Jayne1955

I will swap the following old Junior badges: 2 Dabbler well being with red edge 1 local lore with turquoise edge 2 girls are great with navy edge 2 collectior with red edge 8 dabbler people with turquoise edge 3 communications with navy edge 8 Talk with navy edge plus 1 Bancroft Arnensen Expediiton Antarctica fun patch and 1 2003 On Time Patch with eagle for 8 of the brand new IP "Home is where the heart is" and 8 of the Studio 2B "Home is where the heart is" charms. Or best offer!

My 3rd year Juniors and 1st year Cadettes start school at 8:30. My meetings are on a week night from 7-8:30. None of them has a problem with going to bed at nine, but that's just me. There is no blanket rule for everyone.

I have been doing this for 17 years. (I am a mother of many.) I used to get upset about things like this. I'd feel sorry for the girls and try not to penalize them because of things their parents did or said to me. I'd bend over backwards to work around missing permission slips, unpaid fees, lost awards, late drop offs or pick ups, etc. My husband was ready to kill me. He finaly sat me down and said, "Don't all of these girls have at least one parent?" And he was right. Now I don't feel bad if someone doesn't like what I do. I know I'm doing the best I can. If they think they can do better, they can go for it. I'll find out for them when the next basic leader training is.

Regarding realignment, if anyone can tell me a way to reconcile the people saying, "We''ve never done it that way!" with the people saying, "That''s the way we''ve always done it!" I''d be thrilled. These realignments don''t always go as smoothly as they''d like. I know. We went through a service unit realignment not long ago, too. People (in my opinion) just need to keep saying, "It''s not about me...it''s not about me..." until everything is over. What do you all think? Anyone been through this sort of thing?

You need the "One Size Fits All" Girl Scout Leader''s answering machine message. This is it: Hello- you have reached the automated answering service for all Girl Scout Leaders. In order to better serve you, listen to all of the options before making your selection. To lie about why your child did not show up for an event, press 1. To make excuses about why your child didn''t pay any dues, participate in any fund-raisers or turn in their permission slips on time, press 2. To complain about what we did at the last meeting, or about our meetings in general, press 3. To swear at a Service Unit, or Council staff member, press 4. To ask why you did not get the information that was mailed to your house, sent home with your child and also e-mailed to you, press 5. If you just want us to raise your child or babysit her, press 6. If you''ve lost another badge, pin, or award, press 7. To request another leader, or meeting day/time for the third time this year, press 8. To complain about council events, their cost, location or the lack of transportation, press 9. If you realize that this is the real world and that you and your child must be accountable/responsible for your own behavior, badge work, finances and that it is not the leader''s fault for you and your child''s lack of effort, hang up and have a nice day. Please yourself, Honey. Volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. Don''t let anyone treat you in a worthless manner. And it sounds like someone is.

My oldest daughter got a geology interest project badge when she was a Cadette Girl Scout, and I want to do that with my youngest daughter''s troop, but it''s not in the book anymore. Anyone know where I can get some, or know of a council that does geology as a council''s own, that would sell me some? I can trade discontinued Junior badges, old cookie or early bird patches, Council badges, (and our council is being realigned, so those won''t be avaliable for long)or program patches. I have a few left over from the Antarctica Expedition, and also from the Girl Scout day at Chicago''s Navy Pier in 2002 that are very nice. If you post back, maybe we can work something out. I''m looking for eight Geology IPP total.

I''m new to Scouter, but not to scouting. I''ve been a leader for 16 years. Our Girl Scout Council is undergoing realignment right now and things are kind of tough. I hope to make some friends, and get some ideas and inspiration.