It would be an understatement to say Twyla Jenkins has been volunteering for the Girl Guides of Canada for a long time. Jenkins, who is 71 and lives in northeast Airdrie, has been a volunteer with Girl Guides for nearly half a century. “As an adult, 49 years,” she said. “I was in Calgary for the first eight years, and then when we moved to Airdrie, I took a couple years off. Then I was contacted and got back into it.” Jenkins has been volunteering as a senior leader with the Goldenfields Girl Guides district, with members in Airdrie, Irricana and Delacour, for four decades. She said her motivation to keep helping the organization comes from her belief everyone should provide a helping hand somewhere. “There are seniors, animals, the homeless – there is so much that needs a volunteer and I think it’s the duty of everyone to pick one,” she said. “I picked this, as I enjoy working with kids.” She said Girl Guides teaches young girls about responsibility and leadership, in a supportive environment where they are allowed to express themselves. “Sometimes, in other places, the adults take over, or the boys take over,” she said. “But [here], the girls can be themselves.” Prior to her involvement as a volunteer, Jenkins was a Girl Guide for 10 years, while growing up in Calgary. She said she enjoyed the activities she experienced in the organization, which is why she wanted to continue with the program into adulthood. She said her favourite Girl Guides activity was camping, and it remains so to this day. “My family didn’t camp – my parents never slept in a tent in their lives,” she said. “But the group I went with got me into camping. I really enjoyed it and it’s become my main focus.” Jenkins’ career was also related to working with children, as she was an elementary teacher in Calgary and Airdrie for almost 40 years. She finished her teaching days with Rocky View Schools at École Edwards Elementary School. According to Jenkins, her daughter was also a Girl Guides member, and now volunteers with the organization. Goldenfields District Commissioner Jodi Paulgaard said Jenkins is an "indispensable" member of the local district. As the district's longest-serving volunteer, Jenkins brings decades of valuable experience working with girls and young women to the table, Paulgaard added. "She’s our camping advisor, our safe guide advisor, and she trains all our new volunteers on our safe guide policies and our girl protection," she said. Paulgaard added that Jenkins has probably seen the most change over the years, in terms of Girl Guides programming, but has always been willing to embrace it. "She’s never negative towards change and is always the first one to jump on board with it," she said. While she doesn’t have a singular best memory from her 60 years of involvement with Girl Guides of Canada, Jenkins said a few trips and excursions stick out more than others. “I’ve been fortunate enough to take girls to Switzerland, Scotland and England, on two different trips,” she said. “I’ve also taken girls across Canada. We went to New Brunswick and P.E.I., and three years ago I took some girls to B.C. Seeing these places has been wonderful.”
