Book of Honour and Remembering Members who have Gone Home

Book of Honour

Nominees for the Book of Honour should not be aware of their nomination.

The Book of Honour (BOH) is a lasting form of recognition to honour outstanding members of Guiding who keep the spirit of Guiding alive by living the Promise and Law.

It was created in 2001 – the International Year of the Volunteer. Funds collected for Book of Honour recipients are used to support the BC Council Bursary of Honour.

The Bursary of Honour is used to encourage education at a post-secondary institution for youth members of Guiding in BC.

The archival Book of Honour is on display at the provincial office.

There is an area specific travelling Book of Honour as well as the Bursary of Honour book which can be borrowed for area or provincial events, conferences or workshops.

Information regarding the travelling books (PDF)

Contact the provincial awards committee at bc-bookofhonour@girlguides.ca if you have any difficulties downloading forms or information.

Gone Home

Names of members who have passed away can be submitted by email to bc-bookofhonour@girlguides.ca at any time and are communicated quarterly in Guidepost. While we strive for accuracy, please note that errors or omissions may occur as we rely on informal information-sharing from our Guiding community. Please bring any corrections to our attention by email and these will be respectfully made in future updates.

Guiders who have Gone Home in 2025

Jean Allen (West Coast Area): Passed away peacefully on June 17, 2024. Jean Allen is and was fondly referred to as "OUR" Brown Owl (8th Burnaby Brownies) for over 35 years at Clinton School in South Burnaby.   Jean became a member of the Burnaby Royal Trefoil Guild after retiring from actively running a unit; remained an active member of the Guild.
Joanne Stregger (West Coast Area): Passed away passed away peacefully at home on January 23, 2025. A woman of unwavering dedication, Joanne devoted more than 46 years of her life to Girl Guides of Canada, leaving a lasting impact on the organization and countless young lives. She was one of Guiding’s best. She sat on Division, District, Area and Provincial committees, including the role of Deputy to the Provincial Commissioner. She was a founding member of the All-Terrain Trefoil Guild. Joanne was also the Camp Olave Management Committee Chair and made many updates that will be enjoyed for years to come. Her generosity, wisdom, and nurturing spirit shaped the lives of those who had the privilege of being a part of her guiding journey. Her daughter, Sarah, and granddaughter Hayley are carrying on her guiding spirit with their Sparks unit, “just one hour a week”. Her legacy of service to others will endure through the generations she inspired.
Naomi Miller (Kootenay Area): Passed away February 15, 2025. Naomi was active in the Girl Guides for much of her life.  She was a Guide as a girl, and became a leader, then a trainer, and in her retirement, she was active with the Trefoil Guild, Kootenay Konnections Trefoil Guild. Naomi received many awards during her lifetime; one of which was the Honorary Lifetime membership for Girl Guides of Canada.
Mary Schmelzel (Rivers North and Kootenay Areas): Passed away peacefully March 8, 2025, surrounded by her family. Mary was an active member of Girl Guides, starting at 6 years old as a Brownie. As an adult she became a lifeguard, Camp Advisor and then a Trefoil Guild member where she gained many lifelong friends and amazing experiences.

Guiders who have Gone Home in 2024

Joelle Milholm – West Coast Area - passed away in April/2024. Joelle was a long timer Guider of 39 years. She joined Guiding as a girl and again as a Guider when her daughters started. And has come full circle as a Sparks Guider for her granddaughter. Once her daughters finished their program, Joelle stayed in guiding and had many roles with the organization at the District and Area levels. Her legacy lives on in her families’ memories while doing crafts and singing Linger around the campfire.
Mary Porterfield – Southern Vancouver Island Area – passed away in July/2024. Mary spent over 50 years as a Guider, starting as a Brown Owl, progressing to District Commissioner, Area Commissioner, Treasurer, Guide Store Manager, camp cook, and more. Mary is missed by all of us all.
Donnie Foerster – Lougheed Area – passed away November/2024. Donnie was a member of the Como Lake Millennium Trefoil Guild in Coquitlam, BC. She was an active District Guider and a staple of Como Lake advancements for the last several years. Not to mention she was an active member of the Trefoil Guild, including being President for many years.  She will be missed in Lougheed Area and Como Lake District.
Jessie Fleming – Thompson Nicola Area
Dolores Racine – West Coast Area (Past BC Provincial Commissioner).
Eleanor Spence (aka Dimples) – West Coast Area and Lougheed Area
Marlene Mason – Fraser Skies Area
Pat Regehr – Fraser Skies Area
Mary Annette Embery – Kootenay Area
Bobbi Monkman – Monashee Area
Mary d'Isendoorn à Blois – Pacific Shores Area - passed away on November/2023. She was a member of Dogwood Trefoil.
Sharon Tokar – Lougheed Area – was a dedicated Member of the Millennium Trefoil Guild Coquitlam, B.C. She passed away in March/2024. She was a member of Girl Guides of Canada since she was 6 years old. Still in her 60's, she had her 60-year pin.
Mary Annette Embery – Kootenay Area - passed away April/2024. She would have turned 90 in July and would have received her 60-year pin this year. Mary was a member of Kokanee Trefoil.
Irene Patricia Telford – Pacific Shores Area - passed away May/2024. She was a member of Dogwood Trefoil.
Sonia Annette Stogryn – Monashee Area - Her time with the Girl Guides of Canada began in 1967 as a Brown Owl leader in Dawson Creek, BC, followed by serving in the positions of District Commissioner, then Area Commissioner of the Peace River area in British Columbia. Her active service ended in 1982, due to health issues. In her later years, Sonia greatly enjoyed being a member of the Silver Tips Trefoil Guild in Kelowna, BC. Sonia passed away in June/2024.
Mary Porterfield – Southern Vancouver Island Area - long time Guider in SVI, former Division and Area Commissioner and lead of 2nd Victoria Trefoil, 50 years plus member and Honorary Life Member. She passed away in July/2024. Mary was a dedicated member of the SVI financial team and there wasn’t a better person for the job as she was very particular about how Girl Guide money was spent.
Bobbie (Barbara) Boehm – West Coast Area - Bobbie was a founding member of the Vancouver Gold Trefoil Guild in 2005 and she continued in this role as her final involvement with GGC. Bobbie was also a member of the Olave Baden Powell Society with WAGGGS. She passed away in July/2024. Bobbie was a Girl Scout leader when she lived in the USA where her 3 oldest daughters were in Girl Scouts.

Guiders who have Gone Home in 2023

Jane O'Grady (nee Painter) – Fraser Skies Area
Pat Regehr – Fraser Skies Area
Gladys Schmidt – Fraser Skies Area
Sharon Clarke – Lougheed Area
Joan Jolson – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Terri Mackay – Monashee Area
Margaret Spencer – Pacific Shores Area
Beth Bosch – Monashee Area
Jeannette Brooks – Pacific Shores Area
Sharon Clarke – Lougheed Area
Ruth Ferguson – Pacific Shores Area
Marian Ada Hollingshead – West Coast Area
Joan Jolson – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Janice Kaczmar – Fraser Skies Area
Carol Lake – Monashee Area
Terri Mackay – Monashee Area
Jean Meakins – Lions Area
Penny Peterson – Fraser Skies Area
Christine Rachel Rushforth – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Sandra (Sandy) Shumka – Southern Vancouver Island Area

Guiders who have Gone Home in 2022

Jean Baldock – Pacific Shores Area
Harriet Derkatch – Pacific Shores Area
Joan Glass – Southern Vancouver Island Area and Christ Church, Barbados
Doreen Higham – Lougheed Area
Rosemary Irvine – West Coast Area
Johanne Kvamme – Monashee Area
Gloria Limb – Rivers North Area
Dorothy Littau – Pacific Shores Area
May Mah – West Coast Area
Jacqueline Neun – Monashee Area
Florence Parker – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Carol Ratcliffe – Lougheed Area
Georgia Runcie – Vancouver Area and lived in Lougheed Area
Elizabeth Ruttan – Fraser Skies Area
Beverley Sloan – West Coast Area
Margaret Spencer – Pacific Shores Area (Special note, Margaret may have been known as the daughter of one of the Crystal Palace Girl Scouts and the editor of her mother’s autobiography.)
Alice Thomas – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Val Tutte – West Coast Area
Margaret Wernick – Kootenay Area
Mary Wright – Lions Area

Guiders who have Gone Home in 2021 and 2020

Peggy Akenclose – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Anne Beltgens – Pacific Shores Area
Ann Bakewell – Lions Area
Karen Borden – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Glenda Colville – Thompson Nicola Area
Colleen Dickson - Monashee Area
Seanna Fekete - Fraser Skies Area
Beryl Fleming – Pacific Shores Area
Joan Fullerton - Monashee Area
Peggy Haywood-Farmer Thompson Nicola Area
Charlotte Hunter – Monashee Area
Sue Johnson – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Sara Jones – West Coast Area
Nancy Kelly – Lougheed Area/West Coast Area
Patricia Leake – Fraser Skies Area/West Coast Area
Colleen Linda Mulvihill - Monashee Area
Jacqueline Dawn Neun – Pacific Shores Area/Monashee Area
Jackie Onufreychuk – Thompson Nicola Area
Shamim Rampuri – Pacific Shores Area
Louisa Russo - Southern Vancouver Island Area
Donna Sawyer – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Nel Seegers - Fraser Skies Area
Marjorie Shaw – Southern Vancouver Island Area
Donella (Dee) Claire Smith – Pacific Shores Area
Sandra Stuart – Thompson Nicola Area

Girl Guides of Canada-BC