Girl Guides of Canada - Program

Program

Girl Guides of Canada is the largest organization for women and girls in Canada. The membership is organized into different groups according to age. These are Sparks (ages 5 and 6), Brownies (ages 7 and 8), Guides (ages 9 – 11), Pathfinders (ages 12 – 14), and Rangers (15-17+) .

There is also a program for girls who, for whatever reason, are not able to physically attend unit meetings. They are known as 'Lones' and complete the program of their branch by correspondence with a Lone Guider.

Two of Guiding's newest initiatives are Extra Ops and Trex. These programs are for members who have more specific interests (i.e. Camping or Hiking), Trex and Extra Ops programs are generally adopted by girls who are already a member of a branch of Guiding.

Adult women (19+) are welcome in the organization as Leaders or Guiders. There are also places for volunteers in Public Relations, office jobs, and other important facets of the organization. A program for women ages 18–30 called "Link" is in place for young women who wish to retain or establish their ties with Guiding but who may not be able to give of their time to the extent of being a Guider. However, Link members are sometimes Guiders or will hold other positions within the organization as well. Link members choose to meet when convenient to do so and will often participate in various Guiding events.

Adult members over the age of 30 have the option of becoming Trefoil Guild members. A woman can opt to be a member of the Trefoil Guild and participate in other roles within the organization. Trefoil Guild groups usually meet once or twice a month, and often participate in various Guiding events. Many Trefoil Guild members are senior citizens, some of whom have decades of Guiding experience.