International

Have you ever dreamed you could take part in an international experience?

Yes – then here is where you start. You may not need to even leave the country!

Within Girlguiding Lincolnshire South there are a number of ways to think globally and gain new international experiences.

International Travellers

In 2011, travellers from the County visited New Zealand, Uganda and Denmark as part of Anglia-organised trips, and Belarus as part of a  County-organised trip.  We have five girls and one leader who will attend at the Region Opportunities event at Pax Lodge in November for hopeful selection for events in 2012.

Recent trips have included The Great Guide Getaway to Switzerland in February 2010. They had plenty of snow and visited Our Chalet for a day of international activities, played ice stock (a bit like curling, but easier!), built igloos (with really sharp saws!), went snow shoeing, tried tobogganing, went up the Jungfrau on the train, had Swiss hot chocolate in Interlaken and attended the evening Centenary Celebration with around 800 other Guides where they played on fairground stalls, watched a procession of lanterns that they had decorated and renewed their promises.  A real Centenary adventure for all who took part! Other destinations for travellers in 2010 included the USA, Canada, Japan and Sweden!

Future Events:

Fancy taking your unit abroad or volunteering for staff there are plenty of events happening in 2012 – and the ones I know about, both in the UK and abroad are below:

 

  • Roverway, Finland 20-28th July 2012 – www.roverway.fi/home
  • Nederweert International Camp for European Scouts (NICES), Netherlands – 28th July – 12th August 2012  (age 14-21) – www.nices.nl
  • Brumjam 2012, Birmingham – 28th July-4th August (age 10½-18) – www.brumjam.org
  • Swiss Experience 2012, Kandersteg, Switzerland – August 12th-18th – swissexperience2012@genevagirlscouts.org
  • Essex International Jamboree, Chelmsford, Essex – August 18-25th – www.eij.org.uk
  • Fantastic, 6th-12th January 2013 Quercus Park, Carrick, Tasmania – www.fantastic-girlguides.com.au

 

This list is only a taster so keep your eyes out for these camps and jamborees and on the Guiding website as well.

Annual events include:

Guide International Weekend

Guides can participate in the County International weekend, that runs in March / April each year.

The last event took place 1st - 3rd April 2011, at Seagull House, and was based around the theme of Africa Region.  Activities included; African headscarf making, elephant crafts, soap carving and included some Tribal dance and drumming.

Thanks to Ann, Pam and Linda who cooked, first aided and helped with the smooth running of the weekend.

Look out for details of the next international weekend, 9th - 11th March 2012, to be held at Trusthorpe, which will be advertised early in the new year.

 

International Opportunities Day for Girls

If you are aged 14 to 18 you could take up the opportunity to travel abroad with a Girlguiding group. The County International Opportunities Day is the first step to achieving this.

We hold a fun day of various activities designed to allow us to get to know everyone and we are then usually able to offer four girls from our County the opportunity of spending a weekend at Pax Lodge, the Guide World Centre in London with other members from Anglia region. Success at this weekend can lead to representing our County and Region on a Girlguiding international trip. In recent years Senior Section members from our County have visited the Girlguiding World Centres of Our Cabana in Mexico, Our Chalet in Switzerland and Sangam in India. Others have visited or are about to visit Holland, South Korea and Australia among other fantastic destinations.

If you are interested in coming to this event, or you know someone who is, you should contact your Division International Adviser (details in the County File – ask your Guider) or e-mail the County International Adviser below.

 

Adult International Opportunities

We are always looking for adults to lead and assist with groups that are going abroad. Could you help? As well as having a fantastic experience yourself you would be giving our young women the opportunity to experience a Guide event abroad. The adult international opportunities day is held by Anglia Region each year usually in November but if you are interested or just want to know more then please get in touch with the County International Adviser at any point of the year.

 

INTOPS

Are you aged 17-30 years or do you know someone in that age range? An INTOPS weekend provides a range of activities to give you a taste for going abroad and experiencing other cultures. Participants are tested to their limit! Success at this weekend would lead to a GOLD trip (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development). In 2011 there are plans to be GOLD projects in eight countries including; Armenia, Chile, & Tanzania. The next weekend is 30th Sept - 2nd Oct in Lancaster.  Download more information here. The weekend costs £55.   Download an application form and reference form if you're ready to go GOLD!

 

In your weekly meeting

You don’t have to even leave your usual meeting hall to have an international experience!


Rainbows have you tried Roundabout the World or Roundabout Global Adventure?
Brownies, how about completing your World Traveller or World Guiding badge?
Guides can work on their World Cultures or World Issues badge or Go For It! Globalistic.
For Senior Section members there’s the International Octant of Look Wider to complete or the Commonwealth Award.

You could try the WAGGGS Global Action Theme (GAT) The theme encourages girls, young women and members of all ages to make a personal commitment to change the world around them.  The GAT Badge is an activity pack with over 100 exciting and informative activities. To earn a badge, complete six, eight or twelve activities (depending on age).  Download the syllabus from the WAGGGS website .

This year the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is presenting its new 2010 WAGGGS CHALLENGE programme. They are inviting everybody to challenge themselves and help change girls’ lives by doing something fun and raising funds at the same time.  

Girls Worldwide Say: "Challenge yourself to make a difference." There are many different challenges for every age group and people with different physical abilities to get involved in this programme. Challenges include: 5km superhero run in London or Manchester (you get to keep the superhero outfit!), walking the Jurassic coastal path in Dorset, the High Atlas summit trek in Morocco and the Etna volcanic adventure. See the WAGGGS website for more details.

Why not hold an International themed evening in your unit? – you could try different foods, dress up in national costume, learn a traditional dance or ……… (why not e-mail and let us know what you did!).

Useful links

For more International ideas and information why not start by having a look at these web-pages:

www.girlguiding.org.uk/about_us/international_guiding.aspx

www.girlguiding-anglia.org.uk
look at “Guiding in your Region” and then “International”

www.wagggs.org

For more information about any of the opportunities listed above or just to let us know what you’ve been doing internationally, contact the County International Adviser

 

Lincoln Imp