September 14, 2023 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
Girl Guides is a place where friendships, adventures, and real-life experiences are waiting to be found.
Girls ages five to 17 can explore fun activities designed just for them, but they need leadership to guide them through it all.
The Beeton chapter of Girl Guides is looking for some new leaders to help run the local group.
Local resident Lynda Russell has been guiding for 43 years but said they are having trouble recruiting news leaders to join and help out. Lynda has been involved in all aspects of guiding and has led the girls on trips around the world, including Florida, Mexico, and Europe.
Since COVID, leadership numbers have been falling across the country, and the Guides are actively recruiting new people to step up, be a leader, and lead one of the groups.
Two of the younger groups in Beeton have already been cancelled due to a lack of leaders.
“I moved to Beeton 45 years ago and continued my leadership as a Guider here,” Lynda explained. “At that time there was two Brownie groups (now called Embers), two Guide Groups, two Pathfinder / Ranger groups, and around 25 adult leaders. We had group camps, outings, banquets, and we have taken the girls across Canada and around the world. But since COVID we have been loosing our adult leadership.”
With few leaders, it is difficult to keep all the groups going.
“We are down to five Guiders for five groups,” Lynda explained. “The Sparks and Embers are down to one Guider. We must have a minimum of two leaders. The Pathfinder Group is down to one leader and we need another one to continue.”
The Girl Guides are the largest women’s organization in the world
“We empower the girls to be all they can be, what they want to be, and step out of their comfort zone,” Lynda said. “To be a leader you need the passion to be with, and lead the girls. The Leaders also benefit from the experience.”
If you are interested in becoming a Girl Guide leader in Beeton, you can start by visiting the national Girl Guides website at www.girlguides.ca.
Leaders are supported with training on everything from girl safety and administration to diversity and inclusion.
New Guider training and mentorship programs are designed especially for volunteers during their first year with Girl Guides.