Thirteen 2nd Bridgewater Pathfinders in their early teens will discover that March Break 2020 will mark a significant milestone in their young lives when they embark on a 10-day trip of a lifetime to five European countries: England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Pathfinders are part of the Girl Guide organization, where girls progress by age from Sparks to Brownies, to Guides, to Pathfinders, then to Rangers, the oldest group of girls.
One of the Pathfinders looking forward to the experience is Emily Varner, 14, a Grade 10 student at Park View Education Centre, and a junior firefighter with the Dayspring and District Fire Department.
“The farthest I have travelled is Toronto to visit my cousins, so I can’t wait to visit all the places in Europe, the new experiences, the food, and spending time with the other girls who helped fundraise,” said Varner. “When I come home, I will probably see things here in an entirely different light.”
For 15 months, fundraising has been almost a full-time job for the 13 girls, their families and the three Pathfinder leaders who will accompany the group of close-knit girls to Europe.
Fundraising efforts have included bottle drives, sea glass mosaic workshops, barbecues, breakfast with the Grinch, scallops raffle, gift card auctions, lotto tree, ice cream scooping, grocery bagging, spaghetti dinners and, of course, cookie sales. The national fall cookie sale will commence in October.
A supper is in the planning stages, as well as two more snowman sea glass mosaic workshops in November with Tammy Bonin, a local artist who donates a portion of her fee to help fund the trip.
“When we booked the trip, it was a pretty scary commitment,” said Sandra Johnston, a leader with the 2nd Bridgewater Pathfinders.
“In reality we were looking at a small group of girls from Bridgewater raising $65,000. We held our breath, told each other we can do it, then took the plunge,” she said.
Since June, 2018, $55,000 of the required $65,000 has been raised, including about $4,000 from an anonymous former Guide leader. The cost of the trip is $4,600 per individual, and each girl is responsible for contributing 10 percent of the individual cost.
“The leaders really know these girls. Their friendships span five different schools, and it’s nice to see them work together and mature during the many fundraising events. I`m proud of them,” said Johnston.
“I love seeing their faces when I give them the trip updates and they realize how close they are to their goal. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been rewarding at the same time,” she added.
April Deveau, 15, of Conquerall Mills, has been in guiding for nine years, starting with Brownies.
The bilingual (English-French) Grade 10 student at Park View Education Centre said she looks forward to learning about what life is like in Europe and experiencing the different cultures.
“I want to visit the Eiffel Tower and experience Paris, and the thing I’m looking forward to the most is the good food. The gondola ride in the Alps will also be exciting,” said Deveau, who expects to be the unofficial translator for the group.
“Fundraising is tiring, but the great reward at the end of it will make it all worthwhile,” she added.
Emily Varner’s mom, Michelle Dionne, is one of the three Pathfinders leaders on the trip.
“This will be a trip of a lifetime for many of the girls. They have fundraised so hard for a chance to experience Europe and see how other people live. It will be a real learning adventure,” said Dionne.
“For those who do manage to return to Europe in the future, it will never be the same as this trip, when they will be able to share some special moments with their friends. It’s going to be amazing,” she said.
A Grade 9 student at Bridgewater Junior High School, Hanna Johnston, 13, has been in guiding for nine years, starting in Sparks when she was four years old.
“It was fun being in Sparks, running around and laughing with my friends, and I liked the games, crafts and camping, so I stuck with it and progressed to Pathfinders,” said Johnston.
“Travelling to Europe with my friends, seeing the mountains covered with snow, and tasting the food, especially the croissants in France, will all be exciting. I also enjoyed and appreciated the responsibility of fundraising to make this trip possible,” she added.
The Pathfinders group will be travelling by bus and train in Europe, and will be paired with a group from Texas.
In France the group will visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, witness the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and enjoy an evening sightseeing cruise on the River Seine.
In England the girls will visit Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, St. James Palace and the London Eye, which is Europe`s largest cantilevered observation wheel. Situated on the Thames River, the Eye is the most popular paid attraction in the United Kingdom with nearly four million visitors annually.
Also planned is a visit to Pax Lodge, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Centre.
For more information on the Girl Guides organization, or to donate, call Sandra Johnston at 902-298-0772. Donation tax receipts can be issued. And check out 2nd Bridgewater Pathfinders on Facebook.
