In the Guiding movement in north Wellington County, Rose van Sickle is somewhat of a legend, having served the movement almost 50 years.
Girl Guides of Canada has been around for almost 103 years – since January 1910 – and van Sickle has served close to half of that time.
The Guide movement was started by war hero Lord Robert Baden Powell, who originally started the Scouting movement.
As Guides grew, it was later taken over by his sister Agnes Baden Powell. Eventually Robert’s wife Olave, who was 35 years younger, was named Chief Guide in 1918 and took over the Guiding operations.
As a young girl growing up in Windsor, Rose Marian Jolie, now Rose van Sickle, belonged to both Brownies and Girl Guides, earning her All Round Cord and then her Gold Cord – a significant achievement in the Guiding movement.
At the age of 16 she moved to Brampton and continued in Guiding. She became a lieutenant and then a captain of Girl Guides aged 10 to 15 with a unit with more than 40 girls. Because she wasn’t 18 years old, mothers had to take turns coming to meetings for adult supervision.
van Sickle has held many positions in Guiding, including leader of Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers; Camp Advisor for Camp Wyoka near Harriston; District Commissioner’s Acting Division Commissioner; and as a member of the Provincial Program committee for five years.
She recalls her first trip, one of many during her tenure, as a Guide leader.
“My first trip at the age of 20 was taking the unit on an exchange to Dayton, Ohio,” she said. “Five cars carried the girls to Ohio for five days.”
She later travelled with the girls to California and London, England and then by train to Montreal. Her final trip was in March 2011, when she took 37 girls, leaders, and moms from all over the province to Switzerland, Paris, France and London, England.
In June of 1989 Rose was honoured to meet Betty Clay, the daughter of Lord and Lady Baden Powell, and her daughter Gilliam Clay.
van Sickle said her experience with Guiding has taught her a lot.
“Guiding has given me so much. From being a very shy girl with four brothers, Guiding has taught me to be independent with strong leadership skills,” she said.
“I have taught over 1,000 girls how to build a safe fire and taught a lot of girls leadership skills such as first aid, how to march and basic life skills.”
Despite ending her active association with the movement, van Sickle still retains her affiliation and is with the Trefoil Guilds, which is a group of Senior Girl Guides, most who do not have units but want to keep in touch with their Guiding friends and what is new in Guiding.
“Any female can join Guiding at any age,” van Sickle said. “You do not have to go up through the ranks. Each program is completely different with some test work overlapping in each.
She explained Sparks are ages 5 and 6, Brownies 7 to 9, Guides 9 to 12, Pathfinders 12 to 15, and Rangers 15 to 18. She added girls aged 14 to 18 can help out as a Spark, Brownie or Guide helper and many girls do their community volunteer hours in the units.
“Leaders are age 16 to 99. There must be at least one 18 year old in each unit,” van Sickle said. “All Guiders and adults helping in units get a police check and registration, of which both are paid for by Girl Guides of Ontario. Purchasing their uniform and holding a current first aid certificate would be their only cost. Girl Guides will reimburse $40 towards their first aid cost.”
Units throughout Wellington County meet once a week, starting in September.
The Mount Forest unit, for example, meets each Tuesday evening at the United Church. The unit currently has 11 members who meet to make crafts, play games and go on community outings. Last year the group visited the Mount Forest historical society archives, marched in the Remembrance Day parade and helped clean up a local park, according to Melanie Hanlon.
The agenda for this year includes Christmas caroling and attending a township council meeting.
“Our Sparks and Pathfinder groups are non-existent at the moment because of a lack of interest,” Hanlon said. “The Brownies only have two members this year.”
The unit is also looking for ladies to volunteer as leaders and new girls to sign on.
When Hanlon started in the Mount Forest unit three years ago, there were 15 members, and there are 11 this year.
Taking over for van Sickle in Harriston is Bev Manser. The Harriston unit, known as the 2nd Harriston Girl Guides, meets every Thursday at Manser’s home on Elora Street next door to the Presbyterian Church from 7 to 9pm.
Manser admits taking over the functions from van Sickle has been difficult, but with her considerable experience in Guiding, she is making it work.
Manser started in the movement back in 1958, in Etobicoke.
“I went through Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders from 1958 to 1967,” she said.
She served as a unit leader for two years in Toronto. She rejoined the movement as a leader from 1987 to 1990, took a brief break and started again as a leader from 2001 to today.
Her current unit has three Girl Guides, two Pathfinders and one Ranger. The numbers have dwindled in the Town of Minto with only the Harriston unit still operating.
“There’s such a lack of girls in our area,” Manser said.
“What we really need is getting our units resurrected,” van Sickle added. “We need Sparks and Brownie leaders.”
Many leaders joined the organization because their children join. van Sickle said it’s essential those leaders stay on after their children have moved through the ranks.
“The best leaders are the ones who come in because they want to do it.”
Manser said Guiding is an excellent opportunity for young girls to learn community involvement, community appreciation and leadership skills. To achieve that Guides participate in local events and learn about their community heritage.
To learn leadership abilities, members discuss upcoming events at their weekly meetings.
The Harriston units over the past several years have participated in Remembrance Day ceremonies, Earth Day clean-ups, planting natural plants at Hawthorne farms, activities at Caressant Care Nursing and Retirement Home, working with the Town of Minto on its anniversary celebrations, the Red Neck Games and participating in the local fall fair.
“I plan my meetings out with the girls,” Manser said. “They decide if it (meetings) is going to be a badge night, a craft night, a games night or a party night.”
In Guides, members work to achieve badges which can include different facets of their lives, including Sports, hobbies and community involvement.
Camping outings planned by the girls mean they have to establish a program for a camping weekend, including food purchasing and preparation and setting up a budget for the event. They also have to determine transportation to get the girls back and forth from where the camping is taking place. Manser has also hosted camping excursions in her own backyard.
The events have to be structured to offer participants a variety of tasks they need to earn particular badges.
Leadership training also involves the older girls assisting the younger ones with tasks and through that, they can work toward their “bridging badge.”
Even though weekend events such as camping are structured, girls also need time for themselves, Manser said.
“I like to give my girls free time where they can do what they want as long as you have them in sight.”
A top honour for Guides is achieving a Lady Baden Powell badge, while Pathfinders can achieve top honours with a Canada Cord.
Overall those involved in the organization learn important life skills, Manser added.
“It helps them to be a little more prepared when they’re out on their own,” Manser said. “They learn skills and how to work together.”
Camping and sleepovers are a fun part of Guiding and units are encouraged to do both or, if the Guiders are not into camping, they have 16 Guide camps around the province the girls can attend, van Sickle said.
Camping for her started in the huge Bell tents, and then to the canvas “A” shaped tents, to current nylon and easy pop-up tents.
“The girls learn first aid, building fires, basic cooking and mostly leadership skills,” she said. “I heard in the past of one of my Pathfinders giving first aid to someone on the street and the mother telling her that her only first aid was what she learned in Guiding.
“Another family was on a hike and two of their teenage girls went ahead. There came to a fork in the road and the parents had no idea which way they went, but then found the Guiding trail signs and knew exactly where to go.”
To raise funds for local units, members sell chocolate mint cookies in October and chocolate and vanilla cookies in April. The cookies sell for $5 a box with about $2.80 going to the different levels of Guiding and the remainder going back to Dare Cookies, the producer.
In Harriston residents can get cookies their local unit or call van Sickle at 519-338-2730.
Anyone interested in joining Guides can register on line at www.Guidesontario.org or call 1-800-565-8111.
Currently the Wellington County units are in Alma, Drayton, Elora, Erin, Fergus, Guelph, Harriston, Mount Forest and Rockwood. Officials would like to start units in all the towns that don’t have them.
