Bridge camp is when all the units of our community, Sparks up to Rangers come together for a camp weekend. The units stay in different accommodations. The youngest, Sparks and Brownies, stay indoors. Guides camp in platform tents or portable tents. Pathfinders and Rangers have their own site and put up their own tents.

This year I’m a Pathfinder leader. Our unit was isolated on the Pioneer site. The girls had to setup in the dark.

We experienced a windy night. Part of their tent wasn’t well secured and caved in a bit. The girls had to repeg the next day. It was an excellent teaching opportunity.  Like many Guide camps I slept very little. Earplugs and all I heard the wind, a small creature sniffing around the leader tent and owls.

This year’s bridge camp theme was Girl Power, Kapow! The activities ranged from team building, to archery, camp songs, crafts, knots and cookie decorating.

Our Pathfinders love their free time. When they had some before dinner they strolled down to the Enchanted Forest.  The water was unusually high. Beavers had been busy.  The girls spotted them at work and came to get me. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a blurry photo. The girls didn’t know how to be quiet.Af

After dinner we sang the songs the girls learned earlier in the day to earn Sing Ontario Sing.

We sang until dark.  We all slept much better that evening.

The next day, after we are all packed up we do a group closing where we share what we enjoyed the best and hand out crests.  The leaders and their daughters do the final clean ups and say goodbye. We never know if we will get to return to these precious facilities again, as they may be sold off. We try to cherish the moment.