Girls’ Brigade holds successful fellowship camp in SVG

Though there were admittedly a few ups and downs, the girls of the Girls’ Brigade of the Caribbean and the Americas had a fulfilling and successful Fellowship Camp in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

The camp, which occurs every two years, took place from July 8 to 17. The closing service was held on Sunday, July 17, 2011, at the Calliaqua Methodist Church. Prior to the closing ceremony, the girls marched throughout the streets of Calliaqua, accompanied by the music of the Royal St, Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force band, proudly displaying flags of their respective countries.

The theme of the camp was “Building Bridges to Cross over and move on,” with one of the objectives of the camp being to revive the dormant Girls’ Brigade movement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dorothy Hannibal, of the SVG Girls’ Brigade Company of Calliaqua, told SEARCHLIGHT that overall they met the objective of the camp, as some companies, which had been dormant, now hope to be revived.

Hannibal also stated that bridges were in fact built, as friendships were crafted with the girls from different islands. Stating that there were some challenges along the way, Hamilton said that they were able to overcome them, “…with Christ as our vessel, we were able to smile at all the storms,” she said.

Urma Charles, Captain of the 1st Brigade Company of Kingstown, also told SEARCHLIGHT that the camp was a successful one. “It was rich and rewarding, and we thank God for the opportunity to meet girls from the other countries,” Charles said.

The girls took part in several activities, including community service, and sessions on self building as well as fellowship. Deputy Chairman of the Girls’ Brigade of the Caribbean and the Americas Connie Gumbs Francis stated that the response from the community of Calliaqua towards the Girls’ Brigade has been positive. Gumbs Francis also added that the experiences during the camp were different, but the overall goal of the camp was achieved.

The countries which attended the camp were Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Jamiaica, St. Maarten, Trinidad, USA, and host country St. Vincent and the Grenadines.(OS)