I have never written an open letter before, but I feel like for my first one I should direct it towards an organization that is such a big part of my life, you, Girl Guides of Canada.
Dear Girl Guides of Canada,
I was first introduced to you at the age of 8. Stuck on the first floor of a local community centre, I stood, dressed in the orange uniform of the Brownie, among my new group of friends. Sure my sisters were there, but they were in the Sparks, and this was my first time being introduced to a whole new group of people.
While we were a small group, maybe 12 of us, there was no shortage of singing, crafting, learning and laughing. You taught me knots, proper bedrolls, how to pitch a tent, campfire cooking, count and collect money (top cookie seller here!), and many other life skills that I still use today. The feeling of being rewarded with a badge was one that always brought a smile to my face. My sashes are covered, displaying all the hard work and determination I had, and still have.
As I switched units and moved up from Brownies to Guides, I went on my first overnight camping trip. It was terrifying, but I survived and went on many more after. Camps turned into one of my favourite outings. Playing games at midnight, projecting movies onto the sides of the camp building, even gossiping under the stars. I remember going to the science centre and sleeping amongst dozens of other units, just to spend the following day running around playing games. Or the winter camp in Wyoka, in which we had to drag our luggage up a hill, but were rewarded with snowshoeing and hot chocolate.
But, while there were the camps that I loved, others were a bit rougher than others. Remember that time we pitched the tent wrong and our luggage got soaked? Let’s not forget tripping over guide wires and messing up another person’s tent. Priceless. Or, how about when we slept in the middle of a tornado and flood warning? I remember waking up and wading outside the tent into a puddle the size of a large pond. Ah yes, good memories. We all did it, and you know what we got out of it? Lots and lots of laughs and a badge stating ‘I survived’. I still have that badge sitting amongst all the others on my camp blanket.
I still hum the songs that we would sing around the campfire, from Black Song to Fred the Moose. My favourites were the action songs, forcing us all to stand up and act out weird actions, ending up in us all laughing instead of following the song. And a true Girl Guide knows that Baby Shark is not a new song, but was sang with other girls sitting in a circle roasting marshmallows.
Where am I now thanks to you? Well, I’m a leader. Yep. I volunteer my time once a week to work with other little girls and show them how much fun Girl Guides is. And you know what? All those friends I made throughout the years are still the ones that I am with today. While we all may have different paths in life, we all share the sisterhood of Guiding. We have inside jokes and can always relate to the smell of campfire that sticks to our clothes for nearly forever.
And now, as you have always told me “a circle’s round, it has no end. That’s how long I want to be your friend.”
Once a Girl Guide, Always A Girl Guide,
-Carly