Two years ago, while I attending Guiding Mosaic 2010 in
Guelph, Ontario, I met two Irish Girl Guides with whom I became very good
friends. Along with the 7 other Kanata
Rangers, I built a strong friendship by the end of camp with Niamh and
Laura. Most of us were sure that we
wanted to reunite with these girls again. What we didn’t know then that, two years later,
we would be on a plane heading to Ireland to see our friends and to attend Camp
101.
Arriving
at Camp 101 a day early was a little nerve-racking, but we were warmly welcomed
by all of the staff. After having
difficulty pitching tents in the cold rainy weather, all of us were able to get
a good night of sleep. Opening day was a
big day. 1400 girls from all over the world were arriving at camp and setting
up their campsite for the next week. Opening
Ceremonies were awesome! Before the evening was kicked off with a performance
by a boy band, the entire camp was introduced to the camp’s theme: “Together we
can change the world.” Chief Commissioners, mayors, and the camp chiefs all
made fabulous speeches.
Day
activities for girls and staff were a blast! Most girls gave offsite team
activities a shot, and I tried a Zip It! Some even tried their hand at Trangia
Cooking and organizing a flash mob. Visitors’
day was a very unique day at camp; over 2000 people came to visit the camp from
all over Ireland. Guides were happy to see their parents. Parents were happy to see how much fun their
child was having. Evening activities
were very unique. A continental ceili, a
performance from Rory Malone, and a talent show taught us a lot about different
cultures around the world.
Closing
ceremonies arrived and were amazing. Nadine El Achy made a speech reflecting on
the week’s past events along with the theme “changing the world.” She explained
to all of us that no one is too small for the job of changing the world. The smallest things that we could imagine could
help make a difference in somebody’s life.
After her impactful speech, we stood together to sing the camp song “Together
We Change the World.” After this, we gathered
around a campfire to sing our favourite camp songs. Then came the most exciting
part: fireworks!
I
enjoyed every single minute of Camp 101 and learning how to change the
world. My favourite memories are the
friendships I made and the friends with whom I was able to reunite. There was nothing better than creating such
strong friendships within only a week’s time.
I was even able to reunite with my friend Niamh from Guiding Mosaic
2010. It certainly didn’t feel like it
was two years since I last saw her, nor did it feel like there had been 4000
miles between us during this time.
When camp was finished, I was sad
that I had to leave, but I knew that the friends I made would be more than just
memories. I learned that if each of us
picked one small thing to help someone, we would really be changing the
world. On the last day at camp, a huge
group of friends gathered in front of our bus to say goodbye with lots of
hugs. As the bus rolled away, I had
tears in my eyes. However, the knowledge
that I would eventually see all of those friends again made leaving much easier.
Goodbyes can be hard, but everyone should remember that it is not the end. This experience was the beginning of a new adventure
that will last a lifetime.
