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Page € West Vancouver Historical Society Septembet 2002 By: Anne Vernon FEATURE PRESENTATION REPORT TRACING LIONS HERITAGE Our speaker in May was Margaret Ramsay, a retired social worker, who has been involved in Guiding for many years. Latterly, Margaret was an editor of the recently published book "TRACING LIONS HERITAGE: History of Girl Guiding in Lions Area, B.C. 1921-2001". Although we printed a revue of the book in our May issue (before we knew that Margaret would be available to speak to us) her main focus in May was on guiding in West Vancouver, with stories from many different West Van ex-Guides. Many members of her aiuiience hail happy memories revi ved that night and we hope you share them. Margaret began by mentioning names of many people who had been deeply involved in tlie beginnings of West Vancouver Guiding. Such people as Ruth Robinson, known later as Mrs. Dulcie Nesbitt (the first West Vancouver Guide Leader), Gwladys Davies, who set up a company in Horseshoe Bay, and Mrs. Sybil Small, an early commissioner, were only a Ibw. Local papers published articles on the activities of the Guide companies and all generally agreed that.... "Camping was a good, healthy experience." Guiding liistory in Canada began in 1910 and very soon spread to Vancouver. Girls from the Nortli Shore joined the Vancouver company originally, but were very keen to have their own group closer to home. Tliey succeeded in starting up on the North Shore in 1921 and from tlien on prospered. As Margaret and her cohorts found when they began to collect scrap books, photo- graphs, and newspaper articles, the movement grew fairly rapidly and eventually tiiere were 60 divisions in existence. Tliis became too unwieldy to operate suc- cessfully and something had to be done so in 1971some- tlnng was, and the sixty divisions were amalgamaied into eighteen areas, Lions Area being one of them. ... Drilling became one of the prominent feaiures in the memories of most Guides ... At the beginning the girls met in the basement of the Rectory at St. Stephens Church, and there were memories of a dirt Boor, with hard wooden benches running along the walls. These somewhat sombre sur- roundings certainly did not keep the spirit of the girls down in any way. They needed to make money to help with the expenses involved in becoming "olTiciai' members of the Guiding movemeni and worked very hard in many ways to raise the necessary funds. Willow woven baskets were made and sold, and many teas were put on, witli the girls often choosing a special liieme - Hawaiian or Japanese, for example. They had fun decorating Uie tables and themselves when these theme teas took place. Eveiwone learned to inarch in step and such drilling became one of the prominent feaiures in the memories of most Guides of tliat period. Camping and badge collecting were the order of the day from the earliest stages. Girls learned many skills, wtuch were helpful in their future lives. Camp- ing, especially, was popular, but things were different in those early days. Latrine trenches had to be dug by hand, with wooden butter boxes used for seats and canvas walls erected for privacy. Buckets of water, hauled by hand, were used to flush the trenches. Camps took place on Cypress, Bowen Island and Eagle Harbour. Mrs. R. W. Brock, gave ownership of the camp on her property to the Guides, so that they could sell it to raise funds. This resulted in a perma- nent camp at Wilson Creek, which is still used today. Outdoor cooking was, of course, a main feature of training and many were the dilTicullies encountered, especially at the beginning. Meals of blackened potatoes, half raw carrots and cooked (or was it?) hamburger, were fairly common, but eventually these difficulties were overcome. Tliere were many funny stories one - which especially amused tlie audience - was that of campers, struggling to obtain their "Experienced Camper" badges, who inadvertantly, set up tents and equipment in a field which was full of cow pats! Needless to say, they embarrassedly, and hurriedly, relocated. Today tilings are different and girls learn and experience other types of skills. The programme has changed to meet the requirements, of modern life, but fen and a sense of belonging to a happy group remains. The uniform as we remember it has definitely changed. The girls now usually wear navy cargo pants and blue tec shirts, but a number of combinations are possible. One tiling is still the same, though - Uie badges. Instead of being sewn on mnic sleeves, these now appeal' on badge scarfs, which are worn with pride. After ail tliey have to be earned and that is still a chal- lenge to wliich the girls respond happily. Nowadays there are several age groups: Sparks (5- 6), Brownies (7-9), Guides (10-12), and Pathfinders (12-15). Tiere are still Rangers, Junior Leaders and Cadets, referred to as "Senior Branches". It is difficult to find enough skilled leaders, so if you aie interested, or know of someone who might be. coniaci tlie Guides at 604-987-2922.