By Erica Walcott, BGC Club and National Youth Advisory Circle member, BGC London
The Youth Advisory Circle (YAC) is a leadership program by BGC Canada composed of youth aged 16-21 across the country who have strong connections to their Club. Members of the YAC are provided with mentoring, networking, and training opportunities to build leadership skills. Additionally, the program gives members the opportunity to contribute to national campaigns, activities, and initiatives.
The YAC connects with BGC Canada staff and has virtual meetings at least once a month to collaborate on an annual work plan and present it to BGC Canada’s Board of Directors.
As usual, I was doing my schoolwork at my Club’s Senior M.A.P. program when the Program Coordinator, Alkim, asked me to come to her office. She nominated me to be a member of BGC Canada’s YAC, explaining my involvement in the community and my Club. Alkim also said she knows I have ideas to make BGC Clubs better. I decided to apply for the YAC, not expecting to be chosen.
A couple of days later, I got an email from Teresa, the leader of the Advisory Circle, saying I was accepted into the program! I couldn’t believe it—I would have never thought I would have a leadership role.
We had our orientation meeting in Calgary. This would be the first time I’ve travelled on an airplane and visited Alberta. I was scared of flying on a plane because I’m afraid of heights, but my first experience wasn’t as scary as I originally thought. When Luke, the Senior M.A.P. Assistant Coordinator and my chaperone for the trip, and I arrived at the hotel after a four-hour flight, we were exhausted!
The hotel we stayed at was homey—the rooms were like studio apartments with a full kitchen, a king-sized bed, and a spacious bathroom. I got a goodie bag from BGC that included a BGC-branded notebook, lip balm, pen, notepad, a can of 7UP, and Reese’s Pieces cups. I felt like an online influencer who got a PR package! So much had happened in the past few hours, and the orientation meeting hadn’t even started yet.
Breaking the ice on day 1
During breakfast, I got the chance to meet the other Advisory Circle members and leading staff, with the members from BGC South East, BGC Durham, BGC Red Deer & District, BGC St. John’s, BGC Eastview, and BGC Wetaskiwin. The leading staff, Teresa and Laura, were from Kelowna and Halifax, respectively. We talked about how our flights went, our career paths, and the cities we’re from until it was time for us to head to the WestJet Hangar, where airplanes are stored.
The WestJet Hangar has detailed replicas of planes in varying sizes, as well as an Indigenous feather headdress that was gifted to WestJet’s former President and CEO by Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 Elders (both located in western Canada).
The group did a few icebreaker activities to get to know each other better. The first activity was making mind maps with our names and our interests.
We took the Five Minute Personality Test. Each of the personalities in the test is said to be likened to animals. The animal I got was a golden retriever. The golden retriever is said to be loyal and empathetic but indecisive and avoidant of confrontation, which I think accurately describes my personality.
The group then reviewed the core values of BGC and the YAC, as well as our duties as members of the leadership team.
“Mangia, Mangia!” at East Side Mario’s
After our break, we walked from the hotel to East Side Mario’s for dinner. The walk was quite entertaining because it was frigid (-20°C with blowing snow), and the sidewalks and parking lot were icy, so we had to dance on them.
This was my first time eating at East Side Mario’s, so I was excited to try their food. I had multiple slices of their garlic homeloaf and the garlic fettuccine alfredo, both of which I recommend! One memory from that night was when we were about to leave, the staff sang “Happy Birthday” to a fellow guest, and we sang along with them.
The group was so well-fed and exhausted afterwards, most of us headed straight to our rooms when we went back to the hotel.
Not one Club is the same
Our second meeting was more formal than the day before, as we spoke more about our Clubs and how they could better serve their communities. I learned that each Club has different programs. My Club, BGC London, was one of the first Clubs to have programs for adults and seniors. In addition to their regular youth programming, BGC Durham offers services for children involved in the criminal justice system and for overcoming various barriers.
We then discussed some of the issues we have at our respective Clubs, such as low engagement due to phone distractions, lack of cultural foods in meal programs, and trying to provide safe spaces for queer Albertan youth while dealing with anti-LGBTQ+ lesgislation from the provincial government.
After our discussions, we played Rock Paper Scissors. Whoever won the game would get a pair of earbuds. I didn’t win Rock Paper Scissors, but I was gifted a pair of blue earbuds for stacking the dishes at East Side Mario’s. It pays to be kind!
Dinner at the Local Public Eatery & visiting the Calgary Tower
After our break, we got ready to head to Local Public Eatery, a popular pub in Downtown Calgary. On our way to the pub, we admired the lights illuminating from the nearby buildings and skyscrapers. In my opinion, Downtown Calgary was like Downtown Toronto without the congestion.
The pub was cozy and had an industrial style to it, playing pop rock music on the TVs. As for the food, I thought it was okay. I ordered a burger with fries.
After the group had dinner, we walked to the Calgary Tower, which is very similar to the CN Tower in Toronto. Before we headed up the tower, we stopped by the souvenir store. I bought two postcards to use for scrapbooking—one featuring a photo from the Calgary Stampede and one featuring the Peace Bridge with a sunset in the background.
The Calgary Tower is the tallest building in Canada located outside of Toronto. You can view Downtown Calgary from the glass floor and the Rocky Mountains from a distance, even at night. I couldn’t believe how close we were to the mountains!
Opportunity Changes Everything
So much happened in the three days we spent in Calgary. I enjoyed every moment I spent with the rest of the YAC! I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel to a province I’ve never been to, meet new people from across the country, and be part of a leadership team.
Being a member of BGC for 7 years has had a meaningful impact on my life—from boosting my confidence through their summer camps and after-school programs to supporting me when I struggled with my homework or felt discouraged. I’d like to thank everyone at BGC and WestJet for supporting the YAC and making this orientation meeting possible. I also want to thank Teresa, Laura, Luke, Alkim, and the rest of the BGC staff who support the YAC during this trip.
This was truly an experience I will never forget, and I’m grateful to have been chosen for a leadership program at my favourite place to be.
About the author
Erica has been involved with BGC London for 9 years, participating in just about every program available. Her Club has helped her build confidence, make friends, and encouraged her to be her true self. It also gave her a safe third space to interact with the world, rather than being at home all the time. As a new member of the Youth Advisory Circle, Erica wants to help make Clubs more accessible for children & youth, especially those from disadvantaged communities.
