Creekside Girl Scouts

Our Service Unit is holding another badge workshop. Girls of all ages will attend one event and work together in centers to earn the age appropriate Cookie Badge. I want to take the first and second graders to this event! The first graders can use this to earn their first Brownie Try-it, which will fullfil one of the Bridging requirements for Daisies to Bridge to Brownies in June. This is going to be GREAT! I hope y’all can attend. In fact, I might need our co-leader to be the chaperone in charge of this event.

Y’all let me know if you are as excited about this workshop as I am. Leave a comment below.

Click here to find out what our girls will be learning.

Our Troop has a Crafty Party this week. We talked about upcoming cookie season and a lot of field trips in January and February. Plus we introduced the girls to the flowers in the Daisy Flower Garden of the Journey books. Then we started our CRAFTS!! We had 8 girls around the table and four moms stationed at the four corners of the dining table, while I gave instructions and passed out and picked up the various craft materials.

The girls made two pipe cleaner Candy Cane SWAPS/Ornaments with a poem about the Legend of the Candy Cane attached.  Then we watched this video to read them the Legend of the Candy Cane.

At our last meeting we took a Troop photo of our NY Flat Stacie sister Girl Scout. I gave each girl a cardboard backing and a Daisy blue card stock frame to glue together as a momento of 2008 Girl Scouts. They glued these together in record time. I forgot to pass them out, but we planned to glue a magnet on the back of the photo so they could keep it on the fridge if they want.

Then, we made a glitter ornament for their Christmas trees at home. Here is the link for directions and a video. Sarah, one of the Daisies, directed this craft by showing everyone her craft from the previous day and telling them exactly what to do step by step. To make this craft we used a 3 inch circle yogurt lid and covered the top of it with clear drying glue. Then the girls chose spangles and sequins to add to their ornament. Then we covered the whole thing with gold glitter. When it dries at home, they will punch a hole in the circle and hang it with yarn or ribbon on the tree to make an ornament. We gave each child a square of newspaper with her name on it so we knew which craft belonged to each girl. When moving the craft and newspaper with very wet glue we had to be careful not to spill the glue off the lid onto the paper.

While the moms were moving the glittered ornaments off the table the girls had their snack of fresh gingerbread cookies and carrots! I doesn’t get any better than this!

Next, we used glitter paint to make designs on the writting side of a damaged DVD. Here’s a sample. The girl made amazingly beautiful patterns and swirls with the glitter paint. When they dry they can use a marker to write “Girl Scouts 2008” on the shiny side of the DVD. Both of these crafts were made using gobs of glue and glitter than I already had and recycled materials that I saved for who knows how long. We’re *recycling*!

From a preschool winter unit I had several dozen plastic snowflake buttons. We attached these buttons to card stock, which was half the size of a business card, that read “You are Unique Just like a Snowflake!”

I have many more crafts prepared for us to do together in 2009. I hope you’ll share any ideas you may have too by leaving a comment below!

Thank you all the moms for bringing the snacks for the girls and keeping them reasonably healthy, before dinner snacks. As it turns out everyone had one turn during the fall semester, so it’s time to start over for spring semester.  If you feel strongly that we should skip snack time, I want to hear from you! Because we’re only here for 1 hour and 15 minutes, we could use the time for songs and games instead of snacks. Since dinner is in less than 2 hours after they leave here, snacks don’t seem neccessary. However, I do know the girls enjoy snack time and being silly during that time together.

Here is the list of girls and dates to provide snacks at our upcoming meetings:

• Jan. 6 Cookie Mtg. (We have one small box of new cookies to sample)
• Lilly – Jan. 20 Petals making bird houses (international dessert)
• Taylor – Feb. 3 Petals & collecting money teaching
• Sarah – Feb. 17 Cookie sales strategies & Petals (favorite dessert)
• Angelina – March 3 GS Birthday (can we have birthday cupcakes?)
• Elaina – March 17 Thinking Day (can we have an international food)
• MARCH 31 Family Picnic Fun
• Allie – April 7 (girls need to make no bake food themselves)
• Christiana – April 21
• Lizzie – May 5
• May 19
• June 2
• June 16

Let me know if you need to SWAP dates with someone. And let me know if we have any volunteers for the empty May and June dates.  As always, our troop calendar is subject to change and flexible and fluid.

Does anyone know if there is Spring Break travel that will affect our Troop Calendar?

You are going to want to attend this fun event!  We’re going swimming INDOORS where there are splash pools, lazy rivers, and water playgrounds, plus, of course a swimming pool.

The Service Unit Polar Bear Swim will be on Saturday 7 February from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. It is only $3 per girl and adults are free. Due to space restrictions and the popularity of this fun event, we will only be able to take 1 adult for every 3 girls who attend. All adults and girls must be registered and there can be no tag alongs. There will be lifeguards, so girls do not have to be swimmers, just ready to have some fun in the water!

Due to safety guidelines, it may be the only time of the year that we can officially take the Girl Scouts swimming. Money and permission slips are due as soon as possible and no later than January 15.

The Girl Scout Council publishes a book called CONNECTIONS which has dozens of field trips and seminars for Girl Scouts to attend. You can attend them on your own or we can attend them as a troop. This one sounds fun and interesting if your family has this Saturday free in your schedule!

Description: Presented by Texana Living History Association & Farmers Branch Historical Park. This year’s event will focus on textiles with an emphasis on quilting and will feature a display of quilts as part of the Quiltmania 2009. This event is a great opportunity for learning about Texas history in a fun environment with lots of hand-on experiences. Texas history will truly come alive right before your eyes. You will see a Native-American tipi, a telegraph office, an 1800’s quilting bee, trapper, Civil War re-enactors and 1870’s chuck-wagon where costumed volunteers will be demonstrating pioneer life skills such as spinning, weaving, and/or outdoor cooking. You may even be able to meet historical figures like Sam Houston, Molly Goodnight or Susanna Dickenson or watch a vintage baseball game! Docents will be available for tours of the park structures. Many make-and-take activities will also be available. All levels of Girl Scouts will be able to earn the Hometown History patch and MANY links to other badges. A Badge-link sheet will be provided at the event. Volunteer opportunities available.

PROGRAM INITIATIVE: Fine Arts/Humanities

WHO: Girl Scouts of all ages

WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 2009

TIME: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

COST: $2 per girl and $2 per adult chaperone.
This event is open to the public, so you can register as a troop with Safety-Wise adults or as an individual and accompany your child. We should register in early January to receive the free Hometown History patch, while supplies last.

Get ready for our International Thinking Day Celebration! Join us to learn about other countries where Girl Scouting/Girl Guiding takes place. The Girl Scouts will have an opportunity to learn songs, dances, games, taste food, and receive SWAPS all themed to different countries.

International Day may be the best Service Unit Event of the Year!

Please print the permission slip in the BOX BELOW and bring it to me no later than Tuesday, January 6th. Bring it in December if you can. (There is a $10 per troop late fee on January 7th!) This event is only $5 per girl. Only 2 adults can go to this event for up to 5 of our girls. If we have 6 – 10 girls going, we can take 3 adults. Adults are free admission. But this is one of the few events that we have to limit who is allowed to attend due to space constraints at the event location. They’re expecting a big crowd!

BRING:   Pens or pencils and bags to carry as you visit booths. Coins for WAGGGS Wishing Well donation.

Reply by leaving a comment below or email me to tell me if your Girl Scout or you want to attend. If we have more adults that want to attend than are allowed to attend, we’ll have to ask a few to volunteer to bow out, or we’ll draw straws. (This is a great problem to have; so many involved moms!)