Native American Cultural Observance

Thank you so much for coming to this event! I think the girls had a good time and I know I learned a lot. There were so many things to look at, learn about, and do. I will be ordering a patch for the girls that attended.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I know my family is. On Wed., we will have a regular meeting. I'm still finalizing plans based on what supplies arrive in the mail:) I'm sure you all understand that. Danielle did pick up our angel tree names so we will be discussing that service project and what the girls things good ideas for gifts will be. Please remember to have your daughter bring $3 if you are able.
Thanks again and we will see you all on Wed.

Fun Meeting Today!

We had a pretty low key, relaxing meeting today. The girls have been working really hard, so we took a bit of a break. We discussed their Smart Shopping activities--such great meals the girls planned! Then we decided to be festive and the girls made Turkey Wreaths. It was a really fun project and the girls did such a good job. I hope you find a special place to hang the wreaths.

Here is what I have received for volunteers for the Gift Wrapping in the PX--if you can help us out with the remaining times, please let me know. (Yes Kathryn is going to be there the whole time--that's what happens when I already have to be there:)) I will take as many girls in each time slot as want to come so.... sign on up:)

15 Dec (Mon)
1500-1530 Kathryn, Sophia, Haley E.
1530-1600 Kathryn, Sophia
1600-1630 Kathryn, Sophia
1630-1700 Kathryn, Sophia

16 Dec (Tues)
1500-1530 Kathryn, Anna
1530-1600 Kathryn, Anna, Jada, Alaina
1600-1630 Kathryn, Anna, Jada, Alaina
1630-1700 Kathryn, Anna, Jada, Alaina

24 Dec (Wed)
1300-1330 Kathryn
1330-1400 Kathryn
1400-1430 Kathryn
1430-1500 Kathryn


Parents,

As I’m planning out the remaining time we have before Christmas break I am realizing it is going to be REALLY busy, but also REALLY fun!! I hope you are all able to participate in as many activities as possible.

Here’s a quick run-down:

25 Nov (Tues) 1600-1800 in the school cafeteria we will be attending a presentation on Native American culture and how it relates to scouting. It should be a great experience--the girls who attend will each receive a patch. Parents/siblings are invited to attend as well--this event is open to the community. If you want your daughter to attend without you please make sure you return her permission slip to me.

3 Dec--we will have a regular meeting and hopefully finish up our 2nd Key and also our Eat Right Stay Healthy Try-It.

9 Dec (Tues) 1815-1945 Caroling in Villaggio. This is an annual event that the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts do together. I have attended with my family the past 2 years and we have had a great time!! The Cub Scouts will be providing Hot Chocolate following and the Girl Scouts provide cookies so please bring a dozen cookies with you that evening. Girls will get a patch for this event. This event will be cancelled only for steady rain so please dress for the weather.
10 Dec--our regular meeting we will be working on gifts for our parents--so I will say no more…:)
We will also be putting together gifts for the Angel Tree project.

17 Dec--our last regular meeting before Christmas--we will be having a mini party and making Gingerbread Houses. If you are able to send in a bag of candy that day for decoration, I will provide the graham crackers (yep we are cheating) and the frosting. A patch will be provided for this activity.

So now the reminders of what we need from now until Dec.:)

• Permission slip for Native American Cultural activity if you are not attending with your daughter
• Dozen cookies for caroling on 9 Dec--permission slip if you are not staying with your daughter
• $3 for our Angel Tree donation (by 3 Dec)
• A family favorite holiday recipe by 3 Dec (these are for a holiday surprise)
• Candy for gingerbread houses (by 17 Dec)
• Money for brownie book/vest/sash if you have not given it to me or Mrs. Hacker yet
  

It really seems like I have been asking for a lot of stuff lately--if it is ever too much, please just let me know. I don’t want anyone to be overwhelmed.

Long, Fun Girl Scout Day

I want to thank all the girls (and parents) who turned out for the Boy Scouts Bowl-A-Thon this morning. After all the craziness of getting organized, it went really smoothly and I think the girls had fun bowling. I know I had fun watching them and cheering them on:) The girls who attended will be receiving a bowling patch as soon as I get them.

The Investiture/Rededication Ceremony this afternoon went really well too. The girls did a really nice job of saying the promise up on stage.

It was certainly a long day, but I really enjoyed spending time with the girls.

For those of you who missed the ceremony this afternoon, I will have your daughter's patches/pins on Wednesday at our regular meeting.

Finally an Update

I want to start by apologizing for not keeping this site updated the past couple of weeks. Life just got in the way....

Here are some updates now though...

Upcoming Events
16 Nov (Sunday) is a busy day for our girls. For those of you participating in the Bowl-A-Thon, we ask that you arrive at 10:45 so that we can get altogether and money collected ($10 per girl). Bowling will be from 1100-1300. We are also invited to eat with the Boy Scouts in the school cafeteria following.
Same day--for EVERYONE--is our Investiture/Re-Dedication Ceremony at the Soldier's Theater from 1400-1530. This is an important day for our girls and I hope they all can attend--families are encouraged to come and celebrate with their girls as well.

25 Nov (1600-1830 in the school cafeteria)--we have been invited to a post-wide event- a Native American Cultural Observance. This is an opportunity for the girls to learn more about the Native American Culture and also how it relates to scouting. I am really excited about this event and hope to have a good turnout. Permission slips for this event were sent home at the last meeting. This will take the place of our regular meeting that week--so no meeting on 26 Nov.

I would really like the girls to participate in a "service project" of sorts for the holidays. I think it is important to remember those less fortunate than ourselves--especially during this time of year. For that reason I would like the troop to participate in the Angel Tree program here on post. On 25 Nov. Danielle (our new co-leader Yay!) will be picking up 3 names from ACS of girls in our community that we will be able to give a gift to this Christmas. If each of our Brownies can donate $3, Danielle and I will have approximately $10 to spend on each of our "angels" to make their holiday a bit brighter. Danielle and I will pick out a small gift for each one and bring it back to the meeting for the girls to wrap and possibly write a little note to put in each one. If you can send in $3 by 10 Dec. we will get this project underway. If you are not able to donate at this time--don't' worry--we will still have a wonderful learning experience for the girls.

Regular Meetings
We will still have regular meetings on 12 Nov, 19 Nov, 3 Dec, and 10 Dec. During these meetings we will be working on healthy eating/living activities, our Angel Tree project, making gifts for our parents, and having a small party. (We could still use input on whether you want to have a meeting on 17 Dec--or end our year on the 10th) please let me know your thoughts.

I hope the girls are enjoying Brownies so far this year. I know I have had a great time as their leader. They are a great group and are really eager to complete the projects. It really makes for some fun meetings.

As always, if you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask....

Updates

We are once again busy planning for the girls. This week at the meeting we will be celebrating the birthday of Juliette Low (the founder of Girl Scouts). Her birthday is actually on Oct. 31st. We are also going to be finishing up our first Try-It--Girl Scout Ways. I'm very excited about how the girls are coming along and working together and we are going to take that even further the next few weeks as we work on "Connecting as a Team."

Please try to remember to send in your daughter's item for the first aid kit we are putting together this week. You should have received a letter with your item on it at the last meeting. If you have questions please let me know.

Hopefully our new Brownie books will be in on Wed. as well so if you haven't given me the $7 for that yet, please bring it Wed.

Finally, I want to announce a couple of upcoming events:

We have been invited to participate in the Cub Scouts' Fundraiser-- Bowl-A-Thon. This is the boys' main fundraiser of the year and it would be really nice for our girls to participate and show parntership in scouting. This event will take place on Nov. 16 from 1100-1300 at The Arena. The cost for this event is $10 per child--this includes bowling, shoes, and food. I will be sending home permission slips for this event on Wed., but if you could respond to this email letting me know if your daughter will participate I would really appreciate it. The Cub Scouts need a head count as soon as possible.

Following, the Bowl-A-Thon is our Investiture/Rededication Ceremony (Nov 16 from 1400-1530) at the Soldier's Theatre. This is the welcoming ceremony for all new and returning scouts and is a great way to start our new year. All scouts and their families are invited. There will be a flag ceremony and a presentation by each Girl Scout troop with a cake reception following. It should be a very nice event. I hope to see you all there.

Girl Scout Ways

Another great meeting today! The girls are really on top of things:) Today we talked a bit about our families. The girls who completed their family stars shared them. Don't worry if you forgot, I will allow time for those who didn't have them today at the next meeting.
Then we moved on to working on our first Try-It of the year--Girl Scout Ways. We talked some more about the G.S. Law and then we made a troop book illustrating each point. The girls did a fabulous job. We also talked about a few of the traditions in Girl Scouts such as the sign, handshake, promise, etc. Next week we will finish up the Try-It by discussing being prepared and making a first aid kit. You daughter should have brought home a note with an item for her to bring to donate to the kit. If this is not possible, just let me know.

I did get the girls books ordered--they will hopefully be here by our next meeting. If you can bring the $7 at the next meeting that would be great. Also, if you are still needing a vest or a sash, please let me or Mrs. Hacker know so we can get that for you as well.

Another pleasant surprise for us--we welcomed a new scout to our troop today. Because of this I will be revising the snack schedule so be on the lookout for that.
Until next time.... Have a great day!

Link for Try-Its

I just found this webpage that has all the requirements for all the Try-Its. If your daughter doesn't have a Try-Its Book and wants to work on things outside of our meetings, everything is laid out for you at this link. http://server.ellenbecker.net:4271/Try%20Its.htm
Enjoy!

First Meeting

Well, our first meeting went really well. I was very impressed at how much the girls knew and remembered from last year. We worked on the Promise, the Law, and started earning our first key on the quest. The girls learned more about themselves (and each other). We talked about special talents, skills, and likes that they each had. Then we talked about the values that are present within the Girl Scout Law. We played a game to do this. The final step the girls need to take to earn the first key needs to be completed at home. This is the family star activity they should have brought home. I can't wait to see how they turn out.
Our next meeting is on Wed. 22 Oct. We will continue working on the promise and law as well as learn some other things about the Girl Scouting Program while we are earning the Try It- Girl Scout Ways.

2008 Calendar of Events

2008 Calendar of Events

Oct 2008
Oct 15- Troop meeting--Brownie Quest-1st key--Girl Scout Promise and Law
Oct 22- Troop meeting--Try It Girl Scout Ways
Oct 29- Troop meeting--Try It Girl Scout Ways--Founder’s Day Celebration--1st Key Ceremony

Nov 2008
Nov 5- Troop meeting--Brownie Quest-2nd Key--Try It Eat Right Stay Healthy
Nov 12- Troop meeting--Try It Eat Right Stay Healthy
Nov 16-Bowl A Thon--Investiture/Rededication Ceremony (more info to follow)
Nov 19- Troop meeting--Brownie Quest-2nd Key and Ceremony
Nov 26-Troop meeting-- Try It Art to Wear

Dec 2008
Dec 3-Try It Art to Wear
Dec 10- Put together Angel Tree Gifts
Dec 17-Make Gingerbread Houses & Party

I have other ideas for 2009, but would like the girls to have some input so I will leave it open ended for now.
There may also be other activities added to this calendar, but this gives you an idea of how I would like to start out the year. If you have any input, please let me know!

Snack List

Brownie Troop 43 Snack List

Oct 15- Kathryn
Oct 22 - Anna
Oct 29- Founder’s Day Celebration--Leader Snack

Nov 5- Haley E.
Nov 12- Haley F.
Nov 19- Jada
Nov 26- Caroline

Dec 3- Alaina
Dec 10- Sophia
Dec 17- Faith

Jan 7- Mackenzie
Jan 14- Kathryn
Jan 21- Anna
Jan 27- Haley E.

Feb 4- Haley F.
Feb 11- Jada
Feb 18- Caroline
Feb 25- Alaina

March 4- Sophia
March 11- Girl Scouts Birthday-Leader Snack
March 18- Faith
March 25- Mackenzie

Apr 1- Kathryn
Apr 15- Anna
Apr 22- Haley E.
Apr 29- Haley F.

May 6- Jada
May 13- Caroline
May 20- Alaina
May 27- Sophia

June 3- Faith
June 10- Mackenzie

**All dates subject to change**

New Brownie Program

Brownie Parents,

The Brownie program has been re-organized this year and I am so excited about the changes being made. Brownies are being taken into the 21st century and updated to fit the girls' lifestyles much better.

Here is a quick overview.

The theme for the year is "It's Your World---Change It!" We will be following a "Brownie Quest" to find out how to be a leader. This program is very hands on and should be a lot of fun (and educational, but don't let the girls know) During the year, the girls will earn 3 keys which will unlock a mystery. These will be represented by 4 badges which look similar to the Try-Its badges. Don't worry though, the girls will still be earning Try-Its as well. They fit in very nicely with the new program.

As we make our way through the year there are some resources we will be using quite a lot of. The first on is the Try-Its book the girls used last year. This book is helpful to have if your daughter would like to work on badges outside the meeting times. It is not, however, necessary for meeting times since I will supply what is needed.

The 2ND resource is a book that goes along with the new program. It is called "Brownie Quest". This book is set up in a child friendly format--almost like a diary/scrapbook. the girls have 2 quests they can do within the book. The first is one to do at home with family/friends. The 2ND is the quest we will be working on during our meetings. The book is set up to be written in, colored in, and "made the girls own." As a troop, we will be using this book quite a bit throughout the year. If you are willing/able I would suggest purchasing this book. The cost is $7. It can be ordered on-line at http://goshop.girlscouts.org/gsusaonline/ or you can just let me know you want one and I will place a troop order on 15 Oct. following our meeting. This will give you some time to think about it and I will also have one available for you to look at that day. If you don't wish to purchase a book, your daughter will still be able to participate in all activities--I will photocopy the pages as needed.

I will have handouts and more information on the new program at our first meeting. I'm also working on a tentative calendar--at least through Dec.--which I will try to have ready a the first meeting. As the year progresses, I really want the girls to be involved in planning their own activities. Therefore, the calendar will be subject to change and somewhat open ended.

That's all for now--See you on the 15Th!!

WELCOME!!!

Hello Brownie Parents!!

We are finally ready to get our year off the ground and we are going to hit the ground running. I'm going to warn you upfront that this email may be quite lengthy, but I want to give you a rundown of some things before we get started.

First and foremost--I am thrilled to be your daughter's Brownie Leader this year! I have not done this before, but am ready and willing to put forth my best effort for the girls.

So without further ado, here are the Brownie Troop 43 Details for 2008-2009....

Meetings

Our regular troop meetings will be on Wednesdays immediately after school until 4:15 begining on Oct. 15th. We will meet in Mrs. Hacker's 2nd grade classroom (room 101). Please make sure to let your daugher's teacher know they they will be attending Brownies on Wednesdays. I will meet them in the 2nd grade hall.

Snacks

If your daughter is anything like mine, she will be "STARVING" after school. Therefore, we will begin each meeting with a snack. I will bring the snacks to the first meeting and will send home a roster in your daugher's folder for the ones following. Please let me know if there are any allergies I should be aware of.

Folders

I have set up an accordian file with a pocket for each girl. I will put any papers or items to go home in their folder. I ask that you check your daugher's folder at the end of each meeting for new information and upcoming events. (This will save the hassle of making sure I catch each parent to hand things out at the end of the meeting)

Blog
I have set up a blog site to keep you informed--everything in this email, as well as any other information throughout the year will be there so check it out often to see exactly what we will be up to. The address is http://www.brownietroop43.blogspot.com/ Don't worry I will also send emails and hard copies if needed. I just figured this was a central location that could be updated easily and looked at when it was convenient for you (I always seem to have time for these things at very odd hours)


Try-It On Your Own

The girls are always welcome and encouraged to complete the requirements for Try-Its badges outside of our girl scout meetings. Use the Try-It-On-Your-Own form (in your daugher's folder) to report the information back to me. I will get the Try-it badge for your daughter.

I think that is enough for one email:) I will try not to be so lengthy in others throughout the year. I will have more information coming out about activities and badges and the NEW program following our first meeting on the 15th. I can't wait to work with your daughter and I know we will have a great year.

See you on the 15th!!
Laurie