Sunday Times 2
Girl Guides Association marks centenary with fun-filled, educative camp
The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association will be holding a Centenary Girl Guide Camp from August 23-28 at the Sri Lanka Army Infantry Training Centre in Minneriya. This event is the third significant event being held to celebrate the centenary of the Sri Lanka Girls Guides Association, the grand award ceremony and girl guides rally being the first two.
Speakaing to the Sunday Times, Deputy Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Girls Guides Association Visakha Tillekeratne said, “This is the most fun activity of the three for the girls.”
The event will include opening and closing ceremonies and an entertainment night.The camp is called ‘Jumbo 17 Eco Safari Sri Lanka” in honour of the Girl Guides’ symbolic elephant emblem and the importance of the elephant in conservation.
“The Girl Guides are synonymous with outdoor life,” says Visakha, adding that the elephant is a good symbol for the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association because just like the elephant, they also have a long memory. Other events that will promote conservation include an ecological farming experience and an adventure trek. Another interesting feature of the event is that the menu will have food from different countries. The Association will also try to reduce the amount of plastic (particularly the non degradable kind) used during the camp, thus imparting an important lesson to the girls on protecting the environment.
Visakha is happy to note that the Army’s contribution to the camp has also been significant. A Women’s Corps will provide security at the camp, while the Army has also provided much logistical support. “The Commander himself has been overseeing the details of the event and we are grateful for the support,” she said.