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The Drayton Valley CGIT group marked International Peace Day (September 21st) with a celebration that included dedication of a Peace Pole, flying our Peace Dove and planting our fifth Tree of Peace. The Peace Pole has its message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written in English, French, German and Cree to reflect languages represented by our membership at this time. The dedication of the Peace Pole was offered in all four languages. Everyone took a moment to pause, reflect and bury their negative feelings (anger, jealousy, greed) under the Tree of Peace. All ages had an opportunity to fly the giant Peace Dove and the event concluded with the CGIT girls offering cookies they had prepared cut in various peace shapes. The accompanying pictures are printed courtesy of the Drayton Valley Western Review.

2010 Anniversary Celebration

Jamboree 2010 was held May 21-24 at CGIT Camp Wohelo, Pigeon Lake in the middle of Alberta!

Learning to Knit, one of the interest activities offered, drama, ballet, yoga, were also offered.

The camp theme was “CGIT is an Attitude....” and the meaning was expanded, and deepened with all the programs and activities. We really liked “CGIT is an A++i+ude!” (positive attitude!”) 36 CGIT and Explorers from Grande Prairie, Trochu, Drayton Valley and Calgary were in attendance! Even the cooks had attitude!

During singsong and last evening’s Vespers!

95th Anniversary Cake!

2009 Calgary Alumnae Christmas Vesper Service

A CGIT Christmas Alumnae Vesper Service was held at Southwood United Church in Calgary, on November 29, 2009. Although the attendance was small, the service was very much appreciated by the CGIT Alumnae that were in attendance. Following the service, refreshments were served and people were able to renew CGIT memories and meet new alumnae from Calgary and other parts of Canada.

2008 Drayton Valley Rally
Rallying for peace

Members of Canadian Girls in Training from Drayton Valley and Grande Prairie participated in “Peace In The Valley” from Nov 7-9, 2008. The main focus of the weekend was to build on the girl’s understanding of peace and how they could contribute to world peace. To give the girls some lessons about peace, children’s writer and peace advocate Carolyn Pogue facilitated the weekend..

Pogue has written several books on the topic of peace as well as worked with world-renowned peacemakers, such as Raffi. Pogue also started the Calgary chapter of Women in Black, a peace activist group that can trace its history to Israel.

Pogue stayed for the whole weekend leading the girls workshop sessions as well as helping them develop their writing skills.

The girls sat down with Pogue and discussed what they thought peace was as well as the four areas of peace: peace with yourself, peace with the environment, peace in families and communities and peace around the world.

During the weekend the girls were shown various symbols of peace and learned about teenagers and children around the world making a difference through peacemaking activities.

The girls got to paint and decorate peace boxes with symbols and they also did free fall writing, a technique that allows the right side of the brain to free flow its ideas onto paper without interference from the logical, and sometimes negative, left side of the brain.

The rally concluded with a church service for Remembrance Day November 9th that focused not only on remembering the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom, but also on how peace could make a difference.

New Adventures & New Friends
CGIT Celebrates Its 90^th Anniversary

From June 24^th to the 26^th, approximately 150 Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT) leaders, girls, alumnae and executive participated in the 17^th Ontario Jamboree to celebrate CGIT’s 90^th anniversary. Since 1975, jamborees have been held every five years in various locations of the province. This event was wonderful in all aspects from the opening campfire, great weather, new adventures and new friends, to the closing ceremony. New adventures for participants were field games, hiking, crafts, archery, swimming, singing, compass orienteering, and drumming and dancing in the Tribal Thunder Drum Circle. New friendships were formed among groups across Ontario and guests from the West and East - three leaders and six girls from Saskatchewan; one leader and two girls from New Brunswick; one girl from Nova Scotia; and one girl from Prince Edward Island. Each morning opened with a morning watch - a time alone with God. Each evening closed with Vespers and a campfire.

This fantastic weekend took place at the Lambton United Church Centre and even more fantastic was the welcoming women of the Lambton and Sarnia CGIT Work-board, who presented each of us with a handmade tote bag filled with little treasures. On Saturday night, we dressed in our CGIT middy and Explorer shirt to have our special celebrations and official picture taken. Six people were chosen to cut the cake and 90 blue-and-white balloons gave the area a festive flair.

On Sunday morning, the worship collection of $540.00 was donated to Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). This was enough to purchase 18 bed-kits. As we left the worship service, we sang: “Siya humba kuka kweni kwencos” - we are marching (singing, praying) in the Light of God.” We formed a huge circle of friendship before singing our closing Taps and Goodbyes.

Carolyn Reid, November/December 2005 Glad Tiding - W.M.S. Magazine, Presbyterian Church