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12-year old Kelsey recalls the day when a kindergarten friend told her about all the fun she found being a Spark member at Girl Guides of Canada (GGC).
“I was really lucky because all of my school friends from JK to Grade 6 and I went through Sparks, then Brownies and then Guides,” says Kelsey, who is now a Pathfinder in Ottawa. “When I started Sparks, I thought it was really cool because we had to wear all pink and we got to play with our friends after school. As I got older, I was still interested in Guiding because I was with my friends from school, new friends I made in my Unit and we were doing something different every week!”
Kelsey has many special memories of Guiding experiences and recalls when Little Ray’s Reptiles visited her Sparks Unit and she held a huge boa-constrictor. Her favourite memory in Brownies was when she slept in a tent for the first time at camp. “In Guides, my favourite memories are of geocaching, camping and the day I completed the last of my 82 interest badges!”
When Kelsey first saw the program book for Guides, she told her Mom that she wanted to do EVERY badge in the book, which was a great challenge that needed a plan of action.
True to her word, as a keen member of the 192nd Gloucester Guide Unit, Kelsey completed all of her four program badges, three service bars, three camping badges, and all 82 interest badges topped off with the Baden Powell Award! A remarkable and very impressive accomplishment, indeed!
“It took a lot of time and hard work learning some really cool new things but I finally finished the last badge! One of my favourites was Design your own Badge. After going rock climbing with my Unit in my second year, when we did rock climbing again in year three, I thought that would be a great time to make up a new badge for the girls who had never climbed before. The Leaders actually used my ideas to get all the girls that year to earn the badge!”
Kelsey comes from an accomplished Guiding family. Her mother, Heather, was a Golden Hand Brownie who went on to Guides and received her All Round Cord and Canada Cord. She was Kelsey’s leader in Brownies and also helped out in Kelsey’s Guide Unit. Of course, she is extremely proud of her daughter’s accomplishments.
“When Kelsey came home and announced that her goal was to get all the badges, I was impressed. Over the next couple of years there were times when she got sidetracked, however, her Leaders were aware of her goal and kept encouraging her. I believe that Kelsey’s sense of determination has been fostered through her involvement with Guides. When my daughter sets her mind on a goal she achieves it. Being an only child, Guiding experiences have helped make Kelsey a well rounded individual with great self-confidence.”
Heather firmly believes that Guiding plays an integral role in the healthy development of today’s young girls and that Girl Guides provides a place where girls can gain a sense of independence, responsibility, self-assurance and belonging.
Kelsey knows that Guiding has opened her horizons. “I think that the Guiding program lets you try lots of new things that you wouldn’t usually try and while you are doing it you are having fun with all your friends. What could be better than that? It also helps you be a better person by learning a little bit about a lot of things. You make friends and share memories in Guides that will last forever! I never would have tried rock climbing on my own but when we went as a Unit I fell in love with the sport. I now climb regularly and have my own climbing gear. The same with trying the snowboarding badge – I tried it and liked it and because of that, this year I have my own snowboard!
Kelsey feels very lucky to have had a number of supportive Guiding leaders who always had clever meeting plans for fun and exciting activities. Melinda Dowsett, one of Kelsey’s leaders, especially enjoys working with Guide age girls (9 to 11 year olds), as this age group can get become involved in organizing and leading their own activities.
Melinda is inspired by how much the girls in her Unit learn and what they can accomplish. “Kelsey was an outgoing member of our group and the first year girls looked up to her. She was always at every meeting and participated 100%, proudly wearing her badge vest for all the girls to see. Kelsey completed the Lady BP award as well as completing all of the interest badges. As far as they can remember, the Unit Guiders have not seen another girl achieve this level.”
With the guidance of leaders such as Barb, Kathy, and Karen, Kelsey has learned that it doesn’t take much to help people around you and she enjoys giving back to her community. Her Unit has participated in many community projects like collecting and organizing donations of snowsuits, hats, mitts and winter boots for the Ottawa “Snowsuit Fund”. Kelsey has worked on environmental projects, helped her local Food Bank, and organized a special care package that was sent to a Peruvian family.
Heather appreciates the support that Kelsey’s leaders have given to her daughter, “In today’s society now more than ever girls need a place to truly call their own. Kelsey has been more fortunate than most as she was blessed with wonderful leaders that make the Guiding program exciting and stimulating. As she puts it “it’s never boring!” Coming from a girl her age that is statement in itself! Kelsey’s leaders should get an award for their wonderful sense of compassion, adventure, patience, and ingenuity.”
Kelsey adds, “I learned that you can pretty much do what you put your mind to doing.”
Clearly that is evident in the many badges she sports on her sash. It is likely that Guiding has provided Kelsey with the confidence to explore her future goal of working in forensic technology. In the meantime, she will continue with her passion of rock climbing or kicking back with her tortoise shell cat, Tessa.
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