The Drumheller Girl Guides recently returned from a twenty-day stay at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts chalet in Switzerland and brought back a cultural experience of a lifetime.
Eight guides and two leaders stayed at the World Guiding Centre in Adelboden, Switzerland to take part in the eight day Swiss challenge which included hiking, rock climbing, visiting towns, cultural experiences, games, and campfires.
“It was really good for them, of course with us living in a smaller centre like we do, to go through airports and learn how to use the public transit system over there which varies from trains to trams to trolleys,” said leader Tara McMillan, adding instead of navigating the backwoods, these girls got a modern lesson in wayfinding and urban survival.
“They learned some great skills on finding their way using GPS, and the whole cultural experience seeing buildings hundreds of years old – they got to experience things they would never experience here.”
They stayed in a chalet provided by the international Guides organization, one of five throughout the world, and met with club members from all over the world, including Mexico and New Zealand.
“It was nice to see how guiding was different depending on what part of the world you come from,” said McMillan.
While they were visiting they hiked 20 miles up a mountain, rappelled down a cave, swam in a glacial lake, and zip-lined.
The troop will be holding an open house sometime in September at the Knox United to present on their experience in Switzerland.
