February 2– Web form submission deadline for Cookie All Stars http://netsell.com/ggoc09/

February 5– Communities 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 to send Dominica Twinning Project items to their Community Office (Hamilton) for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

February 22– World Thinking Day - The World Thinking Day 2009 website: http://www.worldthinkingday.com/en/home has now been launched

March 5– Communities 13, 14, 15 and 16 to send Dominica Twinning Project items to their Community Office (Mississauga) for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

March 13– Cookie deliveries begin!

March 31 – deadline for Cheque Requests for Unit Meeting Space
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council covers the cost of regular weekly meeting space from a portion of girl registration fees. School board costs for 2008-09 have already been paid.
o If your unit meets at a public place other than a school and would like Ontario Council to cover the cost, please complete the form below to request a cheque and submit to the User Space Coordinator. If your meeting space requires payment of a specific amount, please include that information in your request.
o Note that cheques will be forwarded from the provincial office directly to the facility with an acknowledgement letter in May. Confirmation is not provided to Guiders; however, you can contact your Unit Administrator after May 15 to see if a cheque requisition has been submitted to the Finance department.
To obtain a Cheque Request form, click on the link below to download from MemberZone: https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C12/Ontario/ProceduresManual/Unit%20Guider%20-%20Membership/Ontario%20User%20Space%20Cheque%20Request%20Form.doc

April 6 – Cookie deliveries are completed.

May 19 – Cookie payments are due to Ontario Council.

April 20 – Due date for applications for 2010 Australian Centenary Event to provincial office. For more information click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/FactSheet-Australia2010[1].pdf

February and March, 2009 - Ontario Girl Guides Summer Camps Information Nights. All take place from 7:00 – 9:00 pm, with the first hour providing information about being a camper and the second hour providing information about volunteering.

Tues Feb 17- Mississauga Mississauga Guide Office – 1563 Dundas St. W.
Wed. Feb 18 - Oshawa Oshawa Guide Office – 121 Simcoe St.,S
Thurs. Feb 19 - Ottawa Ottawa Guide Office – 453 Parkdale Ave
Thurs. Feb 19 - London London Guide Office – 4096 Meadowbrook Dr. Unit 104
Monday, Feb 23 - Toronto Ontario Guide House, 14 Birch Avenue
Mon. Feb 23 - Hamilton Hamilton Guide Office – 360 Queenston Rd.
Tues. Feb 24 - Kingston Kingston Guide Office – 216 Mowat Ave
Tues. Feb 24 - Newmarket St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 484 Water Street
Thurs. Feb 26 - Cambridge Trefoil House – 116 Lowther St. S
Thurs. Feb 26 - Welland St. David’s Anglican Church, 369 Thorald Rd.
Sat. March 7 2:00-4:00 - Owen Sound Central Westside United Church, 310 10th St. W.
Sun. March 8 2:00-4:00 - Windsor Windsor Guide Office, 5760 Maldon Rd, La Salle

2009 Provincial Recognition Ceremonies
Saturday, June 13 - Chatham
Sunday, June 14 - Burlington
Saturday October 17 - Barrie
Sunday October 18 - Markham
Saturday November 14 - Peterborough
Sunday November 15 - Kingston

May 2 – Sears Cookie Day – more information to follow at www.girlguides.ca

June 14 - Open House for Summer Camps! We invite Members of Girl Guides of Canada, parents and the general public to visit us! Click here for the list of camps. http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/campprograms.htm

October 21 – Campfire Celebration across Ontario! As a lead-up to the 100th Anniversary of Girl Guides, the 2010 Anniversary committee of Ontario Council wants to have a kick off to the celebration in villages, towns and cities across the province.

July 1- 4 - Then and Now - Doe Lake Camp celebrates 60 years of camping excellence this year! A special program has been set to mark the occasion. Click here for information and to register. http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/campprograms.htm

100 years of Girl Guides!
Ontario Council’s 2010 Anniversary committee have plans in the works to help you and your Unit celebrate this special anniversary. There will be a province-wide campfire to help “kick off” the celebration. Look on the Events page of the provincial website in April for details on how to register or volunteer to help coordinate your local campfire. Who knows, maybe we’ll even set a world record for the largest campfire to be held at one time! Our aim is to have all participants at the campfires sing the same songs, on the same date, at the same time across the province on October 21, 2009. There will also be a challenge that has 100 components. We hope one of these will be a geocaching activity whereby participants will move items between 2010 and 2012 to all WAGGGS member countries. All 100 items will relate to program activities. There are activities for girls in each branch as well as Guiders.

" Camp in a Box" with activities themed to the Past, Present and Future of Guiding is being developed to be used by any Unit camping during 2010.

During 2010 we are designating each month for branch specific activities. An online template will help you with the activity. Activities can be done by a single Unit, a group of Units or a community.

May 15, 2010 will be a “Rally Day” across Canada. More details will follow about the Ontario plan.

Click here for information on Guiding Mosaic.
http://www.guidingmosaic.com/

Click here for information on WAGGGS Centenary Celebrations.
http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/about/100years

Ontario Council’s 2010 Anniversary committee have plans in the works to help you and your Unit celebrate this special anniversary. There will be a province-wide campfire to help “kick off” the celebration. Look on the Events page of the provincial website in April for details on how to register or volunteer to help coordinate your local campfire. Who knows, maybe we’ll even set a world record for the largest campfire to be held at one time! Our aim is to have all participants at the campfires sing the same songs, on the same date, at the same time across the province on October 21, 2009. There will also be a challenge that has 100 components. We hope one of these will be a geocaching activity whereby participants will move items between 2010 and 2012 to all WAGGGS member countries. All 100 items will relate to program activities. There are activities for girls in each branch as well as Guiders.

" Camp in a Box" with activities themed to the Past, Present and Future of Guiding is being developed to be used by any Unit camping during 2010.

During 2010 we are designating each month for branch specific activities. An online template will help you with the activity. Activities can be done by a single Unit, a group of Units or a community.

May 15, 2010 will be a “Rally Day” across Canada. More details will follow about the Ontario plan.

Click here for information on Guiding Mosaic.
http://www.guidingmosaic.com/

Click here for information on WAGGGS Centenary Celebrations.
http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/about/100years

Thinking Day Patches are now available at the E-store for $1.25. Click here to view. http://www.thegirlguidestore.ca/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe

Many thanks to all Units who placed their online cookie order by the deadline of January 21. It is super to see so many Units planning blitzes to help finance their Guiding Mosaic 2010 camp trip. It is also wonderful to see that there are so many Cookie All Stars with over 25 cases of pre-orders! Please remember to enter the prizing information for the Cookie All Stars orders for girls participating in this program on the website by visiting http://netsell.com/ggoc09/ . This site will be open until Feb. 2nd.

We are still looking for one additional cookie receiver location in the following areas:
Belleville, Burlington, Cobourg, Etobicoke, Fort Erie, Kanata, Maple, Mississauga, Navan, Newcastle, Newmarket, Nobleton, Ottawa, St. George, Stouffville, Toronto, Trenton, Walton.

Responsibilities of a cookie receiver are to receive the cookies, verify cookie counts, ensure cases are undamaged, disperse the cookies to Unit Guiders picking up from the location, complete paperwork with verified cookie counts and signatures for signed cookies. If you have, or know of, a location that would hold at least 100 cases of cookies and would be available to receive cookies for us in one of the above areas, please contact either cookie.adviser@guidesontario.org or cookie.coord@guidesontario.org.
For units wishing to sell cookies for Thinking Day, we still have some Mint cookies available. Please contact cookie.coord@guidesontario.org to make arrangements for obtaining these cookies.

Girl Advisory Forum Hard at Work

Throughout January, the 11 members of Ontario's Girl Advisory Forum have been collecting Sparks, Brownies and Guides' opinions about the ways in which they'd like to be involved in organizational decision-making. With the help of some Guiders around the province who are asking similar questions of Pathfinders and Rangers, they'll put together a snapshot of Ontario girls' hopes for GGC's structure and ways of work.

The Forum met January 30-31 in Toronto to discuss the focus group findings, share their vision for the future of Guiding, have their say about how Ontario's Girl Guide camps are operated and advertised, help plan the 2010 celebrations, and design a new round of focus groups about international education in Guiding. If a Girl Forum member asks to visit your unit to lead a focus group, please welcome her in -- and if you know of a youth member aged 14 or older next year, let them know how to be part of the Girl Advisory Forum. Applications will be sent out in the spring.
Amy Porteous, Deputy Provincial Commissioner

Ontario Council Elected Member Positions
If you enjoy exploring new ideas and are a ‘big picture’ thinker,
this may be the place for you.

We are seeking applicants who:
• Will actively contribute to meetings – share knowledge; provide opinions; offer advice
• Have a broad understanding and commitment to the Vision and Mission of Girl Guides of Canada
• Think and act strategically
• Support the direction of Ontario Council

Click here (http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/
January_online/Ontario%20Council%20Elected%20Member.pdf) to find out more including how to apply.

Provincial Adviser
Now seeking a Learning and Development Adviser for Ontario Council
The ideal candidate will begin immediately to “shadow” the current Adviser, Patti Carson, until the end of June 2009.
Are you…
• Passionate about adult learning?
• An “expert” on the TEAM GGC program?
• Willing to work towards enhancing adult Member educational opportunities for a three year term.
• Willing to lead over 240 Ontario Trainers to coordinate efforts and ensure all adult Members receive training opportunities?

Apply now! Click here (http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/volunteer_application.PDF) for the link to the Provincial Volunteer Application form.

Be a LONE Guider! Work with girl Members on their program requirements in a unique way. Do you have knowledge of the Guide program and would be willing to work with girls who cannot attend regular meetings? This is not a weekly commitment as you and the girl can make your own timetable. If you are interested, please contact the Girl Program Coordinator at program.coord@guidesontario.org.

Ontario Guide and Pathfinder Adventure 2011 Task Group Members
The International section is seeking 8 Task Group Members to work in teams of four to plan an International focused event to be held in Ontario that will promote International education and awareness with our younger Members. One task group will organize an event for Guide age girls and the second task group will organize an event for Pathfinder age girls. These task groups will start in Fall 2009. Ranger Members are welcome to apply! If you need more details contact international.adviser@guidesontario.org.
Complete the Volunteer Application Form: http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/volunteer_application.pdf

International Independent Trip Opportunity
England, Scotland, Ireland! What sights to see!
Do you have a Pathfinder who would be interested in taking a trip overseas to see these countries? If they are interested, please have them contact Bev Manser at bevmanser@wightman.ca to join the Pathfinder group intending to go. This trip is open to any Pathfinder in Ontario.

Here are a few samples of some great Girl events!
Attend this exciting weekend for Pathfinders called "Snowarama", February 13 - 15, 2009 at Shadow Lake Centre in Stouffville. This year’s theme is “50's Sock Hop” so get your poodle skirt on! The registration deadline is Friday, February 6th so register your Pathfinder unit today!

Back by popular demand is "Best Barn" for Rangers, February 27 - March 1, 2009, Camp Ma-Kee-Wa Girl Guide Camp. It's a “Hollywood” theme this year!

Here is a sample of an upcoming Adult event!
Attend the "Come Together Enrichment Day"! Learn some new skills, reunite with fellow Guiders and meet new ones! This event is scheduled for March 7, 2009 at the Central Peel Secondary School in Brampton. The registration deadline is Friday, February 6th!

For more details and to look for other events click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/events/ontarioevents_table.htm
Check often as there are new events added all the time!

Web Resources for Program ideas:

http://www.worldthinkingday.com/en/home fact sheets with information on these diseases and new fundraising ideas to help you raise money on World Thinking Day

www.mythinkingday.com Thinking Day

http://www.earthhour.org/ Earth Day

https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C9/IdeaZone/default.aspx Ideas from across Canada

To view the Spark Promise in American Sign Language, click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/Feburary_online/Sparks%20Promise%20in%20ASL%20

To view O Canada in ASL, click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/Feburary_online/Oh%20Canada%20ASL.pdf

Thinking Day
For 2009, the World Thinking Day theme is girls worldwide say “stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases”. The downloadable activities on the website are divided into three sections: HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Other diseases (pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and measles). http://www.worldthinkingday.org/en/activities09

The 2009 theme is linked to the new Global Action Theme of “girls worldwide say…together we can change our world.” The theme encourages girls and young women to make a personal commitment to change the world around them and affirms WAGGGS’ commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals. For more information about the new Global Action Theme, go to www.wagggsworld.org.

Program Ideas for Thinking Day theme: “Girls worldwide say: Stop the spread of AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases”. Here’s an activity idea to teach your girls about this topic.

Run-around alphabet game. Each player has a letter of the alphabet stuck on her back. When a word is called out, players must run to the other side of the room and line up to spell out the word. Each player that manages to make a word writes it down. At the end of the game, discuss the meanings of the words: INFECTION, SELF-ESTEEM, PROTECTION, VIRUS, DISEASE, EPIDEMIC, etc.

Pathfinders, this is a great time for your unit to work on Hot Topics for Youth!

GGC Thinking Day crests are available to purchase through the National store and e-commerce (http://www.thegirlguidestore.ca/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe). Thinking Day crests are also available from WAGGGS.

2009 Thinking Day Postcard Exchange
Friendly Reminder: The Thinking Day Postcard Exchange is 12 years running and the 2009 exchange has begun! For 2008, the exchange had 2961 US troops and 1057 International Units (from 49 countries) participating. To learn more about the program or to sign up, please visit www.mythinkingday.com.

Sparks Jump Up and Clean Up!
Hey Sparks! Looking for a way to make your community a little cleaner and a little prettier? Jump up and Clean up! 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 recycle 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

Earth Hour is coming up, don’t forget to register your unit!
Earth hour takes place Saturday March 28th 2009, but you can participate whenever your Unit meets by unplugging and having a fun, energy conserving meeting in the dark! For more information or to register as participants, check out:
http://www.earthhour.org/

Start Thinking about Earth Day!
Even though it’s freezing outside right now, April 22nd is just around the corner! Plan your Earth Day project now and you could qualify for up to $250 to fund your community project. You can plant a garden, clean up a green space, start a recycling project, or help tidy up some nature trails. Your girls can decide what project is needed in your community. For details and the application form, click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Environmental%20Service%20
Proj%20Appl%20form%20OCT%2008.pdf

Guiders - Have you heard about this?

• Creative Writing & Artwork Contest
• Canada’s Top Teen Philanthropist Contest
• Building Futures Planning Guide – Help in planning for your child’s education
• Cybercitizen Challenge
• The Dominion Institute Programs
• One Million Acts of Green
• Canadian Memorial Engineering Foundation Scholarships
• Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program
• The Climate Project
• Young Heritage Leaders Award
And the list goes on. Which one would your girls like to do? Which one do your girls qualify for? View our Community Resources list for other options at http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/communityresources.htm

WHERE in the WORLD are our members TRAVELING?
For a more detailed list of where our members are traveling, log in to MemberZone on the National Website: www.girlguides.ca, under the Ontario section.

Canada World Friendship Fund (CWFF).
Have you ever wondered where the Thinking Day loonies go? Here is some information on the CWFF and where the money raised is spent. In 2008 the WAGGGS Mutual Aid projects GGC supported are as follows:

1. Uganda - Staff salaries
Boosting membership through permanent staff

2. Togo - Refurbishment of Association Hall
Providing a safe space for members to work and play

3. Kenya - continued support from 2007
Continuing to build a site and training new leaders to provide training on HIV/AIDS.

2008 CWFF funds helped to support Canadian girls and young adult Members to attend nationally sponsored international events and helped support other Member Organizations to attend the Western Hemisphere and World Conference. CWFF funds also helped Canadian members who have accepted volunteer work terms at the World Centres.

Look for more details in the upcoming Winter 08 Canadian Guider.

Visit the WAGGGS web site: http://www.wagggs.org/en/projects/mutual_aid/fullyfunded
which lists mutual aid projects supported in recent years and http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/projects/mutual_aid/mutualaid_projects for projects still seeking funding. GGC will be looking at options soon to consider for support in 2009. Send us your suggestions if you wish! international.adviser@guidesontario.org.

SPONSORED TRAVEL PARTICIPANT SELECTIONS:
Click here to view http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/international.htm#A1
selected Members for

• Keystone Quest – Manitoba Interprovincial event
• OAT – Dominican Republic
• National Trips:
• England (Pax Lodge)
• Switzerland (Our Chalet)
• Ecuador

Serving your Community
The best way to get that warm and fuzzy feeling during the winter is to do something to help make someone else warm! Service projects are a great way to share the guiding spirit with others in our community. Let’s take some time during the long winter months to use our talents to brighten the lives of others, and teach our girls the warmth that comes from giving.

Warm and Fuzzy Service Project Suggestions.
• Quilting
• Baby Boxes
• Double Fleece Knotted Blanket

Pilot study Units and Lones needed
This spring, GGC will be launching ‘Canadian Girls Say….’ an awareness-raising project aimed at helping girls identify the issues they care about locally. Girls will use photography to explore and speak out on the issues affecting their communities.

Girl Members across Canada will be invited to submit photos that illustrate their local issue, along with a brief description of why it is important to them. All submissions will be compiled into an online gallery and a report outlining girls’ issues. Select photos will also be part of a gallery exhibit.

To ensure that the project activities are suitable and girl-friendly, the Girl Programs department is looking for English and French-speaking volunteers to participate in the pilot study:

• Two Units per branch (one each from an urban and a rural/remote community)
• Ten Lones (five each from urban and rural/remote communities)

The results of the pilot study will be used to adapt the project so that it will be accessible to everyone. You will have from February 13 to March 13 to complete the pilot study.

The requirements to participate in the pilot study are the following:
• Have three Unit meetings available to complete the project activities
• Commit three hours preparation time
• Access to at least one digital camera
• Access to high-speed Internet to upload and submit the photos
• Ability to have the photos developed and returned within one week
• Unit money to cover the cost of photo development and postage stamps

Please e-mail programs@girlguides.ca by February 6th if your Unit or Lone Members are interested in participating in the pilot study. The ‘Canadian Girls Say…’ project will be officially launched on April 3 for all Units and Lones to participate in, with submissions due no later than Monday, June 22.

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

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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, February 16 for consideration.
Articles received after the deadline date will be saved for publication in the following month’s issue. Thank you for understanding.

 

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