NATIONAL GUIDE WEEKEND Pages 12-13
WORLD THINKING DAY Pages 28-29 2017 Vol. 1
Guider’s Link
www.girlguidesireland.ie 1
CONTENTS International Commissioner's Message 3 Noticeboard 4 Positions on the Board 8 Guide Weekend 12 Cygnet Section 14 BrigĂn Section 16 Guide Section 18 Ranger Section 20 Training 22 Outdoors 24 International 28 Diversity 34 Around Ireland 40 From the Archive 46 Contacts 47
Don't forget to send your photos and articles for the Guiders Link to: guiderslink@girlguidesireland.ie. Closing date for the next issue is Monday 3rd April, 2017 2 Guiders Link Vol. 1
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONER'S MESSAGE Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2017 As each year passes they seem to come around even more quickly. It has been another busy year of events and opportunities at an International level. The triennial European Guide and Scout Conference took place in Norway, CGI attended the Helen Storrow Seminar in Our Chalet, Switzerland, Overtures Network Meetings in Germany and Ireland, along with other events held in Poland and Sweden. Many individual groups also travelled abroad this year some visiting the World Centres, Switzerland, Holland and France to name but a few. Many of these have been reported on in the Guider’s Link, please make sure to watch out for these and sign up when you see opportunities in the future. Roverway took place in France during the summer of 2016. This saw a joint contingent from CGI and IGG participate as patrols and also as members of the International Service Team (IST). This event is aimed at the 16+ age group and is an excellent opportunity for girls to develop leadership skills, participate in activities based on both adventure and civic responsibilities. The next Roverway will take place in the Netherlands in 2018 and is a great chance for our Rangers and Young Leaders to meet other European Guides and Scouts of their own age and truly experience the international dimension of guiding & scouting. Watch out in the next Guider’s Link for information on applying to take part in the next joint contingent. Back in late October, WAGGGS launched a new brand and visual identity. As part of the new look and feel, the strapline, ‘For Her World’ has been created. The wording has been developed to better show who we are and what we do at a global level. For over 100 years WAGGGS has been the only global movement geared entirely to every girl and any girl. Wherever she is from, whatever her background and experience, every girl deserves to be the best they
can be. Read more about the new brand at the following link. https://www.wagggs.org/en/news/wagggs-launch-new-brandher-world/ February is our month to celebrate being part of one of the largest female organisations in the world. Throughout February, and not only on Thinking Day, try to encourage your members to appreciate how large an organisation WAGGGS is. The WAGGGS Thinking Day Activity Pack, on this year’s theme ‘Grow’, is available from the following link, we have a snippet in this Guider’s Link to give you a taste. www.WorldThinkingDay.org This year CGI will hold a National Thinking Day event in Gormanston Park. This day will incorporate activities relevant for each age section. The girls will learn about other countries through games, crafts and activities. We’re looking forward to a great fun day celebrating our Guiding World. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the CGI International Facebook Page, look for ‘CGI – International Page’ on Facebook. We share lots of information regarding WAGGGS, Guiding/Girl Scouting events taking place at home and abroad and upcoming opportunities for leaders are shared. Like the page to keep up to date. We are once again collecting for the Thinking Day fund. This money is used to provide girls in other developing countries with the opportunities many of us take for granted. So please, during your own Thinking Day celebrations, encourage your girls to make a small donation. This can be sent to the National Office where they will be collected and sent to WAGGGS. I wish you a great Thinking Day and, hopefully, I will have the chance to meet many of you on Saturday 18th February. Yours in Guiding, Louise Browne International Commissioner international@girlguidesireland.ie
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NOTICEBOARD UPCOMING NATIONAL EVENTS Guider Training (Step 2)
27-29th January
Guider Training (Step 3)
27-29th January
Cygnet Guider Weekend
3-5th February
World Thinking Day (All Sections Event)
18th February
World Thinking Day
22nd February
NEB
4th March
Guider Training (Step 1)
24-26th March
National Council
22nd April
REGIONAL TRAINING PL Training Weekend (SE Region)
3-5th February 2017
International Womens Day Lunch (SE Region)
12th March 2017
CPA Training (SE Region)
1st April 2017
RESOURCE DATES Street Children's Day
31 January
World Cancer Day
4 February
International Safer Internet Day
8 February
International Childhood Cancer Day
15 February
World Thinking Day
22 February
International Women's Day World Water Day
8 March
World Health Day
7 April
International Day of Families Global Day of Parents
15th May
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22 March
1st June
NEWS FROM THE BOARD Just a reminder that in line with the CGI Safeguarding Policy, Outdoor Policy and International Handbook, the following ratios must be adhered to at all times Meetings
All Other Activities & Events (including Outdoors & International)
Cygnets
1:5
1:5
Brigins
1:8
1:6
Guides
1 : 10
1:8
Rangers
1 : 10
1:8
TRAVEL INSURANCE CGI Units can now avail of competitive travel insurance rates through an agreement with BHP Insurance Brokers. for a period not exceeding 7 days. Members of CGI can purchase their Travel Insurance directly through the BHP website by visiting the following This facility has been set up for CGI Units to use directly address - http://bhpinsurance.ie/. with BHP and does not form part of the CGI Annual Insurance. Any questions should be addressed to Simply click the Travel Icon and follow the easy to the dedicated contact point in BHP, John Barnes follow steps. This is an exclusive facility which we have – Tel: 01 629 9908 and not to the CGI National established in partnership with AIG Europe Limited. Office. Premiums are charged based on the destination and Units travelling abroad must ensure they have correct duration of the trip but would start from as low as €10.36 based on a single person traveling within Europe Travel Insurance in place.
Don't forget: Order your Free Being Me badges! Have you completed the programme, or maybe you’re in the final stages? Don’t forget to submit your evaluation form and order your badges from the National Office or the Northern Region Office. Evaluation Forms are available on the CGI website. www.girlguidesireland.ie 5
GARDA VETTING National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016
IT IS ILLEGAL
to volunteer with children before Garda Vetting has been confirmed by the National Vetting Bureau.
Proof of Identity and Confirmation of the current address are required BEFORE the vetting process can commence. Therefore, photocopies of these documents must accompany all applications sent to the National Office. Any application submitted to the National Office without these documents will be returned to the applicant. Applications made by anyone under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied by form NVB 3 Parent/ Guardian Consent Form.
Garda Vetting Forms are available on the CGI Website or from the National Office
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National Guide & Ranger Camp 2017
F
A D 5 F * 9 C K K C 9 @ When: 23-25 June 2017 Where: Kilcully Campsite Cork Cost: €50 per participant Leaders €20 Transport: €15 per head
CLOSING DATE
5th MAY 2017
9 B I $
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POSITIONS ON THE BOARD In April at National Councul a large number of positions on the board will become vacant and new volunteers will be needed to fill these positions, so we have gathered together the roles that need to be filled along with the duties the roles will entail so our Guiders can look over them in case they feel they would be suited to the role.
• To represent the National Association at official functions. • To review the minutes of the National Executive Board meeting before they are distributed.
Chief Commissioner
National Commissioner for Cygnet, Brigin, Guide or Ranger Section
Role: Coordinate, and if necessary, direct the work of the various committees of the National Executive Board and of the Regional Commissioners. Promote the expansion and progress of the Association and carry out such duties as the National Executive Board may decide. Duties: • To chair the National Council. • To chair the National Executive Board. • To foster and promote Catholic Guiding. • To coordinate and direct Guiding at National level. • To represent the National Association at official functions. • To oversee the Chief Commissioner Award • To hold and chair National Officers Meetings. • To liaise with the National Office staff.
National Secretary Role With the other National Officers, promote the expansion and progress of the Association, through the development and implementation of the strategic plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board. Develop and implement an effective internal communication system. Coordinate and direct the administrative, secretarial and information functions of the Association, and such duties as the National Executive Board may decide. Duties: • To act as a member of and secretary to National Council. • To act as a member of and secretary to the National Executive Board. • To foster and promote Catholic Guiding. • To summon meetings of National Council and the National Executive Board. • To provide support and if necessary training for Regional secretaries.
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Role Coordinate the work of the section Support Team. With the other members of the National Executive Broad, promote the expansion and progress of the Association, though the development and implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board. Duties: • To act as a member of National Executive Broad. • To be responsible for the section budget. • To present the section report to all National Executive Boards and Annual Report. • Develop the Section. • Develop the Programme. • Help organise the All Section / Thinking Day event. • Organise a section only event every year. • Set at competitions for the section throughout the year • Submit approx. 4 page spread for Guiders Link • To represent the National Association at official functions. • To participate in the development and review of National policies/ programmes.
National Commissioner for Training Role Coordinate the work of the training support team. With the other members of the National executive broad, promote the expansion and progress of the Association, though the development and implementation of the strategic plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board. Duties: • To act as a member of National Executive Broad. • To convene and chair meetings of the National Training Team. • To be responsible for the training budget.
POSITIONS ON THE BOARD • To present the training report to all National Executive Boards and annual report. • To liaise with the Development Commissioner. • To submit updates on any training news in the Guiders link and website. • To represent the National Association at official functions. • To provide support and if necessary training for Regions. • To organise and co-ordinate training courses. • To represent the Association at official events • To participate in the development and review of National policies / programmes • To liaise with Regional Training Teams
National Commissioner for Communications Role Responsible for the overall image of the Association Coordinate the work of the Communications Team. With the other members of the National Executive Broad, promote the expansion and progress of the Association, though the development and implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board. Duties: • To act as a member of National Executive Broad. • To convene and chair meetings of the National Communications Team • To be responsible for the Communications budget. • To present the Communications report to all National Executive Boards and Annual Report • To oversee the Guiders Link, Annual Report and all other publications. • Liaise with Media • Liaise with National Office Co-ordinator and appropriate staff • To oversee the content and update of the website and all online media • To represent the National Association at official functions. • To provide support and if necessary training for Regions. • To participate in the development and review of National Policies/ Programmes • To liaise with the Regional Training Teams.
National Commissioner for Development Role Coordinate the work of the Development Support Team. With the other members of the National Executive Broad, promote the expansion and progress of the Association, though the development and implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board. Duties: • To act as a member of National Executive Broad. • To convene and chair meetings of the National Development Team. • To be responsible for the development budget. • To present the development report to all National Executive Boards and Annual Report. • To liaise with communities that want to start Guiding. • To liaise with the Training Commissioner. • To submit updates on any development news in the Guiders Link and website. • To develop opportunities for young leaders to get involved through the new Regional structure. • To represent the National Association at official functions. • To provide support and if necessary training for the Regions. • To participate in the development and review of National policies/ programmes. • To liaise with the Regional Development Officers, if applicable.
Ordinary Member Role Promote expansion and progress of the Association, through the development and implementation of the strategic plan of the Association as devised by the National Executive Board.
Duties: To act as a member of the National Executive •
Board. • To assist other members of the National Executive Board as required. • To take on projects as requested by the Chief Commissioner and national events as they arise such as the Chief Commissioner Award, Guiders Link, Members Council etc.
Please note that National Officers must be at least 21 years of age. If you are interested in any of the above voluntary vacancies, please contact your Regional Commissioner www.girlguidesireland.ie 9
RANGER COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGE -UPDATE........... By now you've all heard about the Rangers Communication Challenge. It has been devised by the Ranger and Communications Commissioners with the aim of trying to get our Rangers more involved in our Association, after all they are the future leaders!
The aim of the Challenge is to encourage the Rangers to "communicate" to the wider world, to publicise their own Ranger unit, their Region or even Nationally, and to give them the voice to express what it is they enjoy about being a member of CGI. There are two different elements to the Challenge and the girls can take part in both or just in one, that's entirely up to them - there will be a winner in each section and an overall winner. The winners will be announced at a Ranger Day during the year.
While at the National Ranger Weekend in November we took the opportunity to speak to the girls about the challenge, and we were delighted to hear that quite a number of them said they're taking part. They've had some really great ideas and are enjoying the challenge. To give you some idea of the sort of things that some of the groups are doing, in case your own girls need some help or motivation, this is just a sample of what they're up to: • Sent an article to a local paper about girls from their unit who had completed the CCA this year •
One girl spoke at her school assembly about being a member of CGI and the opportunities she has had, and why she enjoys it
•
One pair set up a Twitter account (with parental consent & supervision) and began tweeting, not only to other Guiding or Scouting accounts, but crucially, to pop-culture vloggers (video bloggers) that are watched and admired by their age-group, they even managed to get a re-tweet by one of them and met her at an event in Dublin
•
Another group spoke at their school on the SDG's and why they were supporting them
•
One girl was thinking about encouraging her school to take part in Free Being Me, and then documenting that
•
Apparently one group are even putting together a short play that they hope to have read on the radio!
This is just a small sample to maybe help spark some ideas with your group. We have some amazing young minds in our Association, and they're coming up with great ideas. If we manage to get even a small percentage of the publicity their ideas should generate, we'll be doing very well indeed. So, if they haven't already, please encourage your Rangers to take up the Challenge.
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RANGER COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGE The Ranger Commissioner and the Communications Commissioners have come together to design a Challenge especially for the Ranger groups. The aim of the Challenge is to "communicate" to the wider world, to publicise your Rangers unit. There are two different elements to the Challenge, and you can take part in both or just in one, that's entirely up to you - there will be a winner in each section and an overall winner.
>>>> The first part is a Social Media Challenge; and in this part, we're challenging you to get as much social media coverage as you can for your post (or posts, it can be more than one) The total number of likes/re-tweets/shares etc will be calculated as on the closing date of the competition and no later.
>>>> The second part is a traditional media Challenge; and in this section, it's all about newspapers, radio
or tv and how much coverage you can get in any one, or all of those - obviously a national tv station would score higher than a local radio station.
Who? The Challenge can be completed individually or by groups, that's entirely up to you. What? You need to put up a post/article/tweet (whatever you want to do) but it MUST include three things. 1. A photo of your uniform - it doesn't need to show faces if you don't wish to. 2. You must include "CGI" at least once in the text. 3. One of the following: The name of your Unit, your meeting day and time, or your meeting place. If any of these elements are missing, your entry will be deemed invalid. Where? The Challenge is a long-running event, so there is no set place to complete it; you can be as creative as you wish over the entire period. When? The Challenge will begin on 1st September and will end on 1st March, with the winner being awarded at a Ranger Event, date to be decided, at the end of March. How? First, register your interest on our dedicated Facebook page, the rest is entirely up to you! You're encouraged to think outside the box and be as creative and engaging as possible. There's no limit to the amount of posts/articles etc that you try to get published/shared they just all need to have the 3 elements described above.
GOOD LUCK!
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The National Guide weekend took place in Mount Melleray Scout Centre on the 4th to 6th of November 2016. The theme for the weekend was “Into the West”, the camp was attended by 254 guides, 52 leaders and 16 of the team who organised the event and activities. The weekend kicked off with a small introduction to the girls and an explanation of how the next day’s activities would run, each girl got a name tag and a card that told them their activities and times. The leaders then had a meeting, it was fantastic to see the guiding spirit shine through, all of the leaders took on a job to help with the smooth running of the activities and meal times on the Saturday. Before lights out we had some supper. Saturday was a fun filled jam packed day, with early breakfast and activities starting. During the day each girl attended four activities two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The activities where based on the theme of the weekend but also to give the girls a chance at experiencing new ways / ideas of doing guiding activities and brush up on the old skills. The activities ranged from knots and lashing, fire lighting, team building, bronco, crafts and line dancing. Finishing off the activities was dinner but the day didn’t end there, the night had just begun, Dane our fantastic line dancing teacher had taught the girls a dance during the day. It was hoe down time and all the girls got into their row and danced their heart away to Miley Cyrus “hoe down throw down”. It was great to see all the girls dancing to their hearts' content. Our Chief Commissioner came down for dinner and to see the hoe down. The hoe down blended into a disco before the girls finished the night off with a campfire. Sunday morning was a clean up morning before mass and a closing of camp. Cara come out to join us after mass as the units took group pictures. It was an amazing camp. My aim was to give the girls the opportunity to mix with other regions, brush up on and learn new skills. I can’t thank the wonderful leaders who gave up their time that weekend to bring the girls and help out. Thank you to the office staff for all their support, help and guidance and all they do in the office, the hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, thank you. To Mount Melleray for all their hard work over the weekend catering for our every need, to Pat and his team thank you. Finally the dream team that planned and carried out the activities and the weekend, you are an amazing group of people, the weekend couldn’t be run without you.
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CYGNETS We're at the start of a brand new Guiding year and there's plenty of exciting things to look forward to, from World Thinking Day to Pancake Tuesday, Mother's Day and Easter. You can find lots of inspiration for your programme on OGM, but here are some more fun ideas for you to try out with your Cygnets!
Grown Your Own We all know that the theme of this year's World Thinking Day is Grow, and a great way to illustrate that while still having fun is by letting the Cygnets grow their own! •
Simply get some plastic drinking cups; have all the Cygnets bring in a photo of themselves, or you can take some at your meeting and print them out on ordinary copy paper.
• The Cygnets can pop their picture into their cup, then add some soil (or use a grow-bag divided between them all) and let them plant some quick growing seeds, some grasses, herbs or bean sprouts.
•
Pancake Tuesday Pancake Tuesday is a great opportunity to have fun with food! Why not try something like a pancake decorating competition? Give the girls a plain pancake and put some decorations on the table in front of them, give them a certain amount of time, maybe 2mins, to decorate their pancakes - fun, creative and delicious.
We all know that Cygnets love to sing, so why not have them stand in their circle and toss their pancakes together as they sing, to the tune of "Build a Bonfire" 14 Guiders Link Vol. 1
As they grow it will look like hair at the top of their photos!
Frying Pan Relay Another great idea for a pancake themed evening is a Pancake Toss Relay! • Divide the girls into teams, and give them each a "pan and pancake" and have them run a relay race, but they must flip their pancake at least twice on their way out and back. • You can make pans and pancakes fairly easily - one quick and easy way is to use a paper plate and sellotape a plastic fork
Pin The Tail on The Bunny Cygnets always look forward to Easter, and there are lots of games and crafts we can enjoy at our meetings. A simple game that they all love is Pin the Tail.
Quick and easy, simply print out some bunny shapes, similar to this one. Place them on the walls around the room, hang up a few so that the girls don't have to wait too long for their turn, as they can be a little impatient. Give them each a cotton ball, with some Vaseline or Pritt Stick on to make it stick to the paper. They can use their neckerchief as a blindfold if you don't have anything else to hand. And let them play!
on to use as the handle; or you can do as illustrated, just use a paper plate and some thicker cardboard cut into a handle shape either stuck or stapled to the plate. • For your pancake, you can either use some thick paper cut into circles, or some felt shapes. Ordinary paper is too flimsy and will likely fly away!
Bunny Me A nice keepsake idea for Easter is the Bunny-Me craft. Ask the girls to bring in a picture of their face, or you can print them for your meeting. Cut them into an oval shape, but you'll need to leave about 1.5 inch space around the edges in order to have a place to glue on cotton balls. The next part is a favourite with the Cygnets! Using a kid friendly paint (and easy to wash off) to get their footprints. The easiest way is to do this outside, have the girls take off shoes and socks, roll up their trousers, step in paint, walk across a roll of paper and have a basin of warm soapy water and towel at the other end of the paper so they step into that and wash and dry their feet! If you need to do it inside, don't forget to put a drop cloth or some plastic on the floor beneath your paper and basin. Once the footprints have dried, have the girls cut four of them out. Next, cut out an oval shape in card to make the belly (this should be roughly the same size as the picture) and then the girls can glue cotton balls onto it. Now, glue (or staple) the head onto the belly and then glue cotton balls around the edge of the head. Finally, add your feet and ears, they can add cotton balls to those too if they want. And there you go, some cute Cygnet bunnies. www.girlguidesireland.ie 15
BRIGĂ?NĂ? As we head towards Spring with it's brighter days and warmer weather, we're also looking forward to the new term and all that it brings. First up for us is our World Thinking Day celebration in Gormanston Park, and we hope to see many of you there on the day.
Meditation and Compliments The theme for World Thinking Day this year is Grow, and we all know that we grow in different ways, mentally, physically and spiritually. So, with that in mind why not have a Mindfulness or yoga evening with your Brigini some day? Mindfulness teaches us to direct our attention to what is happening right here, right now, with an attitude of kindness towards ourselves, our experience, and others. This is a great message to give to our Brigini, and fits in nicely both with WTD and also Free Being Me.
One of the first parts of being mindful is to clear your mind and relax, so here's a nice exercise to do with the girls. You may be lucky enough to have carpet in your room, but if not you can ask them to bring along a yoga mat or a blanket with them to their meeting. Have them lie down, get comfy, in low light, but not completely dark, and as they begin to relax you can say the following, then leave the girls quietly for a few minutes (but not too long!)
When they're all alert and back as a group, you can finish your relaxation session with a "Free Compliments" round. The girls form into a circle, sitting or standing, and one by one, they turn to the girl on their left and give her a compliment. As each girl gives the compliment, the rest of the group give a round of applause to the recipient, it boosts their sense of self. Or, another way to do your "Free Compliments" is for the leader to go around the circle, and give each girl a compliment - the added bonus with this method is that the girls get to hear something heartfelt from their leader, and that alone can be a gift.
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Easter Sock Bunnies Easter is coming and we're all going to scrabble around to find a cute craft to do at our meetings, how about making your own army of sock bunnies?
Start by giving each of your Brigini a toddler sock each; you can usually pick up a pack of six pairs in Penny's for about â‚Ź3, this is enough for 12 girls so it's a really nice, inexpensive craft.
The girls can fill their sock with dried beans or rice and tie off the top with a rubber band, leaving about an inch clear at the top. Use a second rubber band, about a third of the way down, to make a head. Give the girls some nice coloured ribbons to tie around the neck to cover the band and also to make them look cute. Cut the top into ear shapes (cut a "v" with rounded tops). To do the face, you can either stick on some googly-eyes and a red pom-pom for the nose, or you can paint the features on. A really nice, easy way to do this is to have two saucers of paint, one black and one red; use the eraser end of a new pencil and dip it in the black paint to make the eyes and the red paint to make the nose. For your bunny tail, you can either paint it on using this same method, or stick on another pom-pom.
Bath Salts for Mum Mother's Day is on the way too, and we're all going to have to find a gift for Mum, how about making some pretty bath salts? Here's a nice simple recipe with only four or five ingredients: coarse sea salt, Epsom salts, baking soda and essential oils, and food colouring if preferred. To begin, in a large bowl, mix to combine: 6 parts coarse sea salt; 3 parts Epsom salts and 1 part baking soda. Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice, and combine to give desired aroma. If you want to colour your bath salts a particular colour; for example, if you added Lavender oils why not colour them to match? Just add a few drops of food colouring until you achieve the desired shade. When you're done, you can put them into some decorated mason jars, make sure the lid is air-tight, place a pretty ribbon around them and a label to Mum on the front, and you're done!
Birds Nest Treats Easter is also a time when the girls have lots of treats and a perennial favourite is the birds nest, a quick easy recipe with no baking involved at all. No need to give a recipe for this, but perhaps instead of using cornflakes or rice crispy cereals as we all do, you could try pretzels, the salty taste adds to the chocolate; and instead of using smarties for inside the nest, try some jelly tots or jelly beans! www.girlguidesireland.ie 17
GUIDES Easter Traditions Around the world
Hi Everyone, Hope you are all settled back into the Guiding year 2017, this year will be fun filled with adventure and experiences. There are lots of occasions coming up soon, I hope these ideas help. Looking forward to seeing you all at Thinking Day 2017. Yours in Guiding, Geraldine Conway National Commissioner for Guides
In America at Easter there is a tradition of an egg roll race in the White House why not create this activity on one of your meeting nights? You will need: •
Coloured hard-boiled egg (one for each girl you can even decorate them yourself )
•
Large serving spoon
•
Cones to mark out starting point and finishing point
Instructions 1. Each girl lines up at the starting point with their egg and serving spoon. 2.
The egg is placed on the ground, on the word go you have to roll your egg only using your serving spoon to the finish line.
3.
First girl to do so wins.
COMPETITION
TIME Thinking Day 2017 theme “grow” if you were to describe your guiding experience in 3 words what would they be? Remember you would describe these words to someone who is not in the guides, to encourage them to join our organisation. Entries can be in any form you wish, posters, cards, pictures, use natural materials. Go on take a trip out on your creative side. Entries can be sent to guides@ girlguideireland.ie by the Wednesday 22nd of February 2017.
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Doughnut Muffins Try something new to bake this valentines for all your friends and family, make Doughnut Muffins.
Ingredients •
140g golden caster sugar
•
200g for dusting of golden caster sugar
•
200g plain flour
•
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
•
100ml natural yoghurt
•
2 large eggs
•
1tsp vanilla extract
•
140g butter
• 12 tsp seedless raspberry jam
Method 1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin (or use a silicone one). Put 140g sugar, flour and bicarb in a bowl and mix to combine. In a jug, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Tip the jug contents and melted butter into the dry ingredients and quickly fold with a metal spoon to combine. 2. Divide two-thirds of the mixture between the muffin holes. Carefully add 1 tsp jam into the centre of each, then cover with the remaining mixture. Bake for 16-18 mins until risen, golden and springy to touch. 3. Leave the muffins to cool for 5 mins before lifting out of the tin and rolling in the extra sugar
International Women’s day 8th March 2017 This year’s theme for International Women’s day is “Be Bold For Change” why not have a tea evening for the women in your community that inspire you i.e. Mothers, sister’s grandmothers or aunties. Host an evening with these ladies to celebrate International Women’s day. It can also go towards your Hostess badge. Even go as far as inviting an influential woman in the work force in your community to be a guest speaker.
DIY Button Egg Craft Materials: 8.5 x 11 piece of white cardstock
4. Now let’s frame your Easter egg masterpiece! Open the frame and remove the glass. Place the egg in the front of the frame, then the glass and back.
Printable Egg Pattern Various sizes of pink, teal and purple buttons (but you of course can use what-ever colours work for you) hot glue old toothbrush your favourite 8×10 frame Directions: 1. Print the egg pattern onto white card stock. Trim the page to 8×10 (or to suit the size of your frame). 2. Begin with any colour and hot glue the buttons onto the pattern. Start with the outline of the colour block and then fill in the centre. Gaps in the centre are fine, as long as they are small enough to be covered by the second layer of buttons 3. Once you’ve completed the first layer of buttons, add the second and if desired, a third layer. Rub your old toothbrush over the buttons to remove any hot glue threads.
Campfire Song: On My Honour Coming into spring time we may get a chance to get outside and have a campfire if not inside can also work. I think we all know the song On my honour, on my look out for new songs I found this one maybe you could try add in a new verse or two.
On my honour I will try there’s a duty to be done and I say aye There’s a reason here for a reason above My honour is to try and my duty is love People don’t need to know my name If I do any harm, then I’m to blame When I help another, I help me If I’ve opened up my eyes to see I’ve tucked away a song or two If you’re feeling low, there’s one for you When you need a friend, then I will come
There are many more where I come from Come with me where a fire burns bright We can even see better in a candle’s light But we find more meaning in a campfire’s glow Than we’d ever learn in a year or so We’ve made a promise to always keep And the day is done before we sleep We’ll be Girl Guides together and when we’re gone We’ll still be trying and singing this song
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RANGERS Hi Everyone, Hope you all had a great Christmas. The Ranger weekend proved to be a great success with everyone but sadly it was my last one to organise as my term ends in April. Can I take this opportunity to thank all of the Rangers who attended events during my term of office as National Ranger Commissioner you were fantastic. A HUGE thank you to all my support team as things would not have happened without your help.
REPORT ON
National Ranger Weekend 2016 The Ranger event was held in the very new ‘Larch Hill House’ which is a great venue. There were 35 Rangers in attendance. The theme for the weekend was ‘Mind, Body and Soul’. The regions represented were Eastern and Northern Region.
Let’s hope that 2017 is a SUPER year for our Ranger events.
Patricia Derwin, National Commissioner for Rangers
Important Dates 18th Feb, 2017 National Thinking Day, Gormanstown Park, Co. Meath 23rd – 25th June, 2017 National Guide and Ranger weekend
The weekend began with introductions and a few games. On Saturday there were four workshops and the Rangers had the opportunity to attend all of them. In the morning they did Mindfulness and Bollywood Dancing. In the afternoon they had a skin care talk and make-up demonstration. After dinner the girls had a very energetic Clubbercise class with Sarah-Jane, this was really energetic and the Rangers (and leaders) had a great time. They finished the evening off with arts and crafts while watching a DVD.
On Sunday morning the girls had a talk on exercise and nutrition again with Sarah Jane. It was great to see how well the girls engaged with this activity, they learned a lot which will help them in the future. A very massive ‘Thank You’ to each and every Ranger who took part and I will pass on your ideas to the next National Ranger Commissioner.
A very big thank you to our chef Sarah Brown, she did a great job feeding us all for the weekend. I will be forever thankful to the Ranger Support Team for all their help during my time as National Ranger Commissioner.
Patricia Derwin National Commissioner for Ranger Guides
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Your View - Some Comments on the Ranger Weekend
If you were unsatisfied for any reason, please indicate the reason:
Tell us your favourite part? •
Cushions and movies
•
Make up
Breakfast was too early
•
Dancing
•
No campfire
•
Going to bed, eating, socialising, make-up
•
The food was real sketchy
• Getting to wear face paint and Bollywood dancing
•
The people in my room wouldn’t turn off the lights until 2am
•
Can you give a specific example of how you may use anything you have learned from the event in your Guiding or in your life? • Bollywood dancing will be useful when I go to India. • Health and fitness talk will help me to be healthier •
Know more about skincare
•
Relieving stress
•
Mindfulness
•
Make pillows
•
To eat healthy food
•
I will think less about the future and live more in the moment
•
It’s okay to take a breather
•
Mindfulness can help my anxiety
•
Be healthier!
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TRAINING UPCOMING COURSES Guider Training Step 1 Dates: 24th-26th March Venue: Newgrange Lodge, Co. Meath Cost: â‚Ź50 Closing Date: 28th February
Get to Know Your Regional Trainer Who are you ? Mary E Lawlor What is your role in C.G.I. ? Unit Leader and Member of the Regional Training, Development, Outdoor Teams What is your C.G.I. story when did you join? I joined as a child. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? Trying to encourage people to join our organisation. How do you unwind? Family and friends. Have you a bucket list is there anything you would really like to do in your lifetime that you haven't done yet ? In my Guiding life it would be to visit all world centres. If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things could you not do without ? Family, music cannot think of a third. What is your favourite Guiding memory? Soooo many I think when I first became Regional Commissioner. Tell us something interesting about yourself? That's a hard one Mandy I think you would be better asking some of my friends sorry 'Mary is a great motivator and very proud of CGI' -Geraldine Conway, National Commissioner for Guides 'Mary got her love of camping and outdoors from when she used to spend her summers camping with her family at Curracloe. As the eldest of 12 children, Mary was camp chief at an early age!' -Phil Dempsey, Guider, SER. 22 Guiders Link Vol. 1
hr Neckerchief Chase 24hrs 1car around Ireland
What’s this all about then? Well, quite simply we're giving a challenge to four of our adult members - they've got one car and one day to visit every unit in the country and swap one of their Challenge neckers for a unit neckerchief! We hope that you'll all join in with the fun and you will be able to follow their progress on social media, through live casts on Facebook and Twitter and regular updates to our pages. We'll also tie in with local media as they make their way around the country, starting at our furthest Southwest unit and ending at our furthest Northwest!
More details in the next Guiders Link
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OUTDOORS Happy New year everyone Hope everybody had a great Christmas and is back to 2017 looking forward to the next term of Guiding and to those longer days and evenings when we can get out and about. So what New Year resolutions are we making: Well the outdoor award, hope you are all working away on it and ordering your badges. The badge is designed to be easily done by all sections and I look forward to seeing your applications coming in for the gold award. National Ranger and Guide camp – as you will see from the advert national guide camp is on in Kilcully in Cork on the 23rd June and the theme for this year is Flower Power so make sure to mark the date in your diary and join us back in the 60’s for a fabulous camp. We really would love to see as many Guides and Rangers as possible there.
Emily McCann, National Commissioner for Outdoors
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FIRE STARTERS It was great to see so many Guides at the Into The West weekend in Melleray. Those of you who did the fire base had requested the information on the various fire starters we used so I have included these again for your information;
Cotton fire-starting wafers Making the wafers is easy: just put the candle into a pan you don't mind getting some wax in, and turn up the heat, low and slow. Wait until you have about an 1/8 to 1/4-inch of liquid wax in the bottom of the pan. Then use some tweezers or tongs to put a few cotton pads at the bottom of the pan, all in one layer so they don't overlap. In a few seconds, they'll absorb a good bit of the wax, but just enough to coat the outside. Take them out and let them cool on a sheet of wax paper completely before tossing them into a zipper bag. That's all there is to it. The next time you need to start a fire quickly, just grab one of the pads, tear it open partially to expose the cotton fibers inside, and light it up. You'll get a slow-burning fire-starter that won't go out before the rest of your kindling has caught on too
Fire Starters These handy fire starters are made out of paper egg cartons, dryer lint and old candle stubs. Pack the egg carton with lint from the dryer and pour melted candle grease over it. Once the candle wax has set separate them into individual fire lighters and they are then so handy to have on a hike or camp. Once lit, they burn long and mightily. I always keep one down at the bottom of my backpack, along with the first aid kit. They’re really handy for starting fires, especially for the fire-challenged, or to give you extra security when you’re working in difficult conditions. Best of all, they cost nothing, and take only a few minutes to make.
FIVE As part of our outdoor programme, and can be built into your outdoor award, we want to create an awareness of nature and the environment, here are some simple exercises that will introduce new aspects of the environment using all of our senses. They are based around the five senses - seeing, hearing, touch, tasting, smelling and strive to give the participants an 'experience of nature'.
Shapes Give each person a random shape / line drawn on a piece of paper and get them to find something in the area that matches the shape (need not be the same size - could even be in the form of a hill)
Camouflage exercise Hiding themselves in a wood or undergrowth using natural materials to disguise their shape. In setting up this exercise it is important that you do not disturb the habitat. You should only use loose material to disguise shape such as leaves, fallen branches and cuts and grooves in the ground. This activity makes us more aware of animal camouflage.
The layers of the forest Lie down, crouch, climb a tree and look at the forest from a different perspective. What different things do they notice? Do they miss anything? This activity can easily be adapted to suit many other habitats.
Ant farm /worm farm /rooting log Observations of insects, worms and slugs in various forms and at different levels - under leaves etc. (to show different levels in a forest insects play their part breaking down leaves, branches, etc. to enrich the soil- this is the recycling of nature, it is also important that humans recycle their waste, the same type of activities take place in compost bin). www.girlguidesireland.ie 25
Colour matching Pieces of coloured wool are given out to the participants and they are asked to match the colour with something natural. Or you could hide different colours against vegetation and the participants are asked to collect as many of the hidden colours as possible - you should point out that the bright coloured ones are all easily identified and easily collected but that it is harder to find those which match the vegetation.
Mirror Walk Walk along a track holding a mirror at your waist. Mirror can also be held under your chin. It is possible to combine this exercise with the hand - oak exercise to pretend to be a squirrel and' walk along the branches'.
Tracks Finding and discovering tracks, what tracks can tell us about animals and humans. This may be done in a sand pit. (The variety of tracks that can be seen, weight to depth relationship, water and mud, what can tracks tell us - directions, how many, what is happening). Lay your own tracking trail and have the girls follow it.
Lying on the ground Participants are asked to lie on the ground for two minutes and sense what is happening perhaps by closing their eyes. Open your senses to the experience. How grass feels - is it alive. The temperature of the ground - cold / hot / damp / hard / soft. What can be seen overhead - the clouds passing by, rain falling on your face, the wind - shelter. The small insects working in the grass, the smell of grass and soil
My friend, the tree Girls are blindfolded and introduced to some new friends - trees. They must hug a tree, feel the bark of the tree, and feel the shape of the leaves, the fine ribs of the leaf structure. The smell of the tree. The movement if any in the tree. They can do this with a number of different trees. This exercise is best done in pairs, with each changing roles. Care should also be taken not to disturb young trees and leaves. After the exercise get the girls to make notes and have a discussion on shape of trees, the difference between trees, a friend in need - mans relationship with trees over the years and today such as shelter, furniture, heat, food etc. The other life that depends on a tree insects, animals, birds etc.
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River Walk For this exercise the girls are asked to take off their shoes and socks and walk in the stream. Try to find a section of stream that is fast flowing and another section that is still or pond like. The water will most likely be very cold and so will focus the senses very quickly. The idea of this exercise is to allow the girls to experience the different flows of the river and how they all play a part in the life of the forest. In the fast flowing part it will be hard to stand up in - also difficult for life to hold on - e.g. seeds, plants etc. In the slower section they will find more sand deposits, plant life and maybe even fish. The pond section will have a muddy bottom, leaves, frogs, boggy etc. You could also get the girls to build small dams to show how the river finds new pathways etc.
Time alone/silent time Get the girls to stand apart giving lots of space around them, then close their eyes and remain completely silent what can they hear around them - birds? Animals? Wind? Water etc. Compare what they heard afterwards.
Blindfold trail and rope walk Participants are paired and then take it in turn to follow a rope through the woods while blindfolded. This activity will promote team work and also heighten the girls awareness of their other senses.
Deep forest - open forest Smell the difference between the smells in the dark areas deep under the trees and the smells in an open area - smells caused by plants, decaying matter, rain, humidity etc. some plants smell very strongly - some plants to look out for are wild garlic, mint, lavender, conifer tree sap etc. These ideas can be adapted to all sections so from the youngest Cygnet to the oldest Ranger we want to see you out and about. As always make sure the outdoor policy and the guide law are central to all of your plans.
Enjoy, stay safe and look forward to seeing you all at Thinking Day and to seeing the Rangers and Guides in Kilcully
Date for
National Ranger and Guide Outdoor Camp
your diary
23rd -25th June 2017
Kilcully Camp site ,Cork.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 27
INTERNATIONAL Happy World Thinking Day to All We are, each one of us, 1 in 10 million members of one of the largest all female organisations in the world so let's celebrate and share what it means to be part of a worldwide movement working to empower girls and young women. The following pages hold some snippets of the WTD 2017 Activity Pack and also some feedback on international experiences our members have had at events recently. Don't forget the CGI International Facebook Page, look for ‘CGI – International Page’ on Facebook. We share lots of information regarding WAGGGS, Guiding/Girl Scouting events taking place at home and abroad and upcoming opportunities for leaders are shared. Like the page to keep up to date.
World Thinking Day What is it and what is it all about?! Each year since 1926, on 22nd February, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world celebrate World Thinking Day. This special day marks the joint birthdays of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell who founded the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement. World Thinking Day reminds us that we are all part of a global organisation supporting girls and young women, providing opportunities and helping them to develop new skills. Just think, while you are celebrating World Thinking Day 2017, there are girls just like you on the opposite side of the world doing the same! World Thinking Day is a day of international friendship, speaking out on issues that affect girls and young women, and fundraising for 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. What do we do on World Thinking Day? •
Celebrate World Thinking Day and being one in Ten Million!
•
Be inspired by the history and impact of our Global Movement
•
Connect with the worldwide sisterhood of Girl Guiding and Girl
Scouting Louise Browne.
•
Take action and speak out on issues we most care about
International Commissioner
•
Make a difference by fundraising for projects around the world
WAGGGS World Thinking Day 2017 Activity Pack Theme: Grow Here is just a snippet of some of the resources in this year’s pack…. Did you know that there are approximately 800 million girls around the world and only 10 million are Girl Guides and Girl Scouts? This means that we are reaching just over 1% of them, let’s change that to 100%! The World Thinking Day Challenge for 2017 will be a journey of growth, supporting Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting groups as we introduce our Movement to new members
“From a small seed, a mighty trunk may grow” – Aeschylus We want a world where all girls have a safe space to grow and have many exciting, relevant, accessible and learner-led experiences! Don’t forget, the toolkit can be used throughout the year and attract new potential members to meetings and help grow our Movement.
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Activities Roots:
1 Grow your connections Grow Our Cabana Grow your footprint (Kusafiri themed) Grow your dance moves! (Sangam Themed) Grow your Challenge (Our Chalet Themed) Grow Lady Olave Baden-Powell’s Garden (Pax Lodge Themed) Grow the World Thinking Day Fund Trunk:
2 Grow your own Activity
Branches:
3 Grow your citizenship Grow your commitment Grow your collaboration Grow your character Grow your communication Grow your creativity Flowers and Fruits:
4 #LetsGrow a tree
World Thinking Day 2017 Badge If you aren’t able to attend the National Thinking Day event, you can still earn the badge by completing the following three steps. These can be purchased from the National Office. Even if you are attending, you can still complete the challenges. Step 1: Make new friends (page 5&6 in Act Pack) by identifying a group in your community that doesn’t have access to Girl Guiding and invite them to participate at your World Thinking Day celebrations. Step 2: Share the fun (pages 11-26 in Act Pack) of what it means to be a member of Girl Guiding with your new friends by solving the mystery of the missing ‘seeds of change’. Go on a treasure hunt by choosing activities from each part of the WAGGGS tree. Step 3: Plant a tree! (pages 27-29 in Act Pack) Once you locate the missing ‘seeds of change’, celebrate WTD and mark the beginning of a new friendship by planting the seeds!
For the full activity pack including full instructions on all the above activities and more resources for World Thinking Day, go to https://www.wagggs.org/en/resources/world-thinking-day-2017-grow-activity-pack/
Grow your WAGGGS connections using any of the following: Web: www.wagggs.org www.worldthinkingday.org Twitter: @wagggs_world
Facebook: WAGGGS
Email: wtd@wagggs.org
When sharing any WTD activities, make sure to use the hashtags #WTD2017 and #LetsGrow so that WAGGGS can see what we are doing to celebrate the important day in the guiding calendar.
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Overtures Network Meeting
14-16 October 2016 Larch Hill, Dublin This meeting of the Overtures Network was hosted by CGI in Ireland. I’d like to thank the Overtures Steering Committee for their work on the event and the host team, led by Trish Derwin for all their great work in pulling off a great event. Read on for the reports from our participants at the event. When I arrived in Larch Hill, I was very excited that I was attending the Overtures Diversity Network Meeting. We started the weekend off with Introductions and also a quick brainstorming session of what we were hoping to get out of the weekend. On Friday night, we got onto a coach and were given a tour of Dublin City, with a bit of a sing song thrown in for good measure. On Saturday, we were divided into groups and throughout the day we attended four different workshops. These included; Scouting Programme for Refugees in Ireland run by Scouting Ireland, LGBTQ in Ireland, Mental Health Awareness and ADHD. I enjoyed each of these workshops as they provided me with a more in-depth knowledge of each area. The discussions we had in our groups were also eyeopening as we were sharing ideas and experiences. Some of the attendees had prepared Presentations that they then gave on Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning. Many of the presentations showed how several Scout or Guide Organisations are working with Refugees that have come into their Countries and it was truly inspiring to see how compassionate and welcome Scouting and Guiding are. It wasn’t all work as we had an International Evening on Saturday after dinner. It was fascinating to wander around the room tasting food and drinks from different Countries. I had many interesting conversations about the culture, history and traditions from each country. Of course, we had our own table where we had laid out Irish language books, books full of Irish Legends and some food and drinks that best represent our country with Yvonne making some delicious Gur cake! A group of Irish Dancers came in and performed a variety
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of dances and then it was our turn to give it a go… watching our international friends trying to wrap their heads around the 1-2-3s led to the conclusion that Irish people must be born with the ability! It was an evening full of fun and laughter and each of us felt a great sense of pride representing our Countries.
The workshops were brilliant and provided me with the knowledge to be able to go back to my Guide group and continue to be open-minded and aware of the mental health and other aspects regarding my members. I found that having different conversations with the Guides and Scouts in attendance was very beneficial as I gained a knowledge of how they run different programmes in their Countries. It made me think of how we can promote diversity and inclusion within our Guide and Scout Organisations here in Ireland by following the lead and using ideas from Countries that would be slightly more progressive than us. I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Overtures Diversity Network Meeting. I gained a lot of knowledge and I am also now part of a group where I feel that other Leaders will be able to offer me advice and support regarding diversity and inclusion based on their own experience or qualifications. I made many new friends from different countries and also from Ireland that I know are now for life. I would highly recommend to everyone to attend at least one Overtures Meeting, it will change your Guiding life! Emma Dignam Buíon An Teaghlaigh Naofa, Harold’s Cross, Eastern Region
The newly refurbished Larch Hill in Dublin 16 was the location of this year’s Overtures Network Meeting. Chairs were being unpacked and signs hung as 40 representatives of guiding and scouting from 14 European countries arrived for the weekend, where the subject was diversity and inclusion. Emma Dignam and I were the representatives for C.G.I. The event kicked off with a lovely lunch, followed by a presentation about CGI, Larch Hill and the Overture Network. We were then split into two groups, new members and veterans of the network in order to spend some time getting to know each other. After dinner there was an update from WAGGGS/WOSM and a coach tour of Dublin, ending with a few drinks in the Merry Ploughboy.
Following a very cosy sleep in the new dorm rooms, everyone was ready for Saturday’s series of workshops. We divided into 4 groups and rotated between four parallel sessions.
After dinner representatives from Norway, Austria, the Netherlands and the UK shared their distinct perspectives on diversity and inclusion in guiding and scouting, from each of their countries. International night was kicked off by the girls from Downey/Crowley School of Irish dancing. And our own Alanna Gourley, gave us an expert display of Irish dancing, and taught us all “The Walls of Limerick”. Great crack was had by everyone as we visited each other’s Country display stands and exchanged food, drink, badges, information and stories.
After a lovely breakfast on Sunday morning there were more group presentations on diversity and inclusion, from Belgium, France and Sweden. Following on from that an Overture Network business meeting took place reviewing the weekend and starting the planning process for next year’s event, which will take place in October 2017 in Denmark. Overall it was a very informative, productive and enjoyable weekend for all attendees. This was down to the exceptional work and organisational skills of the host team from CGI. So, very well done to all involved.
Yvonne Hickey Buion Naomh Pol, Greenhills, Eastern Region
1. Am I Different? LGBTI issues, 2. Am I a mover? Working with refugees, 3. Am I excitable? Supporting young people with ADDHD & ADHD and 4. Am I well? Looking after young people’s mental health.
Each of the four sessions were very informative, thought provoking and a lot of discussion and debates were had. Thankfully we were very well fed by Sarah Brown and her team in the kitchen which made all of the difference to our deliberations. www.girlguidesireland.ie 31
Gender and Membership Roundtable Malmo Sweden 21st-23rd October Fiona Gaule, of the Eastern Region, attended this event on behalf of CGI. Below are some of the important points that she took away from the event and shared in a presentation and discussion with the NEB (National Executive Board) at their November meeting. Everyone agreed this is an important topic that we need to discuss more and ensure that leaders are informed on the topic of gender identity and able to support our members. We hope to plan an event to discuss this topic and inform our leaders more in 2017 and at National Council. Fiona Gaule Buion Naomh Ailbhe, Clonee, Eastern Region
Purpose of the event: To discuss gender identity and how it was and is impacting on how we operate our associations now and going forward. Just some of the terms used when talking about gender... •
Gender Identity is the gender that you associate yourself with. It has nothing to do with your physical body or your sexual orientation.
•
Sexual Orientation is who you love
• Trans-woman/female is someone who was born with male sex organs who feels they are and should be a woman. • Transman/male is someone who was born with female sex organs who feels that they are inherently a man. •
A Transvestite is a man who likes to dress up as a woman, woman who likes to dress up as a manor man who likes to dress up as a woman but does not wish to remain as such.
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What can we do to help? •
Inform ourselves and others
•
Case by case situation
• Listen •
Be considerate
•
Be led by the children/young adults in our charge
•
Create situations whereby the children in our care can feel safe and happy
• WAGGGS to review policies and provide support to organisations
“It is the deepest wish within every human being to be accepted as the one you are and to be loved unconditionally.”
-Wilfrid S
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Continuing with our Diversity and Inclusion series, in this edition we've chosen adapting games and activities for children with disabilities. The information in this piece has been kindly supplied by Trish Derwin, Ranger Commissioner and member of the Overtures Diversity Network.
Throughout the Guiding year games and activities are a big part of our meetings. At times, the thought of involving members with disabilities in such activities can cause stress for everyone, but this does not have to be the case. Games are one of the most versatile forms of recreation and virtually any game can be modified to accommodate a child with a disability.
Some games provide physical activity while other games provide social interaction and mental exercise. Regardless of the type of games, or the outcome, all games provide the setting in which an essential element of life is learned—Good Sportsmanship! Good sportsmanship, kindness, caring and sharing - useful not only in recreational activities, but also in Guiding and everyday life!
Through participation in games, children with and without disabilities learn to: •
Take turns
•
Accept defeat, lose
•
Be a leader
•
Make decisions
• Cooperate •
Try new skills
•
Accept boundary limits
•
Be eliminated according to rules
•
Respect the right of others
•
Observe rules
•
Get along with others
•
Improve old skills
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When trying to think of games to play with your Section, informal games are a great choice. Informal games are games that are played with a few simple rules, where no one player is in the most active part for very long. This may be very desirable when participants have mental or emotional disabilities.
So how can we adapt our games? Most persons with disabilities will feel more comfortable with as few possible changes made in an activity. Adaptations should suit ability, not disability, and you should always encourage the youth with disabilities to suggest any adaptations they may need, but remember that they may feel they don't need any and could be offended or upset if you unwittingly set about adapting the game for them.
Some quick and easy examples are: •
Substitute walking, wheeling, and rolling for running, skipping, and hopping.
•
Use bounce, roll, or underhand toss to replace throwing, catching, and batting.
•
Substitute sitting, kneeling, or lying down for standing.
•
Decrease distances in such activities as horseshoes, ring toss, and relay games.
•
Reduce the size of the playing field, court, or area.
When trying to adapt dances, here are some more suggestions: •
Substitute swaying, swinging, walking, sliding, balancing, and wheeling for regular steps.
•
Encourage each person to create personal dance patterns such as swinging from side to side, clapping hands, and moving the head.
•
Use another dancer as a partner for a dancer using a wheelchair. Push or rock in time with the music.
•
Confine movements to a small area for visual disabilities. Tap dancing is great.
• Free movements of social dancing are enjoyed by individuals with cerebral palsy or youths with poor coordination.
We all love our arts and crafts but here again we need to be mindful of the possible need to adapt them for some of our members. And we should always remember to make the adaptation fit the individual, there is no 'one size fits all'. Many devices have been invented for holding pencils, paint brushes, embroidery hoops, woodworking tools, and other equipment and they can be a great benefit when organising your programme. When in doubt, check it out! Ask parents, a doctor, an occupational therapist or an agency serving persons with disabilities, if necessary.
And finally, the motto of the European Disability Network is "Nothing About Us Without Us" and this is a motto that we can all relate to, whether able-bodied or not, we don't like people making decisions about us without including us, so let's all try to be as inclusive as possible going forward.
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SAFEGUARDING CARDS will o h u. e w lp yo n o e e h som y to 66 e r n 66 t o 6 h 6 p d Or ten an e 1800 50101 o sli t 99 ldlin lk
Are you....... • Worried? • Scared? t h i T py er g you. d hel b n m e in a • Sad? Rem upsett o you
Chi xt Ta 2 / 9 3 644 Te g 83 11 48 hin 00 da met will o Gar ne 18 80 48 s o f lt i wh nli 800 fau eople Tee 1 r re you p ot are Awa ’s n ere ou. is ten t lis
Then talk to someone you know and trust
Or liste phon n a e so nd me try one Chil to wh dlin help o w e0 Poli 8 you ill 00 ce 999 111 . Life 1 l ine
Awa
080
88 Re 08 084 is u memb 800 5 12 liste psett er 0 0 n t ing it’s 2 96 o y you not ou . T yo 1 and here ur help are fault you peop if so . le w meth ho ing will Produced by re
• A family member • A friend • A teacher • A leader
The newly launched CGI Safeguarding Cards are currently being distributed to all of our members, as well as such places as schools and libraries so they can be given out for free for anyone who wants them. The cards are meant to be a way of giving information to any young person on who to contact in case they ever need to.
The cards are available from the National Office for anyone who wants to order them. 36 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Free Being Me Imagine a world free from appearance related anxiety. A world where people can define beauty for themselves.
WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and DOVE have joined together to produce the Free Being Me programme. This is a groundbreaking new programme for 7-10 year old and 11-14 year olds which unmasks society’s beauty myths – exposing air brushing and challenging unhealthy body talk. Through a series of fun, interactive and thought provoking activities it challenges young women to stand up and take action to stop unhealthy body ideals affecting the next generation of girls.
A survey carried out by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on young people’s body image asked “Are you satisfied with your body image?” Findings showed only 38% of girl participants were “fairly satisfied” and a shocking 21% were “dissatisfied”. With the Free Being Me Programme, the girls and young people learn that body confidence and self-esteem come from valuing their bodies, standing up to social pressures, and supporting others to be more body confident. By working together, leading others and speaking out, participants will be empowered to make a difference in their local and global communities. The girls who have taken part in the Free Being Me activities set out in the programme and do the Take Action project will earn the Free Being Me badge.
Find out more about the Free Being me programme on: www.freebeingme.com • freebeingmeireland@gmail.com • #FreebeingmeCIGA • @freebeingmeciga • www.facebook.com/freebeingmeciga www.girlguidesireland.ie 37
Booking for events and training
Just a reminder that ALL CGI bookings for events and training MUST be accompanied by the Event Booking Form
The form is available on the CGI website Guiders>Forms>Event Booking Form Or from the National office
Bookings are not valid until payment and completed booking form has been received by the National Office. 38 Guiders Link Vol. 1
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COMMUNICATIONS Can you believe that Christmas has once again come and gone? We hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season and are now ready to get back into Guiding for the year ahead!! Don't forget to keep sending in any information you'd like us to publish in the Newsletter, we're delighted with the positive response it's gotten so far, and hope it will grow and develop into the future. This year World Thinking Day's theme is Grow, and I'm sure many of you are looking forward to our day in Gormanston Park on Saturday 18th February? We'll have plenty of photos of the national event in our next magazine, but we'd love to see you "grow" your interaction with the GL and send in some photos of what you've been up to.
Don't forget some other important dates in the not to distant future: Pancake Tuesday is 28th February, and maybe you might consider supporting Tallaght Hospital's Pancake Party this year? It's a great idea for a meeting and the girls get to have fun while helping out other children, all while enjoying pancakes! Another important date for your diary is Mother's Day, it's on 26th March this year, and if you're looking for some ideas for your meeting why not try Bring Mom Along? We've got a facilitation pack which can be emailed to you if you'd like some ideas. It's a fun meeting for the girls and their mom and it's an opportunity for the girls to show what it is they do with us each week, while also spending some special time with their mom. Yours in Guiding, Michelle Finnerty National Commissioner for Communications
AROUND IRELAND SOUTH-EASTERN REGION Cuisine from around the world St Martin's Unit Piercestown Girl Guides, the girls put in a huge effort in making and presenting cuisine from around the world. They had a thoroughly enjoyable night sampling the beautiful dishes.
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Clonard Sewing Badges The Clonard Brigins achieved another badge this month. Their sewing badge. They had a fantastic meeting at Sew Fun on Paul Quay in Wexford. They each made a camp pillow with their initial on it. The girls can't wait to try them out. The girls are also currently half way to earning their Sports Girl badge. They have already tried Lear Gar and Camogie with more sports planned for January. The weather might be getting colder but the girls are well on their way to getting their Outdoor Award!!
Cork's Glen Resource and Sports Centre Buion Naomh Nicholas Guides and Brigin trip to at Cork's Glen Resource and Sports Centre
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Clonard Cygnet and Brgins December We have had a very busy run up to Christmas this year. We started with a Talent Show where the girls did some fantastic performances, everything from Ballet dancing to gymnastic displays to poetry recitals. The girls were supported by a large crowd of parents, grandparents and siblings. We then had 30 Cygnets and Brigins out to see Santa at the Castle at Johnstown Castle. We had a truly magical time with a limo ride to the Castle and then Santa had a few words of encouragement to the girls to keep up the good work with the sports badge and the hikes! Then on Sunday the Brigins went to see the Rathnure Panto "The Reddest of them all" . The girls had a fantastic time. It certainly was the funniest panto we have seen in a few years!! It is always the highlight of our Christmas season.
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EASTERN REGION Buion Cecilia Brigins visit Tayto Park Last Sunday brought Buion St Cecilia Brigins to Tayto Park. We got a great deal which included vouchers for two rides, Santa, who's presents were brilliant, arts and crafts, and face painting . We arrived at 12:30 and left at 6:00. We all had a great day.
NORTH-EASTERN REGION Dunleer Guides Visit Spooka In keeping with the Halloween theme, the Dunleer Brigini visits Pooka Spooka Experience in Causey Farm on Saturday 29th October. The day started with a ride in a trailer on hay down to a maze built in corn. There were a few scary characters lurking about but nothing too sinister. We went on to a story telling session, visited a “dead and breakfast”, saw a magic show and even had a ride on a broomstick. The girls enjoyed the experience and didn’t want to go home! We’d better tell the bus driver to come for us much later next year!
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St Francis Unit Annual Hike St Francis Unit in Cavan. Out and about at our annual hike in Killykeen. A frosty day warmed by the company of happy Cygnets, Brigins, Guides and Leaders.
NORTHERN REGION St Oliver Plunkett enrolment ceremony St Oliver Plunkett Lurgan had a lovely enrolment ceremony on Tuesday 29th November, with 107 members in total, our unit continues to go from strength to strength. We were particularly delighted to welcome 3 new Guiders. Michelle, Anna and Shannon all made their promise and received their neckerchiefs! Michelle was a Brigin and Guide herself in Lurgan so it is great to have her back in the fold, Anna and Shannon were enrolled as Cygnets in 2004 and it is fantastic to see them become Guiders themselves #soproudofallourgirls
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St. Patrick's Unit Belfast visit to Santa St. Patrick's unit went to Castleward for a Christmas adventure and visit to Santa on 4th Dec. a great time was had by all.
Holy Trinity Celebrates 50 Years Holy Trinity Guide Unit, Belfast concluded their 50th Anniversary celebrations with a Gala Dinner at The Devenish Complex, Belfast. The event was attended by past and present members of our unit along with our families and friends. We were delighted to have our founder member and one of the original committee members join us as well as both our Chief Commissioner and Regional Commissioner. Members of the guiding family from near and far helped celebrate in style with a champagne reception, dinner and dance. A photo booth added to the fun and a great night was had by all who attended. Holy Trinity Guide Unit would like to thank all those who joined us on the night.
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FCA H<9 F7<=J9G
Buion Clothra Assistant Captain Murray Bray 1942
Junior members of Buion Clothra, Glencullen 1943
S. Marks and St. Lukes 1st enrolment June 13th 1976
Guiders link Sept/Oct issue cover 1999 St Patricks Enrolment 1972
CONTACTS NEB Chief Commissioner Asst. Chief Commissioner National Treasurer Cygnets Brigíní Guides Rangers International Communications Development Training Outdoor South-Western Region Eastern Region South-Eastern Region Northern Region North-Eastern Region
chiefcommissioner@girlguidesireland.ie assistantchiefcommissioner@girlguidesireland.ie treasurer@girlguidesireland.ie cygnets@girlguidesireland.ie brigíní@girlguidesireland.ie guides@girlguidesireland.ie rangers@girlguidesireland.ie international@girlguidesireland.ie pr@girlguidesireland.ie development@girlguidesireland.ie training@girlguidesireland.ie outdoor@girlguidesireland.ie s.west@girlguidesireland.ie eastern@girlguidesireland.ie s.east@girlguidesireland.ie admin.nr@catholicguides.org.uk n.east@girlguidesireland.ie
Child Protection Eastern Region Catherine Monaghan Clare O’Brien South-Western Region Marion Gleeson Maria Dowling South-Eastern Region Barbara Ryan Aideen Moran Northern Region Josephine Higgins Martha Mc Grath Sarah Mc Manus Maire Mc Grath
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Staff Nicola Toughey National Office Coordinator Antoinette Hosback Finance Officer Emma Lyons Administrator Eoin Hamilton Communications Administrator
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