Applying for a Provincially or Nationally Sponsored Guiding Trip By Barbara Fraser Tilley, (Fraser Skies Area International Adviser) with lots of help from Bailey Wooldridge (who was selected for Kenya, 2013)

Interested in international travel with Girl Guides of Canada? There are two ways to travel internationally in Guiding 1. apply for a Provincially or Nationally sponsored trip 2. apply for an Independent Group Trip This Power Point is only about the first of these.

Step 1: Fact Sheets Watch the Provincial and National Guiding Websites in the International section for the Fact Sheets on trips Usually the Fact Sheets come out at the end of summer. Check whether there is/are a trip/trips for your age that you are interested in making an application to join See the example of Bailey’s trip in 2013 

Step 2: Download the current application form from the National Guiding website. Read over the application carefully – be sure you answer all of the sections and meet the word limits Take your time to complete the form: this will not take ½ hour to complete Give lots of detail and examples of how you meet the criteria

Keep your readers (audience) in mind: Remember that the readers may be in Toronto, and they will not know about SOAR (unless you tell them), ROVENT, or other events you can expect local people to know. Give specific details about conditions (e.g., “we hiked 12 km with 500 m. elevation change in 5 hours” tells a lot more than “we went on a hike”). Give details about camps you have attended (e.g., what type of camp?, who sponsored the camp [unit/Area/Province]?, did it have international guests?) See part of Bailey’s application in the next few slides 

Step 3: Find References: A. find someone to provide a Guiding reference who can give a good description of your Guiding experience – they should know you well B. find someone to provide you with a non-Guiding reference – they also should know you well and you should prepare them with information about your Guiding experiences (e.g., teachers tend to give quick and non-thorough references, try someone you know really well). C. Help your referees by giving them a resume of your Guiding experience (see next slide) and a copy of the event sheet describing the event you are applying for

Reference Resume   Reference required for:________________________________________(Event sheet attached) Date Due: ________________________________________ __I will pick reference up (it needs to be in a sealed envelope, with your signature across the seal, or completed online – give current instructions here) __Please mail to: (give your referee the most current information in this spot) __Email to: (give your referee the most current information in this spot): Years in Girl Guides and Units Sparks:____________________ Brownies:__________________ Guides:_______________ Pathfinders:_________________ Rangers:______________________ Girl Guide Events and Camps Year Name Details ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ School Related Activities Year Description ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ Awards and Recognitions from Girl Guides, School, and Community Year Description ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reference forms can be found at www.girlguides.ca and are titled STG.2 under “Form” tab. Please shred this paper when reference is completed, thank you for your time.

Step 4: Take lots of time to write the trip-specific section of the application This is one of the most critical parts of the application process Check out Bailey’s on the next slide (a bit wordy, you can use fewer words)

Trip Specific Question - continued Feel free to use titles and headings to let the readers know you are answering a particular question – they do not count in the word limit Check out Bailey’s on the next slide 

Step 5: Get some help with editing I am a school teacher, and I know that young people (and even lots of adults) often need help with editing their work. You want your application to be the very best that it can be so seek editing help. Who can help? Contact your District International Adviser/Contact or the Area International Adviser (Barbara Fraser Tilley) Don’t leave it until the last moment!!!

Step 6: Make sure you meet the deadline Late applications are usually rejected immediately (which would be a terrible waste of your wonderful effort)

Step 7: Waiting to hear This can be the hard part as you usually won’t hear for at least 2 months whether you have been selected (you will hear from Province or National either way). Check your email regularly – Guiding often offers trips by email Be ready to answer within 24 hours of getting the email (often in the past the offers came out during Spring Break, so be sure to check email daily even if you are away on holiday) I don’t recommend waiting for “a better offer” if you are not selected for your first choice trip