Do you collect Girl Guides of Canada catalogues?

There’s something about catalogues – especially ones relating to clothing, craft supplies, or toys – that have always appealed to me. Growing up in the 1980s we received both the Sears and the Consumer’s Distributing catalogues each fall – well in advance of Christmas – and, like youngsters everywhere, I would pour over them wishfully for weeks.

Both back then three decades ago and now, we’ve never had the volume of catalogues available to us in Canada that our neighbours to the south in America do, which is perhaps that more reason I fell head-over-heals in love with the Girl Guides of Canada catalogue the first time I received one as a young Pathfinder.

Truthfully I do not know how long the GGC has been issuing catalogues for, but I believe the history of this annually printed booklet stems back to the 1930s, if not earlier. Certainly in Great Britain and other countries where Girl Guiding and Scouting were established early on, catalogues stretch back almost to the earliest days of Guiding in such places. I would love to know more about the history of GG/GS catalogues from around the world, and would welcome any information on the subject that my reader might have to share.

When I began to collect Girl Guide related items again in 2007, one of things that I almost instantly began adding to my collection were GGC catalogues. To date I’ve obtained a copy of each of the following catalogues:

-1990/1991 (30 pages)

-1993/1994 (34 pages)

-1995/1996 (33 pages)

-1998/1999 (38 pages)

-2000/2001 (38 pages)

-2001/2002 (38 pages)

-2003/2004 (37 pages)

-2004 to 2006 (“An updated reprint”, says the front cover, “of the 2004 /05 catalogue”, adds the back page; 37 pages)

-2006/2007 (37 pages)


As this list shows, while I do have several of the more recent catalogues, there are many (a few newer, most older) that I do not. I was wondering if there are other Guiding enthusiasts out there who also collect GGC catalogues and who would be interested in trading. I only have one duplicate (catalogue) at the moment (a copy of 2003/04 issue), I would be happy to swap catalogues for items from my patch/badge/pin dupes and traders list.

Do you collect GGC (or foreign GS/GG) catalogues? If so when did you start, what do you like best about the older catalogues, and do you have any to swap? :)

What’s your Holy Grail of Girl Guide or Girl Scout collectibles?

From the first moment I spied the listing, I knew the bidding was going to sky rocket. I’ve been following Girl Guide auctions closely on eBay for a year and a half now and I had never seen one of these babies pop up before. Though they were not uncommon during the time when Guides were eligible to achieve them, they are highly sought after now. What am I talking about, you may ask? A blue and white All-Round Cord (sometimes also called an "All-Around Cord").

While I have one All-Round Cord pin (the version with the modern GGC trefoil), I do not thus far have the tasselled, satiny royal blue and snow white hued cord itself. But goodness knows I want one.

As the week progressed I watch the listing price climb higher and higher, first $10 then $20, by early Saturday afternoon it was $40 and I knew that no matter how much I longed to add that cord to my collection, unless I won a lottery before day was over, there was no way I could even debate bidding on it. And so long after the sun had set, I watched one of my most sought after Girl Guide items sell for $44 US. In these modern days of eBay anonymity I have no clue who the lucky winner was, but I truly hope that they will treasure the cord as much as I would have.

Having joined the world of Guiding as a Pathfinder I missed out on the opportunity to achieve earning the All-Round Cord. As a Pathfinder I’d sometimes see one lopped proudly through the epaulet on a Guide’s shoulder and secretly think to myself how gorgeous it was and how wonderful it must have been to earn such an esteemed piece of insignia. I went on to achieve the Canada Cord, the highest level of award that a Pathfinder can earn, and love that beautiful crimson and white cord (and pin) with a passion, but I still can’t help yearning for an All-Round Cord.

As a Girl Guide and Girl Scout enthusiast with a broad range of interests in terms of what I collect (patches, earned badges, pins, scarves, etc) my wish list of items that I hope to one day be able to find continually grows in size seemingly by the day, but no matter how many items I’ve got my eye open – or hope to trade – for, there are certain few that have the ability to truly set my heart a flutter in that particular way that only the most pined for treasures can. Amongst collectors of all sorts, these kinds of items are sometimes referred to as your “Holy Grails”, as their scarcity, price point or some other element make them illusively hard to get your hands on.

For me such items include Ranger Badges (http://www.guidingproject.info/catalogue/rangers.html) (I am immensely fortunate to have a couple, but need numerous others), A/D/D patches from the Yukon and NWT/Nunavut, A/D/Ds from my home town and the areas around where I spent my childhood Guiding years (in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia) – and as you already know from this post, an All-Round Cord.

Surely though, for those like myself who still actively collect GG and GS items, there must be certain pieces – maybe a rare Brownie badge or crest from a particular camp you enjoyed attending – that you’d dubbed your Holy Grails. If you have such items that you’re trying to track down, I’d love to know about them! There’s a slim chance I might have what you’re looking for on my dupes list or know of someone else with the item(s) in question. But if not, I’d be more than happy to keep an eye peeled for you in case I do happen upon your dream GG item, all I ask in return is that you drop me a line if you ever come across an All-Round Cord :)

Photo of the All-Round cord from the
auction which led to the inspiration for this
post. Image by 2splats on eBay.

A brief history of Canadian Girl Guide cookies

The official GGC website recently put up a delightful page that provides a short overview of the history of Girl Guide cookies in Canada, stretching all the way back to the first batch which was whipped up by a Guider from Regina, Saskatchewan in 1927.

Amongst the fun facts are tidbits (or should I say “bites”) of information such as that following the second World War in 1946, the official GGC cookie varieties were maple cream, vanilla crème, and shortbread; and that 1992 Roberta Bondar, Canada’s world renowned female astronaut, brought GG cookies with her into space!

The page also features a marvelous little gallery of GGC cookie box imagery from the 1960s right up to day, which is sure to bring back fond memories for anyone who has ever sold or been involved with the selling (or eating) of Girl Guide cookies over the years. Below this article are three examples of the marvelous types of art and design that have been featured on GGC cookie boxes through the course of their eighty year history, as documented in the GGC's article.

Be sure to check out this lovely cookie story page, and print off copies of these interesting cookie facts to share with your girls or for your own files.

Cheerful, beautiful and bursting with exuberance, this lovely retro cookie package from 1962 is pretty enough to frame!
Packed full of interesting images and subdued hues, the art from this package hailing from 1978 resembles that of many of the Guiding handbooks of the time.

By the 90s cookie packages has shifted away from drawings, instead featuring photographs and lively colours, as seen on this box of chocolate and vanilla cream cookies from 1996.

New Girl Guides and Girls Scouts on Flickr group

Late last night I decided to create my first Flickr group ever. I spend quite a fair bit on time on that site, faving and commenting on photos with a passion, and have wanted to start my own group for some time now. While there are numerous topics that I’d be delighted to found a group for, it seemed natural to start with one based on my love of Guiding, and so Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr was born.

A screenshot of the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr group's homepage

Setting up a Flickr group is substantially easier than I’d imagined it to be. It only took a few minutes to create my group, write out the group rules, and post a description of what the group is about (which is anything related to Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting). I then found a very helpful post about how to create an invite so that you can ask people to post their photos in your group, on the Admin Help Flickr forum. The code suggestions there were a snap to follow and in no time at all I was scouring through the results of various Guiding related keyword searches for photos that I could invite people to post in the group.

At present the group has been online for a tad under a day and already we have 46 members and 103 images that have been added to the group pool – what a wonderful response!

If you’re a Flickr member, I would love it if you joined (and if you’re not on Flickr yet, when not use this as the perfect reason to join, basic membership – which entitles you to a lot actually – is free and it only takes a little while to sign up and create an account). You don’t have to post pics or discussion topics if you don’t want, it’s entirely up to you. I just think it’s terrific to have a little spot on Flickr where people from around the globe with an interest this topic can gather together and share in the spirit of Guiding and Scouting.

Top 10 Places to Find Secondhand Girl Guide Uniforms

While many people think of the blossom filled season of spring as the primo time to a thoroughly clean out of their abode, I've always preferred to do a top-to-bottom house cleaning at least once a season. I detest clutter and am constantly reevaluating if I really have the need/use for an items (e.g., outdated clothes, two year old magazines, etc). Like many people, I try to make a point of selling, giving away (to friends/family/women's shelters), or donating (to charity) any item which is still in good shape but of no purposeful use to me any more.

Interestingly though, this process is not merely a one way street. I adore – and I do really mean adore – shopping secondhand, combing through garage sales, and haggling for a bargain at swap meets. Inherited from my mother, this love of scouring high and low for that perfect bargain has helped me furnish homes and dress myself all through my life. And while growing my own Guiding related uniforms were bought new (though I might add, with my own money that I'd saved up from babysitting), I distinctly remember that when my little sister joined Brownies, her uniform was a very kindhearted donation from my elementary school best friend.

I think back to that time in my life and am always so grateful for the gift which was bestowed upon my sister, I don't know what we'd have done (for a uniform) if not for my friend Karen's generosity. Reflecting upon these childhood days I started thinking about some of the other places through out my life where I've seen secondhand Guiding uniforms, or where you may very easily be able to come by one.

While there's certainly the option of buying a new uniform, there's no reason to scoff at the idea of giving an existing one a second time around, irregardless of if the choice is financially based or not. In fact, I can't implore you enough to think of secondhand goods as just as worthy and wonderful as newly purchased items. Gently used items often have a life all their own, and tracking them down can be worlds more fun than just buying them new off the shelf.

With that thought in mind, here are my top 10 recommendations for places to find Canadian Girl Guides (Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Seniour Branches, Leaders, etc) uniforms (international readers can still avail of many of these suggestions too, adapting them to the shops and sources which are available in their own respective countries).

-The classified section of your local newspaper(s) and “Buy and Sell” type of papers. The Guiding year usually ends in most parts of the country around June and picks up again September, both of these times of the year in particular are potential hotbeds for ads of people who are selling or giving away outgrown or no longer needed uniforms. Plus, if you don't see an ad for what you want, consider placing a small wanted ad – some Buy and Sell type papers let you post (small) free wanted ads, which means you've really got nothing to lose.

-Online classified websites like Kijijo and Craigslist, both let you post and browse wanted and for sale ads for free. These two websites in particular are of interest because they have numerous locale sites for specific large Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto.

-Value Village: an absolute haven for lovers of frequently rotating secondhand household and clothing items. On almost every trip I've ever made to a VV anywhere in Canada, I've seen Guiding uniforms (especially Sparks and Brownies). Sign up for VV's email newsletter to be informed of when one of their super cool 50% off all merchandise one day sales are going to happen (there's usually at least three such sales a year).

-Whether you call it “The Salvation Army” or the “Sally Ann”, there's no denying that this widely known and well established chain of thrift stores is a handy place to check for gently used uniforms.

-Local thrift stores, consignment stores, and church/charity run used clothing shops. (Check your phone book's yellow page section for local listings. Even very small towns often have at least one secondhand and/or consignment store.)

-eBay: This gigantic online flea market is a mecca for potential uniforms (as I type this article right now, a few quick keyword searches turned up a pink current Sparks sweatshirt and an older style Brownie dress – plus oodles of US Girl Scout uniforms and even some brand new sashes). Check often and consider having email updates for specific keywords sent right to your inbox so that you'll always known when a new item that matches your criteria is listed.

-Check out the ad covered bulletin boards at your local grocery store, library, school, church (or other place of worship), community centre, sports complex, daycare, community theater, etc. If you don't happen across an ad (which is fairly likely), place one with your information and contact phone number, so long as wanted ads are permitted.

-Ask, ask, ask! If you known anyone else with a child enrolled in Guiding (or who has been previously enrolled), politely ask them if they held onto any of their child's outgrown uniforms, and if so would they be willing to share them with you (if the answer is yes, make sure you give them something in return to say thank you – homemade cookies or a night of free child minding are always appreciated).

-Your own backyard! Well, perhaps not your own, but how about the front lawns and driveways of your neighbours and friends. Once the warm weather rolls around, garage sales and outdoor swap meets abound across most of Canada. Check your local paper for upcoming ads and circle all the ones close to where you live, then pack some water, snacks, and sunscreen and head out for a lovely weekend morning of yard sale scavenging :) (Likewise, head indoors year round for swap meets, flea markets, and even auctions and estate sales, you never know when and where the opportunity to pick up a uniform will strike!)

-Contact your nearest Guide shop and/or provincial council and inquire as to if they know of any good leads to find gently used uniforms.

As with all searches, it's wise to start well in advance of when you're actually planning on needing the item(s) in question. For example, if you know that your daughter will be flying up from Brownies to Guides next September, and it's July now, consider starting your search while you still have two months before enrollment (which, incidentally, is also another great place to ask around for possible uniform leads).

It is to the best of my understanding, not possible for a girl (or woman) to be excluded from joining Guides due to a lack of uniform (I've read that in the US, so long as a girl is wearing her enrollment pin, she is considered to technically be in uniform). In many cases, local leaders and Guiding members will likely be happy to try and help provide a uniform or suggest a suitable alternative, so please don't let the lack of a uniform prevent you or your daughter from joining or continuing on with Guiding. Try not to worry if you're on a budget or just looking to source a good deal, with a little diligence, it shouldn't be impossible for you to find yourself or your child a great looking Girl Guide uniform.


(I'd just like to add that if any of my readers are looking to sell or donate secondhand uniforms, I'd be delighted to post a classified style ad with your location and contact information on this site.)