We hope everyone had a fun and festive holiday season and is ready for Pathfinders.  The leaders are all excited, we’ve got some really fun events lined up over the next few months.

We will be doing lots of planning at our meeting on Wednesday, January 9.  Third years will be planning several meetings to complete important work towards the Canada Cord, so bring your old program books, and let a leader know if you cannot attend the meeting on Wednesday.

Also, we’re heading to the West Coast Area Girls Can Do It! International Women’s Day event on Saturday March 9!

The WCA will be hosting a fun fair of cool things to explore, from basic displays to elaborate interactive demos. Beyond brochures and trifold boards, girls will try new skills in hands-on ways. With hundreds of Girl Guide friends, come explore booths from local businesses, professionals, and organizations, who are contributing their time and enthusiasm. Girls will explore the tables/displays at their leisure throughout the afternoon. There will be a variety of activities set up, with interesting people to talk to, demos to try, swag to take home, and more.

Want to attend? Bring your SG2 form and $5 back no later than Wednesday January 30. Speak with a leader if you’d like to use your cookie cash towards this fun and interactive event!

It’s our last meeting of the year!

We’ll be making holiday cards for seniors, and some to take home! We’ll also have some delicious snacks, gourmet hot chocolates, and time to chill.

Please bring your Snow Camp forms and payment, and any outstanding cookie money. Please also bring back forms and payment for Holiday Camp with the 58th Pathfinders and Orion Rangers, if you would like to attend that camp next weekend.

Lastly, the pack towel supplier that has the awesome towels we looked at last week will be coming to the end our our meeting to sell towels directly. Large/bath towels are $5 each. Small hand towels are $2 each. This is an amazing deal as the large towels are typically $40 and smaller ones are $12-$15 at MEC. Great for holiday gifting, and for putting in your backpacking gear stash!

Note that towel sales are cash only, so bring cash (exact change preferred) for towels.

• Holiday Camp 2018 Schedule
• Holiday Camp Kit List
• SG1 – Holiday Camp 2018
• SG2 – Holiday Camp 2018

On Nov 21, we’re heading to WeDay at Rogers Arena! Because traffic and parking are tricky around the stadium, we’re meeting at Nanaimo Skytrain Station at 5:30 pm. Pick up is also at Nanaimo Stn at 8:15 pm. Bring your compass card, and come in uniform!

Please note purses or bags that are larger than 14” x 14” x 6” (35cm x 35cm x 15cm) will not be allowed in Rogers Arena for any game or event, so please leave your school bags at home. 

Didn’t bring your form in? Don’t worry – you can still come along! Just print and bring your signed SG2 with you to the Skytrain station.

Also, reminder to all Pathfinders to get your Girls First profile set up! Get this set up before the end of the year, as YOU’LL be diving in headfirst to meeting planning, activity selection, and crowdsourced awesomeness in 2019!

It’s that time of the year, where the air is crisp, the wind has wrestled the leaves from the trees and the rains have arrived. 
All the leaves and rain can also lead to neighbourhood flooding as catch basins get blocked, preventing water from getting into the storm water pipes. 

You can help be a neighbourhood hero by adopting a catch basin! Through the City of Vancouver’s website, you can find a catch basin by your house, give it a fun name, and walk by it weekly to see if it needs any maintenance. Over 1,800 catch basins have already been adopted with names like Drainy McDrainface and Grate Expectations. It’s a great opportunity for community service. 

For more information or to adopt a catch basin, visit their website. 

November 7 is our enchanted enrolment evening! Come in uniform and dressed for the weather. We’ll start and end at the church, but will mostly be outside, so don’t forget your boots, jacket and toque.

We’ve been invited to attend a fun weekend at Kwi Kwa cabin @ Camp Olave from November 16 – 18 with the 58th Pathfinders, Orion Rangers, and St. Helen’s Scouts & Ventures. We’ll have time to play outside, cook great food, play a tonne of board games, do homework, and make new friends at this fun and chill weekend on the Sunshine Coast. Karla will be taking a group of Pathfinders from the 9th, if you’re interested in joining in the fun! Check out the event information forms for more information. Interested in attending? Forms and payment of $100 are due Wednesday November 14.

• Board Game Social Camp 2018 Schedule
• SG1 – Board Game Camp 2018
• SG2 – Board Game Camp 2018

We are heading to WeDay on Nov 21! Bring your forms in no later than November 14.

• SG1 WE DAY FAMILY_9thPathfinders_2018-11-21 (1)
• SG2 WE DAY Family_9th Pathfinders_2018-11-21

Also, check out updated information about Snow Camp! Take a look at the event information, and the kit list. Forms are due back in January so no rush, but start thinking now about what you need to prepare, plan for, and learn about before we head out for a fun weekend in the snow!

• SG1-Mt Seymour Snow Camp-Feb1-3-2019
• SG2-Mt Seymour Snow Camp-Feb 1-3 2019
• Snow Camp Personal Gear List

We’re heading to Fright Nights tonight!

Reminder that we are meeting at the southeast corner of Windermere and Hastings at 6:45 pm. Pick up is in the same spot at 9:30 pm.

Fright Nights does not allow guests to come in costume or face paint, so please save your festive outfits for October 31st. Instead, be sure to come dressed for the weather (including warm coat, rain boots, gloves and toques) as we’ll be outside all evening.

Call or text Karla at 604 720 7922 if you have questions.

While we’ve got lots of fun events going on in the next couple weeks, we would like Pathfinders to also take some time to explore the new Girls First program.  This year is a transition year, so we will be doing some activities from the old program and some from the new.

Each Pathfinder needs their own an account – to register online you will need a unique email address and your IMIS number.  Talk to one of the leaders if you don’t know your IMIS number or if you need any help getting started.

Register, log in, and take a look around, there are some great activities to inspire you!  Enter something in the “My Interests” section on your profile page, so the leaders know you’ve successfully logged in.

Get ready for a fun and busy evening! We’re going to plan our enrolment, a service project or two, and map out the rest of the Pathfinder season. Plus, games!

Also, the West Coast Area Amazing Race at Queen Elizabeth Park on October 28 and Fright Nights at Playland on October 24 are coming up! Forms and payment are also due no later than October 17.

Reminder that uniforms are mandatory for all public events. Please speak with a Guider if you have any questions about the Pathfinder uniform.

Lastly, cookie money soon, so please bring your cookie money in any time, if you’re done selling!

After selling cookies this Wednesday, we will make our way up to Vancouver City Hall to talk about the election. 

Vancouver’s municipal election is happening on Saturday, October 20 but advance voting is open from October 10-17. 
During this election voters will elect:

• 1 mayor and 10 councillors for Vancouver City Council
• 7 commissioners for the Vancouve Board if Parks and Recreation 
• 9 school trustees for Vancouver School Board

How does voting work? Watch out his great How to vote video for more details. 

If you are curious about who is running for office, check out the Plan Your Vote tool that lists every candidate running for office. You can select your voting location and time as well as the candidates you are interested in. This list will be emailed to you so you can bring your voting plan along to the voting station. Check out this guide and see if you can find candidates that are campaigning on an issue that connects with you. 

Although you have to be 18 to vote, this year the City of Vancouver is hosting a kids vote on October 13 and 14. During these advance voting days, youth under 18 can get a special kids votes ballot and get a feel for what it is like to actually vote. Encourage your family to head to the polls together on the weekend so you can participate.
And if you are uncertain what services the city provides, this short video is a good overview. 

For more information on the election visit Vancouver.ca/votes