Canadian Girls in Training, or CGIT, is a church-based program for girls and young women aged 11–17 throughout

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Girls who join the CGIT vow to "Cherish Health, Seek Truth, Know God, Serve Others and thus, with esus'help, become the girl God would have me be".

History

The group was founded in 1915, as an alternative to the burgeoning

Girl Guides Girl Guides (or Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) are organisations within the Scout Movement originally and largely still for girls and women only. The Girl Guides began in 1910 with the formation of Girlguiding, The ...

movement, which the founders felt was too British or American and too authoritarian. Initial support was provided by the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

, along with the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

, and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

churches. A uniform to be worn by the members, consisting of a white and blue middy blouse, was modelled on a style of shirt that was popular at that time. By the end of its first decade, 75,000 girls had received CGIT training. By 1933, there were chapters in 1100 communities across the country, with a total membership of 40,000. Later, after the YWCA ran into financial difficulties, the group was taken over by the

Canadian Council of Churches The Canadian Council of Churches () is a broad and inclusive ecumenical body, now representing 26 member churches including Anglican; Eastern and Roman Catholic; Evangelical; Free Church; Eastern and Oriental Orthodox; and Historic Protestant trad ...

' Department of Christian Education, and was an independent organization by 1976. Today, it is supported by the

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (UCC; ) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholic Church in Canada. The United Chu ...

, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Canadian Baptist Ministries, and numbers approximately 2,000 members in 150 groups.

Activities

CGIT Camp 1927 near Peterborough Ontario

CGIT leaders organize a variety of creative and athletic activities rooted in or consistent with contemporary Christian (

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

) values. CGIT members also have the option of attending one of several CGIT camps, including Kalalla (

Alcove, Quebec Alcove is a small community in Quebec, Canada, part of the Municipality of La Pêche. It is located along Highway 105 and the Gatineau River approximately 35 minutes north of Ottawa, immediately north of Wakefield and south of Farrellton. The ...

), Ryde Lake (

Gravenhurst, Ontario Gravenhurst is a town in the District Municipality of Muskoka, Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The Town of Gravenhurst includes a large area of the District of Muskoka, known to Ontar ...

), and Wohelo (near

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

). The camps provide opportunities for healthy outdoor fun and group activities.

References

{{reflist
City of Toronto Archives
Site accessed February 3, 2008 * Keller, Rosemary Skinner, Ruether, Rosemary Radford, Carlton, Marie. "The Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America". pp. 365–366. ''Indiana University Press''. 2006. * McIntosh, Robert Gordon. "Boys in the Pits: Child Labour in Coal Mines". p. 19. ''McGill-Queen's University Press''. 2000. * McLean, Lorna R., O'Rourke, Kate. "Framing Our Past: Canadian Women's History in the Twentieth Century". pp. 155–156. ''McGill-Queen's University Press''. 2001.

External links

Canadian Girls in Training websiteCamp Kalalla websiteRyde Lake Camp websiteC.G.I.T. Camp Wohelo website
Christian organizations established in 1915 Christian education in Canada Non-aligned Scouting organizations in Canada Christian non-aligned Scouting organizations Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Women's organizations based in Canada * 1915 establishments in Canada Protestantism in Canada