Please read below for exciting opportunities to work or volunteer at Pax Lodge. More information and application forms can be found on the provincial website .

Guest Services Coordinator:

We are currently looking for someone to join our Guest Services team to manage the Pax Lodge Reception office in order to establish and maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all guests and visitors and to ensure the smooth running of Pax Lodge. They will also be responsible for the administration of our international events.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills, enjoy working in an international team and have first class customer service skills.  Fluency in written and spoken English is essential. Experience in events management is desirable.

This is a fixed term contract position for six months, with the possibility of renewal.  Free board and lodging is provided, this is a residential post, plus a salary from per annum (pro rata).

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Closing date for completed applications is 15 November 2009.

See the following link for more information: http://www.paxlodge.org/en/people/Jobopportunities


Volunteer Event Assistant:

We run several WAGGGS International Events throughout our spring and summer months. To ensure they run as smoothly as possible, we recruit two Event Assistants over these months to assist the Programme Team in planning, facilitating and evaluating these Events.

Dates:

February 2010 - August 2010 or
May 2010 - September/October 2010
(5 - 7 months)

Deadline for applications is 15 November 2009. Telephone Interviews will take place 16 and 17 November.

See the following link for more information: http://www.paxlodge.org/en/people/volunteeropportunities/volunteerevent

The 12th Western Hemisphere Regional Business Conference will be held June 16 - 20, 2010, preceded by a Youth Summit June 14 - 16 in Lima, Peru. Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada will send the full complement of six participants.We are seeking two GGC Members to join the delegation.  One must be a young adult under the age of 30 at the time of the conference.

Further information, including fact sheets and an application form can be found here.

The new GM 2010 website is up and running - please visit http://2010.girlguides.ca/.

Please click here to be directed to the national website.

At Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada's Annual General Meeting held in Halifax, Chris Burton of Alberta was installed as Girl Guides of Canada's new Chief Commissioner.Chris has been active in Guiding for the past 50 years, starting as a Brownie, Guide and Ranger. She has served as a Guider, Camp Adviser, Division, Area and Provincial Commissioner, Provincial Public Relations Commissioner, Trainer and Vice President of the Management Board.
In her speech at the AGM, Chris noted that "GGC's strength comes from the participation and efforts of all of our Members. Guiding is structured so every girl and woman has a place. Working together in cooperation, our organization can become even stronger."
After completing her three-year term as Chief Commissioner, Myrtle Corkum now serves as the International Commissioner for GGC.

Please click here to be directed to the national website. Information regarding summer camps can be found here.  

Update on H1N1 flu virus (human swine influenza)
June 12, 2009
On Thursday, June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the H1N1 flu virus pandemic alert level from Phase Five to Phase Six. In doing so the WHO underscored:
The decision is based on the spread of the virus and not the severity of illness it causes. The virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in more than three countries across two WHO regions;
In general, the H1N1 flu virus continues to cause moderate illness globally with most people affected recovering at home without medical treatment. For instance in Canada most infections to date have been mild; and,
That borders should remain open.
This decision had not affected the Government of Canadas overall response to the H1N1 flu virus. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) will continue to monitor the situation and build on the measures that are already in place under the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan.
As such, Guiding meetings and events should continue as usual. Please see below for further information about the H1N1 virus, and ways to protect yourself.

Human Swine Influenza update
May 1, 2009

As reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), human swine influenza has been reported in Canada, Mexico and the United States. As of April 29, 2009, 19 cases have been confirmed in Canada.
To date, PHAC has not indicated the need to restrict public gathering or events in Canada. As such, Guiding meetings and events should continue as usual. However, Guiders should be aware of and encourage girls to follow the guidelines outlined below to help prevent the spread of influenza:
1.Wash your hands with soap and running water frequently. If soap and water is not available, alcohol-based hand gels can be used.
2.Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing and wash your hands immediately after.
3.Do not share utensils, cups or towels.
4.If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, stay home if possible.
5.Try to avoid contact with people who appear to have a respiratory illness.
What is human swine influenza?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. From time to time, human infections do occur, resulting in human swine influenza. Human swine influenza is a respiratory illness that causes symptoms similar to those of the regular human seasonal flu. Much like regular seasonal influenza and other respiratory infections, human swine influenza is transmitted from person to person when germs enter the nose and/or throat. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, and sore throat. Some people with human swine influenza have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.
Travel advisories
On April 27, 2009, the Government of Canada issued a travel advisory urging travelers to postpone all non-essential travel to Mexico. While Our Cabana in Mexico is a popular destination for Members of GGC, we do not currently have any nationally-sponsored trips occurring in Mexico at this time.
No other travel advisories have been issued in relation to human swine influenza. We will continue to monitor the situation and assess national and international travel on a case-by-case basis. We will provide additional information through our website as it becomes available.    
For more information about human swine influenza, please visit the PHAC website at .

We're creating a 100th Anniversary Celebration Cookbook and you can be a part of it!  

Instructions:

Go to www.gatebook.com/index

General user name:  GM2010

Password:  camping
 
Categories:Appetizers & Beverages
Salads, Vegetables & Soups
Main Dishes
Breads, Muffins & Loaves
Desserts
Extra Special
Camp Cooking

Anyone can submit Recipes, Guiders, please pass on to your girls, we want everyone to have a chance to submit recipes. For those people without email, you can submit recipes to the provincial office (to Monika at mtheissen@girlguides.mb.ca)

Deadline for submissions is July 17, 2009.   

Cookbooks will be ready for purchase and distribution beginning in October, just in time for the Christmas season.  

Watch for information on how to order. All proceeds going to help support members attending Guiding Mosaic 2010.

Write/Right to Read is a national bilingual writing and drawing contest that aims to improve literacy skills and create global citizens. Using an opening paragraph written by children's author Kenneth Oppel, students in grades 4 to 6 are invited to complete a 300 word story and accompanying drawing incorporating this year's theme of tolerance and acceptance. The grand prizewinner of the Write/Right to Read contest will receive a contribution of $1000 to a Registered Education Savings Plan, a complete collection of signed Kenneth Oppel books and a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.ca.
For more information please visit http://www.worldlit.ca/writerighttoread.html

A Brown Owl from Alberta has entered the Airmiles Mile-ionaire "Share the Dream" contest. Her dream is to fly girls from around the country to Mosaic 2010, so they may take part in the 100th Anniversary Celebration.  Her dream has been chosen as one of the top 10 and requires votes to win.  If you would like to vote for her dream just go to www.million.airmiles.ca click on "vote" and then "vote now" and scroll down to Brown Owl

What a great dream...let your voice be heard, go and VOTE!

In 2010 Girl Guides of Canada will be celebrating our 100th birthday! Help us to plan the celebrations! We will be having a Provincial 2010 celebrations committee with an additional committee that will plan the 2010 Rally.

The 2010 committee will be responsible for items such as:
Provincial  birthday initiatives (to be decided)  
Provincial Launch of the 100th birthday
Promotions  of national  and provincial initiatives
Public Relations activities  (i.e.) community flower beds
We will be hosting 3 rallies across Manitoba on National Rally Day - May 15, 2010

The rally sites will be in Assiniboine and Cambrian Area and in Winnipeg or surrounding area. If you are interested in working on the planning committee for any of these rallies please contact:

Assiniboine Area, Carla Paddock, ggcaa@mts.net

Cambrian Area, Heather Hall, hallh@mts.net

Winnipeg, Michelle Barclay, (204) 774-4475, mjbarclay@shaw.ca

All rallies will be similar in organization and program so that the girls will get a similar experience at any event they attend. There will be some national components that all girls across Canada will experience. It is important we get Guider and girl member support of these committees to ensure they are the best celebrations! Girl voice is very important and we hope to have girl members on each committee so we can hear what they want!!

The possible committees for the Rally are:

Transportation - parking, security
Program - station activities and equipment, entertainment and volunteers
Site Management - site booking, equipment, set up, tents, bathrooms, take down, garbage
Communications - media, internal communication, pre-event information
Registration - crests

The first Provincial 2010 Celebrations Committee meeting will be on Tuesday June 16th at 7:00 pm at the provincial office. Our initial planning meeting will be a brainstorming meeting, any members are welcome. No experience on a provincial committee is needed! Bring a friend! Be part of the 100th birthday celebration experience!

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Michelle Barclay or Maureen Leppington.

The first ever filmed message from World Board Chairman Margaret Treloar is on YouTube: http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/about/100years  this will be developed into a more lengthy film piece for use by MOs in the coming weeks.   It can also be accessed from the WAGGGS website!!

Top reasons for girls to participate in Canadian Girls Say

The deadline has been extended for the Canadian Girls Say photo contest and project - you now have until October 30, 2009 for your submissions. Please click here for updated information, including quick tips on how to participate. Below are the top five reasons your Unit should participate:

Give girls a voice. This is a chance for girls to speak out on what they care about in their communities.
A girl in your Unit could win a trip to Toronto! GGC will invite the three girls who took the top three photos to Toronto to attend an unveiling of the projects photos.
Your girls could have their photos in an online gallery! At least 50 photos will be included in the online Canadian Girls Say photo gallery.
Units will be provided with a toolkit on how to facilitate local celebrations of the Canadian Girls Say project results
Help girls make a difference in their community. Units will have the chance to take action as they celebrate the Universal Day of the Child on November 20, 2009.

Dont have three Unit meetings available to work on the project before the Guiding year is over? Then you can do Instant Meeting One and Two together on a weekend. Or, coordinate with other Units and do all three instant meetings together and make it a fun GGC spring day event.

For more tips or questions, please contact photovoice@girlguides.ca. We need your help to make this project a success!

Canadian Girl Say update

GGCs groundbreaking photography project, Canadian Girls Say, will be launched on Thursday, April 9. Its a chance for girls to showcase what they care about in their communities through photography. Please see below for updated information on how your Unit or Lones can participate. Now is the time to consult with your girls about whether they would like to participate in this exciting new project as a Unit or independently. Project materials will be available on Member Zone, Thursday April 9. If you have any questions, please contact photovoice@girlguides.ca .

Canadian Girls Say is a groundbreaking project that will use photography to help girls explore the issues they care about in their community. Each individual girl Member will be asked to submit one photo that best represents what she likes or would like to change about her community along with an accompanying photo submission form that include three questions about her photo. The photos will be taken during their Unit community walk (the second instant meeting). All photos will be submitted and entered in a contest where the top 10 to 20 will be selected to be framed and displayed at Torontos Casa Loma for the national media launch of Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canadas 2010 celebrations. The top three winners will be flown to Toronto for the gallery. Several of the photos will also be displayed on an on-line photo gallery.  
Each individual girl Members photo submission will be analyzed by a researcher to identify what issue(s) she cares about within her community.  All the issues identified across Canada will be grouped into themes (i.e. the environment, safety, health etc.) and further discussed in a report that will be titled Canadian Girls Say....  This is groundbreaking as there is limited literature on Canadian children and youth and especially Canadian girls.  This will also take Girl Guides of Canada one step closer to being expert on Canadian Girls. Girl Guides/Girl Scouts of Australia, United States, and the United Kingdom have all developed similar reports on their own girls.
In the following Guiding year, girls will have the opportunity to discuss their Unit identified in the Canadian Girl Say  research project and select one for their 2010 Global Youth Service Day project.
The Canadian Girls Say research project instructions will be available on-line Thursday, April 9th for all Units and Lones across Canada to participate in. Submissions will be due no later than Monday, June 22.

Before committing to this project, please review the requirements below to see if your Unit would be interested in participating in this project.  If your Unit does not have the time and/or only some of the girls are interested, you have the option of downloading and forwarding a copy of the Canadian Girls SayActivity Guide and appendices to the parent/guardian/girl so they can participate independently.

FOR UNITS
To participate, your Unit will need the following:  
Three consecutive Unit meetings to complete this project
Please avoid doing other activities along with this project as it will take three full one hour Unit meetings to complete
You have the option of completing Meeting One and Two on the same day (should you decide to do this on the weekend or PD Day)
Three hours in total to prepare for the Unit meetings
Access to a printer or photocopier
Unit money to cover the cost of photo development and postage
Digital camera(s):
Use of cell phone cameras is discouraged due to the poor photo quality  

Tip: If you or your Guiders do not have any cameras, borrow them locally (ask the girls and their parents/guardians, friends etc.) or contact national office at photovoice@girlguides.ca at least two weeks before your first meeting; we will have a limited number to lend out to Units for this project.

Access to a photo developing center (either on-line or in-person) that can develop pictures within one week
One blank recordable CD to copy (burn/write) pictures for submission to the national GGC office
One large padded mailing envelope (to protect the CD)
MemberZone login and password (if you do not know it then contact your Unit Administrator to get further instructions)
For Spark, Brownie, or Guide Units: Due the amount of writing required to complete this research project, one family member or a volunteer from Pathfinders or Rangers for each participant to assist with the writing and comprehension of questions
The guest should be present at all three Canadian Girls SayUnit meetings
Option: Have both Branches simultaneously participate in the project.
Be aware: There are branch specific tips throughout all three instant meetings
For rural Units:  You will need to more time to do Safe Guide planning for Instant Meeting Two: Community Walk (please see Instant Meeting One Materials)

FOR LONES
The requirements (including resources) to participate in this project include:
Ability to complete all three activities (total time length: 3 hours)
An older family member or Guiding friend to assist you   
Unit money to cover the possible cost of postage
Contact your Guider or Girl Guides of Canada contact person to find out how to get reimbursed
Know your iMIS # (your Girl Guides of Canada Membership number)
TIP: If you do not know it, please contact your Guider or Girl Guides of Canada contact person to get your number
Digital camera:
TIP: If you do not have one, try to borrow a camera (ask friends, Guider, family, etc.). Or, contact the national office at photovoice@girlguides.ca a minimum of two weeks before you want do your second activity. We will have a limited number of cameras available to lend out.
Home computer and printer with either:
High speed Internet access to submit the picture and forms OR
Ability to copy/burn photos onto a recordable CD
If you decide to submit your photo and forms by mail,  you will need a blank recordable CD and a padded envelope for mail (to protect the CD)