Shining a light on mental health
Senator Elizabeth Hubley hosted more than 200 Girl Guide members in Ottawa on Monday, January 30, 2017 to help launch the Mighty Minds initiative, a project seeking to shine a light on mental health. There, Sparks (ages 5 and 6 years), Brownies (ages 7 and 8), Guides (ages 9 to 11), Pathfinders (ages 12 to 14) and Rangers (ages 15 and up) participated in artistic and teambuilding activities and got a chance to meet some parliamentarians.
“I too was a Brownie and a Girl Guide, yes!” said Senator Hubley.
“But it was quite a different program then. We had to wear blue dresses, a leather belt and scarves. We started every meeting by checking our fingernails and that we were dressed properly. There’s more of a casualness now which opens up new opportunities.”
With more than a hundred years of Guiding history in Canada, arguably few organizations have done as much to help build the Canadian collective spirit.
“The aim is to create individuals who are more aware of community and who show compassion and empathy. It’s a very special program where the girls come together and work as one unit, giving them both collective and individual strength,” said Senator Hubley.
But despite the reminiscing, Senator Hubley was also keen on addressing the theme of the evening.
“This ties in naturally with mental health, actually — a subject that can be challenging, with stigma often preventing people from talking about it,” said Senator Hubley.
“But we need to talk about it. One in five children and youth struggle with their mental health and most never get the help they need. The long-term impacts are tremendous. That’s why it’s important that there are people in the community who play a role that wasn’t there when I was a Guide — and that was well over 65 years ago.”
In short, Girl Guides is a great environment to positively impact the mental well-being of our youth.
“Within a certain group atmosphere, it’s easier for young people to share issues important to them that they wouldn’t share with someone else. That’s where a program like Mighty Minds will help. Girls can talk about this sensitive issue, learn about good mental health, and develop the skills to cope with the many challenges life brings,” said Senator Hubley.
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Shining a light on mental health
Senator Elizabeth Hubley hosted more than 200 Girl Guide members in Ottawa on Monday, January 30, 2017 to help launch the Mighty Minds initiative, a project seeking to shine a light on mental health. There, Sparks (ages 5 and 6 years), Brownies (ages 7 and 8), Guides (ages 9 to 11), Pathfinders (ages 12 to 14) and Rangers (ages 15 and up) participated in artistic and teambuilding activities and got a chance to meet some parliamentarians.
“I too was a Brownie and a Girl Guide, yes!” said Senator Hubley.
“But it was quite a different program then. We had to wear blue dresses, a leather belt and scarves. We started every meeting by checking our fingernails and that we were dressed properly. There’s more of a casualness now which opens up new opportunities.”
With more than a hundred years of Guiding history in Canada, arguably few organizations have done as much to help build the Canadian collective spirit.
“The aim is to create individuals who are more aware of community and who show compassion and empathy. It’s a very special program where the girls come together and work as one unit, giving them both collective and individual strength,” said Senator Hubley.
But despite the reminiscing, Senator Hubley was also keen on addressing the theme of the evening.
“This ties in naturally with mental health, actually — a subject that can be challenging, with stigma often preventing people from talking about it,” said Senator Hubley.
“But we need to talk about it. One in five children and youth struggle with their mental health and most never get the help they need. The long-term impacts are tremendous. That’s why it’s important that there are people in the community who play a role that wasn’t there when I was a Guide — and that was well over 65 years ago.”
In short, Girl Guides is a great environment to positively impact the mental well-being of our youth.
“Within a certain group atmosphere, it’s easier for young people to share issues important to them that they wouldn’t share with someone else. That’s where a program like Mighty Minds will help. Girls can talk about this sensitive issue, learn about good mental health, and develop the skills to cope with the many challenges life brings,” said Senator Hubley.