CARSTAIRS-DIDSBURY - A new Girl Guides group, Pathfinders, has recently formed for girls aged 12-14 in the Carstairs and Didsbury areas. Pathfinders is set to begin meetings in September and organizers say they have plenty of fun activities in the works.
Meagan Mowat, who is the leader for the group, said there have been groups for Sparks, Brownies and Guides in the area but nothing for the 12- to 14-year-old group.
"I've been working with Pathfinders in Sylvan Lake with my friend and I just want to offer girls in our community the opportunity for the travel available – we can go to Europe, we can do girls' parliament, we can do all sorts of things that I don't see offered in our community."
Mowat, who lives in Carstairs, has a daughter in the Sparks group.
"There is a new program rolling out this year in which the girls get to choose what they want to do," she said. "If they want to camp, that's great; if they want to learn about parliament, we go to Edmonton; whatever they want to do."
Mowat said the Girl Guides program offers many benefits to girls.
"At the Pathfinder age group I see them making choices and learning how to handle real world situations," she said. "We make them plan their own camps; we make them plan out their meals: what do you need to eat? what do you need to bring for three days? Just adding that extra level of responsibility that they might not have to do at home."
Anyone interested in signing up can go to the Girl Guides of Canada website and go to the unit finder.
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