Since 2016, Agassiz Harrison girls have been learning, growing and bonding with the help of the Girl Guides program, revived by a group of local mothers who wanted to bring the over 100-year-old initiative back into the community to support the development of strong, connected young women.
In its first year, the program accommodated mixed meetings of Sparks – ages five to six – and Brownies – ages seven to eight. Last year Guides – ages nine to 11 –were added, and this fall there will be three separate programs to accommodate girls on the wait lists for the units.
After it was reintroduced in 2016, Girl Guides became popular in the area quickly – so popular in fact, that there was simply not enough leaders (also known as Guiders) to take on the amount of girls who wanted to join the program last year.
That’s why Agassiz Harrison Girl Guides is a putting out a call for enthusiastic volunteer Guiders, asking women aged 19 and older to take on leadership roles in a program that helps to develop positive relationships amongst girls in their community.
“You just get joy out of it. You’re bringing up these girls to be strong women,” said local Guider Jennifer Drewes. “The kids get connection. They get really strong bonds with other girls.”
Guiders are responsible for arranging weekly meetings – creating lessons and activities to helps the girls earn badges. Guiders also take part in camps and excursions throughout the year, like trips to Girl Guides Camp Olave in Sechelt, B.C. where girls – and their guiders – camp out on 56 hectares of forest and wilderness on the Sunshine Coast, enjoying activities like archery, hiking, canoeing, swimming and even a ‘low ropes course.’
| The Girl Guides mandate is to create a place where girls 'lead the way, seek new challenges, find their voice, discover how they can make a difference in their world,' and much more. The local branch is in need of volunteer leaders so it can take in more girls. (Submitted) |
Drewes said leaders can expect to dedicate about three to four hours a week of their time between meetings and planning time. Meetings will take place at the Agassiz United Church or Agricultural Hall starting in September. She added that joining the girl-led program isn’t a huge time commitment, but has a big pay off.
“Girl guides has created a new mission – to be a catalyst for girls empowering girls – and vision – a better world, by girls – to better represent all girls in Canada,” she wrote in a Facebook message to the Observer. “Part of meeting this is [the] whole new girl-led program in the fall.”
Registration for new Guides opens online June 14. Girls older than 11 can find Girl Guides programs in Chilliwack.
Those interested in joining the program as a Guider or as a Spark, Brownie or Girl Guide can visit girlguides.ca or email jenndrewes3@gmail.com for more information.