April 5 – Communities 17, 18, 19 and 20 to send Dominica Twinning Project items to their Community Office for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

April 14 – Happy Birthday Sparks!! Time to PARTY! Celebrate by trying out the new Spark Anniversary Challenge, To Share and Be a Friend Challenge! Find it in Member Zone: https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/program-idea/Document%20Library/Sparks_20th_Anniversary.aspx

April 15 - Due date for applications for Juliette Low Seminar (Young Adult event) in Kenya to National office. For more information click here (http://www.girlguides.ca/international_events)

April 15 – Deadline for girls aged 12-17 to apply for National Girl Summit

April 20 – Due date for applications for 2010 Australian Centenary Event to provincial office. For more information click here . (http://www.girlguides.ca/international_events)

April 24-26 – Global Youth Service Day. Click here to access new challenge in MemberZone
https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/program-idea/gysd/GYSD_Challenge_2009.pdf

End of April – Girl Member 2010 membership renewal packages mailed to parents

May 1 – 2010 Spring Membership Renewal begins for girl Members

May 5 – Communities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 39 to send Dominica Twinning Project items to their Community Office for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

May 9 - SEARS DAY –Cookie selling opportunity Contact your local Sears store to make arrangements.

May 19 – Cookie payments are due to Ontario Council

June 5 – LAST CALL! Final deadline for Dominica Twinning Project items to the Provincial Office for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

June 30 – Deadline for Units to submit final request for the reimbursement of the former District Funds. For details, please contact finance.manager@guidesontario.org

July 1 – Registration for NEW girl Members opens

July 9-12 – National Girl Summit

October 21 – 100th Anniversary Kick Off - Campfire Celebration (across Ontario). Download the list of songs (http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/march_online/campfire%20celebration.pdf) for the campfire and begin learning them now! Details on specific locations to follow in May.

Is your passion our Program?
Let’s not reinvent the wheel! There are tons of tried and tested program ideas in old ONL volumes. We’ve already had a good response to this, but we can definitely use more help! We are looking for Guiders who are program-savvy and would be interested in picking some gems out from our old resources and updating them to current program standards. Contact Jess at environment.adviser@guidesontario.org

Leadership for Girls-Task Group
This Learning and Development section Task Group will be responsible for researching what types of leadership skills for girl members are currently being offered within our Guiding curriculum and investigating possible partnerships with other organizations. This group will develop the content of training materials required to provide Guiders with the knowledge they need to help our girl members develop leadership skills. They will also look at a variety of delivery methods for the material. Click here for application.

Here are a few samples of some great Girl events!
Come to Mount Forest and spend A Day at the Circus for Sparks. This event offers a day full of fun activities, games and crafts and is scheduled for Saturday, May 2. The deadline to register is April 15th.

Back by popular demand! The one and only Great Toronto Scavenger Hunt! There are various dates being offered which are listed on the event calendar. Register your Unit today, there is still space available!

Here is a sample of an upcoming Adult event!
Attend the Sing a Song of Sisterhood event in Sudbury for a day of learning, growing, fun and enjoying the company of fellow Guiders. This event is scheduled for Saturday, April 25.

For more details and to look for other events click here: https://secure.e-registernow.com/cgi-bin/mkpayment.cgi?state=1211

Check often as there are new events added all the time!

Guiding Mosaic 2010
The national showcase event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Guiding will be the international camp Guiding Mosaic 2010. Click here to check for updates. This will be an amazing event that will be open to Guides and Pathfinders who have birth years between 1998-1995, and Rangers who have birth years between 1995-1992.
To ensure maximum support of GM 2010, national has stated that independent international and interprovincial trips are strongly discouraged during 2010.

Spring Is In the Air!
Priority renewal for currently registered girl Members is being offered once again in Ontario.

Coming in April
At the end of April, a membership renewal package will be mailed to parents of all girl Members registered in iMIS. The envelope will be marked “Important-Membership Information Enclosed!” and include: a letter to parents with information on how to register their daughter this spring for the upcoming 2009-2010 membership year; a personalized A5-R form; the 2009-2010 Annual Registration Fee Payment form; and a Request for Fee Subsidy form.

An addressed return envelope is included in the package and the forms and payment are to be returned directly to the Unit Administrator.

In May
From May 1 to May 31, 2009, all currently registered girl Members are offered the benefit of priority renewal of their membership for next year. Registration forms must be received by the community offices by May 31, 2009 to receive priority placement. To make sure your girls don’t miss out, remember to encourage parents to submit their forms right away!

New Girls
Registration will be open to new girls on July 1, 2009.

Unit Guider Membership Renewal
In early April Unit Guiders will receive an email asking about their plans for next year and information about their Unit meetings. Your response to this request is important to us and it will only take you a few minutes to update your information online. Some of you have already been contacted by the User Space Coordinator for information to renew your school permits and every effort is being made to match the information that you provided with your unit records before this mailing. We appreciate your cooperation if you receive another request for some of the same information.

Adult Members who are not currently Unit Guiders will be contacted later this spring about their membership renewal.

Important information will be posted on the Ontario Council website beginning at the end of April, so be sure to check for updates!
More information will also be provided in the May issue of ONLine.

User Space Update
Remember, any document requiring signature must be forwarded to Lynn Manning, User Space Coordinator, who is the authorized signatory for GGC, Ontario Council.

For further information, please contact: Lynn Manning, User Space Coordinator
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
303 - 250 Merton Street, Toronto, ON M4S 1B1
e-mail: userspace.coord@guidesontario.org

Phone: (416) 486-8721 ext. 2473
Toll Free: (877) 323-4545 ext. 2473
Fax: (416) 920-1440

Non-Member Police Record Checks
Please review this process for screening non-member volunteers! Some of the forms have been revised.

Non-members who volunteer with girls on a regular basis, attend GGC camp settings or act as a Treasurer must have a police records check (PRC). The forms and documents required for a non-member are:
• A.7 form (the latest version including a confidentiality agreement can be found at (http://forms.girlguides.ca/appregrec/A7.pdf). Please note: old versions of the A.7 forms that do not include the confidentiality agreement will no longer be accepted, in accordance with GGC policy.
• Police Records Check.

A non-member may complete their PRC using BackCheck. The cost of the PRC is $24.50 plus tax for a total of $25.73. The forms and instructions can be found at https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C12/Ontario/Police%20Record%20Checks/Forms/AllItems.aspx

A non-member also has the option to submit a PRC from their local police service. All of the following requirements apply:
• PRC dated no more than 6 months prior to its date of submission to GGC
• Includes a Vulnerable Sector Check
• Includes a check of the Pardoned Sexual Offenders Database
Please note: the original PRC must be submitted. The original will be returned to the applicant.

Mail the A.7 form and PRC to the Membership Administrative Assistant at:
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
303 – 250 Merton St.
Toronto ON M4S 1B1

For a camp, the forms must be received at least two weeks prior to the date of the camp. It may not be possible to accommodate last minute requests.

If you require further information about this process, please contact the Membership Administrative Assistant, membership.admin@guidesontario.org, (416) 486-8721 ext. 2474, or 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2474.

If you have an urgent situation, contact the Membership Administrative Assistant by phone.

Trefoil Happenings
The 2010 National Trefoil Guild Gathering, “Celebrate Our Roots,” is coming up in Kamloops, BC, June 23-27, 2010. 158 spots are reserved for Trefoil Members from Ontario! Information about applications and other details about the event will be available soon so be sure to check the next ONLine and the website for updates.

Check out the new Trefoil Clothing at (http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/postive%20identity.pdf)!

If you have updates about activities in your Guild, the Provincial Trefoil Guild Adviser, Kay Dubie would love to hear from you at: trefoil.adviser@guidesontario.org.

What did you do for Earth Hour?
Did your Unit do something fantastic that you’d like to share? You can be featured on our website! Just send in a blurb and a picture or two and we’ll share your great ideas with everyone else! Email your events to: environment.adviser@guidesontario.org

Sparks Jump Up and Clean Up
Spring is here, the grass is riz,
I wonder what this garbage is.
Make a difference near your meeting space! Pick a green space near your Unit and plan an Earth Day clean up. Apply for funding now to pay for your supplies (bags, gloves, or anything else you need). Don’t forget to bring along a recycling bin. Take a before and after picture and send in the difference you made in your community and you could see yourself on our website! Click here for the request for funds http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Environmental%20Service%20
Proj%20Appl%20form%20OCT%2008.pdf (you don’t have to be a Spark Unit to apply – great idea for any branch and Earth Day projects!)

Great Web Resources:
Earth Day Ideas and Great Environmental Challenges to try:

Water for Life Challenge
Hey girls and Guiders, let’s think about our water supply! Learn about the importance of water in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Water for Life Challenge, which can be found at: http://www.ggcnf.org/WaterforLife.pdf

To find out more about the Decade for Action – Water for Life 2005 – 2015, click on http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/

Interesting Challenges from Around Canada!
Looking for some interesting Challenges? Click here (http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Challenges%20across%20Canada.xls) for exciting challenges like Climate Change Challenge, SunSence and more!

“Canadian Girls Say…” update - GGC’s groundbreaking photography project, “Canadian Girls Say….”, will be launched on Thursday, April 9. It’s a chance for girls to showcase what they care about in their communities through photography. For updated information on how your Unit or Lone girl can participate, click here photovoice@girlguides.ca. 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 MemberZone April 9. The deadline for all photo submissions is Monday, June 22.

SUMMER 2009 SPONSORED TRAVEL PARTICIPANT SELECTIONS: Congratulations to our Ontario Guiders selected for the Summer 2009 National sponsored events. We know you will be excellent representatives of both the Ontario Council as well as Girl Guides of Canada!

WHERE in the WORLD are our Members TRAVELING?
For a more detailed list of where our Members are traveling, log into MemberZone on the National Website: www.girlguides.ca, under the Ontario section and for our NEW! Resource created to assist Guiders in planning trips visit http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/whereinworld.htm

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY FOR SUMMER 2011
Would you like to see Guiding in action in Sweden and participate in their Centenary celebration camp? Visit: www.worldscoutjamboree.se to get more information about the 22nd World Scout Jamboree which will take place July 27 – August 7, 2011 in Sweden. If your Unit decides to participate in this event, contact the International Adviser (international.adviser@guidesontario.org) for information and assistance with the required paperwork.

National Girl Summit for Girls 12-17 and Young Adult Mentors
From July 9-12, 2009, the Marriott Hotel attached to Toronto's Eaton Centre will be home to 20 Pathfinders, Rangers and Trex members from across Canada. They'll be gathering to work on their leadership skills, discuss how GGC can provide better leadership training to girls, and plan out a way to share their skills and knowledge with other girls in their home provinces/territories. Each province will send two girls as well as one mentor, aged 18-30, who will help the girls to develop and carry out their action plan. GGC will pay for the participants' accommodation, meals and transportation costs.

If you know someone who will be 12 - 17 on July 9, 2009, has great leadership potential and would like to improve your skills, see the website for more information and an application form. If you'll be 18-30 and feel that you could be a good mentor to Ontario's team, see the mentor application. If you have any questions, contact Amy Porteous at mailto:mdeputypc.girlforum@guidesontario.org.

Pathfinder, Ranger and Trex Guiders, please encourage the girls in your Unit to apply. The deadline is April 15, 2009.

Girl Forum Meeting Overview
A new year comes with new possibilities and the long awaited annual ACL, Adviser, and Girl Forum weekend meeting. This year all sorts of new topics faced the Girl Forum. Early on Friday night the Girl Forum branched off from the ACLs and Advisers. To start things off we got all “knotted up” with some icebreakers to better get to know our two new members. The fun quickly moved to business talk.

Before the meeting, each girl was to hold a focus group about girl engagement in her community. Discussions were held about each girl’s findings and what to include in the next round of focus groups, which will be about international education and will be geared towards Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers.

On Saturday morning we shared our ideas about the summer camps brochure, the promotional DVD and the cookie incentive program. Later in the day, we met with the Provincial Advisers to talk about planning a 2010 Thinking Day project and to give our opinions on the new initiatives Ontario is considering. We also got to present a “2020 Look at Guiding”, showcasing our dreams for Guiding 10 years from now.

When the Advisers, ACLs, and Girl Forum members were all together there was tons of interaction! Girls and Guiders from all over the province brought different perspectives to our discussions and activities. The weekend was full of fun and hard work. On behalf of the Girl Forum I thank province for allowing us to attend and give our input about the future of Guiding.
Samantha Shewring, Chair of the Girl Advisory Forum

WAGGGS’ Job Vacancies: WAGGGS is currently recruiting. To see what exciting positions have been posted visit http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/about/jobsopportunities.

WAGGGS Centenary Merchandise - The centenary badge deluxe and the 2010 centenary badge are now available at the WAGGGS’ online shop. (http://www.wagggs-shop.org/index.php/en/1/Centenary/33) The badges can be worn individually or together. Every year an additional centenary badge will be on sale through the shop. These badges could be earned, for example, by participating in the annual Centenary Celebration Day on April 10 in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Canadian World Friendship Funds and Mutual Aid Projects - Have your say in how our Canadian World Friendship Funds are spent in regards to Mutual Aid Projects. The short-list of potential Mutual Aid Projects for 2009 will be listed on the National Website (www.girlguides.ca) by the end of April. Please log on with your girls and complete the survey to decide which project you feel should be supported. Mutual Aid projects are funding requests by WAGGGS’ member countries made to other wealthier Member countries. Each request is a project that the Member country feels very strongly about with the purpose of bettering the lives of the girls and/or the citizens of its country. Each year, Girl Guides of Canada designates a portion of the Canada World Friendship Funds received from donations by Units and individuals towards a Mutual Aid Project or several projects. Your opinion counts so be sure to answer the survey!

COOKIE ALL STARS
The results are in, and we are proud to report on…..

7,989 girls participated in the Cookie All Stars Incentive Program
1,264 girls achieved the 5-9 case level
345 girls achieved 10-14 case level
111 girls achieved 25 cases or higher
CONGRATULATIONS to all incentive winners!

Reminder to Guiders to please print off your Unit’s Cookie All Star participation certificates for all girls who sold from 1 case to 9 cases of cookies. The participant certificates are now available on the Cookie All Stars page on MemberZone for Guiders.
Girls who qualified for 10 -24 cases will have their certificates prepared by Ontario Council and they will be mailed to the unit contact for presentation to the girls. Girls achieving 25 cases or higher level will receive certificates from Girl Guides of Canada, National Office.
Thanks to all Guiders who supported and encouraged their girls to participate in the cookie All Star program.

COOKIE ALL STARS PROGRAM CONTINUES
Based on the success of Cookie All Stars for classic 2009, we will be continuing the incentive initiative for the 2009 mint campaign. However, given the different timelines for the mint campaign, girls will not be collecting orders (pre-orders).

Information will be posted shortly regarding new changes to the Cookie All Star Incentive Program. http://guidesontario.org/about/cookie_allstars.htm

Information surrounding the Cookie All Star Program will be distributed to Guiders along with their fall 2009 ordering material.

Cookie All Star Feedback
We want your feedback about Cookie All Stars! Surveys will be conducted to gain feedback from Guiders, girls and parents about the 2009 classic Cookie All Stars. The surveys will be sent out by email to all Members in early April. A survey will also be posted on the National website for girls and parents to complete. Watch for details in early April.

Classic Cookie Campaign Underway
A special thanks to everyone who volunteered to assist with the receiving of cookies, helping distribute the cookies to Guiders from the Guide offices, and of course, those who acted as cookie receivers.

Sales aids have been delivered to all Community Offices. If you require sales aids and are unable to pick them up, please send your request to cookie.coord@guidesontario.org and include a mailing address where sales aids are to be sent.

The new reduced trans-fat cookies are now for sale in many communities. These cookies are being well received and taste great! However, should you receive any inquiries regarding product quality, please instruct the customer to call our cookie customer service helpline at 1-800-507-7564 or to send an e-mail to cookies@girlguides.ca. The telephone number is also located on the side panel under the ingredient list on all Girl Guide cookie box.

FUNDRAISING
As stated in Guiding Essentials: “GGC cookies are the official fundraiser for the organization and are the only approved fundraising vehicle that benefits all levels of Guiding. Participation at all levels is expected in both cookie campaigns.”

In Ontario, all fundraising projects (except GGC cookie sales) require approval from the Provincial Commissioner in advance. The application form can be found on the website at http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Fundraising_Approval_Application.pdf . A completed application must be submitted to the Provincial office a minimum of 1 month prior to the start date of the fundraising initiative. The provincial office will notify you within 2 weeks of receipt of documentation as to whether permission to proceed with this fundraiser is given.

Members are expected to adhere to the National Fund Development Policy. Fundraising may be undertaken for a specific purpose such as program and camp costs. However, funds which have been collected for GGC purposes may NOT be donated to other organizations or charities. For additional information please review the National Fundraising Guidelines in Guiding Essentials Section 8.2 https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/Guiding-Essentials/default.aspx and the National Fund Development Policy at https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/Governance/Document%20Library/policies_bylaws.aspx

All Contact Guiders received a package from the Summer Camps section recently containing an “instant meeting” and a DVD to help promote our GGC summer camping experience to girl Members and their friends! If you have any questions or wish to provide feedback please e-mail summercamps.adviser@guidesontario.org

We’ve still got space for girls to have fun at Summer Camps this year! Camps Adelaide, Bryerswood, Doe Lake, Keewaydin, Kiawa, Kienuka, Polly Lake, Waupoos, Woolsey and Wyoka are gearing up with staff members and programs for a great summer season! We have wait list space only for some programs but there are still lots of space for more. Please come visit our web pages and check out all the neat things we have to offer: http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/campprograms.htm.

We’ve added some programs and modified others within our Summer Camps.
http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/camp_updates.pdf

We’re still looking for women aged 18 & older to work at our camps as employees and volunteers! Interviewing and placements are underway now! If you have a summer, a month or a week to share, please look at our staffing pages: http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/summercamp_2009.htm

The new Cookie Crest for 2009 is now available for only .45 cents at the E-store as well as in the Ottawa and Mississauga Guides shops.

Check out the E-store Clearance Section for great deals on discontinued merchandise. (http://www.thegirlguidestore.ca/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3serverpool=northstar&w3exec=boutique&
store=ggo&formname=prodcat&category=z)

Perhaps she has her filter set too high on her computer and the ONLine delivery is blocked. The ONLine is a bulk e-mail and therefore may be landing in the “Junk E-mail” box, so please suggest she check there!

Perhaps we have an out of date e-mail address for her in iMIS and she can update it as follows:
Unit Guider – contact the Unit Administrator in your Community. Link or
Member at Large – contact imis.coord@guidesontario.org (416-920-6666 Ext. 2431). Trefoil Members contact adult.admin@guidesontario.org

You may access the PDF form at http://www.guidesontario.org/forMembers/newspublications.htm

Having trouble opening PDF links?
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ONLine Feedback
We hope you enjoyed this edition of ONLine! As it is our intent to produce this publication monthly, we're seeking feedback. Pease tell us what you liked, disliked or would like to see in future issues. Drop our Communications Coordinator an e-mail and share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you.

Would you like to feature something in next month's issue of ONLine? If yes, please send your article to the Communications Coordinator no later than Monday, April 20 for consideration.
Articles received after the deadline date will be saved for publication in the following month’s issue. Thank you for understanding.

 

ONLine April issue 2009            www.guidesontario.org            Toll free: 1-877-323-4545