DESIRÉE DECOSTE

As the community starts to adjust to a new normal, a local girls leadership and empowerment program wants the public to know it will be returning to action this fall.

The Picton and Consecon Girl Guide groups are looking for more girls and volunteers to join. Currently,  registration is low with only three members signing up in  Picton and a single member in Consecon. 

Brianna Warr-Hunter, Guider for the Consecon unit, is hopeful for these local branches of a time-honoured not-for-profit organization available to girls in the county to continue its legacy and feels parents may have forgotten about them during the pandemic.

Members of the Consecn Girl Guides on formation night last fall. (Submitted Photo)

“Guides are learning skills and character traits like fire starting, tent erecting, semaphore, sewing, camping, leadership and self confidence, teamwork and resilience,” expressed Warr-Hunter in a statement. “Girl Guides is an empowering organization I am passionate and proud to be a part of and our local girls enjoy. We focus on helping others and ‘lending a hand’, collecting food donations for the Wellington Food Bank at Christmas, Writing valentine and Christmas cards for military veterans, and expressing our thanks to our Legion members on Remembrance Day.”

Girl Guides of Canada has been the leading organization for girls and women in Canada for over 100 years. Guiding provides a safe, all-girl environment that invites girls to challenge themselves, to find their voice, meet new friends, have fun and make a difference in the world. 

Girl Guides strive to ensure girls and women from all walks of life, identities and lived experiences feel a sense of belonging and can fully participate in their programming. 

The Picton Girl Guide unit has had an active unit for the past five years with 32 girls enrolled in 2019/2020, and Consecon started its inaugural year in September 2019 bringing their exciting programming to nine local girls. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt in in-person meetings, Girl Guides moved its meetings online.

“While in-person meetings ceased during the pandemic, we moved our meetings to online and made it work. With summer vacation almost over we’re gearing up to meet in-person again in an outdoor setting for the fall and are looking for more girls and volunteers to join us,” Warr-Hunter enthused.

Girls aged 5-17 can join, and the groups are always looking for adult volunteers to help deliver their programming! 

Warr-Hunter added fall mint cookies will be available to order online with home-shipping this year in October.

For more information and to register please visit www.girlguides.ca/web/GGC/Join_Us/GGC/Join_Us/Join_Us.aspx?ads=register&utm_source=ParentPosters