded it down by participating in shows to recruit girl and adult members in our communities.
Girl Guides of Canada updated their branding guidelines which now reflects in all our new promotional PR material ranging from banner stands to cookie sandwich boards that are available to units promoting Girl Guides in Calgary Area.
Thank you to all the amazing units and leaders, who make our Calgary Area events such a success!
In 2018, Calgary Area Girl Guides participated in the following events.
January 2018 ■ Teddy Bear Toss Calgary Hitmen Game ■ Brown Bagging for Kids National Service Project ■ Girl Guide Day with the Hitmen
February 2018 ■ World Thinking Day at City Hall
April 2018 ■ Calgary Police Service and the Kids Help Phone for the Share-Your-Bear Campaign
July 2018 ■ Calgary Stampede Parade and Green Team for Calgary Stampede
September 2018 ■ Calgary Baby and Tot Show
October 2018 ■ Calgary Woman’s Show
Annual Report 2018 Page 25
Girl Guide Day with Calgary Hitmen Every year Girl Guides are invited to a Calgary Hitmen Game. Girls have a special chance to meet and greet with the Hitmen Players and Managers. They also participate in the Color Party and sell a number of cookies at the Games Concourse! Mostly importantly, the girls have great fun at the end of the night when the get a chance to skate on the ice. Calgary Stampede Calgary Area has been participating in the Calgary Stampede for the last few years. Each year, we participate in the Stampede Parade and carry a number of parade banners. Some of the 2018 banners were “Humboldt Strong”, “Welcome to Calgary Stampede”, “Best Seat in the Parade”, among others.
Our commitment to the environment is something we are proud of. Travelling units attend the Calgary Stampede Family Day and Kids Day events as Green Team volunteers. We recycled 8700 juice boxes and bottles on Family Day and 6700 juice boxes after a close sweep of the grandstand on Kid’s Day!
Service Projects As part of our community service projects, our units supported a number of initiatives throughout the year. Calgary Area Girl Guides worked closely with the Calgary Police Service CPS Share a Bear Campaign, Brown Bagging for Kids, and Teddy Bear Toss. Over 1200 bears and other animals were collected.
For Share Your Bear, tags were attached, and bears will be donated to the Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance Support Team.
Page 26 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Girl Guides Like to Help!
Annual Report 2018 Page 27
TRAINING
Training Adviser: Jan McCaghren
Deputy Training Adviser: Leah Cooney
The Calgary Area Training Committee consists of 14 Trainers and 3 Trainer Candidates. During 2018, these ladies brought training to 737 Guiders in Calgary Area over more than 1,385 training hours. Guiders who take training can receive a Training Committee crest.
We continue to offer several Safe Guide (SG) sessions every year so that new Guiders can complete this mandatory training in the first 6 months of their membership. We offer a hard copy of the newest edition of Safe Guide to every participant who attends a face-to-face SG session.
Front Row (seated): Karma Lanneville, Jan McCaghren (ATA), Leah Cooney (Deputy ATA), Pat Istead Standing (left to right): Lisa Franklin, Teri Anderson, Donna Yaklin (Camping Liaison), Sue Fortunka, Chris Haydon, Angela Smith, Donna Leonard Robb, Leslie Horton, Tirian Eynon, Louise Lines, Elena Favaro, Debbie Morgan Not Pictured: Judy Bober, Tammy Robbins
Page 28 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Trainings this Year Safe Guide (113 Guiders) ■ All About Your Branch – Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers (95 Guiders) ■ Building Unit Guiders Skills (47 Guiders) OAL – a joint initiative of the Calgary Area Training and Camping Committees ■ Various sessions (249 Guiders) Other Sessions: ■ Arts – various sessions offered in one day (35 Guiders) ■ Financial Management (32 Guiders) ■ Understanding the Adult Learner (7 Guiders) ■ Managing Change (55 Guiders) ■ Guiding History (3 Guiders) ■ International Guiding (3 Guiders) ■ Ceremonies (4 Guiders) ■ Guiding and the Promise and Law (3 Guiders) ■ Team Building (26 Guiders)
Calgary Area Trainers also worked with Girls First Champions to train 65 Guiders.
Our Trainers offer training at the Provincial level through telephone and webinar sessions. Many of our Trainers lead sessions at the Commissioners Workshop, Trainers Workshop, Multi-Faceted, HodgePodge, the Girls Arts Event, and the Adult Arts Event sponsored by the Provincial Training Committee. We have Trainers who go to units to sing with the girls.
We bring Training to the Guiders! Some sessions are held centrally at Guide Centre. Other times, Trainers go to the Districts. We offer a variety of topics—whatever the Guiders need. We already have an exciting list of sessions for 2019. Watch for more!
Annual Report 2018 Page 29
DISTRICTS
Calgary Area is divided into 22 separate districts. The districts include neighbourhoods in the City of Calgary as well as surrounding communities, including Banff, Canmore, Chestermere, and Cochrane.
The Girl Guide units and volunteers in each district are overseen by a District Commissioner. She may also have up to three Deputy Commissioners as well as a Treasurer.
Calgary Area includes the following districts.
■ 12 Mile Coulee ■ East Bow ■ Sarcee Hills ■ Adelaide Glenn ■ Famous Five ■ Scenic Bow Valley ■ Annie Bannister ■ Nitanisak ■ Silverbirch ■ Beth Riddoch ■ North Star ■ Sunrise ■ Blackfoot ■ Patterson ■ Three Sisters ■ Co-West ■ Paxhill ■ Westglen ■ Crystal Palace ■ Prairie Mosaic ■ Wichewakn ■ Deerfoot
See the following pages for an overview of the number of Girl Guide units in each district and their amazing activities!
Page 30 Calgary Area Girl Guides
12 Mile Coulee
Serving the Communities of Crestmont, Tuscany, Valley Ridge
District Commissioner: Tammy Robbins
Deputy District Commissioners: Karla Krewulak Lauren Ostridge Dawn Resch
Treasurer: Neilla King
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 55 Brownies 5 67
Guides 5 69 721 Cases Pathfinders 3 26 Spring cookies Rangers 1 6 494 Cases Total: 223 Fall cookies Guiders: 44
District Activities Twelve Mile Coulee has been busy attending all sorts of events and having lots of fun. From Canoe Day in the cold, to another cold Nite Trek, this year has been busy for the older branches. Camps, camps and more camps as well. We have had bridging events with Rangers hosting Brownies, Guides hosting Sparks and Brownies for Thinking Day. We have had crafts, games and much more to keep our girls busy.
Annual Report 2018 Page 31
Adelaide Glenn
Serving the Communities of Bridlewood, Evergreen, Evergreen Estates, Millrise, Shawnee Slopes, Shawnessy, Silverado , Somerset
District Commissioner: Stephanie Nicklassen
Treasurer: Shannon Guyett
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 33 Brownies 2 35 Guides 4 77 Pathfinders 2 13 794 Cases Spring cookies Rangers 2 11 Total: 169 830 Cases Fall cookies Guiders: 39
District Activities 2018 was a great year for the units in Adelaide Glenn District. Our units were involved in the following events: District Winter Dance; Multi-Unit Thinking Day Celebration; Brownie Camp Academy; Color Me Mine; Kamp Kiwanis; Bowling; Rothney Observatory; Flip Factory; Remembrance Day Ceremonies; Hangar Flight Museum Sleepover; Calgary Humane Society Tour; Brownie, Guide, Pathfinder & Ranger STEM Day; Quebec City Trip; Snowshoeing; Heritage Park Sleepover; Mall Scavenger Hunt; Famous 5 Tea; Area Geocaching; Camp Evergreen; Camp Quest; Dog Sledding; Calgary Area Backpacking Trip; Edmonton Trip; National Music Centre; Swimming; and Calgary Area Dinner.
The Brownie, Guide, Pathfinder & Ranger units all had multiple camps at Calgary Area campsites. We also had 3 Members attend Multi-faceted.
Page 32 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Annie Bannister
Serving the Communities of Lake Chaparral, Lake Midnapore, Lake Sundance, Legacy, Walden
District Commissioner: Jennifer Bridle
Deputy District Commissioners: Treasurer: Nikki Giguere Donna Pratt Allison Hunter Camilla Williams
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 34 Brownies 3 65 Guides 3 59 Pathfinders 2 2 Rangers 3 11 977 Cases Total: 186 Spring cookies Guiders: 35 877 Cases District Activities Fall cookies We have a busy district with many leaders and junior leaders who generously volunteer their time to provide our girls with incredible Guiding experiences. We have three district events each year that the Pathfinders and Rangers plan: Christmas Party, Thinking Day event, and Advancement (a time to celebrate the amazing year we have had and to recognize the leadership of our Guiders).
Camps and Sleepovers: Heritage Park, Tyrell Museum, Frank Slide, Camp Jubilee, Camp Mockingbird, Camp Westover, Nite Trek, Kamp Kiwanis, District Wide Under the Sea Camp.
Volunteering: My Best Friend's Closet, Co-op Stuff a Bus, Calgary Food Bank, Visits to seniors’ homes
Programs: Skating, Calgary Climbing Centre, Visits to EMS Station 41, Colour Me Mine, Mad Science, Home Depot, Apple Store, Fish Creek, Brownie Skills, Pathfinder trip to PEI and Nova Scotia, Pathfinder trip to Our Chalet and Italy, High School Play at Bishop O'Byrne, Valentine's Day Tea.
Annual Report 2018 Page 33
Beth Riddoch Serving the Communities of Balmoral, Cambrian Heights, Crescent Heights, Greenview, Highland Park, Highwood, North Haven, Mount Pleasant, Mountview, Rosedale, Rosemont, Sunnyside, Thorncliffe, Tuxedo Park, Winston Heights
District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Sandra Whitty and Sandy Williams 2018/2019: Caitlin Reid
Deputy District Commissioners: Treasurer: 2018/2019: Dayna Boser and Tanya Downes 2017/2018: Liz Kitch 2018/2019: Sandy Williams
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 32 Brownies 3 54 Guides 3 45 Pathfinders 3 28 Rangers 2 2 530 Cases Total: 161 Spring cookies Guiders: 31 575 Cases Fall cookies District Activities Beth Riddoch is a district rich with leader experience and it shows in the programming, camps, guest speakers, and opportunities that the leaders actively search out to enrich the lives of the girls. Some of the amazing camps and sleepovers that have the girls in the district have experienced in the last year include Zoo sleepovers, Heritage Park sleepovers, overnights in Banff and Canmore, the Hangar Museum, Frank Slide Sleepovers, Mockingbird, Iasg, and Camp Jubilee. Many times, the various units bridge together so that the girls get a chance to meet others in their Guiding level as well as in other levels. Guest speakers have been an important part in Beth Riddoch as the leaders feel it is their responsibility to provide the girls with great opportunities to enrich their knowledge. We have had Michelle Rempel (MP for Calgary Nose Hill), Sean Chu (City Counsellor for Ward 4), CEMA, the Red Cross, soldiers, dentists, yoga instructors, self defence classes, STEM visitors, and more. We pride ourselves in including as many of our units and girls as we can in special events.
Page 34 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Blackfoot
Serving the Communities of Acadia, Canyon Meadows, Downtown Calgary, Elbow Park, Fairview, Haysboro, Inglewood, Maple Ridge, Southwood, Willow Park
District Commissioner: Treasurer: Christie Courtland Freda Osborne
Deputy District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Megan Belenky, Amber Braun, Lillian Szentmiklossy 2018/2019: Megan Belenky, Lillian Szentmiklossy
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 6 65 Brownies 6 102 Guides 6 129 Pathfinders 5 34 Rangers 3 13 1384 Cases Multi Branch 2 20 Spring cookies Total: 363 Guiders: 81 1565 Cases Fall cookies District Activities The district is named after the Niitsitapi, also known as the Blackfoot People. It has been an amazing year in Blackfoot District. We held our annual District Swim, went roller skating, played laser tag and archery, and held a District Brownie camp. The Pathfinders and Rangers joined efforts to support the Brown Bagging for Kids service project.
Our community groups got together to share bridging events, volunteering, and advancement ceremonies. Our units were really active with camping, sleepovers at the zoo and Heritage Park, learning to cook, exploring Fish Creek Park, skiing, zip lining, surfing, visiting museums, hiking a section of the West Coast Trail, attending the Sparks and Brownie Rally days, learning about Girls First, and travelling within Alberta and out to Vancouver Island.
Annual Report 2018 Page 35
Co-West
Serving the Town of Bragg Creek, Cochrane, Redwood Meadows
District Commissioner: Devina Shah
Deputy District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Nadia Routhier 2018/2019: Jennifer Baker
Treasurer: Marion Phillips
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 35 Brownies 2 48
Guides 3 57 636 Cases Pathfinders 1 16 Spring cookies
Rangers 1 2 698 Cases Total: 158 Fall cookies Guiders: 32
District Activities This fall, Co-West held a District Camp called "Camp Carnival" where 100 girls from Sparks to Rangers enjoyed a variety of carnival-themed stations, such as juggling, hula hooping, midway games and improv theater. The girls excitedly shared their unique improv performances during our evening program. A fabulous time was had by all!
Over the year, our girls actively participated in a variety of STEM experiences from robotics to design challenges and science-based experiments; enjoyed excursions to the fire hall and local bakery; and explored the great outdoors, even surviving Night Trek! Our girls are very active and often are involved in service projects in and around our local community of Cochrane.
Page 36 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Crystal Palace
Serving the Communities of Abbeydale, Bridgeland, Crossroads (Mayland Heights and Vista Heights), Marlborough, Marlborough Park, Renfrew
District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Joanna Quinn 2018/2019: Meribeth Barclay
Deputy District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Stacey Dyck 2018/2019: Amanda Rose
Treasurer: Kathie Nosworthy
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 26 Brownies 2 19 Guides 2 33 723 Cases Pathfinders 1 3 Spring cookies Rangers 1 3 Trex 1 3 520 Cases Fall cookies Total: 87 Guiders: 23
District Activities The 71st Guides traveled to Victoria in August of 2018 and will be travelling to PEI in July of 2019. The Spark and Brownie units have done several camps and sleepovers throughout the year. The 18th Pathfinders are hoping to do a road trip this coming summer. The 18th Trex unit has been keeping busy with all sorts of outdoor activities and will be heading to Banff in April where they will be caving as one of the activities.
Annual Report 2018 Page 37
Deerfoot
Serving the Communities of Country Hills, Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills, MacEwan, Panorama, Sandstone
District Commissioners: Joelle Callaghan, Joan Gallagher
Treasurer: Lynn Harquail
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 4 63 Brownies 4 81 Guides 4 89 Pathfinders 4 47 1170 Cases Rangers 2 21 Spring cookies Total: 301 940 Cases Guiders: 57 Fall cookies District Activities Deerfoot District is located in NW Calgary, west of Deerfoot Trail. Our district is named after a member of the Siksika nation who was famous in his time as a long-distance runner. Deerfoot, also known as Scabby Dried Meat or the Human Thunderbolt, won races against runners as far away as Europe.
Deerfoot District is comprised of 301 girls in 20 units. Activities include fencing, self defense, skating at the Oval, sailing, volunteering at the
food bank, and lots of camping.
Page 38 Calgary Area Girl Guides
East Bow
Serving the Communities of Albert Park, Applewood, Chestermere, Dover, Erin Woods, Forest Heights, Forest Lawn, Ogden, Penbrooke Meadows, Radisson Heights, Riverbend, Southview
District Commissioner: Holly Sweeney, Leslie Horton
Treasurer: 2017/2018: Patricia Wilson 2018/2019: Lani Loewen McKnight
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 5 76 Brownies 5 93 Guides 4 68 Pathfinders 2 14 Rangers 1 2 1403 Cases Spring cookies Total: 253 Guiders: 38 1129 Cases Fall cookies District Activities ■ 2018 Was a special year for East Bow District. We celebrated 50 years by holding a Strawberry Tea and a Crest Contest. ■ We also held our annual Thinking Day event with many of the units coming together to work on the WAGGGS Challenge and the provincial CWFF challenge. ■ We had a group of 16 travel to Victoria and celebrated Canada Day there. ■ It was really exciting that one of our Rangers was accepted to attend a nationally sponsored trip to England in the summer of 2018. ■ It was a great year with many camps, sleepovers, activities, bridging events, and units starting to implement the Girls First program and celebrate the new logo with all the unit Guiders getting a new enrolment pin and saying their promise together.
Annual Report 2018 Page 39
Famous Five
Serving the Communities of Bonavista, Deer Ridge, Deer Run, Diamond Cove, Parkland, Queensland
District Commissioner: Bonnie Jones
Deputy District Commissioners: Andrea Boehm Pat Istead
Treasurer: Catherine Ranger
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 33 Brownies 3 41 Guides 3 43 Pathfinders 2 17 440 Cases Rangers 1 3 Spring cookies Total: 137 419 Cases Guiders: 31 Fall cookies District Activities Our Leaders are wonderful volunteers, who give their time, enthusiasm and dedication to make all the differences in the girls’ lives by planning events throughout the year, along with year-end events and our annual Carnival.
Famous Five Activities throughout our district include:
Skating, Firehall Tours, Police Station Tours, Color Me Mine, Home Depot, Pet Stores, Global TV Tours, Calgary Human Society Tours, Winter Fun Days, Camping, Sleepovers, Secret Santa Sort Depot, Bow Habitat Visit, Bike Maintenance, Marital Arts, Corn Maze, Nite Trek, Disney on Ice, Library Visits, Christmas Parties, Halloween Parties, Yoga, Pen Pal Letters, Art Nights, Senior Home Singing and Visiting.
Page 40 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Nitanisak
Serving the Communities of Edgemont, Evanston, Hamptons, Hanson Ranch, Hidden Valley, Kincora, Nolan Hill, Sage Hill, Sherwood
District Commissioner: Marcie Calhoun
Treasurer: 2017/2018: Scott Beer 2018/2019: Michelle Olfert
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 48 Brownies 4 85 Guides 4 76 Pathfinders 2 24 Rangers 2 4 1083 Cases Spring cookies Trex 1 9 Total: 246 1320 Cases Guiders: 52 Fall cookies
District Activities Nitanisak District is an active district with all our branches loving sleepovers and outings.
■ The Sparks enjoyed karate lessons, bakery tours and a Spark Science Centre or Flip Factory sleepover to finish the year. ■ The Brownies enjoyed a multi-unit Fall Halloween Camp, outings to Hide and Seek, the Spaceport, yoga lessons, and a Tyrell Museum sleepover. ■ The Guides had fall skills camp, outings to 4 Cats, the Police Interpretive Centre and a sleepover at the Kyle Shewfelt Centre and Heritage Park, PiYo lessons and tent camping in the spring. ■ Our Pathfinders and Rangers love camping in the fall and spring, Nite Trek, and just hanging out with each other.
The District hosted a Movie Day for Thinking Day and we all watched Peter Rabbit. Every year we hold a multi unit/branch advancement ceremony where we recognize the hard work of our girls and leaders.
Annual Report 2018 Page 41
North Star
Serving the Communities of Beddington and Huntington
District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Kathy Dion 2018/2019: Tasha Dion
Deputy District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Tasha Dion 2018/2019: Kirsten Lawson
Treasurer: Susan Sarrasin
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 19 Brownies 2 30 Guides 2 30 Pathfinders 2 15 483 Cases Spring cookies Rangers 1 9 Total: 103 378 Cases Fall cookies Guiders: 30
District Activities This has been an exciting year for North Star District! We enjoy getting all our girls together and we share our talents at our annual District Thinking Day Carnival. This is one of the great opportunities for our many junior leaders to shine. We enjoy camping and have been out numerous times this year as individual units or bridging our units together. We have participated in many of the Calgary Area events that are offered including Nite Trek and STEM Day.
Highlights of big events in 2018: ■ District Carnival celebrating Thinking Day 2018 ■ 3rd Rangers went to Switzerland in July 2018 ■ 6th Rangers went to Australia in August 2018 ■ Unit Leader Socials: escape room and murder mystery dinner ■ Rangers ran a Free Teen Girl event for the community to advertise Girl Guides
Page 42 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Patterson
Serving the Communities of Auburn Bay, Cranston, Mahogany, McKenzie Lake, Seton
District Commissioner: Teresa Nelson Keller
Deputy District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Lesli Fietz and Breanne Little 2018/2019: Lesli Fietz and Amber Watt
Treasurer: Natasha Raimbault
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 5 116 Brownies 6 134 Guides 4 105 1243 Cases Pathfinders 3 32 Spring cookies Total: 387 1490 Cases Guiders: 71 Fall cookies
District Activities Our District held two exciting events. In the Fall, girls kicked off the Guiding year with a carnival, with bouncy houses and games; and our spring event was a winter wonderland dance.
■ Sparks visited gymnastics clubs, learned yoga and Zumba, and made post cards for the Armed Forces. ■ Brownie units visited Police and Fire Stations, had a scavenger hunt at Superstore, slept in tents indoors, visited the theatre, met a service dog, and wrote to pen pals in the United Kingdom and Ontario. ■ Guide activities included geocaching, making birthday boxes for the food bank, camping, and preparing for a trip to Ottawa. ■ Pathfinders experienced a snowy Nite Trek, escaped The Locked Room, had a visit from a CTV news reporter, attended plays, went to the Teddy Bear toss and so much more! ■ Guiders were celebrated at our annual Holiday Christmas party, and a spring team building scavenger hunt.
Annual Report 2018 Page 43
Paxhill
Serving the Communities of Banff Trail, Brentwood, Briar Hill, Capitol Hill, Charleswood, Collingwood, Dalhousie, Hounsfield Heights, Parkdale, St. Andrews Heights, University Heights, Varsity, Varsity Estates, West Hillhurst
District Commissioner: Elena Favaro
Deputy Commissioner:
Janelle Smiley-Wiens
Treasurer: Linda Pic
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 3 57 Brownies 3 68 Guides 3 70 934 Cases Pathfinders 3 40 Spring cookies Rangers 1 5 695 Cases Total: 240 Fall cookies Guiders: 55
District Activities Paxhill District had another stellar year! Here are just some of the amazing things our girls and Guiders got up to!
■ Sleepovers at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the Frank Slide, and Telus Spark ■ Learning to code at the Apple Store ■ May Long weekend Mockingbird camp and Lookout hike ■ Glass blowing ■ Locked Room adventures ■ Skating at the Oval
Page 44 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Prairie Mosaic Serving the Communities of Castleridge, Cityscape, Coral Springs, Falconridge, Martindale, Monterey, Pineridge, Redstone, Rundle, Saddleridge, Skyview Ranch, Taradale, Temple, Whitehorn
District Commissioner: Treasurer: Karma Lanneville Dorothy Peartree
Deputy District Commissioners: Lynn Britton
Debbie Lukes
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 4 34 Brownies 4 50 Guides 3 54 1609 Cases Pathfinders 3 31 Spring cookies Rangers 2 18 Multi Branch 1 44 1487 Cases Fall cookies Total: 231 Guiders: 47
District Activities This year we had lots of fun throughout the district. In January we had our district camp at Jubilee, where the girls learned how to snowshoe and make apple crisp. We had several units from Sparks to Rangers, create and race Kub Kars. The girls had so much fun, no one wanted to go home. We had our first district Halloween party planed by our Pathfinders and Rangers. Fun was had by all. This year was packed with many exciting experiences for everyone in the district.
Annual Report 2018 Page 45
Sarcee Hills
Serving the Communities of Aspen, Coach Hill, Cougar Ridge, Discovery Ridge, Signal Hill, Springbank Hill, Strathcona, Wentworth, West Springs
District Commissioner: Treasurer:
Lisa Franklin Lisa Franklin/Cindy LaValley
Deputy District Commissioners: Megan Khosla Cindy LaValley Tara Leatherdale
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 6 98 Brownies 5 113 Guides 5 111 Pathfinders 4 48 Rangers 2 15 1319 Cases Total: 385 Spring cookies Guiders: 70 1302 Cases Fall cookies
District Activities We enjoyed several 'firsts' this year: we had our first- ever District Carnival in March and our first-ever District Sing-Along in May! We enjoyed both events so much that will be repeating them next year. Our Carnival included many activity stations runs by older girls and Unit Guiders: games, face painting, hula hooping, service projects, a poster contest, and a jellybean-counting contest. Our Sing-Along was led by Rangers indoors, because the weather was poor. We had lots of fun singing many Guiding faves, we traded camp hat crafts, and we even had a fake campfire!
Page 46 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Scenic Bow Valley
Serving the Communities of Bowness, Scenic Acres, Silver Springs
District Commissioner: Annette Jaenen
Deputy District Commissioner: Lorna Stevens
Treasurer: Doug Stevens
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 31 Brownies 3 47 Guides 2 34 535 Cases Pathfinders 1 15 Spring cookies Trex 1 9 305 Cases Total: 136 Fall cookies Guiders: 23
District Activities
Pathfinders attended Nite Trek; Guides snowshoeing; skating Bowness Lagoon; Brownies made bath bombs; Sparks, Brownies & Pathfinders made clay ornaments at 4Cats; Brownies made sandwiches for Drop-in Centre; Trex made birthday boxes for Inn from the Cold; Trex assisted at Inn from the Cold Gala; Trex members helped serve Breakfast with Santa followed by Turkey dinner for Seniors. Sparks & Brownies sleepovers; camps for Guides and Pathfinders. Sparks & Brownies built Lego Clubhouses.
Annual Report 2018 Page 47
Silverbirch
Serving the Communities of Bayview, Braeside, Cedarbrae, Oakridge, Palliser, Pumphill, Woodbine, Woodlands
District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Barb Augustyn/Susan Ryan 2018/2019: Rosanne Bowman
Deputy District Commissioner: Lola Cline
Treasurer: Cheryl Herle
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 42 Brownies 3 59 Guides 3 54 Pathfinders 2 9 587 Cases Rangers 1 3 Spring cookies Total: 167 Guiders: 39 557 Cases Fall cookies
District Activities Our district celebrates many activities together, and we all cherish the sisterhood of Guiding. Things we do as a district are our annual meet and greet with the parents and sign up, a place where parents can pre-fill forms or pay rental fees before the first meeting. We also celebrate Thinking Day as a district and have advancement ceremonies as a district. Last year we also had units go to the Calgary Geo-Caching day and band together to help Westover get ready for the summer season!
Page 48 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Sunrise
Serving the Communities of Copperfield, Douglasdale Estates, Douglas Ridge, Inverness, McKenzie Towne, New Brighton, Prestwick, Quarry Park, Shepard, Stonegate
District Commissioner: Deputy District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Femke Bonin 2017/2018: Jennifer Edwards, Lynn Mackay, Christine Smith 2018/2019: Melanie Murray 2018/2019: Carolyn Charles, Sonya MacQuarrie
Treasurer: 2017/2018: Audrey Van Aelst 2018/2019: Keith Edwards
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 4 64 Brownies 4 76 Guides 2 54 Pathfinders 2 22 Rangers 3 11 1576 Cases Spring cookies Total: 227 Guiders: 49 1334 Cases Fall cookies District Activities Sunrise District Girl Guides had a busy year in 2018! Through district and unit events alike, the Guiders in our district are working hard to inspire and motivate girls to be their very best. Some of our unit adventures include the Guides going dog sledding, the Pathfinders excelling at the annual Nite Trek camp, and the Rangers traveling to England and Ireland—the Rangers even had a chance encounter in Dublin, Ireland and managed to give a box of Classic Girl Guide Cookies to British royalty (the Duke & Duchess of Sussex)!
The Sparks and Brownies also learned a lot with sleepovers at Telus Spark, Frank Slide Interpretive Centre as well as camping at Camp Jubilee among many other activities.
Our district service projects included Valentines for Vets, donating to the Food Bank, participating in Neighbour Day and collecting donations for the Mustard Seed.
Annual Report 2018 Page 49
Three Sisters
Serving the Communities of Banff, Canmore, Dead Man’s Flats, Exshaw
District Commissioners: Treasurer: 2017/2018: Teresa Holmes Debbie Morgan 2018/2019: Kathy Dion (Acting)
Deputy District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Stephanie Turner 2018/2019: Debbie Morgan, Katie Urbach
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 2 19 Brownies 2 15 Guides 2 15 Pathfinders 2 10 575 Cases Spring cookies Rangers 1 9
Total: 68 551 Cases Guiders: 18 Fall cookies
District Activities Over the past year, our youth members have sparkled at SparkleFest, braved the frost at the Westover Canoe weekend, camped, hiked, and ran a station in a blizzard at Mockingbird for Nite Trek, and got blown away at the Guide Camp Skills weekend at Jubilee. Canmore Pathfinders ran an end of year Harry Potter Camp at IASG for the Banff Guides (frightening away the grizzly bear that wanted to use the camp site) and invited the Sparks for a magic-themed day camp. Canmore Rangers ran a Jurassic Park camp at Mockingbird for the Guides. Banff Brownies slept at the zoo, and Canmore Sparks and Brownies held a day camp to practise camp skills at Bow Valley Provincial Park. We are also very proud that one of our Rangers was elected to the National Youth Council, providing a youth voice to help shape the future of the national organization.
Closer to the community, we have helped out the Anglican Church Women at their community events, Mother’s Day lunch and Christmas bazaar, as well as volunteering for Banff Life and Santa’s Anonymous. Our units served at the Mountain Grannies/Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers ‘Chili in a Bowl’ event and our older girls cleared 10 kilometres of Hwy 1 in the annual spring Highway Clean-up. They have been busy fundraising for their trip to Our Chalet in summer 2019.
Page 50 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Westglen
Serving the Communities of Altadore, Bankview, Beltline, Currie Barracks, Glamorgan, Glendale, Killarney, Lakeview, Marda Loop, Rosscarrock, Rutland Park, Shaganappi, South Calgary, Spruce Cliff, Sunalta, Westgate, Wildwood
District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Brittany Chandler 2018/2019: Spencer Tomasello
Deputy District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Spencer Tomasello, Kathryn Ferguson, Natalie Lindsay 2018/2019: Amanda Saigeon, Yvonne Orme, Rose Crowley Kampel
Treasurer: 2017/2018: Leanne Armstrong 2018/2019: Donnelle Watson
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 7 102 Brownies 6 102 Guides 6 140 Pathfinders 2 44 1380 Cases Rangers 1 12 Spring cookies Trex 1 15 Total: 415 1236 Cases Fall cookies Guiders: 80
District Activities: Westglen is a continuously growing, active, fun Guiding community full of engaging Guiders and energetic girls! Our vibrant 22 units keep their girls engaged with dynamic interactive programs. Our year started out with our Guide District Camp in January. In the Spring had our Senior Branch Camp at Mockingbird and our second annual Sparks in the Park! We kicked off the new Guiding year with our annual District Campfire lead by our Rangers. We had close to 300 people in attendance. In October, our Brownies had a Halloween theme District sleepover. Between our District events, units keep busy with lots of camps and sleepovers. One Guide unit had their annual weeklong camp at Mockingbird, a Pathfinder unit traveled to Vancouver Island, and our Rangers travelled to Europe and visited two World Centres.
Annual Report 2018 Page 51
Wichewakn
Serving the Communities of Arbour Lake, Bearspaw, Citadel, Hawkwood, Ranchlands, Rocky Ridge, Royal Oak
District Commissioner: 2017/2018: Aurora Lindley 2018/2019: Laurie Lin
Deputy District Commissioners: 2017/2018: Kathy Ervin, Jessica Norgaard
Treasurer: Rena Bremner
By the Numbers
Branch # Units # Girls Sparks 4 50 Brownies 5 69 Guides 6 104 Pathfinders 3 23 Rangers 1 3 Trex 1 8 Total: 257 Guiders: 55 1546 Cases Spring cookies
1023 Cases Fall cookies
Page 52 Calgary Area Girl Guides
LINK
Link is a membership program for young women 18 to 30. Many Link members were former girl members, and Link provides a flexible way to keep connected. In 2018, a new Link program was introduced, which encouraged communities to set up units.
The 1st Calgary Link unit was inaugurated in January 2018. By the end of December, it grew to 57 members. More are always welcome to join! Many Link members are also unit Guiders. In 2018, the 1st Calgary Link unit held coffee meet-ups, a pub quiz night, and a camp blanket sewing party. More activities to come in 2019!
Annual Report 2018 Page 53
TREFOIL GUILDS
Trefoil Guilds are for Guiders either active or retired who are 30 years old and over and who wish to maintain a contact and association with Girl Guides of Canada. Women join Trefoil Guilds to keep their spirit of Guiding active, for fun and fellowship, and to give service to Guiding and the community.
Calgary Area has 11 Trefoil Guilds, including one (Guiding Lights) that started in 2018.
■ Claytons A Certificate of Appreciation ■ Crazy Calgary Campers was presented to Cathy ■ Emonis Ake Mantika in recognition of her passion for, continuous ■ Frayed Knots membership in, and support ■ Guiding Lights of Trefoil Guild in Calgary ■ Happy Campers Area for 40 years. ■ Missing Links ■ North Star Nomads ■ Sunrise Girls ■ WestRockers ■ Y-Knots
Trefoil Guild Tea In October, our Area Commissioner hosted her annual Trefoil Guild Tea to greet members of all Area Trefoil Guilds and to introduce her executive team. This event was also a chance for the Trefoil Guild members to be presented with their years of membership pins and certificates.
Page 54 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Trefoil Guild Activities in 2018
Trefoil Guild Sample Activities Claytons The 18 members of The Clayton’s Trefoil Guild in Calgary continue to meet to celebrate special birthdays of members, usually about every six weeks or so. Due to aging members and mobility issues, we do not do any President: group service projects. Single members continue to do service projects on Phyllis Davis a personal basis. We still keep the spirit alive by attending some Area functions such as the Area Trefoil Tea and a Thinking Day event when possible. Crazy Campers For 2018, we have helped plan and facilitate these Calgary Area events.: Winter Tent Camping, Brownie Camp Academy, Ranger Spring Camp, Sparklefest, Guide Skills Days, Iasg Campsite Event, Beginner Backpacking, President: Tenting 101, Canoe Weekend, Night Trek, and Winter Camp. Victoria Woodward We volunteer at ■ City of Calgary’s Safety Expo representing Girl Guides ■ City of Calgary’s Disaster Alley ■ GlobalFest’s Lost Children Tent ■ Magic of Christmas, making up gift bags for adults and teens Other activities: ■ AXE Throwing in November 2018 ■ Walk and dinner with Calgary Camp Committee
Emonis Ake Our Guild had a busy and fun filled year. We hosted the Provincial AGM, several of us ran Archive events in the first half of the year. We also led President: the craft centre at the Inn from The Cold's Santa's Workshop in December Eileen Johansen and helped to put a lot of craft kits together for a fund raiser.
We had some pot lucks, and went out for dinner several times, enjoyed a group birthday, with all things you would have at a child's party, and a BBQ in June. We enjoyed day trips in the summer to Millarville and Nanton. We spent one evening watching a movie, and another making molded and filled chocolates. No matter what we are doing we have fun!
Annual Report 2018 Page 55
Trefoil Guild Sample Activities Guiding Lights We were a new Guild in 2018 and have 7 members. The youngest joined as soon as she turned 30! President: Some of our activities include Jan McCaghren ■ Out for supper in a restaurant ■ Movie afternoon ■ Ice cream social – everyone brought their favourite toppings ■ Attended Trefoil Roundup in Red Deer ■ Visiting the Pandas at the Calgary Zoo ■ Inglewood ghost tour ■ Millarville Christmas Market ■ Zoolights We also provided a Christmas gift for a senior. Missing Links Missing Links now has 10 members (and a few other Guiding friends that join us now and then). President: ■ January: Snowshoeing at Bragg Creek Park on a sunny winter Tirian Eynon afternoon. ■ February: Thinking Day dinner outing at Kinjo’s Sushi for an international dinner and to talk about the impact Guiding has had on us and what impact we think we continue to have ■ March: Escape room, using our clue breaking skills about fairy tales to get out of the wizard’s dungeon ■ April: Volunteering at Calgary Food Bank, helping to sort large bins of produce (beats, potatoes) into bags and take out moldy ones ■ September: Planning meeting at the Guide Centre and Girls First presentation ■ October: Axe throwing ■ December: Xmas dinner meeting at Kilkenny Irish Pub (collected for the Food Bank)
Page 56 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Trefoil Guild Sample Activities
North Star Nomads ■ We volunteered at The Samaritan’s Purse Yard Sale, in the spring and fall. President: ■ The quilters in the group enjoyed the Heritage Quilt Festival in Susan Cahill May. ■ We had fun at the Cowtown Opera Christmas Production. Wish we could sing like that! ■ For Christmas we all got together for a Pot Luck Diner, with a Mexican Theme. The gifts and meal had to fit the theme. We picked Mexico since it has a World Centre, “Our Cabana”.
WestRockers In July, Donna Leonard Robb replaced Rosalyn Schmidt as the Guild President, and Sandi Nesbitt replaced Hilda Lawson as treasurer. President: ■ February: Thinking Day Celebration for area guild members based Donna Leonard Robb on WAGGGS’ 2018 theme – CONNECT, GROW, IMPACT ■ March: Making fidget quilts, which give the fingers and hands of people who have Alzheimer’s or dementia something to do and provide comfort ■ April: The Journey of a Lifetime exhibit at Heritage Park ■ May: Tour of the Calgary Area archives where we donated six of our log books covering the years 1999 – 2015 ■ June: Bird-watching (more like searching!) walk through the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and lunch at the Harley Diner ■ September: Planning meeting ■ October: Gourmet wiener roast and archery at Camp Jubilee ■ November: Lunchbox Theatre and lunch on Stephen Avenue Mall ■ December: Making birthday cards for Senior’s Secret Service
Annual Report 2018 Page 57
AREA ADULT EVENTS
Calgary Area Dinner
Page 58 Calgary Area Girl Guides
Memorial Grove The Memorial Grove at Camp Jubilee was created in 1993 after Calgary Area became the beneficiary of a memorial donation. In the first years, trees were bought with further memorial donations and planted in the grove.
In June, we held our annual Memorial Grove Ceremony at Camp Jubilee. This year we honoured the following Guiders and friends of Guiding on our memorial plaque that hangs in the gazebo.
Betty Buckner Karen Edwards Olga Hills Barb Imbrogno Thea Roelofsen (Brownie) Joan Schauerte Ruth Schmidt
Annual Report 2018 Page 59
Volunteer Awards Celebration Date: September 16, 2018 Location: Knox United Church
In September, the Awards Committee hosted the second annual celebration for all the volunteers who were recognized with Girl Guide awards in the 2017/2018 season. The theme for 2018 was a Garden Party.
The ceremony was held at Knox United Church and included a keynote speech by Tara Nelson from CTV News. The event was hosted by Edie Jubenville and Sydney Pedersen. Special guests included Deputy Provincial Commissioner Laurie McIntosh.
Cynthia Zuidema was presented with the Fortitude Award.
Page 60 Calgary Area Girl Guides
DONATIONS
Thank you to the individuals and organizations who donated funds to Calgary Area Girl Guides in 2018. Your generosity helps us provide exciting and enriching programs for girls so we can encourage them in “Everything They Want to Be!” Organizations and Corporate Donors
Canadian Western Bank Shell Canada Limited Cenovus Employee Foundation Suncor Energy Cenovus Energy Thorncliffe Community Association-- in memoriam Jackie Fietz Fiala Consulting Inc. TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. LaValley Family Trust Westrockers Trefoil Guild Pulse Seismic Individual Donors
Andrea Perkins Erin Flory R.J. Bartlette Angela Reddy Helen Perry Robert Desbiens Caitlin Latimer Hilda Lawson Samantha Moffat Christie Courtland Janelle Smiley-Wiens Scott Beer Christie Joseph Jennifer Mena-Yuik Selwyn Morris Cyndi Grieder Katherine Aerts Susan Ryan Donna Leonard Robb Keri-Lynn Bruce Tom & Zelda Yeoman Dr. Helen M.G. Murray Lynn Blouin Wahidat Mawji Edie Jubenville Michael Robinson Walter & Gloria Chayka Erika Ringseis Natalie Morrison + Anonymous donors Erin Burgess
Thank You!
Annual Report 2018 Page 61
INDEX
1 E 12 MIle Coulee · 31 East Bow · 39 Employees · 7 A ENews · 19 Expenses · 2 Adelaide Glenn · 32 Annie Bannister · 33 Area Commissioner · 1 F Area Council · 8 Facilities · 11 Awards · 20 Famous Five · 40 Financial Report · 2 B Beth Riddoch · 34 G Blackfoot · 35 Girl Guide Centre · 12 C I Calgary Area Dinner · 58 Iasg · 12 Camping · 13 In Memoriam · 59 Camps · 11 International · 17 Commissioner team · 6 Committees · 9 Communications · 19 J Cookies · 4 Co-West · 36 Jubilee · 11 Crystal Palace · 37 M D Membership · 18 Deerfoot · 38 Memorial Grove · 59 Deputy Commissioners · 6 Message from Area Commissioner · 1 Districts · 30 Mockingbird · 12 Donations · 61
Annual Report 2018 Page 62
N S Newsletter · 19 Sarcee Hills · 46 Nitanisak · 41 Scenic Bow Valley · 47 North Star · 42 Silverbirch · 48 Staff · 7 P Sunrise · 49 Patterson · 43 T Paxhill · 44 Prairie Mosaic · 45 Three Sisters · 50 Program · 22 Training · 28 Public Relations · 25 Treasurer · 2 R W Revenue · 2 Website · 19 Westglen · 51 Westover · 12 Wichewakn · 52
Annual Report 2018 Page 63
Vision Law The Guiding Law challenges me to: A better world, by girls. ■ be honest and trustworthy Mission ■ use my resources wisely To be a catalyst for girls empowering girls. ■ respect myself and others Promise ■ recognize and use my talents and abilities ■ protect our common environment Guiding Promise ■ live with courage and strength I Promise to do my best, To be true to myself, my beliefs and ■ share in the sisterhood of Guiding. Canada I will take action for a better world The Brownie Law And respect the Guiding Law As a Brownie I am honest and kind; Brownie Promise I help take care I Promise to do my best, Of the world around me To be true to myself, my beliefs and Canada I will take action for a better world
And respect the Brownie Law Sparks Promise I promise to share and be a friend.