Three Flin Flon Girl Guides of Canada members had a once-in-a-lifetime experience this month when they travelled to Alberta to take part in a camp with Guides from a dozen countries
Girl Guide leader Nikki Rosenberg and members Haylee Dallas and Eden Morris attended Guiding Mosaic 2016, held July 9 to 17 at Camp Woods, near Sylvan Lake, AB.
Approximately 2,800 attended the camp, including Girl Guides from the US, England, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Peru and New Zealand.
The Flin Flon trio was part of a patrol that also included two leaders and nine members from Thompson. Haylee and Eden are Pathfinders, the branch of Guiding for girls 12 to 14 years of age.
Thompson and Flin Flon are both part of the Girl Guides of Canada Cambrian Area, and their patrol was one of close to a dozen who travelled to the camp from Manitoba, for a total of 116 girls and leaders from the province.
“We slept in tents and did sessions in the morning and the afternoon,” said Rosenberger. “The girls got to take part in many different activities such as building rafts and learning to sail and canoe.”
They also participated in a service project, making blankets to help kids in hospitals feel more at home.
One day was set aside for a trip, and the girls chose to visit West Edmonton Mall.
At the camp, Guide patrols were organized into villages. The Flin Flon/Thompson patrol were placed in the Totem Tower Village.
“One of the fun activities that would happen anywhere and at any time [were] trades and swaps,” said Rosenberg. “Everyone had crests and hat crafts that they would trade with anyone.”
Rosenberg said the Manitoba patrol had a sought-after slushy cup, “Manitoba being the slushy capital, after all.” She said everyone wanted to trade, and everyone went home with a pile of new crests to sew onto their camp blankets or ponchos.
“It was fun to see girls who never took part in trades or swaps before light up and have fun trading with others,” said Rosenberg.
The girls were able to attend the camp through “countless hours of fundraising,” and with the support of local organizations and businesses. Rosenberg acknowledged the support of the Flin Flon Girl Guides, Cambrian Area, Flin Flon District, as well as the Kinettes and Kinsmen Club, Flin Flon Lions Club, Elks Club, Creighton Fire Department, Flin Flon Bombers and the Victoria Inn.
“Without their donations and help this trip would not [have been] possible,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg said the support of the girls’ families was also essential, including helping with fundraising.
A lot of time and effort was put into helping the girls reach their goal of attending the camp, she added.
“A lot of memories were made at this camp for the young and old,” said Rosenberg.
— Compiled from a press release by Nikki Rosenberg
