LAKESIDE HEIGHTS DISTRICT NEWSLETTER

It's time to look back at the events of the year and reminisce the fun times. It's also time to think of next year and start planning for another year of fun and adventure.

Lots of thanks to the Junior Leaders and the younger girls working in units.. Some of our units have been lucky to have Junior Leaders working with them that have made the jobs of the Guiders much easier. These girls put in time besides in their own units and many of them spend time helping with the planning and organizing of events.

1st Sparks: Francine, Elysa , 2nd Sparks Emma, 2nd Brownies: Megan, 2nd Guides: Heather, Julia, 3rd Guides: Linda, Dylann, Jennifer

We would also like to thank our Unit Moms who have also helped out at many events. Some of our Unit Moms tested for badges, organized and prepared tea, coffee , juice and goodies for special events, collected Regal money, cookie money, and many other things. This has been well appreciated, as it gave the leaders time to focus on the meetings and the girls.

1st Sparks:Linda, 2nd Sparks:Claire, 1st Brownies: Kim, 4th Brownies: Susan, 2nd Guides: Debbie, 3rd Guides:Judy, Pathfinders: Ellen

A huge thank-you to Barb for all the help she has been to the District. Thank-you to all of our Guiders for the tremendous amount of time, work and energy that goes into planning the meetings and all the extras. And for the love and care that is given to all of our girls. A special thank-you to Sueand Linda who went to alternate meetings to help Sue and Jessicaof 4th Brownies who didn't have a third Guider.

Guider Trainings

Many of our Guiders have attended numerous trainings this year. We had a Provincial training last fall ( which was well attended by our Guiders), an area training in January, Stage 1 and Stage 2 training and Focus on Leadership training. There was also a wonderful training done by Robyn Young our Canadian P.R. rep. And the last one this spring was an area camp training which was quite informative even for those of us who have been to many camp trainings over the years.

Spring REGAL

The three girls from our district going to New Brunswick for CM99 would like to thank our district for supporting them in this fund-raiser. They sold for $821.99 and raised $287.70 towards their trip.

Thanks from Kelly, Julia and Linda

Cookie Blitz

Most of the girls took home cases of cookies to help with their units fund-raising. Then, some of the girls helped out by selling some at the shopping center to help the district fund-raise.

We would like to thank all of these girls, their parents and all of the Guiders who helped out. A special thanks to Susan who gives up her garage for the month of April and who keeps track of the comings and goings of over 200 cases of cookies.

With this fund-raiser we have to keep in mind that only $11.05 of the $33 goes to Mr. Christie. $8.46 goes to our Provincial Girl Guide Council which helps pay for Guider Training, communications and literature, travel for both girls and Guiders and Provincial Administration.

The only paid personnel at this level is the secretary and the people who work in the shops. This is a fund-raiser for all of our levels. This helps keep the registration fees down, helps pay for our camps, leaders training...etc.

Teddy Bear Clinic

Another incredible event: The girls and leaders that attended were in awe.. The amount of time spent planning and organizing this was evident. The Sparks and 4th Brownies arrived at the 1st Brownies meeting with their sick teddies and were presented with a passbook, and medicare card at the door. Then they played in the waiting room, which was well set up with baby swings, toys, colouring table, pin the heart on the bear etc. They were called one at a time to be seen by a doctor. The 1st Lakeside Heights Brownies, all dressed in doctors attire, were ready at separate tables to examine the bears and to treat them.

The girls then returned to the waiting room where they made pipe-cleaner bears and continued to play with all of the toys.

The evening concluded with the Quebec Singing Challenge presented by the Brownies and a treat of teddy grahams and gummy bears for all. All of the girls were presented with a teddy bear crest and the Brownies earned a special interest outlook..

Monique pulled off quite an event!!

Thinking Day Banquet-(Parent-Daughter) Feb 19,1999

Thanks to Barb and the LA for organizing the food and setting up the hall for this event.

Each of the levels of Guiding had a different Girl Guide World Center that they represented. We had displays, sang songs, performed dances, recited a poem and passed around samples of food. Our four countries, Mexico, England, Switzerland and India were well represented. We even had a visit from the Queen of England. We also had Helen, our Division Commissioner and Amiee Martin, our City Councillor as special guests. The evening ended with a sing-a-long and sharing of a Thinking Day Birthday Cake.

GOTA and GOTI Feb 20-21, 1999

Again to help celebrate Thinking Day (the joint birthday of our founders Lord and Lady Baden Powell) some of the members of our district participated in GOTA or GOTI or both.

GOTA (Guides on the Air) is chatting with Girl Guides over the ham radio. The girls are shy to start but many have to be told that time is up and to let others have a turn. A few girls had the opportunity to chat this way at Helen Archibald's house.. Others chatted while at Guide camp.. Hopefully next year more girls will turn out to this event.

Some of the girls had an opportunity to chat with girls around the world through the Internet. This is GOTI (Guides on the Internet.) This is only the second year that we have been doing this and hope to get the enthusiasm of these few girls to rub off on some of the others.

Tea and Bake

Wow what a success! Barb and her LA team really pulled together a great event. The amount of money raised was $1219.40. The fun had by adults and children alike was evident. The favourite part for many is families getting together and seeing one another for the first time all winter. And, of course, the girls love the bottle baffle, a great fund raiser!

Lakeview Division Sparks and Beaver Spree

Where to begin! Having been part of other Area Sparks events in the past and having been on organizing committees for these, this event surpassed them all. It was an extremely well organized event in which the little ones had a fabulous time. The day started with finding your units. Then off to an opening circle of all these little people. The Sparks and Beavers were then joined into groups of about 14 and with their leaders started around to the stations. Each unit was responsible to organize a station and have an adult run the station.. They ranged from games of blowing sails attached to wheels down a road, to throwing wet sponges at the adults to listening to police officers talk about bike safety. A snack of juice and munchkins was served. At each of the stations the children were presented with a bead. By the end of the day they had a little bonhomme made of pipe-cleaners with the beads covering the arms and legs. Then, after the children had been to all of the stations they went back to their unit's shaded area where they had lunch and were to make a craft. Nestles had donated a number of prizes to the event. All of the children had their names put into a container which were then pulled out one after another. A bike, 2 helmets, fanny packs, water bottles and all sorts of prizes were given out. This was a last minute addition to the day and so took up the time for the craft and some of the campfire time.

The campfire was well organized and the leadership was shared by a representative from Guiding and a representative from Scouting.. To finish off the day, before the birthday cake was distributed, Linda Buchanan, a Junior Leader was presented with a gift as she is the only girl left from one of the three original Sparks units in 1988-1989 in Cabana Area.

Lakeside Heights District Advancement Ceremony

This was held in June after the girls had time to have their spring camps and finish gold camps, and experienced campers badges. As usual for this event it was quite hot and LA provided us with great refreshements, outside after the ceremonies were over.

Awards and Service Pins given out at the end of the year:

Stage 1: Caroline, Grace, Sue, and Kristien

Stage 2: Monique and Lynn

Residential Camp Certification: Monique

Service Bars: 3 years Angel and Bernadette

5 years to Caroline and Maureen

Canada Cords were presented to three of our Pathfinders, Julia, Jennifer and Francine.

Canada Day Parade July 1st, 1999

Some of our girls participated in the Canada Day Parade in Pointe Claire on Thursday July 1st. A few also participated in the Canada Day Parade in downtown Montreal. Linda and Francine helped Valois Dorval put together the float.

CM99