sweetspiritpamh

Hello, If any of ya'll out there are travelling around Texas this summer. The national museum (which is one of the best for real hands on fun)will be free on Mondays this summer. Go visit www.bsamuseum.org for more info. We would love to have you visit any time here in Texas but this might be good cause to make a little trip to visit us here. No I don't work for BSA just always looking for fun times to do with my kids.

As a over 10 year adult member of Girl Scouting, along side with my husband. We would NEVER consider sleeping in the same tent, cabin or whatever when ever any scout funtions are going on. Even though some might feel it was a normal thing for a married couple a scout camp is not the right place. My husband and I have even taken many weekend training courses for adults only and still would not bunk together even then. In our council All males whether a younger child sibling or a spouse are not even allowed to use the same restroom areas either, even if No girls are no where present. This is for the protection of all parties. The adults as well as the kids.

Hello, being both a Girl Scout leader for 12 years and a day/twilight camp director. I must explain girl scouts and boy scouts are 2 totally different organizations. If the girls and leaders have been properly trained and learn through progression.Many girls try a day or twilight camp as there 1st experience without their family or troop around. A 1st grade brownie can go on a weekend camp out WITHOUT her family, but remember it has flush toilets, hot showers and cabins with cots and a large lodge with a complete kitchen here in Texas. So that next summer if she wants and her parents can afford it she will be ready for a week of summer camp. Last summer my daughter worked at a camp and she said many girls came out every Sunday went home on Saturday then were back there the very much day.For the entire summer or at least 3 or 4 sessions. Even though when my son was a cub scout he went camping many times with his entire family and in very primitve conditions compared to those girl scout camps his sisters grew up going to.

We have a game were you use reflective tape cut in the shapes of several night animals. On a 3 by 5 card put eyes on 1 side and type of animal on the reverse. Have some one hide the cards then when its totally dark the scouts go as buddies with flashlights to find the most NIGHT EYES, reminder them to turn cards so others can find the eyes along the trail. Using a pencil and paper scouts can keep track of their animals. Everyone seemed to enjoy and felt comfortable about learning the night animals. Also we enjoy looking for spiders eyes(many different colors) in their webs(Just NO touching)using a flashlight held in center of their forehead.

Hello I have been a Girl Scout Leader now 13 years and I am not really a arts and crafts type. We really concentrate on the outdoors actitivies more. I my school there is at least 2 troops per grade level so the girls in our area really do have a choice of what they are looking for. In a 5 mile radius we have over 75 troops. We have had many different types of bridging ceremonies from traditional on a natural bridge to our latest and probally the ceremony that took the most work. Each girl and leader made a personalized stepping stone. Either get kits at a craft store or take pre made stone and embelles with colored tiles, colored glass and flat marbles. They were taken to our campout and a Lashed bridge was created on top of the stones making our own special bridge. The ceremony was traditional yet every scout went home with their our stone to place in their own home yards. Now every day we have a reminder of our special ceemony and even though some have left our troop they still remember this project as one of our most fun to create and celebrate.

There are many online knot tying sites. It might be by a different name though. The military braid might be a good one to look at to see if this is what you are looking for http://www.michaels.com/art/online/projectsheet?pid=j00016

Hello all, Having been a girl scout some 30 plus years ago and when I went from a sash to a brand new felt vest one of my high school years I was really proud I Pinned on every badge that could be earned and they are still pinned on.lol Well when I had my own children I vowed that would not let them be like me so I have tryed every product they have invented in the last 12 years. I have spent tons of money and living in the Texas heat have not found anything that didn't just melt off except for old fashioned sewing. Well this past January I sent 3 scouts to the Presidential Inauguration for 8 days(24 complete uniforms). I not only wanting them to look their best and had a lot to sew, in talking to old time scouters I got 1 of the best tips yet. I use clear packaging tape and place excately wherever patches are needed. Then with a machine I just zip around the edge with a clear threat and no worry of moving patches or pins. When its completed I then just peel the tape off. You would have a professional looking sewing job in just a few minutes. Hope this works for any one else out there.Patches cost to much and are to hard to earn not to treat them with respect I beleive.

As Eagle dad and newbie den leader replied, Our group also knocks on the door and collects food right away. Then if someone isn't home we put a note on their front door and go back around that evening at about 5pm. We spend much effect on 1 full day and beleive we were supported more than just a bag on the door. Its a service project that any scout anywhere can take part in and know that everyone can make a diffence no matter who or where they are.

Having come from a very traditional cub scout pack we were told to wear uniforms to and from all scout activities. So we did as we were told. Then my son joined a travelling boy scout color guard.On their trips because the leaders have many years experiance working with large groups and to eliminate excess gear the group is told what to wear 24 hours in every day. Then when my oldest joined a Venture group(High Adventure) chartered by the BSA National Office. I was quickly relized that uniforms are not required for insurance, actually when they went to Europe 2 years ago, except for actually getting on the planes I don't beleive uniforms were worn the whole trip. They went to a jamboree and many scout tshirts were worn but nothing official on any exact date as when color guard goes someplace.Part of that is in Venturing the crew decides what they are going to use as their uniform and to get a group of high school and college kids together dressing matching just isn't that cool anymore. When you get this age you just want to have quality kids and don't sweat the small stuff.

I was going to say in my son's troop they have Venture patrol geared at the older scouts High Adventure program. But I will tell you the Venture Crews in our community have opened many doors for adventure and for fun for both of my high school daughters. Any way you add it up its keeping kids involved and out of trouble with to much time on their hands.

My daughter was the vice president in charge of the Crews first nighter. In the past they had always gone to the movie and then gone to a boy scout building and played games and eat the rest of the night away. They always had a great time but this year the building was not available and because they are planning a international trip this next summer we have tryed to be cost minded in their plans. In contacting many other buildings it was apparent it was expensive to rent a overnight place. So the advisors were not overly excited by my daughter used her connections and asked a family friend who had a home theatre and then polled crew members what they wanted to watch. Everyone brought snacks to share, movies of all kinds played ALL night, board games,basketball, cards, dominoes, and old fashioned sitting around and talking happened, Over 30 youth came from over 100 mile radius and even though they are a high adventure based crew this was a great way to start the year relaxing and having a great first nighter with out the headaches and cost.

Hello, I sent a 16 year old girl to the Jamboree to work on staff at disAbility Awareness Area. As her mother I was a little uneasy with the idea of sending her and about only 100 other young ladies to be in the mist of 45,000 boys. Her leader here assured me she would be well taken care of, considering I knew before she ever left she would NEVER communicate home while she was gone.This volunteer job cost her approx $1,000.00 so it was a very expensive but memorable experiance. In preparation for the camp she worked at a Texas Girl Scout Camp the entire summer sleeping in very high heats to help her be ready for what Virginia had for her. We had been advised of the high heat and high humity, plus she was going to be in a tent. She is quite a stand out as it is she went in wearing a pink cowboy hat and said she really never took it off. Her and her friends were very amazed at how some boys treated them, they said some acted as if to have never seem a girl before. The boys were all perfect gentleman in everyway even though I felt bad because many were awwed with the girls.She said she has now heard every pick up line possible. Elizabeth came home with more token gifts(presents) than I could ever imagine. She received a souviner spoon, teddy bear, pins, patches, shirts,even a young mans high school hoodie sweatshirt. Her day there was very long , hard , and hot she worked from 8am to 6pm every day but 1 1/2. her area was at a place called the Rock and no shade to be found. She never got a break and someone just brought her a sandwich if she got a lunch. She said though the fan which I sent her was turned to heat at night because she often got cold(What am I going to do when she goes to Switzerland next summer). She came home with a swollen knee which hasn't gone done yet, and a snack bite to her wrist, but asked was it worth it all She said YES and wants eveyone in the family to go in 2010. She has also met many really nice people and already gotten emails from, and right now is out on a date with a young man she met.Yes I am sorry to hear all the negative but with proper preparation and a open mind to have a great time I can just say that was acomplished with my daughter.She really loved the 12 cubed show she said she attended it 7 times and sat on the front row. That was all she got to see of the Jamboree because eveything was always closed when she got off. I know this is long but I just wanted to share. Pam MOM PS she never did laundry the whole time just used a 1/2 a bottle of Febreeze.

Glad to hear that someone went to disAbility Awareness today. Thats where my 16 year old daughter is working, even though she won't call home(doesn't want to get homesick she says) I know she is ever sensitive of the tragic situation but trying to have the best time of her life possible. She really was looking forward to sharing her skills and enthusiasm with others. Shes the cute girl with the pink cowboy hat(LIZ).(We are a little biased here in Texas), if you talk to any one who might see her have them say HI from her MOM she knows we LOVE her.

My daughter is very involved in the BSA Venturing Program. Flamingoing is her crews major fundraising project in December. She has loved it and the council executive is our crew presidents father. This is done for family and friends and everyone really likes being able to help the scouts in this project. When my daughter went to Europe last summer we sent her a blow up flamingo in the mail to remind her of the love back home and as a reminder of their hard work in fund raising. She will be working at Jamboree 2005 and I can guarantee that her flamingo will be with her.