Snowy Owl Speaks

As I have previously mentioned one of the things that I have taken on since moving to Victoria is the role of guider with a local Brownie Unit.  When I am in uniform (a very unflattering uniform...) I am called Snowy Owl and what I say goes.

My experience with Guiding actually started many many moons ago when I was about 5, my older sister was involved in guiding and I wanted to be a brownie too.  Mostly because I wanted to do everything my sister did, including decorating my room in the exact same way she did.  So, I was enrolled with 1st Nicomekl Brownies in the fall of 1990 and assigned to the Elves patrol.  Somehow, my poor Mother was given the role of guider in charge (or Brown Owl as we knew her) and so I got to see behind the scenes what went on to make Brownies happen.  Now I may be biased but my Mother was a phenomenal leader and many of the local girls wanted to be a part of the unit.  By the time I was in my second year the group had ballooned to 30 girls and we had started turning people away.

Stole from the GGC website - not me or my girls :)   I will try and locate a pic of my in my uniform for your amusement :)

My experience as a Brownie (and later a Guide and a Pathfinder) was a very positive one.  I learned valuable camping skills (some of which I have actually used in adulthood) made some wonderful friends and earned more badges than you can shake a stick at.  By the time I reached Pathfinders at the age of 12, I was fully entrenched in the program.  I earned my Canada cord at 14 and fully intended on continuing on as a Ranger, but life got in the way at the point and as there was no local chapter, so I had to hang up my sash and move on.

Fast forward 10 years, I had moved to the island and didn't really know anybody.  Ian suggested that I get back into the hobbies that I has a child to meet some people so on a whim I put my name in on the Girl Guides of Canada website to volunteer as a leader.  I didn't hear back for about 6 months and honestly thought that my application had gone unnoticed.  When I did hear back I was put in touch with our local district commissioner to start the process of interviews and reference checks and police background checks.  I fully respect their screening for leaders as I was going to be working with young girls but I think it was a longer process than applying for my job as a financial adviser!  

The following September (almost 1 year after I initially applied) I was matched with a unit, I am not going to publish the name because this is a public blog but it is with Brownies ages 7-8. 

I was very lucky when I started as a leader because the two women that I was working with were not only seasoned leaders but also fantastic women who were always willing to teach me as well as listen to what I had to say.   I met them for the first time in a Tim Hortons to plan out the 1st half of the year and found that the program had changed somewhat since I had gone through it 20 years earlier, suddenly feeling very old and dated I kept my mouth firmly shut.

Lucky for me these two were not short of ideas and were quite happy to take me under their wing and teach me the ways of Brownies in the 21st Century.  I spent most of my first year following the lead of my other two leaders because, they were more seasoned than I was.  My role was simply to keep the children from breaking themselves.  I think I did a pretty good job :)  All went home in one peace most nights.

This year however, now that I have learned how things go I am really starting to find my stride as a leader.  Suggesting meeting themes and putting forward ideas, it has been so much fun.  Although I have to say that my favourite part this year has been watching last years young-ins turn into this years seasoned Brownies.  Many of them really blossomed before our eyes and have even though they started out last year as shy and unsure, they are not confident little women that I am so proud of.

So that is my story of Guiding.  Is it some times frustrating?  Yes.  Are there evenings were it is a massive challenge to get the energy to go to meetings?  Of course?  Do the kids sometimes push my patience?  Yes.  Would I trade my experience with them for anything?  HELL NO!