2017 Vol. 4
Guider’s Link
www.girlguidesireland.ie 1
CONTENTS Chief Commissioner's Message 3 Noticeboard 4 Chief Commissoner Awards 6 Members Council Weekend 14 Cygnet Section 16 BrigĂn Section 18 Guide Section 20 Ranger Section 22 Training 24 Le ChĂŠile 25 Outdoors 26 International 30 CGI & IGG Integrated Camp 36 Around Ireland 40 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 Tuesday 2nd January 2018 2 Guiders Link Vol. 4
CHIEF COMMISSIONER'S MESSAGE Hello Guiders Welcome to this edition of the Guiders Link, by now you are all well settled back into your weekly meetings and we are approaching the season of Christmas –how did that happen? I have been busy since our last correspondence and It has been great getting out around the country to meet so many people and to fly the flag for CGI. I attended the Cork regional executive meeting in September and I hope to get the opportunity to meet with all your executives over the next few months. I was also delighted to attend Ventact and great to see so many Rangers there this year, it’s a great camp for the Ranger age group and I would encourage all our Rangers to put it on there list of activities for 2018, it’s the 40th Ventact so promises to be bigger and better than ever. Another event I attended was Scouting Ireland's award ceremony and I was delighted to see CGI Northern Region receiving a community award for all the work they do as part of the 6 Associations in the Northern Region. Well done to Brenda and all the Guiders in the North. The Chief Commissioner Awards was a great success this year and it was fabulous to present awards to 41 of our great Guides, these young ladies are our future and the future is full of enthusiastic young ladies who have a great future ahead of them in CGI. The Chief Commissioner Awards is a fabulous occasion and it was lovely to see our youth members from around the country coming together to receive their awards. Such a colourful occasion the unit colours, the flags and flowers all helped make this a bright and colourful occasion. Many thanks to the Guiders who mentored, encouraged and facilitated the girls to take part in this award, always remember you are part of the memories they are making and to quote Lord Baden Powell There is no teaching to compare with example-Lord Baden Powell So, thank you again to you and to all Guiders around the country who turn up endlessly for weekly meetings, for activities, camps to executives and councils, all your work and time is very much appreciated by CGI by the girls and their families, it might not always be apparent now but all your dedication will come back to reward you. The National Executive Board had a very busy residential weekend in September and we were delighted to welcome Maria Travers on board as National
Commissioner for Development, keep an eye out for a lot of new things happening in CGI in 2018. 2018 is also the start of our 90th year celebrations so birthday parties will be the order of the day, you will see the start of the celebrations in this edition of the Guiders Link and keep a close idea on our social media to see details of upcoming celebrations. September also saw the new Cygnet programme coming into print and many thanks to Erica and her Cygnet team for this great resource for our youngest members. Please encourage your Cygnets to buy the new programme, all the templates you need for this are available on OGM so please use this great resource. Now that we have the Cygnet programme up and running we need to follow on with the Brigin programme, Sarah and her team are working on the programme but need help so if you are interested in being part of the continual development of the Brigin programme please contact Sarah at brigini@ girlguidesireland.ie . Work is also ongoing on the Guide programme so again if you are interested in working on the Guide programme please contact the National Office. Development of the programmes is a short-term project so if you want to be involved please contact us. Remember it’s your programme so help us get it ready for the girls. As its Autumn its AGM time of year so best wishes to all your reginal teams for their AGMS, many thanks to Brenda Davidson and Nicola Toughey who finish their terms as Regional Commissioners in the Northern Region and South East Region. Thanks for all the work you have put into your regions and we look forward to welcoming your successors to the board. Guiders please try to attend your AGMs, there are a lot of items up for discussion at this year’s AGMs around the country so try to get there and make sure your voice is heard. So, all that’s left is for me to wish you a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas, enjoy the Christmas season with your guiding programme and I hope you all have enjoyable family time. And then its 2018 and it’s our birthday. Exciting times ahead!
Yours in Guiding, Emily McCann Chief Commissioner chiefcommissioner@girlguidesireland.ie
www.girlguidesireland.ie 3
NOTICEBOARD UPCOMING NATIONAL EVENTS National Ranger Weekend
10th-12th November
CIGA AGM
11th November
NEB
25th November
NEB
13th January
Guider Training Step 3
9th-11th February
Guide Guider Weekend
23rd-25th March
NEB & National Team Meetings
2nd-4th March
National Council
21st April
RESOURCE DATES World Kindness Day
November 13
International Day for Tolerance
November 16
Universal Children's Day
November 20
International Volunteer Day
December 5
Human Rights Day
December 10
PLEASE NOTE Please ensure if you are paying census payments (registration payments) directly to the bank that you use our bank account number shown on the invoice – this number ends in 65 for all Southern units. Please do not deposit census payments to other bank accounts. Also please ensure you put the code numbers shown on the invoice, on the bank details e.g. - 4001-30-00 (this identifies the unit paying registration). When paying census/registration invoices, only pay the
4 Guiders Link Vol. 4
exact amount specified on the invoice, otherwise we will have to return your payment to you. Thank you for co-operation in this regard.
NEWS FROM THE BOARD •
Maria Travers, Eastern Region co-opted as National Commissioner for Development
•
A Special Meeting of National Council will be held on Saturday 25th November 2017 to discuss changes to the Constitution
•
A grant of €250 is available for new Units and forms are available from the National Office
•
Uniform Review:
• CGI trail trousers are no longer a uniform requirement and members can wear completely plain navy bottoms (not leggings) • Guider blouse has been reduced to €25 and silk scarf has been reduced to €10, both items are available from the National Office. It is not compulsory to wear the silk scarf with the formal uniform and a company neckerchief can be worn. Details are provided in the Guider Handbook, Book 2 – Page 12
Note from Eileen Mc Carthy, National Treasurer I am pleased to report that the Debit/ Credit Card payment facility introduced in the National Office recently, is being fully utilised to pay for individual items, shop items, programme books and events. When a payment is made using this system, a receipt will be issued from the National Office to the Unit as well as a receipt for the card holder . Can I remind everyone that the transaction must be shown in the Unit accounts as an Income and Expenditure. For payments for personal payments e.g. Guider blouses, a receipt will be issued directly to the card holder.
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
Woodlock Hall DCU All Hallows, Dublin 30th September 2017 6 Guiders Link Vol. 3
Chief Commissioner Awards
2017 The Chief Commissioner Award (CCA) ceremony took place this year in the beautiful setting of Woodlock Hall, DCU All Hallows, Dublin. The sun shone for us on the day and hundreds of photographs were taken by proud guiders and families in the fabulous gardens.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 7
Congratulations to the forty one girls who received this year’s award; ten girls received the highest award of Gold, 17 received Silver and 14 received Bronze. Many thanks to all their families and guiders for mentoring, encouraging and at times coaxing the girls through their projects and onto their interviews.
8 Guiders Link Vol. 3
The CCA recipients raised a huge amount of money for an amazing array of charities, including BUMBLEance, Cork Penny Dinners and Wexford MarineWatch. Becca Gallagher, SVP National Youth Development Co-ordinator and Grainne Lee, Chairperson of the National SVP Youth Committee were our Guest Speakers and spoke of their experiences in the Volunteer and Charity sectors and how joining volunteer associations, completing projects through these groups in school and college, helped them in their chosen careers. They spoke of how impressed they were by the amount of work that was put into each project, the dedication of the Guides and of the overall high standard of the CCA projects.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 9
Our Chief Commissioner Emily McCann thanked the guest speakers and spoke about next year’s Chief Commissioner Challenge which will focus on raising awareness of people in different circumstances to yourself especially those experiencing homelessness. Addressing the youth members at the ceremony, Emily told the girls they are the future of our Association and she knows that the future is stable and bright. She asked the girls to be ambassadors for the award and encourage their fellow Guides to take part in 2018. She is looking forward to seeing all the 2017 recipients receiving their Oisin award in the future.
10 Guiders Link Vol. 3
www.girlguidesireland.ie 11
Chief Commissioner Awards – A View from the Other Side
On the 24th September 2016 in the Aviva Stadium three of us from our unit in Wicklow received our Chief Commissioner Awards, we were the first recipients ever from our county and we were very proud of ourselves and all the hard work we’d put into it. The Award ceremony itself was very nice and we enjoyed the speech from the guest speaker, Garda Superintendent Sarah Myler. We all found her really inspirational and engaging, you could hear a pin drop in the room, she held everyone’s attention. After the ceremony there were photos taken, lots of photos, and then the best part of the day, the food. We can safely say on behalf of ourselves and the other Guides that we met, that we all really enjoyed the food; the tiny burgers were the best by the way! This year, on 30th September two of us went along as Rangers and guests to the ceremony, supporting the three Guides from our new unit that had just completed the Award. We really liked the venue this year, All Hallows College, part of Dublin City University now. We went out into the gardens and walked around and we were able to look at the museum part of the school and the meditation garden also, it was very nice. This year the speakers came from St Vincent de Paul, two girls, and they were both very interesting and told us all how important it is to be a part of, and service to, your community, and our Chief Commissioner then reminded us that that’s a major part of Guiding. The girls from our unit got two bronze and one silver award, we were so proud of them as we knew all the hard work they had put into their achievement. Sadly, this year we didn’t get to try the food as we had to leave after the ceremony, but we’ve heard great things about it from the girls that did stay. We’ve really enjoyed doing our Chief Commissioner’s Award last year and then attending again this year. We would highly recommend doing the Award to any Guides thinking about it, you won’t regret it. Next step for us? The Oisin Award! By Amelia Finnerty and Emma Carter Rangers with Buion Naomh Brid, Rathnew.
12 Guiders Link Vol. 4
H< BB=J9FG5FM As our 90th birthday celebrations approach we want to get all our members, young and old, involved. So we're asking our youth members to come up with a design for a special birthday card.
CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS Fri 1st Dec The winner will be selected and announced by the Chief Commissioner via Facebook Live Fri 8th Dec
www.girlguidesireland.ie 13
%9A69FG CIB7=@
/99?9B8
H< H< '7HC69F
The weekend of the 13th to 15th of October was the Members Council national weekend in Sea Point lodge, Termafeckin in Co. Louth. 28 girls from 4 different regions , with leaders from every region got together. The weekend started off with the Chief Commissioner presenting the girls with Members Council neckerchief and woggles.
14 Guiders Link Vol. 4
On Saturday morning the girls had a question and answer session with the Chief Commissioner, Emily McCann, where various different topics were discussed including the changing of the organisation's name, changes to the uniform and the inclusion of the LGBT community in CGI. The girls then had a meeting with Gillian Garvey, the Members' Council Rep on the National Board, where they were asked to carry out a review of the existing badges. All the girls were very excited to be asked their opinion and were happy to take part. Then it was time for some fun! So off to Funtasia where the girls spent a couple of hours in the water park and then the bravest did the sky walk!
Sunday morning the girls had another meeting with Gillian to come up with new ideas for the badge designs and criteria. The Members Council have been asked to go back to their regions and get feedback about what all the girls think of the badges. The girls and all the leaders had a fun filled weekend with lots of new friends made. The very successful weekend was hosted by Assistant Chief Commissioner Philomena McKeever.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 15
CYGNETS Old St Nicholas Had a Tree
Hi Everyone, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year, filled with happiness, love and adventure. Hoping 2018 will bring plenty of fun and creativity in Cygnets and I would love to see pictures of all your activities. Thanking You. Yours in guiding Geraldine Conway National Commissioner for Cygnets
(to the tune of Old McDonald Had a Farm) Old St. Nicholas had a tree (form tree with arms) Ho, ho ho ho ho! And on that tree he had some horns (blow horns) Ho ho ho ho ho With a toot toot here and a toot toot there
Repeat with; Lights – flash flash (flash fingers) Candy canes – yum yum (rub tummy) Drums – boom boom (bang imaginary drums Bells – ring ring (ring imaginary bell) Stars – twinkle twinkle (twinkle fingers)
Here a toot, there a toot, every where a toot toot Old St. Nicholas had a tree (form tree with arms) Ho, ho ho ho ho!
Little Houses for Christmas Ingredients: (makes 6) •
300g icing sugar
•
2tbsp milk
•
1 packet 250g Nice biscuits
•
smarties, m&m, cake decorations, sprinkles, etc.
Method:
16 Guiders Link Vol. 4
1
Sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Add milk a little at a time and stir until you have a thick, paste-like icing.
2
Spread a little icing onto one biscuit and top with another to form the base of a house. Spread icing onto this top biscuit as well. Repeat to make six bases.
3
Spread some more icing along the long edge of one biscuit and press it against another to create a V shape. Place this upside down onto a base, using icing to adhere. Repeat to make six houses.
4
Decorate the houses with lollies using icing to stick them to the roof and base.
Materials •
6 White cups
•
Black & orange craft foam or card
•
White socks or snowballs
• Glue • Scissors Method To make our snowmen decorate six white cups using black and orange foam or card. To make the snowballs tightly ball up three white socks. Stack up the cups into a tower and let the games begin.
Cygnet Christmas Competition It's competition time. This Christmas competition is to decorate the template of the star with any materials you wish. The star can be printed / copied onto thick card. The stars can be decorated with any materials, please make sure they are all secure onto the star. Please send entries to the National Office by 15th December. Great Prizes to be won.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 17
BRIGÍNÍ The evenings are getting longer and the days shorter, so it's time to keep cosy; be it inside doing crafts or getting as much out of the short days as possible on a quick hike. Here are some ideas for you to try this season.
Sarah Browne National Commissioner for Brigini
Cupcake Liner Angel Craft for Kids Materials Needed: • 2 cupcake liners • Glue/Tape • Pipe cleaner • Scissors • Paper • Markers Start by folding one cupcake liner in half, then in half again to make the body. Flatten the second one out and then cut two triangles out of it for the wings. Glue the wings near to the point of the body, and make sure the bottom is flat. Cut out a circle of tan coloured paper and draw your angel's face on it with markers. Twist the end of a pipe cleaner into a halo, place it slightly above the head and then tape it to the back of your angel.
Brigini Support Team
Members are still needed to help on the Brigini Support Team. Involvement can be tailored to whatever availability you have. Currently, we need people to help with the development of the new Brigin programme. If you are interested, or have any programme ideas that you would like to share, please contact me at brigini@girlguidesireland.ie
Brigin Friendship Challenge. A new badge for Brigini has been designed by our Members' Council. It is a Friendship Challenge and it will be launched at this month's National Members' Council weekend. We would like our wonderfully talented Brigini to design the badge that will be awarded for completing the challenge. The badge can be any shape and any colour and entries should be sent to brigini@girlguidesireland.ie before the end of November. The winning design will get a prize as well as the honour of having their design created into a badge for everyone to earn.
18 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Out and About Before the weather gets too bad, how about going on a hike with a purpose… Catch a Raindrop: As you hike along in the rain, catch a "drop" of rain water in your hands and taste it. Walk along with your tongue stuck out to get a taste of rain water. Crayon Hike: Have each girl select 3 or more crayons from a box. Take a hike and try to find as many things that match the colour of the crayons as possible. Friends: On a hike have the girls find a leaf, a rock, a stick or a pine cone--something that can be their friend. After the hike, have each girl share why she chose that object to be her friend. Gathering Hike: Take the girls on a hike, having them gather items they find on the ground. When they get back to their meeting place, have them glue the items to paper to make a collage. Penny Hike: Set off from your starting point and when you get to a junction, toss a coin to see which way to go next. For example, heads = left and tails = right; and then toss and go that route and see where it takes you. Pass It Back: On a hike, the leader picks up several objects. The objects are then passed back down the line of hikers for all to see. The last person then places the object back on the ground. Sketching Walk: You will need crayons and paper for each girl. Decide on a destination and upon arrival pass out paper and crayons and let girls draw what they see. When you get back, have an art exhibit.
Mini Paper Angels You will need •
Mini paper angel template
•
Scissors
•
Construction paper (or any thick cardstock)
•
Ribbon or string and a bead for hanging
•
Tape
How to
Photocopy the template onto the paper you wish to use, or alternatively, copy it on to thick card and trace around it before cutting out the shape.
the hang of this it’s quite easy. Secure the angel together with a piece of tape. Tie a bead to the end of a piece of string. This stops it sliding out the top hole when you hang it on the tree. Pop the ribbon through the holes at the top and there you have it!
To create the angel shape you need to make a cone shape with the paper and slot the two slits on opposite sides of the template together. This will leave you with the little round head popping up at the top and one quarter circle-shaped wing on each side. Once you get www.girlguidesireland.ie 19
GUIDES HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BATH BOMBS This homemade bath bomb recipe can include your favourite essential oils, perfumes, fragrances and/or colours. Make some for yourself, for family or friends as Christmas Gifts. Materials: •
1 cup baking soda
•
1/2 cup citric acid
•
1/2 cup Epsom salts
•
1 tsp. water
•
2 tsp. essential oil
•
3 tsp. oil (olive oil)
•
food colouring (any colour you want)
• bowl • whisk • jar •
bath bomb mould
2. In a separate container, mix the liquid ingredients together. Note that in this step, the essential oils, fragrances and colours are added. This is an important step! Make sure to pick out lots of fragrance oils to try out here, as you can make many fabulous combinations for bath time. Lavender bath bombs for relaxation and sleep, perhaps tinted purple. Ylang Ylang and bergamot for a sensual bath bomb, perhaps even add some rose and maybe tint it Pink 3. Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mix, one small spoon at a time.
What to do: 1. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and then mix them all evenly with the whisk.
4. When well mixed, you simply pack this mixture into a bath bomb mould and pack tightly, then let it dry. Work quickly so as not to let the bath bomb mixture dry out.
Coconut Clusters Ingredients 225g 225g 175g
Condensed milk Pink food colouring Icing sugar Desiccated coconut
Method 1. Mix together the icing sugar and condensed milk in a large bowl.
20 Guiders Link Vol. 4
2. Work in the coconut (it will become quite firm) before adding a few drops of food colouring to get to the desired shade of pink. 3. Once the mixture is fully combined roll into small balls and place on greaseproof paper before leaving uncovered for a few hours to harden. Once hardened, move to an airtight container.
DIY Craft Gift Boxes You will need:
What to do:
Card in various colours / patterned paper
Cut out card in shape of chosen template (template can be enlarged to make bigger gift boxes)
Ribbon, Craft Knife Glue
Using a craft knife or edge of a ruler score along dotted lines.
Beads/Buttons etc to decorate Below Templates (template can be enlarged to make bigger gift boxes) Box A Tab D
Tab E
Un
de rsi d
eD
Tab F
Box B
Tab A
Underside B
Cut Slit G
Underside B
Tab A
Tab F
Tab G
Tab H
Tab E Tab C
Glue down small tab ‘A’ to underside of ‘B’
Glue down small tab ‘A’ to underside of ‘B’
Box A Folding Method:
Glue down large tab ‘C’ to underside of ‘D’
Step 1:
Fold in Tab ‘D’,
Step 2:
Fold in Tab ‘E’,
Step 1:
Fold in Tab ‘E’,
Step 3:
Fold in Tab ‘F’,
Step 2:
Fold in Tab ‘F’,
Step 4:
Fold in Tab ‘G’,
Step 3:
Cut Slit in ‘G’,
Step 4: G’,
Fold in Tab ‘H’ through slit in
Box B Folding Method:
Your gift box is now complete and ready to decorate any way you wish.
Peppermint Creams Ingredients For the creams 1 Egg White(s) (Free Range) 1 tsp Peppermint Extract 275g Icing Sugar For the decoration 75g Dark Chocolate (Broken Into Pieces ) 3 Peppermint Candy Canes (optional)
Your gift box is now complete and ready to decorate any way you wish. Method 1.Place the egg white and a few drops of peppermint extract in a medium bowl and beat well using a wooden spoon. 2.Add the icing sugar and stir well until the mixture begins to come together. Use your hand to bring the mixture together to form a soft dough. 3.Roll a teaspoonful into balls and
place on greaseproof paper. Flatten down with the back of a spoon. You can then decorate with a fork or the end of a straw. Leave to harden. 4.To decorate, melt the chocolate and dip the peppermint creams to half coat them. Leave them aside to dry and sprinkle on chopped peppermint candy canes.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 21
RANGERS Hi Everyone, Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and I hope Santa brings everything you wish for. I look forward to the start of 2018 and organising some great activities for the Rangers. Patricia Derwin, National Commissioner for Guides
Rangers, if you have an item that you would like to appear in the Guider’s Link or if you have any ideas for camps/weekends/activities that you would like included in your Ranger programme send them to rangers@girlguidesireland.ie Looking for things to do with your Rangers? Why not try some of the following:-
· Hook up with other Rangers in your area/region for activities especially if you have only a few rangers in your unit. · Oisin Challenge Award · Gaisce – The Presidents Award · The ’Get With It’ programme has some great ideas for the Rangers · Take part in the National Ranger events – to meet new Rangers and share ideas. For further information on these activities please contact rangers@girlguidesireland.ie
SNOWMAN CANDLE HOLDER Instructions
Materials Needed: · Six inch glass bowl (found in most craft stores, also called a bubble bowl or fish bowl)
1. In a well ventilated area, spray paint the fishbowl with glass frosted paint and allow to dry completely. Check the progress after it is dry, and give it another coat if necessary.
· Frosted glass spray paint · Black glass paint · Paintbrush · Orange polymer clay · Golf tee · Wire craft mesh (found in craft stores) · Small length of ribbon · Scissors · Soup can · Hot glue gun · Battery operated tea light
22 Guiders Link Vol. 4
2. After the frost paint is dry, paint on the eyes and the smile using black glass paint.
3. Use approximately 0.5 ounces of the orange polymer clay by rolling it around in your hands until it is very soft and easy to work with. Then roll out a small cylinder. Push the end of a golf tee through the centre of the cylinder as shown. This help support the carrot nose. Then, roll and shape the orange clay to form a cone shape. Bake the clay according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually 250°F for 15 minutes). Allow to cool.
4. Hot glue the carrot nose to the snowman.
6. Place a soup can in the centre of the circle and fold up the craft mesh all around the can, forming it well with your hands. Then, make the brim of the hat by folding down the edge of the wire mesh all around the can. Remove the can and place the wire mesh hat on the snowman.
7. Decorate the hat by wrapping a length of ribbon around the hat, and securing with the hot glue gun.
8. Place the tea light into the bowl
5. Cut a nine inch circle from the wire mesh. Be careful while cutting and working with the rough edges of the mesh. Use gloves so you don’t scratch or cut yourself.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 23
TRAINING As the new Training Commissioner I would first of all like to wish you all a great Guiding year. As leaders we must ensure that we take advantage of all the training available to us. All training teams are working extremely hard to give you the training that is compulsory- Guider Step 1, Child Protection and First Aid. We appreciate that due to work or family commitments you sometimes canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t attend the training in your own region so I want to remind you that you are welcome to attend training in other regions if their date suits you better. I am planning to hold a National Training Team meeting to discuss the training being provided by the Association. This will also be an opportunity for regions to share good practice about other courses they run which are over and above the compulsory ones. I would invite any Training Team or individual Guider to contact me and let me know if there is any course you would like to see organised or if you have run or attended one that you think would benefit the rest of the leaders in the association. I am looking forward to working with the National Training Team and getting to meet all the very hard working Trainers in the association.
National Training Dates for you to consider this year.
Guider Step 3 (An Dushlan)
9th.-11th. February 2018
Guide Guider Weekend
23rd.-25th. March 2018
Presentation of Projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Guider Step 3
24th. March 2018
24 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Are you a member of a Le Cheile group, or would you like to be? Do you know if there is a Le Cheile group in your area? Do you know who Le Cheile are, and what they do? If your answer to either, or both, of the last two questions is no, then read on. Le Cheile means coming together, and that's exactly what our Le Cheile groups do. They enable those of us who are still interested in guiding but are unable to give a regular commitment a way of maintaining contact with their friends in the guiding and scouting community. When you become a member of a Le Cheile group you also become part of ISGF, the International Scout and Guide Fellowship, meaning your network of friends and connections grows, not only here but internationally as well. There is no age limit on membership of Le Cheile, anyone over 18 years of age is welcome to join. There is an annual registration fee of â&#x201A;Ź10 and this includes insurance for your group activities and you also receive a copy of the Guider's Link to keep you informed of what is going on in CGI. There's no uniform, but there is a beautiful pin that you will receive which memebers can wear to identify themselves as members of Le Cheile. If this all sounds interesting to you, why not consider joining a local group, and if there is no local group, why not consider starting one yourself? We all know past members of the Association, or at least know of some locally, and this would be a great way to get together with old friends, and new, to share memories of your days in guiding and reminisce about some of your common adventures; to get together simply for a coffee and a chat, or even to organise outings with other Le Cheile groups throughout the country, and there are already some groups doing this and having great fun together. So if you're interested in joining a Le Cheile group, or you know someone that you think might be interested in joining, please get in touch with our National Office and they'll be able to point you in the right direction.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 25
OUTDOORS Arlene Griffin National Commissioner for Outdoors.
Camp Equipment I’m loving, this edition Hogan Hub
The Hogan Hub is a bright and airy event shelter ideal for a communal area on camp. It is lightweight and easy to erect for Guides. Each door has a mesh panel to keep out the biting bugs and four zips, which means you have complete flexibility to leave them fully open, partly open or fully closed. You can also set up two beside each other to maximise space.
PACKING FOR CAMP IMPORTANT NOTE ON PACKING
THE SUPER ROLL
One of my favourite ways to pack for camp is the SUPER ROLL. This can be practised on your meeting night in advance of your camp and works with most combinations of clothing. Essentially, the Super Roll allows you to compactly bundle basic clothing items such as socks, "Sarah, it's raining! Where's your rain t-shirts, and underwear in one easy-to-grab ball. The key to the perfect coat?" roll is making sure everything is flat and cleanly folded as possible, so "I can't find where my Daddy put it!" you don't get any wrinkles. It also works best with a pair of hiking At most, parents can help their Guides lay socks since you can use the longer style to finish off the roll and hold it out their gear and ensure that everything together more tightly. is there. They should never actually put 1. Take your shirt, top etc & lay it flat on the ground/table. the gear into the pack. This is for two 2. Then take your trousers/shorts/underwear fold 'em in half, and reasons. Guides need to know where place them right below the collar of the shirt. something is packed so that they can find it, and Guides may not be able to pack 3. Fold your shirt right above the shoulder and then layer the their gear as tightly as their parents can, second sleeve in the exact same way. leading to problems when it comes time 4. Grab a pair of socks (ankle socks won’t do) and cross them toe to repack at the end of camp. Please to heel right over the sleeves of your now folded shirt. Once in place, ensure all items are labelled clearly with take the collar of your top and begin to tightly roll the shirt to the child’s name. Parents must not pack their gear for them. Doing so will lead to:
26 Guiders Link Vol. 4
bottom. The tighter you roll, the less space you will create. 5. When you are happy with your roll, you should have the two ends of the socks sticking out on either side. Take one of these ends and slide it over the roll â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it should almost cover it entirely. With the remaining sock end, repeat the step. 6. Taâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;dah you now have the coolest and most compact way to pack your gear.
WHAT TO PACK Start by placing all the items on your bed and check off the list. When all items are present start your packing. Ideally, you want to distribute the weight so that the heavier items tend to be near your back in the middle to bottom of the pack. This will stabilise your pack. Sleeping Mat on top
If there is a top pocket keep all your small stuff to hand - spare map, emergency items, cutlery, pocket knife, small first aid items Waterproofs & bivvy bag just under the cover Tent. Poles and pegs can be slipped down the side or share with someone else Eating gear, - plates etc. Food in containers and plastic bags Spare clothes. All spare clothes should be in plastic bags to protect from wet and keep clean Sleeping bag in compression sack to keep it as small as possible Dirty or wet clothes in plastic bags Stove and fuel bottle - keep to bottom of pack in case of a leak. If you have a small stove it may go in a side pocket
Rucksacks are never waterproof. Its is best to put a plastic liner inside your bag and pack items in plastic bags for protection.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 27
CAMP KIT LIST - Personal Kit list for a week camp GUIDES MUST TRAVEL TO/FROM CAMP IN FULL UNIFORM Packs
Swimgear/hat and towel.
ONE large backpack or haversack- carried on back with all gear in one ie packed inside for plane including sleeping bag and mat. Must be carried on back with hands free to assist with camp gear.
Plastic bag for dirty clothes and wet gear
Day pack: Small back packs for lunch/change of clothes when going off site.
Flashlight with spare batteries- Compact LED headlamp recommended Sturdy Water bottle Campfire blanket, optional
Sleepwear
Miscellaneous
Sleeping Bag
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Insulated sleeping Mat
Comb/face cloth/Other Toiletries as required.
Pillow case which they can stuff, if desired or compact camping version
Medication: must be noted on the medical form and clearly labelled with name and dosage and given to leaders on departure. Personal First Aid kit.
Eating Gear Unbreakable plate, bowl, and mug Knife, fork, and spoon
Outerwear FULL rain gear: Jacket and bottoms. There is always a risk of rain
Footwear Hiking boots with ankle protection (Must be broken in already) Flip flops for evening/showers (give feet break from weight) Spare old runners for water activities
Clothes 4/5 Tee shirts/Polo shirts (Can be washed out and hung to dry) 2 long sleeved T-shirts/Rugby Shirts 3 pairs of shorts/hiking shorts/2 Light Tracksuit bottoms (no Jeans) Warm fleece or sweater PJS Underwear Dry socks: thin liner socks and wool/fleece socks. Two layers help prevent blisters. Sun hat/Sunglasses
28 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Sun cream/after sun/ Non aerosol insect repellent/ Foot powder/Plasters Bivvy Bag if apprpriate to programme Spare badges/Neckos for swapping Notebook and Pen
Please do not bring Any electrical or electronic devices besides flashlights and watches ie : NO MOBILE PHONE Family heirlooms/Valuables Anything that might tempt one to disregard the Guide Law.
IDEAS FOR TEACHING GUIDES TO PACK A RUCKSACK LEARN Explain what a rucksack is and show it to the participants. A key difference between a rucksack and another container such as a suitcase is that a rucksack leaves your hands free. Why is this important on hikes, expeditions and so on?
Another key difference is that the load is distributed across the back and shoulders, rather than being held in one hand. Why is this important?
last thing a Guide will want to do is to unpack the entire rucksack, simply to find a clean handkerchief! Explain that the use of plastic bags helps with this and has the additional advantage of keeping everything dry. Identify places on or in the rucksack for items that might be needed in an emergency Demonstrate the correct way of packing a rucksack with the light things at the bottom and the heavy things at the top.
DO • Pin a large drawing of an empty rucksack to a wall and have a number of cardboard cut outs of the items to go in the rucksack, for example, first aid kit, sleeping bag, cooking equipment, washing kit and so on. Ask participants to stick items on to the rucksack where they feel they should be put. You can then look at the rucksack and ask them to justify why they have placed the items where they have. • Let each patrol pack a rucksack and explain why they have done it that way. • Ask each patrol to come up with a song/poem about what goes where.
Try to get hold of some different types of rucksack, for example, those with and without frames. Explain the advantages and disadvantages and the method of adjusting to suit the individual physique It is worth stressing that it is always difficult finding things in a rucksack and some 'system' is advisable. The
• Try a relay game where each team is given an empty rucksack that has to be packed. All the items are at the opposite end of the room and in turn, participants run up to the pile and select an item which has to be packed immediately. They will, therefore, need to select lighter weight items for the bottom of the rucksack or/ and things for the pockets. At the end of the game, the rucksacks can be unpacked in turn, to check. • Pack a rucksack incorrectly and compare it with one done properly. How does it feel in terms of weight? Is it comfortable? www.girlguidesireland.ie 29
INTERNATIONAL Well, it’s been a busy summer and September for International. Supporting groups heading outside Ireland over the summer holidays along with preparation and attending the 36th World Conference in Delhi. Read on for the full run down of the conference including some photos from the event. I hope you all marked International Day of the Girl, 11th October, in some way. There are resources available on the WAGGGS site #TeamGirl and these can be used around the year, not only on this date. We will be printing the World Thinking Day Activity Pack for 2018 and sending a copy to each leader, everyone should have it nice and early to be able to
include it in their planning for the month of February. Don’t forget, the packs from previous years are all available online and are a great resource. There are also various World Centre Resources, board games etc, available online that could be used for World Thinking Day. Please please please watch out for event opportunities and don’t miss out. Follow us on Facebook ‘CGI International Page’ and keep an eye on the monthly Newsletter and Guider’s Link.
Louise Browne. International Commissioner
OPPORTUNITIES BEING MISSED!!! There have been a number of great opportunities to attend events in the past few months and we have had no one come forward to apply. Communications are sent out in the Guider’s Link, the new Monthly Newsletter, shared on Facebook and via email. There are opportunities there for all our members to experience International Guiding, you don’t know what you’re missing out on, make sure not to miss the next one and apply!
IGG Lego Robotics Camp DCU June 2017
CGI were invited to take part in IGGs Lego Robotics Summer Academy held in DCU. Read below the reports from the guides who attended and their experience at the event. Please make sure to share this with your Guides and Rangers.
From the 26th – 30th June Shauna and I took part in a 5 day camp in DCU which aimed to encourage young girls into STEM subjects and future careers. In order to teach us about STEM which is Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, we were taught through Lego.
We also got a chance to talk to women involved in STEM and how they got to where they are today. One woman we got a chance to speak to was Dr. Niamh Shaw who done a simulation of Mars for 6 weeks in Utah to prepare for her dream of going to space.
On the first day we built Milo the space rover. We were set challenges to complete and we had to work in teams to programme the robot to be able to complete these.
As well as all this we also got a chance to stay on the DCU campus and in the evening we went on trips to places like Google, Jumpzone, cinema etc.
Over the next few days we built our mindstorm and programmed it using the EV3 Website. We worked in teams of 4 on a project which we would present on the final day and on our mission to Mars which was where we had to pre-programme our robot to complete as many challenges in a certain amount of time.
Overall it was a very enjoyable week and we got to meet girls from all over the country and make new friends as we learned all about STEM.
30 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Emer Kenny, Buion Naomh Iosaf, Lucan
From the 26th to the 30th of June 2017 I attended a Lego Robotics Course in DCU with 20 other girls, 19 of which were from the Irish Girl Guides and aged between 15 and 25. Everybody at the course were from various places all around Ireland. Throughout the week, we learned all about science and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). On the first day, we had a basic introduction to robotics, met each other and played a few icebreakers. We used a very simple robotics kit called We Do 2.0. It was very easy and fun to use. We worked in teams to create our robots and programmed them to do different things such as driving forwards and backwards. The main task of this kit was to build “Milo the Space Rover”, this was very interesting and exciting and I learned lots from the first day. On the second day, we were working in groups again and I thought it was a clever idea as when we faced a problem we could put our heads together and figure out a solution. On the second day, we used the EV3 kits. This time our robots were a bit more advanced than on the Monday and our tasks were more difficult. For example, on the second day we had to make our robots stop when it saw something and to make noises.
Over the next few days, we had to work on our main robots of the week in groups of fours. We had to programme our robots to do many different things and complete different tasks. These robots were going to be competing in the “Mission to Mars” at the end of the week. Throughout the week we had talks and skype calls with many different women in STEM. It was very interesting and beneficial as we got to hear about all the different obstacles the women had to face in a career mostly dominated by men. We got to talk to Niamh Shaw and she told us all about her experience at the mars simulator in Utah. On the final day, our robots competed in mission to mars against everybody else’s robots. It was very fun and exciting, however our robot lost. We also had to present our projects that we had been working on all throughout the week. Our project was about how robots can help humans. Each evening we had a trip out, around various places in Dublin. For example, we went to jump zone and we visited Google headquarters in town. These trips were also very exciting and I found the trip to google very interesting Overall, I thought it was a great week, and it was very beneficial as I learned lots and enjoyed myself. It was also very good that if we had any questions, we could ask Ross who ran the workshop. I hope that in the future many more girls will get involved and continue to pursue careers in STEM. Shauna Conway, Buion Naomh Iosaf, Lucan www.girlguidesireland.ie 31
36th WAGGGS World Conference Delhi, India 17th-22nd September 2017
Every three years, the Member Organisations (MOs) of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) gather together for the World Conference. The World Conference is the principal decision-making body of WAGGGS and it convenes in the last year of each triennium. The theme of the 36th World Conference was â&#x20AC;&#x153;For her worldâ&#x20AC;?. Back in 2014, in Hong Kong, Tunisia was selected to be hosts of the next conference. However, due to safety concerns, the tough decision was taken to host the conference elsewhere. A number of locations, in the Arab region specifically, were reviewed but were not in a position to host the conference on short notice. In late 2016, the announcement came and the Bharat Scouts and Guide Association had agreed to host the conference, in support by WAGGGS global team.
Over the six days of the conference, we learned about the work that the WAGGGS World Board, and the Europe Region, have been carrying out since the last conference. And what their advice or goals are for the future of the organisation through the Strategic Plan and Budget for the coming triennium. Two of the more fun plenary moments during any world conference are when new member organisations are ratified as members and when the location of the next World Conference is chosen. At this conference, Albania, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Niger, Palestine and Syria all gained membership to WAGGGS, bringing the country membership total to its largest ever, 150 countries. Croatia, Ethiopia and Montenegro were also represented as they work towards membership of WAGGGS in consultation with the new Rapid Response Membership Team. 32 Guiders Link Vol. 4
Two bids were considered for hosting the 37th World Conference, Uganda Girl Guides and the Girl Scouts of USA. Both gave exciting and inviting presentations as to why they should host the next conference. Both were also planning to host a National Youth Event alongside the conference to bring the conference to more of their members, which was a great addition to the bids. On Thursday, we got to cast this important vote, the tension was insurmountable and after all the votes were cast, Uganda Girl Guides were announced as the next hosts of the WAGGGS World Conference. What an experience
that is going to be, going by their celebrations at the announcement and throughout the evening, fun, dance and enjoyment will be top of the list. There was a day given to Forum 2017 ‘Leading for Her World’, where MOs had the opportunity to share about work taking place in their own countries and share their findings so that other MOs might learn from their experience. These were a great chance to see what other MOs have done in areas we are currently working on, or might in the near future, and see what links or partnerships could be established.
The three pathways for the Forum were Leading Transformation, Adapting the Experience and Sharing Your Story. Some of the sessions included Canada – Designing a value proposition WAGGGS – International Experiences for All Sri Lanka – Mainstreaming Diversity and Inclusion USA – Impact of the GG and GS Experience And more… Also, there was a Market Place of Ideas, a fun and relaxed networking space. Every MO was given a space at the Market to showcase their most innovative programmes, projects, research and ideas. From Centenary Celebrations to Mental Health Awareness, there was a wealth of knowledge in this space for MOs to learn from. One of the most important tasks we as MOs have during the conference is to elect six members of the World Board. This year, Ireland had a nominee which made for a busy week of canvasing for votes. Jillian van Turnhout was nominated as a candidate for the World Board by the Council of Irish Guiding Associations back in March and so it was a long wait to get to the conference and work on gathering votes. www.girlguidesireland.ie 33
The World Board is responsible for ensuring effective leadership of the organisation, planning the future strategy, implementing the decisions of the World Conference and ensuring accountability. There are 17 members of the World Board. Six continuing World Board Members complete their terms at the end of the next triennium in 2020. Six new World Board Members will be elected at the World Conference. The five Regional Chairs, who are all Members of the World Board were elected at the Regional Conferences in 2016 and will serve a three year term to 2019. Unfortunately, Jillian was not successful in being elected to the World Board. Jillian was chosen as the first of two approved persons who will fill any vacancies that might arise during the triennium. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jillian for putting herself forward and for all the hard work in the lead up to and during the conference in canvasing for election. It wasn’t to be on this occasion. The newly elected members of the World Board are: Katerina Agorogianni - Greece Tashia Batstone - Canada Normala Baharudin - Malaysia Heidi Jokinen - Finland Zine Madyibi - South Africa Jayne Wachira - Kenya A new World Board Chair was also elected, Ana María Mideros As Nicola Grinstead ends her term on the World Board and as Chair, we’d like to thank her for all her work over the past triennium. Nicola has been an inspiration to many who have met her at various events over the three years and especially for attending CGI National Council in April 2017 where our Members Council were particularly inspired by her.
34 Guiders Link Vol. 4
The other voting that takes place at a World Conference is on motions put forward by the World Board or by MOs. Significantly, one of the first motions that was approved at this world conference was to allow motions to be submitted during conference. This was not previously the case and only amendments to previously proposed motions were possible. This led to a very fruitful two days with various discussions taking place on possible motions, one very important one was on carrying out a review as to why there were no candidates under 30 for the World Board and what can be done in time for the next conference to resolve it. Also, a significant restructure took place in the World Bureau and staffing across WAGGGS, most MOs felt this didn’t appear to be working as well as expected and a review was requested to see the impact, good or bad, that the restructure has had. Here are a few of the motions that passed: • Arabic to be considered an official WAGGGS language, along with English, French and Spanish • Kusafiri World Centre to continue providing a programme of events and is supported by WAGGGS. • Continue the work ongoing to develop cooperation between WAGGGS and WOSM (World Organisation of the Scout Movement) through advocacy on global issues. • To recognise the importance and the advantages of a girls-only environment and undertake to protect this important characteristic of Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting. One of the lighter moments of the Conference is the International Night. This is a great opportunity to get to experience all the 150+ cultures that are in attendance at the conference. It is also a chance, after all the motions had been voted on, to unwind and catch up with new and old friends. Try the foods on display, along with market items that countries bring and sell for ‘Wagggsies’ to raise money for their country or to support partnering countries. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to experience the, sure to be, fabulous Closing Ceremony that was planned as the World Board Election took longer than expected, nine hours instead of two. This was disappointing for the delegates not to get the chance to unwind and celebrate a great conference together and also not fair on the organisers who had a full evening of Bollywood fun planned for us to experience. Luckily, myself and Barbara booked an evening tour to a Bollywood Show during the week, a welcome break from conference and chance to enjoy some Indian Culture. I’d like to thank Barbara for her support, energy and enthusiasm over the length of the World Conference, my first as Head of Delegation for CIGA. Louise Browne CIGA Head of Delegation 36th WAGGGS World Conference
. www.girlguidesireland.ie 35
Brigin and Brownie Integrated Camp
June 2017
&$03 We came to Carne on a rainy day, Some Brigins from Gorey & Brownies from Bray. The Great Brigin & Brownie Bake off was to be our theme, & together we made one awesome baking team. Cupcakes & traybakes & sweet treats galore, Stories & songs shared & enjoyed on the shore. New friendships were forged, new alliances made. Strong foundations for future ventures were laid. With a dollop of adventure & a sprinkle of fun, Two groups united and became as one. We sang and we danced for hours on end, And everyone left having made a new friend. So as our camp ended and we were all as happy as could be, We knew weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never forget our first joint camp of CGI and IGG.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 37
While talking one day about our camp in Carne, Co. Wexford in 2016, we met a lovely Brownie Leader from Bray who was fascinated by our camp and especially the location and facilities Carne has to offer. Over the course of the evening a plan was hatched to combine Gorey Brigins and Bray Brownies in one Integrated Camp, and a flurry of excitement filled the air. Having no previous experiences to base our combined camp on, we each went to our respective regions for the green light, and having received this planning began in earnest. Over the coming weeks, many emails and phone calls were exchanged between the Leaders of both groups and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before we had a theme; The Great Brigin & Brownie Bake off.
38 Guiders Link Vol. 4
With a theme set, planning began and each Leader had a unique idea of different activities and crafts we could do over the two night camp. Planning and shopping done, we eagerly awaited Friday evening to head off on our adventure. We shared a bus which meant The Bray Brownies were picking us up in Gorey. The buzz on the bus and the giggling and laughter was contagious as we made our way to Carne. On arrival rooms were allocated, bags quickly tucked away by the beds and our camp was underway. The first night saw us all get to know each other and we all made name lanyards to wear over the weekend. Saturday saw everyone awake early in eager anticipation of the day ahead. Throughout the day we held a cupcake decorating competition, we made tray bakes which were used for dessert that night and the girls made their own mosaic placemats which were laminated and used over the course of the weekend. In the afternoon we headed down to the beach for a walk where the girls had some free time to get to know each other and each patrol competed in different challenges to win different items to decorate their cupcakes with.
In the evening we had a huge campfire where each group took turns doing one of their favourite songs for everyone and we each had the chance to learn something new. Back inside for some hot chocolate and the children dispersed in different directions in an excited fluster to practice their acts for Camps Got Talent. Down in the big hall in our pyjamas and our judges sat at their table with their X’s at the ready, Camps Got Talent got underway. A lot of the girls had put a lot of effort and time into their acts and we were certainly entertained for the evening. The Leaders from Gorey were not to be forgotten as they had rehearsed and choreographed a dance to a mash up between The Birdy Song, Whip and NaeNae, The Macarena, Gangnam Style and many others. Not to be outshone, the Bray Leaders got up and gave it their all to the mash up and the room erupted in applause and laughter. The night ended with all the children up dancing until finally exhausted we retreated to bed. Sunday brought with it more crafts such as wooden spoon decorating but also a sadness that camp was coming to an end. The girls were all given large canvas bags and got all of their new friends to sign them and promises were made to stay in touch. During Guide’s own on Sunday gifts were exchanged between the two groups. We presented each girl with a Guardian Angel and a badge for their camp blankets while Bray presented our girls with IGG Pack Holiday and Eastern Region Badges. The Leaders exchanged some crafts ideas and programme plans and it was clear a lasting friendship between the two groups had been formed. Overall it was a fantastic camp, which we all thoroughly enjoyed and we can’t wait until Camp 2018, where we look forward to doing it all again. www.girlguidesireland.ie 39
COMMUNICATIONS Even though many of us have put our camping equipment into storage at this stage, there's still plenty of opportunities for us all to get out and about with our sections on hikes, scavenger hunts, orienteering days etc, there are lots of different activities listed in the booklet that can help towards your unit Outdoor Award, so if you're searching for ideas try that, and don't forget OGM too, there's a wealth of information and ideas there too. We're already looking forward to the next edition of the Link, where we'll see how the Guide and Ranger Weekends went, so keep an eye out for them, and we hope everyone had a great time at both of those events. There are also lots of local and regional events taking place over the coming months so do send in a few words and pictures about what you've been getting up to. Finally, can I take this opportunity to thank you all for your time and dedication to CGI throughout this calendar year, and wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas. Yours in Guiding, Michelle Finnerty National Commissioner for Communications pr@girlguidesireland.ie
AROUND IRELAND NORTHERN REGION Our Lady of the Angel's Rostervor trip Our Lady of the Angel's guides spent 2 nights at Rostrevor equestrian centre completing their equestrian badge.
40 Guiders Link Vol. 4
St Pauls Antrim Girls from St. Pauls, Parish of Antrim and St. Oliver Plunkett Lurgan taking a campfire and telling the history of CGI at CRED
Our Lady of Angels Killowen Adventure Park 9 guides from Our Lady of the Angel's enjoyed a fun filled weekend in Killowen Outdoor Education Centre last weekend taking part in activities including wet bouldering, zip lining, night line and much more.
St. Olivver Plunkett's Lurgan St Oliver Plunkett Lurgan Rangers enjoyed a joint challenge hike with 5th and 6th Dromore venture Scouts 21st-22nd . This involved finding their way to their camp site at Moira Lakes, completing some tasks along the route and then doing a skills share on arrival at the camp site. Rangers shared their self-defence skills (newly acquired as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award) and the Venture Scouts demonstrated hammock set up. Given Storm Brian, we were unable to sleep in hammocks as planned but will definitely give that a try next time! Well done to the winning team made up of Lauren Wilson from Rangers and Calum Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea and Owen McDowell from venture scouts.
4 guides from St Oliver Plunkett's had a fab first CRED weekend spent at the share centre 20th-22nd October, they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for their next weekend in December, glad to see them smiling even on washing up duty!
www.girlguidesireland.ie 41
SOUTH-WEST REGION Our Lady of Lourdes, Ballinlough Cuskinny Camping Weekend – June 17th and 18th 2017 On the weekend of the 17th of June several companies, including Our Lady of Lourdes, Ballinlough, St. Therese’s, Passage West and St. Catherines, Frankfield, enjoyed their annual camping trip, which took place at Cuskinny Court in Cobh. All companies began their weekend on the Saturday morning including Our Lady of Lourdes Cygnet company, who spent the day enjoying the activities that were on offer. Two Rangers from Our Lady of Lourdes, Ballinlough also attended the weekend and took part in the activities held throughout the weekend. There were nearly 100 in attendance, spread over the four companies, at the weekend This year, the camping weekend had a theme, Neverland Peter Pan, which featured characters such as Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and The Lost Boys. Activities included grass sledging, obstacle course, giant boulder challenge, nature crafts, archery, drumming circle and Squirrel trail (a low ropes obstacle course). As the activities came to a close, everyone joined together
for a small sing song and roasted marshmallows. All those involved enjoyed the activities in the fine weather on Saturday which kept spirits high throughout the weekend. As the Saturday evening drew to a close, the day wouldn’t be complete without a campfire, which was led in song by Marion Gleeson, Our Lady of Lourdes Brigin company, and Mary Bolard, Our Lady of Lourdes Guide company, soon to be joined by Dearbhail O Connell from St. Therese’s Brigin company, Passage West and the Young Leaders from Our Lady of Lourdes. As the night approached, under the sunset, everybody settled into their tents after what was considered a very successful and enjoyable day. Sunday arrived and it was time to take down and pack away all the tents and get ready to head home after an amazing weekend, facilitated by the fantastic staff of Cuskinny Court, and all are thankful for the extremely enjoyable weekend. However, this was an easy task due to the lovely weather and sun we were provided with throughout the weekend!
Our Lady of Lourdes Link-Up Ceremony – September 20th 2017 On the 20th of September 2017, members from Our Lady of Lourdes, Ballinlough Cygnet and Brigin companies were in attendance at the annual Link Up ceremony, held in Our Lady of Lourdes Brigin Hall, Ballinlough, which saw Cygnets move up to Brigini and Brigini to Guides. In total there was 24 moving up through the ranks in Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of Lourdes Brigin Company welcomed 11 new Cygnets into their company, Our Lady of Lourdes Guide company welcomed 13 new Brigini into their company. The new Cygnets who had moved up to Brigini, in Our Lady of Lourdes, were welcomed to the company by leader Marian Hughes. The new brigini who had moved up to Guides were welcomed to the company by leader Catherine Fitzpatrick. We would like to wish all the girls the best of luck as they continue their guiding journey for years to come.
42 Guiders Link Vol. 4
St. Bridgit's Unit, Caherdaniel Our end of year Party and Prizegiving was on May 22nd, and our winners were: Brigín of the Year, receiving the Marguerite O’Connor Prize: Stacey Pickard. Best Attendance: Aimee O’Donoghue and Poppy Smith. Best Patrol: Snowdrop. We would like to thank Mary O’Connor again for sponsoring the Brigín of the Year prize, in memory of her daughter Marguerite, and this year we also thank her daughter Sarah for awarding the prizes and giving a speech to the girls about her family’s involvement with Guides and Brigíns over the years. It’s always great to have our ‘old’ Brigíns return to us, speaking of which, huge thanks this year to Sophie Graef and Eilís Galvin, who came back to help us as part of their T.Y. Gaisce Awards programme. They did a wonderful job, helping the girls with written work and organising games. At the end of this year, we said goodbye, thank you, and good luck in their secondary school careers to Stacey, Amy, and Mailyn. Hopefully they will return as T.Y students in a few years’ time! Our end of year party obviously featured cake -what party would be complete without it, but this particular cake had the number 35 on top, as our St. Bridget’s Guide and Brigín company was established in 1982, and has run weekly meetings for girls aged 6-13 continuously since then. Great thanks are due to all the founding members of the original company, those who have attended and helped over 35 years, and particularly to Teresa Mc Carthy, the founding member who is still our company leader today. It is a great tribute to her dedication to Guiding, and to all those Guide and Brigín leaders who have given their time and energy over the years, that St. Bridget’s has such a long, consistent history in the parish.
SOUTH-EAST REGION Clonard Dedication Night Clonard Unit recently had a dedication night to honour Kathleen Lacey. The Cygnets in Clonard were set up 20yrs ago by Michelle Goff and three weeks later she asked her mother Kathleen to help out for a few weeks. That was that! Kathleen was hooked! The Cygnets quickly became known as Kathleen's babies. Kathleen went on to run the Cygnets for the next 18 years, watching many girls go through from Cygnets all the way to Rangers. But no matter how old they got they were still Kathleen's Babies! So on Tuesday 12th September we invited any kids who were ever a Cygnet back for a celebration. We decorated the hall with hundreds of old photo's - oh didn't they all look so young! Michelle and Orla, Kathleen’s daughter and grand daughter, planted a yellow rose in the garden and unveiled a bench with a plaque with Kathleen's name on it. Her husband Sean came up for the night. We have renamed the Cygnet section to St. Kathleen's but so we wouldn't lose St. Micheal's from Clonard we named our new Guide section St. Micheal's. We also launched our new Guide and ranger section on the 12th so now Clonard Unit is delighted to be back up to full strength. www.girlguidesireland.ie 43
Summerhill Roundup Summerhill Guides-Relay for life Summerhill Guides and Rangers were delighted to be part of the Wexford Relay for life, we were invited to help put out the memory bags and what a lovely night it was , we filled over a 1000 bags with sand and candles and put them out around the track and then when dusk fell we helped light the candles. We stayed to take part in the lovely ceremony remembering people who had lost their life to Cancer and other illnesses and also celebrating the lives of the survivors. We were delighted to be asked to take part in this event and look forward to next year.
Ventact 17 Summerhill Rangers had a great weekend in Kilcully at Ventact 17 , they joined 700 other Rangers, Ventures and Senior branch members for a fun filled â&#x20AC;Śwet but fun filled weekend. This was our first visit to Ventact but definitely wont be the last . Switzerland 2017 As part of their summer camp this year in Switzerland, Summerhill Guiders, Rangers and Guides visited Our Chalet. The group took part in the medal pinning ceremony and then did a tour of the chalet and learned about the history of Our Chalet and its many connections with Guides around the world. We, the Guiders, hope the visit will inspire our youth members to return to Our Chalet as Guiders in the future
44 Guiders Link Vol. 4
EASTERN REGION Pax Lodge Reunion Lots of our members have been lucky enough to spend time in some of the World Centres, but not too many of them have been lucky enough to work in one and call it home for at least a little while. But, our National Commisioner for Brigini, Sarah, is one of the lucky few who can, having spent some time working in Pax Lodge a number of years ago. This summer she headed off on a Guiding reunion and we're grateful that she can share it with us here. 16 years ago I spent 18 months working for WAGGGS in Pax Lodge in London, spending two wonderful summers working and living with a group of girls from all over the world, who have become an amazing group of friends. This year we decided it was time we all got together, it had been such a long time! So this August, 14 of us, along with husbands, wives and children, met up at Girl Guides Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camp Jubilee in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. People had travelled from all over Canada as well as the UK, Malaysia and New Zealand (and of course we came from Ireland) to attend the reunion. We spent five amazing days together, reminiscing about the good (and bad) times, sharing lots of photos and creating new memories with the next generation of Guides and Scouts. Guiding friends really are the best friends!
#OneInTenMillion! Last July some of our Guides, Rangers and Leaders from Springfield, Raheny and Wicklow were lucky enough to get to spend some time with a group of Girl Guides from Malaysia who were in Ireland on their way to attend the IGG Iggnite International Camp. While they were staying in Raheny Scout Den we managed to catch up with them for a night of games and fun; we shared food from our different countries and we finished the evening with a campfire and sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mores. From their shared experience the girls learned that although they were from two very different countries they shared a lot of similarities and Guiding experiences (also Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook etc). The Malaysian Girl Guides enjoyed their time sightseeing and shopping in Dublin (Penny's was their favourite stop!) and they really enjoyed fish and chips by the seaside in Howth, before finally heading off for their week at Iggnite camp. It's a great experience for our youth members to get to meet up with other Guides, especially when they have a chance to meet some new international friends. So if you get the opportunity to do something similar, be sure to take some photos and let us know all about it.
www.girlguidesireland.ie 45
Sixa cre, Ta goa t, Co. Wexford, Irela nd
w w w.IO AC.ie GETTING HERE 4km from Rosslare Harbour 150km from Dublin 70km from Waterford
46 Guiders Link Vol. 4
CONTACTS NEB Chief Commissioner Asst. Chief Commissioner National Secretary 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 secretary@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
086 2710931 086 2710953 086 2710941 086 2710950 086 2710958 086 2710952
07581644947 07581644899 07581645481 07581639739
Staff Nicola Toughey National Office Coordinator Antoinette Hosback Finance Officer Emma Lyons Administrator Eoin Hamilton Communications Administrator
nicola@girlguidesireland.ie finance@girlguidesireland.ie admin@girlguidesireland.ie communications@girlguidesireland.ie
www.girlguidesireland.ie 47
CGI National Office 12 Clanwilliam Terrace, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 661 9566 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: (01) 676 5691 Email: admin@girlguidesireland.ie CGI Northern Region Office St. Francis De Sale, Beechmount Drive, Belfast BT12 7LU Tel: 048 9031 3639 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 048 9031 3639 Email: admin.nr@catholicguides.org.uk www.girlguidesireland.ie Charity Number: CHY 7958 Reg. Charity Number: 20018689
Funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the National Lottery.