Girl Guides of Canada-Saskatchewan

Link

What is Link?

• Link is what we call members aged 18-30.  No longer girl members, but not quite old enough to be a part of a Trefoil Guild. 
• All Link aged members are automatically registered as part of the 1st Saskatchewan Link Unit – this makes it easier to know who Link members are, track them, and keep in contact with them.
• Link members make up approximately 18% of the adult members in Saskatchewan Guiding – we are a large and vital part of the Guiding movement!
• All Link members receive a Link pin – pins are mailed out in November/December each year to new Link members and then throughout the year as new members join.  If you know of a Link aged member who does not have her Link pin please let me know.
• Registration fees for our active adult members are covered by Province – this includes all Link members, even if they are not a Unit Guider.

Who are Links?

• Link members come in all forms; many are Unit Guiders, some are involved at the District, Area and Provincial levels on councils and committees.
• Some Link members do not have time to be ‘active’ Guiding members so Link is the place that keeps them connected to the organization.  Link Members are encouraged to support Guiding in whatever capacity they can.
• Link members are the future leaders of Girl Guides – they will be your DCs and ACs, your treasurers and committee members, your Unit Guiders and likely the parents of our future Sparks and Brownies.
• Most Links were girl members – many went through the entire girl program – they know and love the organization and want to give back to the girls what they got themselves.
• Many members become Links right after they finish their girl program.  Some take time off to go to school or start careers and rejoin later.  Some are completely new to the organization – looking for a great organization to volunteer with, wanting to meet friends or have daughters starting in the program.

What do we provide provincially & nationally for Links?

• GGC awards 35-40 National Scholarships annually.  Applications are always due April 1st.  There are usually about 35-40 scholarships available each year. Encourage your Link members to apply!
• There are many travel opportunities available to Guiders that are age specific and many are geared towards Link aged members.
• Access to mentoring and training programs
• Guiding looks great on a resume!

What do Links do?

• Guiders plan monthly events for Link aged members.  Events are open to ALL Guide members aged 18-30.  Come out and meet other Guiders your age, have some fun and maybe learn something new!
• If you are interested in helping plan events or have a great idea for an event you would like to see, please email our Link Adviser.

Fall of 2012 marked the first province-wide Link service project.  The ‘Go With the Flow Campaign’ was a great success.  Link members across the province helped others ‘Be Prepared’ by collecting feminine hygiene products to donate to women’s shelters.  Our tag line – ‘A woman shouldn’t have to worry where her next tampon comes from.  PERIOD'.   With the help and support of all our members we collected 1,295 pads, 678 liners & 1,753 tampons!
Donations were divided up and sent to shelters in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Regina and Saskatoon.  Thank you to everyone who supported this campaign – I know a number of units, Districts and Trefoil Guilds collected for the campaign and it is greatly appreciated.

Spring of 2013 marked the 2nd Annual Link Retreat. Next year’s 3rd Annual Link Retreat will be held in Southern Horizon Area and the tentative dates are March 28-30, 2014.  We hope to hold this event the last weekend in March annually and would like to alternate between Bridging Rivers and Southern Horizons.

Linking Up Subscribe to Link Connections, an e-newsletter published twice a year just for Links and graduating Rangers. Link Connections is packed with news from across the country, showcases the latest GGC initiatives, and provides information that will help to optimize your adult Guiding experience. Link Connections  and all GGC newsletters can now be found at girlguides.ca/publications