Emma E., Como Lake District

“I have thoroughly enjoyed each of my 11 years in Guiding, and I have innumerable fond memories from camps, service projects, and meetings. I have learned many skills and lessons, and Guiding has enriched my life in endless ways. Firstly, outdoor activities such as camping are very important to me thanks to Girl Guides. Starting as early as Embers, I was exposed to activities like hiking, kayaking, and, of course, camping, and I have Guiding to thank for my love of being in nature. As well, I learned to value our environment, and I now apply this to my life by lobbying municipal governments to ban single-use plastics with the Single Use Plastic Elimination Reinforcement (SUPER) Team. Further, Guiding has taught me to be resourceful in even the most unexpected situations. I will never forget the time our tent flooded at District Camp 2019, and we were stuck with almost ten Pathfinders and a single four-person tent. Unanticipated scenarios like this have taught me more than any theoretical training ever could (and I will never again peg a tent fly incorrectly). Guiding has given me the freedom to try new activities and actually learn from my successes and mistakes.”