Originally published in Guidepost, November 28, 2023
Trefoil Guild: Keeping the Spirit Alive!
As we anticipate the arrival of winter, we are mindful of the many opportunities for fun, friendship and frolic that come with this season like hot chocolate, winter campfires in the snow, skating, sledding, overnight gatherings and lighting displays. Enjoy this season and challenge yourself to do that little extra to embrace this season of snowflakes and peacefulness.
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
There are 36 Trefoil Guilds in Alberta, NWT and Yukon. We have a new guild just opening in the Calgary Area. Most of the guilds are active in a variety of activities. Some were dormant during the pandemic and are only slowly getting going again. Some of the highlights from some of the guilds follow.
The Mad Hatters Guild in Medicine Hat was busy baking muffins at their local food bank for the brown bag school lunch program.
The Silver Willow Guild in Lacombe went on a bird-watching adventure on the South Saskatchewan River in a Zodiac.
The new guild, Beth Riddoch Guild, in Calgary held an organizing meeting and planned a dinner in January, a service project in March, a hike in May and an overnight getaway in June.
The Grazers in Calgary are continuing to go out for lunch once a month and looking at the variety of restaurants in the NE part of the city.
The Twilight Roses Guild in Strathmore and area get together for potlucks and picnics and like to attend community theatre productions.
The Wild Tumbleweeds in Edmonton made it through a corn maze in September. In October they collected socks for Sock-tober and donated them to Overdose Awareness in the city.
Guiding Lights Guild in Calgary is working on their annual service project to provide gifts for isolated seniors.
British Columbia
Brenda Fraser, BC Trefoil Guild Liaison
Together Again Trefoil Guild was one of many Greater Vancouver units that attended Girl Guide Night at a Vancouver Whitecaps game.
Lake Country Trefoil Guild shared their experience by taking the lead on Into the Forest Camp-in-a-Box from BC Council. They ran the camp for their local district.
Many of the 85 Trefoil Guilds in BC are eagerly awaiting the BC Trefoil Rendezvous, to be held in April in Kelowna. This will be the first Rendezvous since 2019.
Manitoba
Sharon Romanow, MB Trefoil Guild Liaison
If you are registered for the National Gathering 2024 and are wondering when you will receive more details about the hotel, program and offsite events, plans are well on track for the upcoming gathering in Winnipeg next June. We are in the process of finalizing all the exciting sessions. Watch for information on these in late December or early January.
New Brunswick and PEI
Carmel Hambrook, NB/PEI Trefoil Guild Liaison
Trefoil Guild units from New Brunswick and on Prince Edward Island are up and running.
We would like to welcome our newest Trefoil Guild, the Kennebecasis Trefoil Guild and wish their lead, Ruth Hogg, the best of luck. They have chosen as their objective to visit the nursing homes in their area and talk with the ladies who live there to learn who amoung them was in Guiding as a girl or leader. Six ladies identified as belonging to GGC. They hope to have them renew their promise and become members of their guild, starting to Keep the Spirit Alive in Kennebecasis.
Miramichi Trefoil Guild met this fall to review the requirements for their bursaries. A rose bush was planted to commemorate the passing of Trefoil member E. Carolyn Whyte.
Victoria Carleton Trefoil Guild was invited to Camp Chip by the York Sudbury Trefoil Guild. They had a wonderful tour of the Camp. Most had not seen one another in several years. It was fun to catch up!
Newfoundland and Labrador
Pat Burton, Newfoundland and Labrador Trefoil Guild Liaison
I am so pleased that our guilds are making long-range plans for the year. These plans include a lot of service projects but also lots of fun activities.
One guild is keeping their minds active by doing a murder mystery. These same ladies also visited an antique car museum, which certainly brought back memories of their younger years.
A guild is taking on the Association for New Canadians as their service project for this year, the first donation being of gently used clothes. This guild also supports their local Girl Guide hut by catering lunch to various groups with the funds raised going to the hut.
Other groups are busy with doing crafts to donate to their local churches for sale at their fall fairs. Helping with Guiding units is a big part of our Trefoil Guilds activities in NL.
I am sure there will be bonfire stories to report for next month's edition and hopefully some photos too.
Nova Scotia
Darlene Duggan , Nova Scotia Trefoil Guild Liaison
Our AGM was a great day and the theme of kindness really got us thinking, especially when the speaker asked us how are we kind to ourselves... interesting when you really think about it. That theme carried over to my own guild; our meeting this week was Being Kind to Myself and we pampered ourselves, made soap and magic bags, bathed our hands in wax and our feet in soothing treated water, ate waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and drank delicious smoothies.
The Guiders Conference was attended by quite a few Trefoil Guild members and my information table was visited by 37 very interested Guiders. One of our guilds kayaked to a historic island in Halifax Harbour and explored the forts and passageways there. They also attempted lawn bowling.
We are all enjoying being together, buying Girl Guide cookies and planning fun activities. Of course, those of us who are fortunate enough to be delegates of the Gathering next year are starting to make plans for our Winnipeg adventure.
Our newest guild is growing and is looking for ideas from its members for a service project.
Ontario and Nunavut
Meg Stock, Ontario and Nunavut Trefoil Guild Liaison
Trefoil Guilds in Ontario have been busy these past few months! The 1st Etobicoke Trefoil Guild hosted a community kick-off that brought lots of adult members together. There were crafts made, stories shared and songs sung that helped the group complete the Sing Ontario Sing! challenge.
Seven members of the Trailblazer Trefoil Guild traveled to Our Chalet in Switzerland. It looks like they had a great time meeting up with international Guiding friends and hiking. They also traveled to Interlaken, Innsbruck and Vienna.
The 1st Lambton Trefoil Guild met at the home of their new guild lead. Thanks to all the guild leads for taking on this role!
The 1st Harris Bluewater painted pottery at their meeting. Surprisingly, the owl candle holders were the most popular!
Québec
Angie Kruller and Ellen Gauthier, Québec Trefoil Guild co-Liaisons
This summer we had two wonderful hard-working ladies help at the provincial camp by organizing the food building with plenty of food for the hungry campers. This was greatly appreciated by all. Several other ladies worked with the girls on many sites.
Over the summer we acquired two new guilds for our province – Waterside Trefoil Guild and Northshore Trefoil Guild.
Last week one of the guilds held a Dubs Bridge night, which was a good way to have everyone mingle and get to know each other as there were some friendly new faces. Plans are underway for another bowling day since the last one was so successful.
There are many members in our province who are not only members of a Trefoil Guild but also share their talents and knowledge by working with girls in many units.
Saskatchewan
Lorraine Thibeault, Saskatchewan Trefoil Guild Liaison
The Taiga Adventure Guild in Prince Albert has resumed their quilt-making for the unhoused. In the spring, they completed their one-thousandth quilt. While they quilt, they enjoy coffee and goodies as well as fun and sisterhood. Recently, Janet Thompson was presented with her 50-year service award.
The Trefoil Adventure Guild, Regina held a retreat and general meeting at Dallas Valley. It was attended by 16 of our members. We had a Bocci Tournament in the afternoon, games night and a campfire in the evening. On Tuesday we had our planning and business meeting and in the afternoon we had a service project for women’s shelters and a craft activity. We had a tour of the District Brewery with a sample of their beer at the end.
The 2nd Saskatoon Trefoil Guild presented Gladys Junop with her 50-year service pin –congratulations! We continue going out for supper once a month. We have been to Mano’s and the Cave so far this year. We are doing collections for our local YWCA, Interval House and Adele House. All of these provide safe places for women and children leaving abusive relationships. The YWCA also provides shelter for those with addictions and mental health issues. They all provide 24-hour support for the women and their children.
1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild
Dana Weatherell, 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild Lead
If you are interested in learning more information on the 1st Canadian Internet Trefoil Guild, you can send your inquiries to 1stCdnInternetTrefoilGuild@gmail.com.