October 2008 to March 2009 “Guides Get Active!” Photo Contest – national GGC.
Show off your photography skills and take pictures of yourself, your unit or your friends getting active. Send your submissions to: active@girlguides.ca and put your caption in the Subject line of the email. Prizes to be won! More information found at www.girlguides.ca. There is a new badge called Fun to be Active and Fit that you can order. To view consult this link http://www.girlguides.ca/catalogue_new.asp?itemDetail=683

Nov 2, 3, 5, or 15 – Conference Calls for Guiders with Rangers working in their Units. Ranger leaders have had the opportunity to review the new Ranger program and participate in conference call training to help with the transition. Learning & Development would like to offer conference call training opportunities to Unit Guiders that have a Lone Ranger working in their unit. The goal of this training is to help the Unit Guider understand the new program and how to best assist the girl in their unit. Consult the Events Calendar for full details on dates and how to register. http://www.guidesontario.org/events/ontarioevents_table.htm

Information on the new Ranger program and the transition guide can be found be found at https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C7/Girl-Program-Updates/default.aspx.

November 5 - Program Idea submissions to National Program Adviser
mgraham@wsi.ca. You can help by contributing program ideas for units around the 2009 Thinking Day theme - "stop the spread of Aids, Malaria and other diseases”.

November 11 - Remembrance Day Are you planning to participate in a ceremony to commemorate Remembrance Day with your unit? You might be eligible to receive up to $50 in financial assistance towards the cost. Click here and review the criteria under "Public Awareness" activity. http://www.guidesontario.org/events/girlevent.htm

November 14, 2008 – Trefoil Guild and Link Member registration fee deadline. National membership fee of $45 per Member due to GGC, Ontario Council.

November 14, 2008 – Applications due for first Ontario International Local Specialty Community trip to England–Summer 2009. Open to Youth Members ages 14 – 17. Full details found at http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/international.htm

November 15, 2008 – deadline for submitting applications for postings on Provincial Projects Task Groups (Read details under “Exciting New Opportunities.”)

November 19, 2008 – Unit Cookie Payment Due to Unit Administrator or deposited in your centralized bank account.

November 19, 2008 – Member-at-Large Membership fee payment (national fee of $45 per Member) due to GGC, Ontario Council

November 21-23, 2008 – Provincial Annual.
If you wish to participate in the service project click here for details
http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/2008%20service%20project.pdf

By the end of November - Communities 26, 27, 28, 29 Members participate in Dominica Twinning project.
For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

December 1, 2008 is World AIDS Day – WAGGGS is encouraging all members of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting to start their World Thinking Day plans on World AIDS Day.

December 5, 2008 - Communities 6, 31, 32, 37, 38 to send Dominica Twinning Project items to their Community Offices for shipment to Dominica. For more information click here http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/twinning.htm.

December 6, 2008 – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
http://www.girlguides.ca/default1.asp?id=1456 for more information.
Take the Challenge and receive crests for participation for your girls!

December 8, 2008 – Girl Members begin collecting orders for Spring Classic cookies. See new national Cookie All Star incentive program information in the Cookie section below.

Dec 31, 2008 – all units and Guilds to have moved to centralized banking http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/financetraining.htm

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2009 Key Dates

2009 - First national Girl Guide Cookie Selling Rewards Initiative in place for the Classic 2009 Cookie Campaign. Click below for details. http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/september_online/cookies.pdf

January 1, 2009 – Launch of Heritage Meetings in Box and Heritage Uniform rentals. The Archives volunteers in Ontario have prepared new resources for you and your girls to enjoy during the buildup to our hundred year celebration. Starting January 1, 2009 you will be able to rent vintage Guiding uniforms for your girls to model. Also available for rent will be boxes for Brownie and Guide level units, containing activities, games, crafts and a uniform – all selected to illustrate what their grandmothers would have done when they were Guides or Brownies! The contents relate directly to the Guide and Brownie heritage requirements of the program and will provide more than a full meeting’s worth of activities. The charge for renting these materials will be cost recovery only, and will reflect the return shipping charges, equalized across the province. Check your December ONLine for details on how to reserve these unique resources for your unit to enjoy.

July 8, 2010 - GM 2010 is just 19 months away!
On July 8, 2010 about 3000 girls and Guiders from across Canada and around the world will be gathering for a very special event to celebrate our 100th anniversary. Check out the website at www.guidingmosaic.ca and sign up for GM 2010 newsletter.

Feedback from Guiders has indicated that the new Safe Guide is less complex, easier to follow and is an effective planning tool. Start by reviewing the General Planning Guidelines on pages 13 – 32 and then reviewing the forms and appendices. Unit activities in the community, cookie sales, horseback riding, ice skating, sledding, sleepovers and tent camping each have an Activity Guide in section 4 starting on page 39. These Activity Guides provide an excellent overview of the planning process for these favourite events and include a planning checklist as a quick reference.

If your activity involves water activities, international travel or home stays you can then refer to the various Planners in section 5 starting on page 55.

Parades: Please note that arranging for girls to ride on a float in a parade is not considered to be "transportation". As a result, most parades will be assessed as a Green level activity; unless there is some other reason why it is elevated to the yellow level such as Guiders providing transportation from the meeting place to the parade start location. Use the Activity Planning Chart on page 14 to confirm your activity level.

Rock Climbing: using a man-made climbing wall at an indoor or outdoor facility is not considered an adventure activity. The inclusion of rock climbing as a condition and adventure activity refers to climbing on a natural rock face.

Ontario procedures for International Travel under 72 hours and 72 hours or more are now located in the Ontario Procedures Manual. These procedures can be downloaded from the Ontario section of MemberZone: https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C12/Ontario/ProceduresManual/Forms/AllItems.aspx

The following reminders are provided to help make our assessment process more efficient and less time consuming for you.

Home Contact Person (HCP): A HCP is required for all camps, day trips away from the community, canoe/kayak tripping, adventure activities, travel touring and international travel.

Non-Member Volunteers: all non-Member volunteers must complete a Non-Member Form (A.7) and submit it to safeguide@guidesontario.org or fax it to 416-920-1440 attention: Safe Guide. All non-Member volunteers, except for the Home Contact Person, are required to submit a clear PRC that is current within the last six months. Please review the information in the Safe Guide Appendix C on pages 98 -100 for more specific details and frequently asked questions. For information on the PRC process in Ontario consult www.girlguides.ca and https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C12/Ontario/Safe%20Guide%20Updates/Forms/AllItems.aspx

Large Events: the Safe Guide update in October’s ONLine featured a Large Event Planner with tips for both the organizing committee and the Guider who is planning to take her unit to the event. If you missed it, you can download it from the Safe Guide Update page.

Submission of Safe Guide forms
October 31, 2008 was the cut off date for using old Safe Guide forms. All Guiders are required to use the new Safe Guide forms now. When submitting Yellow, Red and International activities. The new forms are easy to use and can be downloaded in MS Word format in MemberZone.

One central process for ALL Safe Guide forms:
All forms for Yellow, Red and International activities should come to an Assessor through the provincial office by emailing safeguide@guidesontario.org or faxing your forms to 416-920-1440 ATTN: Safe Guide.

If you do not have access to email or a fax machine, you may mail your forms to:
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
Attention: Safe Guide
14 Birch Ave.
Toronto, ON M4V 1C8

Please allow an additional one week to accommodate for mail delivery.

Unit Portion of Girl Membership Fees
Units will receive $15 from the annual membership fees for each girl registered with their unit in iMIS. The initial transfer of funds will take place in mid-November based on the registrations processed as of October 31st. The funds will be transferred to the unit’s centralized bank account and notification will be sent to the Contact Guider and Unit Treasurer. Additional transfers will be done every 2 weeks after that for new girl registrations and units that move to centralized banking after October 31st.

To register your unit for centralized banking, please complete the Initial Unit Banking Set Up Application in the Keeping the Books training Manual that was sent to your unit or at http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/FIN%20CB%20001%20-%20INITIAL%20UNIT%20BANKING%20SET%20UP.pdf
All units must have converted to centralized banking by December 31, 2008.

If you have any outstanding paperwork for girl registrations, please forward the forms and payment to your Unit Administrator as soon as possible.

Membership - Fee Subsidy Applications

Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council is committed to ensuring that no girl is turned away from Guiding due to an inability to pay the registration fee. All of the applications received by the deadline of October 15, 2008 have been reviewed and parents have been notified in writing of the outcome. Outstanding balances are due to Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council by December 1, 2008.

Any questions from parents about the result of their application are to be directed to the Membership Administrative Assistant at membership.admin@guidesontario.org, phone 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2474, or fax 416-486-4290.

Please note that applications received after the deadline will be accepted and reviewed as long as there are funds available. Parents should submit applications directly to their Administrative Community Office. Application forms are available from local Guiders and Administrative Community Offices, as well as the Ontario website.

Apply for Financial Assistance for Environmental Service Projects for Units
– up to $250 available!
From February 2005 until June 2008 GGC, Ontario Council Members participated in the Bag-a-Cork cork bottle stopper recycling program. Profits from the sale of cork provided grants for environmental and outdoor-based service projects to those that adopted a collection bin. Beginning immediately and until depletion of the sum of money generated, all units in Ontario may apply to receive up to a maximum of $250 for an environmental service project in their community that complies with the criteria outlined. Click here for details:
http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Environmental%20Service%20
Proj%20Appl%20form%20OCT%2008.pdf

Book a meeting space
Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council has meeting spaces available for the use of our Members. If you are planning a meeting, training or event, there are several properties from which to choose from. Click here to view chart.

Complete the Volunteer Application Form:
http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/volunteer_application.pdf

Volunteer Positions:
http://www.guidesontario.org/about/provincialopportunities.htm

FINANCE SPECIALTY COMMUNITIES
Are you a ‘numbers’ person? Do you have good communication skills? Do you enjoy working with adults? We need your expertise for four new specialty communities.
* Finance Support Community – to provide support for Unit Guiders in the use of the centralized banking system and to assist in resolving financial questions and issues that may arise at the Unit level.
* Unit Financial Review Community – if you have accounting/bookkeeping training your assistance is needed to conduct year end Unit reviews
* Finance Extreme Specialty Community – when major problems arise, we need assistance to investigate and resolve the issues.
*Finance Support Independent International Trips – if you have bookkeeping skills and are familiar with travel in Guiding we are looking for individuals to conduct reviews after the trips are complete.

If interested in any or all of these opportunities, contact Rayanne Webster, Provincial Treasurer through executive.coord@guidesontario.org

PROVINCIAL PROJECTS – TASK GROUPS
YOU can make a difference in Ontario by volunteering for one of the provincial project task groups posted on the website and listed below!
Please submit your application prior to November 15, 2008 for consideration.

Provincial Recognition Ceremonies Task Group Member
Work with the Provincial Membership Support Adviser and the Task Group Chair to identify appropriate locations in Ontario to hold ceremonies to present awards to girls and Guiders.

Proposed locations for 2009: Burlington, Markham, Barrie, Chatham, Peterborough, Kingston, Thunder Bay, North Bay and Timmins.

Do you know a suitable venue in one of these communities? Possible venues include school auditoriums, community centres, town meeting halls, and banquet halls. Please contact the Provincial Event Coordinator at provevents.coord@guidesontario.org or 1-877-323-4545 ext 2481 and let her know your suggestion.
Would you be interested in working on the local organizing committee? Contact the Membership Support Coordinator at membersupport.coord@guidesontario.org or 1-877-323-4545 ext 2471.

International Showcases 2009 Task Group Chair
This Task Group Chair will be required to form a committee to plan an International Day to be held in fall 2009. The Task Group will be responsible for organizing activities and content for 5 International Showcase events which will take place on the same day across the province. The Showcases will target Guide age girls and educate them about what International Guiding is all about and include displays by previous travelers. This task group will start January 2009.

Ontario Guide Adventure 2011 Task Group Chair
The International section is seeking two Task Group Chairs to form committees 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 Fall 2009.

Watershed CSI Challenge Development Task Group
Enthusiastic Guiders with a passion for protecting our water are needed to create this fun, hands-on challenge.
• We are looking for Guiders with knowledge of watersheds and water systems.
• We need Guiders who have a strong knowledge of girl programs (representatives from all levels).
• Guiders should have a girl-centered, hands-on approach to programming!
• Creativity welcome.
• Familiarity with water protection agencies an asset (although not required).

Go Green Girl Challenge Development Task Group
We are looking for creative and environmentally passionate Guiders to develop this challenge which will encourage all girl and adult Members to become more environmentally friendly within our Guiding Units and events.
• Need Guiders who have a strong knowledge of girl programs (all branches).
• Need adult Member(s) to represent the needs and interests of Trefoil Guilds and Link.
• Must have a strong interest in and solid knowledge of environment and conservation issues and be willing to look at creative ways to apply this to our programs.
• Volunteers should have a girl-centered and hands-on approach to programming.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - Guiding representatives needed
From time to time, Membership Development receives requests for a Guiding representative to attend parent fairs, volunteer fairs and information nights. Where time permits, these opportunities will be posted in ONLine If you are interested please contact the Membership Development Coordinator at membershipdev.coord@guidesontario.org or extension 2472

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - Specialty Community
The goal of this specialty community is to find local Guiders interested in focusing on membership. Many of you are already covering membership functions; we encourage you to work in partnership with us to strengthen local and provincial initiatives. By working in partnership with the Membership Development team, you will be a valuable link to your community and provide insight to the local impact of provincial projects. Contact the Membership Development Coordinator at 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2472 or membershipdev.coord@guidesontario.org for more information.

International Local Specialty Community Leaders – ONGOING
http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/international.htm#A1

Resource Guiders - ONGOING
http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Unit%20Resource%20Activities.doc

AWARDS

Why not consider nominating an extra special Guider that you know!
Any Member may nominate a Guider for an award. A new version of the Ontario Awards Booklet will be available on the Ontario portion of MemberZone this month. Send nominations to:
Membership Support Coordinator, membersupport.coord@guidesontario.org, fax 416-920-1440.
Let’s make sure Guiders know they are appreciated!!

Congratulations to the following Guiders who received awards during the 2007-2008 Guiding Year!

Gold Merit
Jeanne-Marie Urbach, London
Cathy Oke, London

Silver Merit
Charlene O’Neil, London

Bronze Merit
May Neeb, London
Patricia McDougall, London

2009 - First national Girl Guide Cookie Selling Rewards Initiative in place for the Classic 2009 Cookie Campaign.
Click here for details. (http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/enews/september_online/cookies.pdf)

COOKIE ALL STARS INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR SPRING 2009
As we move forward to the spring campaign, we will be embracing a new and exciting cookie sales incentive program. As Guiders, we need to build enthusiasm and excitement for the “Cookie All Stars” program. In keeping with building enthusiasm, we are offering an incentive of our own. We invite Guiders who have shared and discussed the new Cookie All Stars program with their units to send an email to cookie.adviser@guidesontario.org indicating your unit name and number for entry into a draw for $25.00 gift certificate for the Girl Guide store.

There will be a mailing done by our National office in mid-November, directly to the girls and their families explaining the Cookie All Stars program, and providing each girl with a cookie order form. If you have not already done so, this would be a good opportunity to discuss the program with your girls as they will be receiving this information in the mail shortly. Girls may start collecting orders for the spring classic cookies beginning December 8th. If they need more order forms, they will be available for download from the website and the Girl Zone as well.
A description of the Cookie All Stars Incentive program and FAQ section is available at: https://memberzone.girlguides.ca/C11/Cookie%20All%20Stars/default.aspx
If you have questions regarding the Cookie All Stars program, please address them to cookie.adviser@guidesontario.org

Need Extra Cookies?
We do have extra cases of cookies available in the provincial cookie cupboards. If you are looking for extra cookies, please contact Georgina, our Cookie Coordinator, at cookie.coord@guidesontario.org or call 1-877-323-4545 x 2440 and she will let you know the closest location and arrange for you to pick up your cookies from that location.

Cookie News
The mint cookie campaign is well under way, and we are very happy to see that sales have been going extremely well. Blitzes have gone well, cookie drive-thrus have been well-received by the public, and a cookie sale day at Sears Canada stores across the country is planned for November 1st. We thank you for the many photos of exciting cookie sales that have been forwarded to us. These will be posted on our web site for everyone to enjoy.

Here is just a sample of an upcoming Girl event!

Units can participate in Toronto Santa Claus parade –
Sunday, November 16, 2008!

For more details and to look for other events click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/events/ontarioevents_table.htm

Here is a sample of an upcoming Adult event!

Squisheree - Arts Enrichment Day
Saturday November 15, 2008, Toronto.
Deadline to register is Friday, November 7th, so make sure you fill out your registration forms today!

For more details and to look for other events click here: http://www.guidesontario.org/events/ontarioevents_table.htm

Here is a sample of an all ages event!
The Toronto Marlies have offered premium seats for the November 30, 2008 game at a discounted rate of $15. All Members of Guiding (and invite your family and friends) can benefit from this offer. Your unit can participate in Marlies Alley (interactive action zone) before the game and bring their skates and helmet for an hour of complimentary ice time after the game! A complimentary Marlies badge will be provided to all Members that attend…great for a camp blanket. http://www.guidesontario.org/events/ontarioevents_table.htm#C
The day would be a great opportunity to get active….check out the new badge from GGC Fun to be Active and Fit: http://www.girlguides.ca/catalogue_new.asp?itemDetail=683

For more information on discounts for Guiding groups for events consult:
http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/communityresources.htm

CREATE YOUR OWN EXCITING OUTDOOR ADVENTURE…AT YOUR OWN GUIDING CAMPS ACROSS THE PROVINCE!

We are VERY excited to report that many units and groups have been camping at GGC properties they never knew existed before. We challenge each unit to go camping this fall and winter at a GGC property that you have never been to! Looking for a service project? Look for work weekends being scheduled at: http://www.guidesontario.org/camping/camping.htm

Community Resources
Have you had a chance to look at the updated listing of program activities, events, service projects, and all sorts of great information on the Ontario website? Click here to view: http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/communityresources.htm

Resource Guiders
Thinking of contributing a nice knitted scarf to the provincial annual service project, but don’t know how to knit? Why not book a Resource Guider like Stephanie Lind in Kingston to come to your unit and show you how?! Look for other Resource Guider activity offerings at http://www.guidesontario.org/forms/Unit%20Resource%20Activities.doc

Bright Ideas
Do your have one activity that stands out above the rest? If so, why not share that activity with other units. Send in your program activity so it can be placed on the website under Bright Ideas and it could make it into the next ONLine issue. Here is the link to obtain the form. http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/flatsuki.htm. If you notice in the second paragraph Bright Idea form, just click and the form appears. Send the form to program.coord@guidesontario.org We need more Guide, Pathfinder and Ranger ideas!

Craft for the Month - Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers.. Great for upcoming Ontario/Nunavut Challenge or for the Provincial Annual Service Project!

Felt Mittens - Click here to view PDF.

Gift Box Craft for Sparks/Brownies. Click here to view PDF.

World Thinking Day 2009 - The World Thinking Day 2009 website: http://www.worldthinkingday.com/en/home has now been launched. For 2009, the World Thinking Day theme is “girls worldwide say stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases”. There are downloadable activities on the website on HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Other diseases (pneumonia, diarrhoea, tuberculosis and measles). The website also contains fact sheets with information on these diseases and new fundraising ideas to help you raise money on World Thinking Day.

The new WAGGGS Global Action Theme is: “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.

2009 Thinking Day Postcard Exchange - please visit: www.mythinkingday.com.

Congratulations to Jessica C., a Pathfinder with the 24th Whitby Pathfinders and the winner of the October ONLine "Found It!" contest.
For the November contest, find the mystery link word “Volunteer” somewhere within this ONLine document. When you find this hyperlink, click on it and send us an e-mail in the window that opens with the subject: Found It! We will choose one winner randomly for a $25 credit for our Online Guide Store or one of our two Ontario Guide Store locations. Good luck! The November winner will be announced in the December ONLine.

Community Chatter and Trefoil Tidbits will now be featured on the Provincial website rather than ONLine. Each month this will be updated to showcase that month’s “community news.” You can find this on the “News and Publications” section of the Provincial website - http://www.guidesontario.org/formembers/newspublications.htm

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 Trefoil or Link Members – contact adult.admin@guidesontario.org (416-920-6666 Ext. 2488)
Member at Large – contact imis.coord@guidesontario.org (416-920-6666 Ext. 2431)

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

Having trouble opening PDF links?
Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universally accepted format that allows us to capture and view robust information—from any application, on any computer system—and share it with anyone around the world. If you are having trouble opening the PDF files included with ONLine, please consider upgrading your version of Adobe Reader for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

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, November 17 for consideration.
Articles received after the deadline date will be saved for publication in the following month’s issue. Thank you for understanding.

 

ONLine November issue 2008             www.guidesontario.org            Toll free: 1-877-323-4545