Saturday afternoon, the 49th Guides headed out to Chilliwack for a unique sleepover. The aim was to achieve the provincial Splendid Sleepover Challenge, and they did some Girls First badgework while they were at it.

 The group rented a 24′ majestic luxury tipi built by a woman of indigenous heritage for ceremonies, with some furnishings and heated by wood stove, with the option of an electric heater.

The girls wanted cake, so since one of the Guiders had learned how to make a reflector oven just the previous weekend in a Girl Guide OAL Tent Training, half the girls made one and the other half made the batter, and they baked the cake in the backyard using charcoal preheated in the firepit! Everyone was very excited by the success. While that baked, the girls made dream catchers and helped prepare dinner.

Once they had washed their dishes, the girls played Capture the Guiding Flags and other active games, using their flashlights, and then moved onto the traditional Girl Guides campfire singalong.

When that ended, the party began! The girls had chosen 80’s as their theme, so some brought costumes, and they danced around to an 80’s playlist while the disco lights spun.  They had so much fun!

In the morning, their hostess made 3 different kinds of pancake and they chowed down around a roaring fire. When everything was packed up and cleaned up, the group was treated to a presentation on the cultural significance of certain ceremonial practices and items, and the history of the tipi.

It was a great sleepover for cultural awareness — with an 80’s themed dance party because, well, why not? This event is sure to be memorable!