Thursday, January 30, 2014

I Pledge Allegiance...

Our city was doing something kind of fun this year:
they contacted all local scout troops and asked if we wanted to lead the
Pledge of Allegiance that kicks off every city hall meeting.
So, we coached the girls on proper respect, behavior and did it.
I am so proud of them all!
:)

Getting ready...
 
Leading the Pledge...
 
 
They got to say their names and what grade they are in...
 
 
A quick photo opportunity for the newspaper, and pround parents!
 
 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Cookie Songs!




I was asked, by our council, to be one of the leader trainers for our Cookie Selling season! {total honor!}
I was talking about cookie booths -- the why, the how and keeping it fun!
Here is something that most leaders didn't know about: simple songs the girls can sing.
Enjoy-

Cookie Songs!

These are simple songs to teach your girls, for singing at your cookie booth – remember, keep the FUN in it…and what’s more fun that singing with your favorite Girl Scouts?  J

Cookie Time! - [Tune: Are you sleeping?]

We are selling, Girl Scout Cookies,
Get them now, While you can
Only for a short time, You can even donate
Buy a Case, they freeze well.

[Source: words: Dannelle Gay, Badgerland Council Troop #1123]

Cookie Street - [Tune: Pop Goes The Weasel]

Up and down the neighborhood streets
Girl Scouts sell their cookies
Ringing doorbells, asking you please
Please buy some cookies!

[Source: unknown]

Cookie Sale Song - [Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic: 1861]

We're selling Girl Scout cookies,
Yes, it's Girl Scout Cookie time!
"Would you like to buy some?"
Is our cookie selling line.
We've got lots to choose from,
Don't you see your favorite kind?
We thank you very much!

Glory, glory we are Girl Scouts!
Smiling, cookie selling Girl Scouts!
Please buy cookies, you can help us.
We can't eat them all ourselves!

[Source: words: Pam Gibson, Citrus Council (FL); music: W. Steffe ]

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Brownie Soup Meeting!

After a bunch of time off, it is back to troop meetings!
This is our "Brownie Soup" meeting as they all signed up for an ingredient to bring, it goes into the crock pot right away and we have it as the snack at the end of the meeting.

What is Brownie Soup?
A simple recipe that needs EVERYONE to participate as one ingredient missing could make a real difference to the outcome.
We had a sign up sheet:


1 can beef/chicken broth (10.5 oz) _______________________________________
1 can beef/chicken broth (10.5 oz) _______________________________________
1 can corn _______________________________________
1 can white beans (northern) _______________________________________
1 can carrots _______________________________________
1 can peas _______________________________________
1 can potatoes _______________________________________
1 can green beans _______________________________________
1 cup instant rice _______________________________________
Soup bowls (for at least 15) _______________________________________
Soup Spoons (for at least 15) _______________________________________
Napkins _______________________________________

I said I would bring crock pot, ladle and can opener. We simply dump it all into the crock pot and then let it rip on high during our meeting!

Our Early Bird Activity is adding to the soup!

Welcome Circle: Pledge led by "girl of the week".
  • We pass out Birthday Patches for anyone who has had their birthday since our last meeting.
  • I did some planning girls, and realized how much cool stuff we are doing before the end of August!
      • Girl Scout Global Action
      • Our Journey Patches
      • Pet Patch
      • First Aid Patch
      • Safety award Pin
      • My Promise My Faith Pin
      • Girl Scout Way Patch
      • Money Manager Patch
      • Philanthropist Patch
      • Meet My Customers Patch
      • World Thinking Day Patch
      • Community Patch
      • Snacks Patch
      • Up to 5 patches for selling cookies!
      • Fun Patches Pledge at City Hall, Pool Party, Camp Out Day
    Fun, right?
  • This week, we are going to cover a lot of things: cookies, swaps, international bazaar coming up! We are also "mentoring" a Daisy troop in April, so talking about what we want to do with them.
Cookie Planning:
  • Troop box goal?
  • What do we want to do as a troop over the next year? (paint your own pottery store visit, go to Whole Foods for a snacks/class workshop, Butterfly Garden, make troop t-shirts,
  • How much will it cost?
  • How many boxes does that mean we have to sell?
  • If we hit 2160 we all get to go to the Kalihari for a fun day!
  • What can they earn this year? We will review the gifts
  • Talk about the cookie carnival on 2/2
  • How can we make our sales goals?
  • Donation Recipient? Troops for Troops? Food Pantry?
  • online - booth - personal contact
  • Start with ONLINE now, so you can get into the drawings for BONUS GIFTS!
We need to sign thank you notes for booth spots!
So, I will have Thank You cards at the next meeting for us to all sign – that way, we can make sure each location knows how much we appreciate them.

Cookie Song:
We are selling, Girl Scout Cookies,
Get them now, While you can
Only for a short time, You can even donate
Buy a Case, they freeze well.


Swaps: talking about the other troop and what our "list" is for each month
  • cookies - mini boxes
  • ground hog day - stamped mini letter
  • birthday - birthday in a baggie
  • Easter/Spring - ??
  • summer - flip flop
  • camping - blow dryer/bed roll
  • patriotic - ??
  • first aid/safety - first aid kit
  • back to school -
  • Juliette Gordon Low - pearls
  • bottle cap - cooler
  • Christmas - ??


Our craft today, will be our first swap – that I will mail out tomorrow and we should have ours from them by our next meeting!

The International Bazaar - they voted on England.
·         What do we want to do: Poster? Craft? Food? All of it?
·         We had a few ideas… I got a LOT of straw hats, FREE. So, we could do a craft station where they decorate a mini hat for their Barbie/American Girl/Teddy Bear. Paper Dolls?   Tube Steaks?
·         Let’s really have FUN with this!

Mentoring a Troop: A Daisy troop is going to visit our meeting in April – what kinds of things should we do with them?  Game – teach a swap – snack – song ?

Craft Time: We hooked up with another troop and will be mailing each other a themed swap monthly (the girls voted on doing this) and we have COOKIES for our first swap. We printed off mini cookie boxes to cut out and glue together -- super cute! You can print them out too:


Snack Time: it's all about the soup -- what they think of it

Clean Up Time!!

Closing Ceremony:
  • Next meeting we will make a new swap, work on our cookie goal, and plan our bazaar.
  • Set up your COCO Online! You can send each other notes -- applaud their efforts, make your own goal and enter at least 12 emails of friends/family members. This GETS YOU IN THE DRAWINGS 
  • We see each other next at the Gold/Silver Dance! 
  • Squeeze and goodbye