The new normal in which we live is a world that finds racism in everything is alive and well in Canada. Scout organizations have gone woke in the United States and the same is happening in the country to our north. The Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) have made a name change and you know the reason why it happened – racism.

The branch of Girl Guides known as Brownies is soon to be known as Embers. Brownies are 7-8 years old. There have been some complaints from “racialized folks” that have voiced concern about the designation of Brownie. It’s racial, it seems, and a re-naming of the division is necessary for inclusion. The new name is Embers. The only reason I can figure out for that choice of name is because the division of girls younger than Brownies is called Sparks. I know.

“We are excited to reveal that this branch will now be called Embers,” Jill Zelmanovits, CEO of Girl Guides of Canada, said in a press release Wednesday. “After hearing from our girl, youth and adult members, it was resoundingly clear that this was the preferred choice. We can’t wait to keep bringing the magic of Girl Guides to girls ages 7 and 8, now with the name Embers.”

Allegedly the complaints of the word Brownie causing harm to girls came in during the pandemic. May I suggest that some people had a little too much time on their hands during that time? Good heavens. The Girl Guides of Canada formed in 1910. Now, all of a sudden, the word Brownie is hurting the feelings off little girls in Canada? The category is also used in Girl Scouts of America. I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout, back in the day, and I can assure you that not one of us ever thought of Brownie in terms of an actual color. I seriously doubt that any of the Canadian girls did, either. This is the doing of woke adults. Woke adults are raising children to be fearful and perpetual victims, especially of racism. It’s toxic.

Jill Zelmanovits, CEO of Girl Guides of Canada, issued a press release about the change.

“After hearing from our girl, youth and adult members, it was resoundingly clear that this was the preferred choice. We can’t wait to keep bringing the magic of Girl Guides to girls ages 7 and 8, now with the name Embers.”

“We heard from several members and former members that the name Brownies has caused them personal harm, so we are changing the name of this branch to further remove barriers for belonging for racialized girls and women,” she said.

She also reiterated the importance of advocating diversity, equity and inclusion to encompass all young girls in Canada.

“This wasn’t just about a name or its origin,” Zelmanovits said in Wednesday’s press release. “This was about the fact that girls experienced racism and felt that they weren’t welcome in Girl Guides.”

“Several” is the CEO’s reference to the number of complaints. The last number I find for enrollment in Girl Guides of Canada is 160,000. Do “several” claims of alleged racism warrant a major name change? Apparently so.

The Brownie division concentrates on outdoor skills and teaching other life skills. It tracks with what is taught in Girl Scouts, if memory serves. It looks like life skills now mean finding racism in everything. I don’t think that playing victim at every turn is very empowering to young girls. All girls should feel welcome, of course, and this whole thing just feels like much ado about nothing. YMMV.

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but look at this tweet and tell me how many girls of color you see.

📣 Our new branch name is EMBERS! 🔥 Embers are full of potential and when they work together, they can ignite a powerful flame!

With this new name, we’re showing girls that what they say matters, and that Girl Guides is a place for everyone to belong. https://t.co/hXSPTW5muu pic.twitter.com/BJnb1zNFne

— Girl Guides of Canada (@girlguidesofcan) January 11, 2023

Maybe other division names will also meet this fate.

The Embers join the other GGC branches, including the Sparks (ages five to six), Guides (ages nine to 11), Pathfinders (ages 12 to 14) and Rangers (ages 15 to 17).

The Brownies were formed in England in 1914 as girls sought their own version of the Scouts.

They were originally called the Rosebuds – a name that did not survive long – and today members earn badges for activities like crime prevention and science investigation.

Surely “Pathfinders” won’t stand, right? Isn’t that offensive to indigenous people? That makes as much sense as complaining about Brownies, in my opinion.

Where did the name “Brownie” come from in the first place, you might ask? I did. “A Brownie is a reference to Celtic Fairy creatures that protect and do chores within a household or farm.” That comes from Wikipedia. The name “Sparks”, by the way, is “a reference to a Celtic Fairy spirit, which would be encountered in natural areas such as forests.” Celtic fairies and spirits. Not skin color.

If everything is racist, nothing is racist.