Have I Lost My Mind?

Have I lost my mind?  I just agreed to be the Service Unit Manager for our local Girl Scout Service Unit.

I have been the Troop Organizer and Registrar, but never a position like this.  It will be a learning experience.  I hope everyone is patient with me.

Sewing with Girl Scouts--May Meeting

My heart swelled, yet broke slightly, at our monthly Girl Scout meeting tonight.  The girls have been discussing Bronze and Silver Award projects, and they decided to make blankets and pillows for local hospitals.  I could not come up with something "fun" for the meeting, so I decided we would start with the project.  I bought 4 pieces of light fleece to make tie blankets, and Mom found some pieces of material to sew and make pillow cases.  We realized we didn't have the stuffing, but we can do that later.  I showed the girls how to cut and tie the blankets while she showed them how to sew a simple stitch/hem with the sewing machine.  The first girl, who took to it quickly and easily, happens to have the same name as my niece.  All I could think was . . . this should be my niece and her grandmother sewing together.  Maybe some day it will be, but at the rate we are going, it won't.  My heart broke slightly at this sight and thought.  However, I was excited that both of us could share these skills with three (only three came tonight) beautiful young ladies.

April Girl Scout Meeting

Tonight, we finished our Buddy Burners and cooked breakfast burritos.

You just need a large can.  Use a church key or bottle opener to poke three holes along the open end of the can and three more on the opposite side near the closed end of the can.  Light your burner, set your can on top, and cook.

Pics to come . . .

March Girl Scout Meeting

I got the crazy idea to teach our girls how to use Buddy Burners.  I had hoped my cafeteria manager would have the cans I needed to do this, but they weren't ready, so today, we only made the burners.  Next month, we will actually cook.

Buddy Burners are great for Scouts and families to use when at camp or in the backyard.

Tonight, we layered strips of cardboard with dryer lint.  A few layers of each is all you need.  You then roll it so it looks like a spiral and drop it into a tuna and cat food can.  Melt wax on your stove.  Pour it over the cardboard and lint.  Let it dry.

Next month, we will use these as the fire/heat source to cook.

Girl Scout Older Girl Event

Our Service Unit tries to host a Younger Girl Event (K-5th) and an Older Girl Event (6th-12th).  Last night was the Older Girl Event.  It was held at an indoor location that has high ropes, zip line, games, and more.  It was a Girl Scout only lock-in with girls from our Service Unit and girls from all over North Texas.  I took 4 girls from my troop, and they had the best time.  The parents said they couldn't stop talking about it (when they weren't passed out from being so tired).  I am so glad I got some video to show their parents.  The girls really faced some fears up on the high ropes and zip line.  I am so proud of them!

Gardening, Making Games, and Easter Fun During Girl Scouts

Tonight, we had our April meeting.  It started kind of different because we started with 3 girls.  We've had as few as 5 before, but we've never started a meeting with as few as 3.

One of our Juniors prepared to lead the girls in the Gardening Badge.  She had a PowerPoint with pictures of flowers.  She provided little pots for the girls to decorate with stickers.  We got the Sharpies out too.  (Do you know how often we use those?)  She also provided potting soil and 3 different kinds of flower seeds.  The girls enjoyed getting the dirt and planting the seeds.  We talked about what plants/seeds need to survive as well as their favorite flowers.  We also walked to the edge of my property to look at the neighbor's vegetable garden.

By the time we started getting the soil, 3 more girls arrived.  Those 3 had dance pictures.

One of our Brownies prepared a scavenger hunt to work on the Making Games Badge.  The girls had to find various nature related items.  Funny how it tied to the Gardening Badge, and it wasn't planned that way.

We ended the meeting with foam Easter crafts.  The girls made flowers and rabbit decorations.

Girl Scout Tent Camping

Our girls are 3rd-6th grade, and we have never gone tent camping.  When our 5th graders were in Kindergarten, our Service Unit went tent camping at a state park, and our girls went to visit on Saturday only.  Since then, we have camped several times (at least once a year), but we have never done it in tents.  We decided that they needed the experience, but we would do a backyard campout to ease everyone into it.  I don't like showing up in the dark on a Friday evening and then trying to put up tents, so we decided we'd meet in the middle of a Saturday, put up the tents first thing, and then do other activities.  We did just that starting at 1:00 pm yesterday through 8:30 am this morning.

We think our tent camping experience was a success.  Despite the extremely strong winds, everyone stayed the entire night in their tents.  There were a few moments of wanting to go in, but they just got back in their sleeping bags and went to sleep.  Some were a little cold, but it turned out warmer than we thought it would be.  Yea!

We began Saturday afternoon by working together to learn to put up one tent.  Once it was done, the girls worked in pairs to put up 3 more tents.  They did very well and did it rather quickly too.  

We gathered in a circle and discussed the Girl Scouts' movement to ban "bossy."  Historically, when girls step-up to take a leadership role, they are considered to be or called bossy.  Girl Scouts is getting others on board to back this idea.  When girls step-up or take on leadership roles, they are not bossy, they are leaders, and we need to help develop them as such.  We then discussed bullying--what it is, how to handle it, how to help others, etc.

The girls were given a little time to read over some camping related badges--Camping, Hiking, Bugs, Trees, and one other.  We decided to go on a hike.  While gone, they listened for sounds and looked for different plants and animals.  They got to see horses and ponies close-up and a few cows from a distance while e walked more than 2 miles.

When we returned, our special guest had arrived.  A Senior we know from church and Juliette Girl Scout, needed to finish a Journey by doing a Take Action Project.   Before she began, we went on a hayride (minus the hay).

For her project, she planned to help our girls learn about healthy foods and healthy food choices as well as how to make a healthy meal and snack.  She planned our dinner, dessert, snack, and breakfast.  She talked about the food groups, had the girls create a pretend meal, and then make changes to that meal by choosing the healthiest foods they would eat or could think of within each group.  They then moved to the kitchen.  The girls cooked Tortilla Soup (chicken broth, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes/Rotel, tomato sauce, chunk chicken, and Greek seasoning), to which they could add tortilla chips and shredded cheese, and Pita Sandwiches (ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, & condiments).  For dessert, they made Frozen Yogurt Sundaes.  They chose between vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt and then fruit toppings (green apple, red apple, peaches, banana, strawberries, gingerbread granola, and/or pumpkin granola).  For their snack, they made Trail Mix (sunflower seeds, pretzels, granola, butterscotch chips, and a few other items).  They played a game to help mix it all up.  Before Caroline left for the evening, she showed them how to make breakfast--Yogurt Sunrises.  They opened an orange and made each slice a ray of sunshine and put a scoop of yogurt in the center with granola sprinkled on top.

Before bed, since the wind was so strong, we made S'Mores in the oven.  Yummy!  Before turning in for the night, the girls played Flashlight Tag.  The girls grouped up in one tent to hear jokes before separating and turning in for the night.

We got everyone up around 7:15, and they instantly started getting ready, packing up their things, taking down tents, and preparing breakfast.

It was a great experience!

Girl Scout Grocery Shopping

Tonight, instead of holding a regular meeting with activities or badge work, we took the girls to a local supermarket to buy groceries for tomorrow's campout.  I gave the list to the girls, and we made our way through the store getting our items.  They did a great job comparing prices and getting the items we needed.

You never know if children grocery shop with their parents or know how to get the best deals, so I enjoy doing this with our girls.  We have shopped for a food pantry in the past, but this time, they made the decisions about the food for their own campout.

Happy 102nd Birthday, Girl Scouts!

Happy 102nd Birthday, Girl Scouts!

How will you celebrate?

If I were with my niece or our troop, we would have a cupcake or some ice cream and discuss what they enjoy most about being in Girl Scouts.

Girl Scout Sunday

Today is Girl Scout Sunday.  How will you spend it?  Will you go to church?  Will you do anything special at church?  We invited our girls to visit our church.  If we had had several, they could have been ushers and greeters.

World Thinking Day 2014

Happy World Thinking Day!  Today is the day each year that Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all over the world think about one another and the Girl Scout movement.  My troop did not study a country this year, but they were invited to attend our local Service Unit's World Thinking Day event.  About 10 troops set-up tables with a backboard full of information about their chosen country, a SWAP, and a food to represent the country.  Each SWAP and snack cost $0.25, which went toward Family Partnership.  Only three girls from my troop attended, but they enjoyed the event.  They learned about Germany, Mexico, Guatemala, Italy, South Korea, Great Britain, Japan, Russia, and an African country that I can't remember at the moment.  I may have missed a table too.

How did you spend World Thinking Day?

Girl Scout Booth Sale #6 of 2014

Another day, another booth sale.  Same location too.  The weather was nicer, so we were back outside selling our cookies.  Tonight, we sold about 60.

Girl Scout Booth Sale #5 of 2014

Tonight, our girls ran another booth sale.  Due to the cold temps, the girls were allowed back inside, just inside the door.  While people got their groceries and rented lots of movies, few were buying cookies.  We sold around 50 boxes in 2 hours.  We did get several donations, which we loved!

GS Activities--I'm Torn

I am so torn in dealing with Girl Scouts this year (and last).  I started this troop along with my BFF for her daughter and my niece.  I love GS and what it stands for and does for girls.  I am living proof of the wonderfulness of the organization.  However, with my niece no longer here regularly, no longer at monthly meetings (in person or via Skype), and no longer able to join us for weekend activities, I have the absolute hardest time wanting to schedule anything (on weekends that I am available). I love my girls and GS, but without my niece here, I hurt.  I love sharing new experiences with her and teaching her things, but it is hard to do with a troop of girls when she is missing.  I continue doing the meetings, booth sales, and more, but overall, I am so torn about extra activities.

This year, I have organized it so that the girls are more responsible for the meetings.  Booth sales are going fine.  I just can't get things going outside of our once a month meetings.

I have contacted all the Brownie parents with options from our Council website.  They seem interested, so I am trying to get the parents to pick activities and split up who drives and does what.  I have done the same thing with the Juniors, but I have only heard from one parent.  I figured that if I can't take the girls then if they worked together, they could still do things if the parents take them.  We only have 2 Cadettes, so I can make a plan for them.

I want the girls to love GS and want to stay in, so I don't want my inactivity to stop that, but this is hard and weighing on me.

Several have asked about camping, but I can't take them--not without my niece.  Maybe in the future, I can get parents to get the certification needed and let them take the girls camping. I don't know.  Maybe I need to be more honest with everyone about my feelings (that I have kept bottled up inside).

I don't know.  We'll see how the rest of the year goes.

Girl Scout Booth Sale #4 of 2014

This morning was our fourth booth sale of the season.  Three girls and another parent were with me in front of our large super center.  We dressed in layers, expecting the temperature to be in the 30s and 40s, but the Sun was shining with all its might, so we warmed up quickly.  We sold 60 boxes today.

Girl Scout Booth Sale #3 of 2014

This afternoon/Tonight, 4 girls and a few parents braved the freezing temperatures and even more frigid wind chill to sell Girl Scout Cookies.  The folks at our local grocery store have always been absolutely amazing, and today was another example of their greatness.

The parents and girls were bundled up in many layers to be prepared for the weather, but when they arrived, the store manager allowed them to move inside the entry between the two sets of doors where the carts are stored.  It was still cold b/c the doors wouldn't stay closed, but it was so much warmer than being in the whipping, freezing wind.

I arrived with about 30 minutes to go, and when I saw the manager, I thanked him.  He said, "No thanks necessary.  You would be popsicles by now."

All the employees are just so kind, and we greatly appreciate them!  In the end, watching folks run in and out braving the cold to get their dinners and other groceries, the girls sold 53 boxes.

Girl Scout Booth Sale #2 of 2014

We had another booth sale today.  This time, we were in front of a larger super center.  While there were a lot of people going in and out, we didn't do as well today as we did last night.  We only sold 78 boxes.  Well, maybe we will have better luck at the next one.

Girl Scout Booth Sale #1 of 2014

We had our first booth sale of the season tonight, and it went well.  We were in front of our local grocery store from 6:00-8:00.  Even as the temps were falling, the girls did an amazing job.  We sold 129 boxes!

Girl Scout Cookie Time

Tonight, we had our annual Troop/Parent Cookie meeting because our sales start tomorrow.  Things are different this year.  We usually take orders and then deliver cookies in mid-February.  This year, we can take orders and make deliveries simultaneously.  We also start booth sales a month to 5 weeks earlier, so they start next week. Our cookies also went up to $4.00 a box too.  The girls are so excited.

December Girl Scout Meeting

Tonight, we had a small group.  We sure did miss all our friends who were sick, in church performances, or having cookies with Santa.  We went Christmas Caroling at two special houses.  The girls did a great job and even inspired a dog to sing too.  They also worked on the Detective Badge, enjoyed hot chocolate and lots of sugar, and created Christmas crafts.

Merry Christmas from our Girl Scout Troop!