Sephrina

I second ScoutNut on the SCA. My tiger son was very taken with both the knights battling and the calligraphy our local SCA presented at historical event.

Most summers our service unit does try to plan one event, but we have never held su meetings. We are doing well to have leaders attend during the school year. I doubt we would get many over the summer, but then I find our meetings to be a waste of time more often than not. (and I was on the service unit team). I've only made it to one roundtable this year, but it was much more productive than any service unit meeting I have ever attended. Karen

We are paying $24.00 for a two day daycamp not including food, but it does include the early pay and gold card discounts. A couple of years ago, my daughters gs troop did their camping trip for around $20.00 per girl.

3 or 4 hours would be my max too. I took my daughter's gs troop to a service unit camp one year that was 6-7 hours away and swore I would never do that again. It was too far. I don't think even having families come would have made it better. The service unit tried to plan another one this year at about the same distance and got no interest. (Of course, it may be due to the fact that the last time we had a service unit camp, one of the vehicles was in a head on collison on the way home)The trips we have taken in the two hour range were much more pleasant. However, here there are plenty of choices in the two hour range. If there weren't, I might be willing to travel farther to have different choices. We adapt to what is available. Growing up, I never thought twice about travelling the 30 miles to go shopping at the mall because there were not many options in town. Now, I think twice about travelling the 10 miles to the mall because there are plenty of choices between me and it.

My GS service unit did a derby for the girls. We charged $5.00 per participant. That covered Car Trophies and Medals Track Rental at least part of the janitorial cost

My daughter's troop is looking for an etiquette program. Does anyone have a council's own program we could look at and/or earn. I found one a couple years ago when they first started talking about including the girls (I heard last night the event has been five years in the planning), but I can't find it now. Thanks, Karen

I would suggest looking for information on heraldry (think medieval coats of arms). We did this in a GS troop meeting with all ages. We explained the colors, shapes, animals etc and then let each child create their own coat of arms. Karen

Could be worse...I still have cookies in my freezer from a troop that ordered the cookies, but didn't have the sale. I sold 10 or 20 cases for them and they had about as many left.

My local BSA council tries to get the GS involved with their scout fair each year without a whole lot of success. I took my daughter and a friend a couple years ago and they enjoyed it. This year my GS troop is going to do a booth and I'm hoping to involve my son's CS pack too. I would expand on Cheerful Eagle's comment about the girls thinking it is only a GIRL movement. I feel that is the way the whole program is presented from National down. GS is looking to empower girls, and that seems to be the main focus, instead of a part of a larger program. Karen

Unfortunately, she has been trying to do it all without success. Fortunately, I've known her for years, so that should help in the transition. And I wish Girl Scouts encouraged us to only wear one hat. I hate that they keep asking the same people to take on more and more while everyone else just sits back. Karen

I have been involved with girl scouts for the past 9 years. My daughter joined brownies in first grade so she could sell cookies. The first year I just helped where I could, the next year I took on assistant leader, and a couple of years after that I took over as leader. 3 years ago I started a brownie troop for the girls we could not find a leader for. Currently, I am service unit director, service unit cookie manager, my troop cookie manager, and leader of the now mixed level troop I started 3 years ago. My daughter's troop has dwindled to just her, but she plans on staying in scouting and we'll get her in another troop. She has been a big help with the other troop and works wonderfully with the girls. Next year, I hope to be just working with the troops and maybe service unit cookie manager. My poor son waited very impatiently to be old enough to join cub scouts. Until the past year or so, he thought he was a girl scout. He attend his first meeting at 2 weeks old. He is currently a tiger and I am committee chair for his pack (that's what I get for letting him choose his pack) and I am slowly prying the committe chair functions away from the cubmaster. He plans to be an Eagle Scout, so it looks like I'm in this for the long haul too. Karen

This is the first year my son's pack has collected any pack dues. They collect the dues monthly along with anything else. the dues basically cover awards. We should have rechartered in December, but have not yet and are still chasing people down for their fees. If we survive this year, we will be making some changes for next. (I hope) As a single parent, I would like the option of spreading out my fees.

I'm not really sure how it works and I've not actually done it or seen it, but I was asking one of the ladies in our local scout shop about a display they have for her pack with clothes pins showing what rank each boy is (they first receive the clothes pin when they earn bobcat) and she mentioned having the boys receive piece of an arrow at each rank, working up to having the whole arrow when they receive arrow of light. Karen

I'm almost positive my council did not have a day camp available for incoming Tigers, because I remember being surprised that the council my son's dad lives in did offer one day of day camp specifically for new Tigers and their partners. In fact, when I asked at my council shop last spring, the staff was surprised boys could register as Tigers as soon as they finished kindergarten. Karen

And you can't forget all the paperwork to even get started, at least in my council. Registration form Volunteer Application 3 References Background Check Partnership Agreement not to mention you have to fill out the registration and partnership agreement every year. I was so happy it was just one piece of paper for cub scouts. Even getting the required signatures wasn't as big of hassle as all the GS paperwork. Karen

Sounds like you have a plan, which is more then I can say for my son's pack. I think we have half a plan, which will probably translate into boredom and chaos. Karen

If popcorn sales are anything like Girl Scout cookie sales, it gets harder for the boys to sell as they get older. It is much easier to turn down a teen than a seven year old. We actually had a Cadette girl told once by an adult that they only order from Brownies.

Last spring, when my son was in kindergarten, knowing it was not a question of if he was joining cub scouts, but of what pack, I purchased the shirt, neckerchief, slide, belt, hat, handbook, and patches that would be the same no matter the pack while I had money from my tax refund, knowing come fall, I would not need to worry about it. He is still waiting for the pants, but hopefully they will come soon. All it took was a little planning.

Is it possible your CO is looking to offer a different youth option on Sunday's, so they think the pack needs to go? I have been involved with a religious youth program where we battled this at our sponser church. If so, maybe a change in meeting night is all you need.

Not that it doesn't sound like an amazing experience or anything and that I wouldn't like to go, but given that I have met my UC (I think that is who he was) once and nobody else, I was surprised to receive a packet.

So, how do you explain a first year scouter receiving a packet?

I think a Star Wars themed Blue and Gold would have been enough to convince my Tiger to join a different pack and he really wanted to join the pack he is in. Star Wars is second only to Harry Potter in his eyes.

My local service unit holds a ceremony toward the end of the school year that combines a bridging ceremony where girl cross from one level to the next in combination with an awards ceremony where we recognize girls with significant achievements (bronze, silver, gold recipients, top cookie sellers etc) and our adults. Generally, we have kept it to cake or cookies and punch if we have refreshments at all.

I would second the sca suggestion. My tiger cub is already looking forward to the demonstration they do in our area each year in September. He enjoyed watching the knights battle and there were a number of opportunities to talk about character connections. He also enjoyed trying his hand at calligraphy and creating his own coat of arms.

You might try http://www.makingfriends.com They have a lot of scout craft ideas