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

Travellers from Lincolnshire South will be visiting Japan and Sweden in 2010/11. 

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!

Annual events include:

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.

*Download information about this year's day here*

*Download an application form here (return to the County International Adviser)*

Read the notes for Guiders here

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 June or July 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.

Guide International Weekend

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

Twenty four guides from the County enjoyed a weekend of International activities in March 2010. The theme was the Western Hemisphere of WAGGGS, so activities included; paper & bead butterflies, God’s eyes, nearika art (Mexico), Moose door hangers made from foam (Canada), worry dolls (Guatemala), decorating dream catcher biscuits (USA) as well as our own special winter Olympics, very energetic salsa dancing and finishing the weekend with a Piñata.

Look out for details of the next international weekend on the theme of the Africa region (as chosen by this year’s participants).

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 8th-10th October in London.  E-mail INTOPS@girlguiding.org.uk for an application form.

 

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 Vicky, the County International Adviser