(taken October 18, 2013 - along the Greenway in South Bethlehem)
Friday, November 15, 2013
The Girls of Troop 82044
Never under estimate the power of a group of girls who are given a little bit of support and encouragement. Their energy, compassion and ideas will astound you.
(taken October 18, 2013 - along the Greenway in South Bethlehem)
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(taken October 18, 2013 - along the Greenway in South Bethlehem)
Monday, November 4, 2013
November 2013 Troop Update - Girl Scout Way
We've been meeting "unofficially" for a couple of weeks. We were waiting for the Journey books and materials to start the "Agent of Change" journey badge work. While we were waiting, we chose to work on the requirements for the Girl Scout Way badge for both Juniors and Seniors.
Even though this is a funded troop, these girls have great enthusiasm for learning and for trying new things. While going through the Girl Scout Way badge requirements, they learned a lot about girl scout traditions, and even a new song (from waaaaaayyy back in the 1970s!). Last week, we celebrated Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low's birthday - ok, it was a day late. We also started an exciting new connection with some Lehigh University students who were former girl scouts before they came to college. They met with the troop to talk about their favorite parts of Girl Scouting - which of course, gave the troop some more ideas! On one meeting, it was a really nice day outside. Since we meeting in the church basement, the kids needed to walk out some of their energy so they wouldn't disturb the parishoners praying. We only needed to walk for a block to find a community garden that we decided to work on this year with the school's 8th grade teacher. Finally, they learned about a Girl Scout tradition called a "swap." We started to make loom bracelets to give to each other or to the Lehigh University students as a gift for coming to our meetings and maybe helping us out this year.
We won't be meeting this Friday, November 8th, because our troop leader is in Harrisburg. But she went to Girl Scout cookie training and had lots of information to share with us when we get closer to the cookie sale time.
We meet next on Friday, November 15th when we can get started on the Journey badge!
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Even though this is a funded troop, these girls have great enthusiasm for learning and for trying new things. While going through the Girl Scout Way badge requirements, they learned a lot about girl scout traditions, and even a new song (from waaaaaayyy back in the 1970s!). Last week, we celebrated Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low's birthday - ok, it was a day late. We also started an exciting new connection with some Lehigh University students who were former girl scouts before they came to college. They met with the troop to talk about their favorite parts of Girl Scouting - which of course, gave the troop some more ideas! On one meeting, it was a really nice day outside. Since we meeting in the church basement, the kids needed to walk out some of their energy so they wouldn't disturb the parishoners praying. We only needed to walk for a block to find a community garden that we decided to work on this year with the school's 8th grade teacher. Finally, they learned about a Girl Scout tradition called a "swap." We started to make loom bracelets to give to each other or to the Lehigh University students as a gift for coming to our meetings and maybe helping us out this year.
We won't be meeting this Friday, November 8th, because our troop leader is in Harrisburg. But she went to Girl Scout cookie training and had lots of information to share with us when we get closer to the cookie sale time.
We meet next on Friday, November 15th when we can get started on the Journey badge!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Badge Exploration Planning
Preamble: Junior badge requirements are not generally available. One can do an online search for badge requirements, but they would find that badges have evolved over the years. And rightly so. The roles of women have changed over the 100+ years of Girl Scouts. Many of the things I learned in Girl Scouts informed the things I do today. But the opportunities for girl and women are so much greater today than they were when we were kids. The good thing here, is that we adults can explore with the girls.
This version (to the right) is what my Girl Scout handbook looked like. If you squint, you can see the bell bottom jeans and braces on my teeth, too. My copy was well read, the corners rippled and perhaps some dirt in the binding from all the camp sites. Girls scout badges covered First Aid, cooking, sewing, campfires, .. mostly domestic skills. Many of the things I learned from girl scouts informed the things I do as a mother today - mostly to save money, but also to reconnect with previous generations. So many domestic skills are a mark of one's culture. When I think of family traditions; it's usually from the kitchen. But of course, there's other traditions worth passing to the next generation. At the same time we want to celebrate those traditions, we also want to empower our girls to reach beyond traditional gender roles - to break barriers that previously kept girls from learning about new things. This is why I'm happy to be a leader, and grateful for the opportunity my daughter has to explore the 21st century world.
The Girl Scouts of today have a lot to balance (as do we parents). We don't want to overwhelm them with keeping all of the past while piling on new skills. Heaven's our girls would end up in therapy! But if we want our girls to achieve some recognition as well as try new things, we must keep up with the changes in the Girl Scout program as best as we can. Any good organization who's mission is simple, "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place." will evolve as the needs of their clients change. Our girls want and need to be exposed to many things.
In order to get the most up to date information on available and current badges, we had to buy the Junior Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting book ($22.50). I did find some guidelines on the internet, but they were out of date, and many of those badges are out of circulation. The guide included requirements for seven legacy badges (Drawing, Practice with Purpose, Inside Government, Simple Meals, Junior First Aid, Junior Girl Scout Way and Flowers.)
There are five other categories of badges: three skill building badge groups that complement the Journey badges, and two categories that support Cookie sale and financial literacy.
All the juniors who attended the Banana Factory art classes as part of the Holy Infancy program earned the legacy "Artist" badge. It made sense to recognize the quality art program already covered the requirements of the badge. To earn the Cookie CEO badge, I went through the requirements as a part of the troop meetings, and as part of the cookie sale program for the older girls. Some girls also earned the "Simple Meals" badge. I shared the badge requirements with the troop. Badges can be earned independently, and on the honor system.
Bridget and I have been reading through the requirements for many badges. As we read through more of the requirements, we saw that many of them happen in dance classes, music lessons, family trips and summer camps. This summer, we'll explore some of the badges and invite a few friends over for badge "play dates." They're not official troop meetings; but they're a way to stay connected over the summer and to have a little fun learning together.
We don't have the requirements for all of the possible Junior badges (yet), and I also have to prepare the Cadette badges for launch in the fall. It would make the most sense to combine start with legacy badges, and with the badges that complement the Journey we'll start with in the fall. If we are able to make it through the first journey before the cookie sale, we may be able to start a second journey before the end of the school year.
I'm setting high goals for this year. Stay tuned for badge earning documentation. I'm hoping this blog helps other parents explore the badge activities with their girls over the summer.
This version (to the right) is what my Girl Scout handbook looked like. If you squint, you can see the bell bottom jeans and braces on my teeth, too. My copy was well read, the corners rippled and perhaps some dirt in the binding from all the camp sites. Girls scout badges covered First Aid, cooking, sewing, campfires, .. mostly domestic skills. Many of the things I learned from girl scouts informed the things I do as a mother today - mostly to save money, but also to reconnect with previous generations. So many domestic skills are a mark of one's culture. When I think of family traditions; it's usually from the kitchen. But of course, there's other traditions worth passing to the next generation. At the same time we want to celebrate those traditions, we also want to empower our girls to reach beyond traditional gender roles - to break barriers that previously kept girls from learning about new things. This is why I'm happy to be a leader, and grateful for the opportunity my daughter has to explore the 21st century world.The Girl Scouts of today have a lot to balance (as do we parents). We don't want to overwhelm them with keeping all of the past while piling on new skills. Heaven's our girls would end up in therapy! But if we want our girls to achieve some recognition as well as try new things, we must keep up with the changes in the Girl Scout program as best as we can. Any good organization who's mission is simple, "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place." will evolve as the needs of their clients change. Our girls want and need to be exposed to many things.
In order to get the most up to date information on available and current badges, we had to buy the Junior Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting book ($22.50). I did find some guidelines on the internet, but they were out of date, and many of those badges are out of circulation. The guide included requirements for seven legacy badges (Drawing, Practice with Purpose, Inside Government, Simple Meals, Junior First Aid, Junior Girl Scout Way and Flowers.)There are five other categories of badges: three skill building badge groups that complement the Journey badges, and two categories that support Cookie sale and financial literacy.
All the juniors who attended the Banana Factory art classes as part of the Holy Infancy program earned the legacy "Artist" badge. It made sense to recognize the quality art program already covered the requirements of the badge. To earn the Cookie CEO badge, I went through the requirements as a part of the troop meetings, and as part of the cookie sale program for the older girls. Some girls also earned the "Simple Meals" badge. I shared the badge requirements with the troop. Badges can be earned independently, and on the honor system.
Bridget and I have been reading through the requirements for many badges. As we read through more of the requirements, we saw that many of them happen in dance classes, music lessons, family trips and summer camps. This summer, we'll explore some of the badges and invite a few friends over for badge "play dates." They're not official troop meetings; but they're a way to stay connected over the summer and to have a little fun learning together.
We don't have the requirements for all of the possible Junior badges (yet), and I also have to prepare the Cadette badges for launch in the fall. It would make the most sense to combine start with legacy badges, and with the badges that complement the Journey we'll start with in the fall. If we are able to make it through the first journey before the cookie sale, we may be able to start a second journey before the end of the school year.
I'm setting high goals for this year. Stay tuned for badge earning documentation. I'm hoping this blog helps other parents explore the badge activities with their girls over the summer.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
2014 Registration - GSEP is going paperless
2014 Registration GSEP is Going Paperless
Our local Girl Scout Council office has a goal to have 100% of eligible membership registration completed online using the Online Registration System.
Holy Infancy is a "funded troop" which means that funds from the United Way are given to the GSEP to help us cover some of the costs of the program. United Way funding covers annual membership fee, sashes, basic insignia (the GSEP Council Identification set, troop numbers), and one journey book, one journey badge set and one badge. If membership fees can be paid by families, the United Way funding can be used for more troop activities for the girls including registrations for service unit activities and badges.
If you need financial for the membership registration, I will have paper financial aid forms for you to fill out. However, if you can consider covering the $15 membership fee for your girl scout, please visit the GSEP website which includes how to video's.
If you choose to pay for the membership fee online, PLEASE forward the email confirmation to me at silaghwhite@gmail.com
Early Bird Registration
Early Bird registration for 2013-2014 takes place between May 3 andJune 30.
Girls who register online during this time will receive a special patch incentive. Girls who submit COMPLETE financial aid applications in addition to girls responding to the voucher email prior to June 30 will also receive the Early Bird patch.
Badge Report Form
For each badge the girl complete independently, please have them fill out the form (most badges have five requirements; although extra steps are always encouraged) and add an adult signature. Copies of the form will be available at all troop meetings.
Welcome to the Junior/Cadette Holy Infancy Girl Scout Blog
Hello!
As we embark on a new journey for the girl scouts at Holy Infancy, I thought we could begin by saying, "Hello! Welcome to the new blog."
The intentions for this blog are to support parents and caregivers of the girls involved in the Junior and Cadette level. I'll be posting:
As we embark on a new journey for the girl scouts at Holy Infancy, I thought we could begin by saying, "Hello! Welcome to the new blog."
The intentions for this blog are to support parents and caregivers of the girls involved in the Junior and Cadette level. I'll be posting:
- Information from the Girl Scouts of Eastern PA office (registration, permissions, deadlines, etc.)
- Ideas for the whole troop consideration (troop meetings, group activities, Bronze Award)
- Badge information for girls to work on independently.
This blog will also offer a space for girls to share their work and achievements, as well as to share the story of our troop to the rest of the school, the community and to the world!
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