Savannah, Georgia Part 2--Island Hopping

Island Hopping Day
Wilmington Island to Cockspur Island to Tybee Island . . .

On our second day in Savannah, we wanted to focus on something more masculine (since we did the more feminine Girl Scout adventure yesterday), so we started with Fort Pulaski. It is 15 miles east of Savannah on Cockspur Island. They have guided tours, or you can head out on your own with a map/brochure.  My niece and nephew became Junior Rangers by completing the tasks in their Junior Ranger booklets. (We are awaiting their patches in the mail.) We spent several hours, despite the heat, going in out of tunnels, up and down narrow staircases, checking out the top, which has no rails, and learning about guns by watching a shooting demonstration. The kids were fascinated with the moat and looking for the alligator or crocodile that lives nearby. The film in the Welcome Center is very informative.

Next, we headed to Tybee Island. We went to the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum. We got our tickets to go up 178 steps in a spiral staircase inside the Lighthouse.  It was hot and humid, so the air out on the deck at the top felt great.  After looking around, we headed back down 178 steps.  We looked around at the historical buildings on the property that showed what life was like for the lighthouse keeper and his family.

Across the road is Fort Screven, and it is part of your Lighthouse entrance. It is a smaller museum with lots of reading to get the history of Tybee Island, Fort Screven, and more.  There is even a Girl Scout display showing the history of Girl Scouts on the island. The items in the display belong to the woman working the entrance and her mother.  My niece and I enjoyed talking to her and seeing the display. (She also had a very cute Girl Scout shirt on that I had never seen,)

We drove further onto the island and found a great parking place and Lighthouse Pizza.  The kids loved it.  Just a simple pizza place, but we were starving by this point.

It was right around the corner from the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. They have a small gallery of Coastal Georgia critters, but they do beach walks, turtle talks, and more.  They also have programs for Girl and Boy Scouts.

After visiting the public restroom on the side of the Science Center to change clothes, we headed out to the beach. We had fun playing in the Atlantic Ocean.  Don't forget the sunscreen!  We didn't have to worry about jellyfish like we do on the Gulf.  There was plenty of seaweed, but it didn't hamper our playing.

Since we ate later in the day, we decided to end our day of fun with a special treat.  We went to Leopold's Ice Cream in Savannah. It was quite delicious, and the decor was great!  Girl and Boy Scouts can earn a patch here--just for eating ice cream!

Savannah, Georgia--Part 1

My niece just bridged to Junior Scouts, and I knew I wanted her to experience the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace this year, the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting.  A week and a half ago, my mom, niece, nephew, and I headed to Savannah, Georgia, so I could show her the birthplace and the town Daisy called home.

We arrived just after lunch time on a Tuesday afternoon.  It was a great time--not too busy.  With my mom's handicap pass, we were able to park right outside the door.  There was no wait to get our tickets, and we were able to look in the shop and waiting room downstairs while we waited for our tour to begin.  (Tours begin every 15 minutes.) Our tour guide, Chelsea, was great.  She was very passionate and enthusiastic.  She loved Nellie, so she shared great stories about Daisy and Nellie. As we looked around each room, I talked with my niece and nephew about what life must have been like 100 years ago, growing up in the house, living in Savannah, etc. The kids loved the story of Nellie sliding down the banister, and they talked about it the rest of the trip.

My nephew was on the hunt for the paranormal.  A light in another room blinked on and off a few times, and we were told that hadn't happened before and they didn't know why it did happen, so he was sold.  He knew about the haunted walks around Savannah led at night, but he was on the hunt to find Daisy's relatives right there in the house.

After our tour of the Birthplace and getting a map of the Historic District, we drove to the cemetery where Juliette Gordon Low is buried.  Did you know she designed her tombstone? Personally, I love walking through cemeteries, and this one was great.  We found Daisy and other members of her family.  We looked around in the area where she is and then looked as we drove through other areas.  We saw an area where soldiers from the Civil War were laid to rest.  (I love to study the Civil War.)

We then decided to drive through the Historic District.  I knew the kids really wouldn't be interested in seeing the Andrew Low House, but we did stop to see the Girl Scout First Headquarters, which was housed at the back of the property.  We looked around the tiny gift shop before going into the first meeting room.  A Junior Troop was taking part in a program, so we looked around while listening to their guide.  Later, we sat down and joined them.  Fascinating information!  We learned how Girl Scouts was involved in the different wars, how cookie sales began, and so much more. The gift shop has information on various patches, for each Girl Scout level, that can be earned while visiting Savannah.

Did you know there was a ship built and named Juliette Gordon Low?  They were afraid it would sink, so they took it apart.  The used the wood from the doors to build tables that were sent to various Girl Scout meeting places around the country.

Cookie sales began because one Girl Scout in Oklahoma raised her hand during a troop meeting and suggested selling cookies as a troop fundraiser. One suggestion.  One idea.  One raised hand led to what the world now knows as Girl Scout Cookies.

We enjoyed dinner at Lady and Sons.  The Southern Buffet was amazing!  Each one of us loved it, and the kids talked about it for days.  You can call days in advance to get reservations.  There is still a small wait when you arrive, but it isn't bad.

To walk off our dinner, we went down to River Street by the Savannah River.  The kids loved seeing the boats and ships.

Keep Trying and Time for a Change

When I began this blog, I did it in response to frustrations I had with Girl Scouts in my Service Unit.  I wish I could help new leaders or other Girl Scout volunteers more than I have. Without rejoining my Service Unit Team or training more, the aid I wish to give probably will not happen at this time.  Due to changes going on all around me, I have to be OK with that . . . for now.

I want to change the focus on my blog to share more thoughts or ideas that are not as focused on Girl Scouts.  I am still a leader, I am still involved, and I am still "one passionate Girl Scout," but I want to change directions.  No worries, I will still share Girl Scout ideas in case there are folks about there looking for Girl Scout ideas.

Before I do that, I do have a Girl Scout frustration that I just do not know how to correct.  As Service Unit Registrar and Troop Organizer, I am sure there were leaders frustrated with how I found troops for new girls.  My philosophy was . . . if a family reached out to us with interest, then I needed to move swiftly to get them into a troop and active in Girl Scouts.  I tried placing girls in various ways, and I would stay in contact with families until either the girls were placed in a troop or until the family no longer showed interest for one reason or another (but not for lack of my trying). Of course, all of this was based on a phone number, email address, or mailing address getting to me.

In the past two years, I have heard of two families in my local area, a friend about 2 1/2 hours away, and a family in Columbus, Georgia who have all contacted their local Service Units or Girl Scout Councils to register their daughter(s) and find a troop.  After a year (or more) they gave up on trying to get their daughter(s) in a troop b/c no one would contact them or they were continually told they were working on it but were never contacted again.

In each of these circumstances, the parents have wanted their girls to be a part of this amazing organization, but due to balls being dropped or calls and emails not being returned, the parents grew tired and gave up.  I absolutely hate that for their girls, and I hate that these families have dealt with this frustration.  I just wish I had an answer for families in situations like these.

-I worked with one local family making all the contacts I could.
-The other local family got help after contacting our local Council on Facebook.
-My friend registered her daughter with our troop, and we love having them when schedules work out and they can join us.
-After getting the run around from two local areas, the Georgia Mom quit trying.  I encouraged her to try again when school starts.  I pray her girls are finally placed in a troop.

If you, my readers, hear of someone trying to get involved in Girl Scouts, encourage them to contact their local Service Unit or Girl Scout Council.  They can learn more at www.girlscouts.org. Tell them to keep trying until they get into a troop.


I just returned from a great vacation with my mother, niece, and nephew.  In the coming posts, I will share what we did and what we learned.

Happy 100th Birthday, Girl Scouts!

Today marks Girl Scouts' 100th birthday.  How did you spend the day?

Our Girl Scout troop camped over the weekend, and we held a birthday party yesterday morning with cupcakes before breaking camp.  The girls each shared what they loved about camp and Girl Scouts. Our troop is not doing anything formal today, but the girls are each celebrating this milestone in their own way.

What memories do you have as a Girl Scout?

Thirty-two years ago, my parents registered me as a Brownie Girl Scout (there weren't Daisies at the time).  I enjoyed making friends, creating projects, participating in service projects, going camping, and learning new skills.  I don't remember ever wanting to quit Girl Scouts.

My mom became involved as a leader when I was an older Brownie or Junior, and she continued to be a part through graduation. I enjoyed the time we spent together. 

I credit who I am and the accomplishments I have had to God, my parents/family, friends, and Girl Scouts, which has had the largest influence outside of those.  The skills I learned and the experiences I had have led me to the choices I have made, jobs I have had, friends I have made, and so much more.

I have loved sharing my experiences with my niece and our troop these past four years.

World Thinking Day 2012

We are a few weeks away from World Thinking Day 2012.  What do you have planned?

In the past, our troop has learned about Girl Scouting in a particular country, created a presentation board/table, and taken part in an event where troops moved from station to station learning about Girl Scouting around the world.  This year, we registered for an area wide event, so we covered the basics of World Thinking Day during our meeting.   Yesterday, we experienced the event.  There were stations, one for each decade, 1920s-1990s.  The girls enjoyed seeing clothes, toys, and other items from the time periods and collected a SWAP too.  There were also a few countries represented, so they created a craft or SWAP at each of those stations too. They made a paper lantern in the craft room, which gave us a little time to rest our feet and talk about what we had seen and learned.

While I was a little disappointed in the event, the girls had fun.

Tell us how your troop is celebrating World Thinking Day.