Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Feb 23/00) - Girl Guide members in Rankin Inlet joined more than 200,000 of their peers across Canada in celebrating Girl Guide Week from Feb. 20-26.

Feb. 22 is one of the biggest days of the year for the Girl Guides of Canada movement. It marks the birthday of both movement founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, and Olave, Lady Baden-Powell, who developed Guiding worldwide.

Known as Thinking Day, it is celebrated throughout the world as a day of international friendship by the 10 million girls and women in 140 countries who belong to Girl Guides or Girl Scouts.

The Girl Guides of Canada's Kivalliq area commissioner, Carla Kolysher, says Rankin Guiders held a Thinking Day celebration Feb. 22 at Leo Ussak school in Rankin.

The Guiders took part in birthday celebrations and learned about Guiding founders in different countries around the globe.

Kolysher says the state of Guiding in Rankin Inlet is very healthy.

"Our numbers have grown significantly from last year," says Kolysher.

"We've more than doubled our number of Sparks to 30 this year from 12 last year and the rest have stayed fairly consistent."

The Guiding season generally follows the school year, with meetings and activities being held from early September until about the end of May.

The Guiding program is designed to challenge its members to reach their potential and empowers them to give leadership and service as responsible citizens of the world.

Guiding starts at Sparks (five- to-six-year-olds) and progresses through Brownies (seven to nine), Guides (nine to 12), Pathfinders (12-15), Rangers, Junior Leaders, Cadets (15-17-plus) and, finally, Guiders or adult volunteers (18 and older).

Kolysher says the local movement is appealing to women in the community to join their Guiding program.

"We have the same group of adult Guiders who have been carrying the load for quite some time now and we need to see some fresh faces to keep the momentum going for next year."