Girl Guides of Canada

Originally published in Guidepost, December 19, 2023

Trefoil Guild: Keeping the Spirit Alive!

There are many reasons for members to celebrate at this time of the year. We celebrate Guiding itself, we celebrate winter and all the adventures it will bring and we celebrate the unique cultures and traditions of all our Guiding sisters. Whatever you are celebrating this season, the Provincial Trefoil Guild Liaisons and I wish you peace, happiness and health, now and for the new year ahead.

For more information on Trefoil Guild Guiding, check out the Trefoil Guild page on Member Zone, the Girl Guides of Canada website or connect with your Provincial Liaison who can help with any questions you might have or connect you to a guild if you are interested in registration.

Until next time, see below for a snapshot of what is happening with Trefoil Guiding in the different provinces.

~ Sharron Callahan, National Trefoil Guild Liaison 

Alberta, Northwest Territories and the Yukon

Jan McCaghren, ANY Trefoil Guild Liaison

ANY Trefoil Guilds are winding down for the winter break. The Guiding Lights Guild, Frayed Knots Guild and Y-Knots Guild have been doing service projects for isolated seniors, a marginalized segment of our population. Guild members provide gifts or join them at a senior’s residence for a meal. There have also been some donations for facilities for children.

The Silver Willow Guild has been busy quilting for local charities like the fire department and northern fire victims.

The Northern Flickers Guild came together for a Bring a Project Day where they worked on their projects and enjoyed the chance to be together.

Several guilds have been out for supper or lunch together. The WestRockers are planning a games and pizza afternoon in December. Sunrise Girls will host a puzzle and games night in December and will be having a dress-up brunch in January where they are to channel an older version of themselves.

The Sunrise Girls Guild is a close part of Sunrise District and they all went together to Banff in November for training and a retreat. The key message that came out of the event is that Guiding is a safe place for those who feel like they don’t fit in. Members felt welcome, appreciated and valued for who they are.

Guiding Lights Guild is heading to Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo on December 3.

British Columbia

Brenda Fraser, BC Trefoil Guild Liaison

Registration opened this week for BC Trefoil Guild members to attend the first BC Trefoil Guild Rendezvous since 2019. BC members will gather in Kelowna in April and we are very eager to see old friends.

Trefoil Guilds have been living the Promise and Law. Dogwood Trefoil Guild in Duncan took action for a better world by helping with the Toys, Toiletries and Toques community project.

Grapevines Trefoil Guild used their talents in an afternoon painting class at a pub, followed by dinner.

Together Again Trefoil Guild shared in the sisterhood of Guiding by having a games and dinner night at a local venue. How Did We Get Here? Trefoil Guild met for lunch and sisterhood.

Manitoba

Sharon Romanow, MB Trefoil Guild Liaison 

Guilds are getting together for their annual luncheons, dinners or potlucks to celebrate friendships and the start of the winter holiday season. They are reminiscing about holidays past and remembering members who are no longer with us.

Along with getting together, Guilds are helping those in need – collecting donations to a local food program, socks and underwear for women’s shelters, cards for seniors, etc.

I would like to extend a warm winter greeting to all Manitoba Trefoil Guild members and wish you many good times with family and friends, enjoying whatever you choose to celebrate.

New Brunswick and PEI

Carmel Hambrook, NB/PEI Trefoil Guild Liaison

On behalf of the Trefoil Guilds in NB and on PEI, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy winter season.

Tidewater Area
Westmorland Trefoil Guild members continue to be active working with units, volunteering in food programs at schools, delivering food to recluses, participating in Remembrance Day ceremonies and donating plasma. They enjoyed a relaxing day of card-making followed by supper out and completed the Sisterhood Challenge.

Moncton Area
On November 24 our guild held a small tea for one of our own, Flossie Reid, who turned 99 on the 25th. We met in a lovely sunroom on her floor at Moncton Residence and enjoyed tea and cake while chatting about the fun times we had at the Trefoil Guild gatherings. Flossie's granddaughter joined as a surprise for all of us. It was a great afternoon for all.

Mawiw Area
The 2nd Fredericton Trefoil Guild: We have enjoyed a game of Guiding Family Feud organized by Pam Foley. We are currently all reading a book which will be discussed at our next meeting.

This poem was created by one of our members, Ivy B., to cover our activities:

The 2nd Fredericton Guild meets once a month.
We commence each meeting with our brown bag lunch.
We’re no longer up to hiking or skipping,
Though we thoroughly enjoy old days reminiscing.
On table-top topics, we express our opinions,
But they never include our corns or our bunions.
The Multiple-choice Trivia provides brain exercises,
The knowledge we glean constitutes the prizes.
We decoded the titles for some Girl Guide songs,
Like, Snap, Crackle and Pop and Here Comes the Sun.
Our future meetings will stimulate our ability,
To focus, to interpret and to increase our agility.
The 2nd Trefoil Guild is shrinking in size.
Still, we endeavour to Keep the Spirit Alive.
Move over Steve Harvey and Mr. Jerry Dee.
We played Family Feud with our own emcee.
We all read a book by Elizabeth Strout.
Olive Kitteridge was a character with obvious clout.
We celebrated the season at our December meeting,
With glittery decor, fun times and great eating.

On Wednesday, November 15, the 1st York-Sunbury Trefoil Guild met at Mary Charter’s house for lunch and then Mary led them all in Iris folding card-making. Lots of patience and tape were used to create the cards. They were all pleased with the results and look forward to their next lunchtime gathering in December.

PEI Lady Slipper Trefoil Guild: Besides a few health issues, members from the Lady Slipper Trefoil meet monthly for lunch and a great talk. One member said, "This getting old is not any fun".

Newfoundland and Labrador

Pat Burton, Newfoundland and Labrador Trefoil Guild Liaison

Trefoil Guilds in NL are going strong, with our groups involved in lots of service projects including knitting hats for preemies and many groups supporting their local food banks.

There have been lots of get-togethers for good food, friendship and games nights.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a special thanks to all the NL Trefoil Guilds for your support, help and thoughts during my illness this past year; it certainly aided in my recovery. I would also like to say a special hello to Sharron for all her help and support – it was so appreciated. I would like to wish all a very happy winter season and a happy New Year, with good health and happiness.

Pat Burton and Helen Watton volunteering

Nova Scotia

Darlene Duggan , Nova Scotia Trefoil Guild Liaison

Our Nova Scotia Trefoil Guilds are busy with Welcome Winter get-togethers. Even though not all of us celebrate the coming of winter, we do love to celebrate our friendship... and we do it well. Speaking of winter and friendship, the Trefoil Guild members of Nova Scotia send season's greetings to every one of our Guiding friends. Whatever and wherever you celebrate, enjoy every moment.

And special wishes for my own Nova Scotia Trefoil Guild sisters – enjoy the celebrations, my friends.

Ontario and Nunavut

Meg Stock, Ontario and Nunavut Trefoil Guild Liaison

As we embrace all that winter has to offer, I extend the best to everyone involved with the sisterhood of Guiding in Ontario and Nunavut. May you have wonderful celebrations with family and friends and may your lives be overflowing with joy in 2024.

Québec

Angie Kruller and Ellen Gauthier, Québec Trefoil Guild co-Liaisons

This past month our new Waters Edge Trefoil Guild got together in one member’s home for a pasta night. They followed one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes and made three kinds of sauces – a green, a white and a red.

For their next meeting, they are venturing to the Montreal Arts and Craft Show and then out to dinner. This guild is a very young, vibrant, energetic group of ladies who are always willing to grow in numbers.

Our West Island Cabana Trefoil Guild is planning their annual potluck dinner and their community service project.

Saskatchewan

Lorraine Thibeault, Saskatchewan Trefoil Guild Liaison

As you all know, it snows in Saskatchewan at this time of year. This brings new opportunities for new adventures that our girl and older girl members anticipate with an eagerness for fun and exciting activities. As the season of celebrations causes us to pause in our lives, I want to take this opportunity to wish all members of Saskatchewan Guiding a holiday of health, happiness and friendship.

1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild

Dana Weatherell, 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild Lead

Greetings from the 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild. We would like to wish you all the best in the upcoming new year! Further I wish you peace, joy, happiness and many friendships along the way. May you all come together with friends and family and enjoy the season in whatever way you celebrate it.