Kathy's original Girl Guiding journey started when she was in first or second grade. Her friend was in the local pack* (Canadian Girl Guide word for troop) and since it seemed like a fun thing to do, Kathy became a Brownie.
Being a Brownie was a different experience back then. As a Brownie in a time when there were less women in the workforce, they learned many more homemaking skills then empowerment methods. They had to be able to vacuum, iron and sew. They also had to make bread and tea for another person.
As a Brownie she wore a uniform of a brown cotton dress, belt, knee-high socks, black shoes and of course her vest. When she graduated into a higher level she took on an outfit of a blue skirt, shirt, belt and beret. As Ranger she was allowed to wear a white blouse. Among the many badges Kathy displayed on her vest/sash, the one Kathy was most proud of owning was the Canada Cord, which was the highest award a Canadian Girl Scout could get at that point in history.
Kathy's favorite Girl Guiding activity was camping. One of her favorite memories involves camping at Lake Simcoe for a few weeks. Her troop stayed in Kansas style tents (bottomless tents) and tried their best not to disturb the local nature in the process. Along with their sleeping bags they brought a ground tarp to lay down on the grass and they used their lashing skills to make a luggage rack from the wood they foraged.
When Kathy was older, her pack went winter camping. They made a visit to one of the few local camp grounds that was open in winter. They stayed for two nights. During the time they were there, it snowed and was very cold. But, since Kathy's pack had adequate clothes and supplies for the weather, they were able to enjoy everything to the fullest.
On these camping trips the pack took, they cooked using camp stoves, griddles and an open fire. Kathy remembers making banana boats with her pack as they sat around the fire singing songs. One of the many songs that they sang was Barges. Barges was sung in a round and it was a song that Kathy would later share with her daughter's Girl Scout troop in America, twenty or so years later.
*In Canada, troops are called packs. Packs are made of 25-30 girls. They can be broken up into what Kathy calls sixes (smaller patrols).
