Enjoy Leader Appreciation Day!

Yours in Scouting!

Here’s the challenge put together by my council.

GSLakeMom Scout Notes | GS, CP2P Photo A Day Challenge – January

Then I got to thinking … I’ll bet this could go with a badge some where (I’m always trying to think how an activity could relate to badge work!). Instagram is becoming really popular with teens. What a great way to get them to post some POSITIVE photos – give them a Photo A Day challenge!

The Ambassadors have the Photographer badge. There is also a Digital Photographer badge for Juniors.

I don’t have an Ambassador yet, so I haven’t seen the steps for their badge, but I’m sure that an Instagram posting of a Photo-A-Day challenge could work!

I also don’t have a Junior anymore so I don’t have an official Junior’s Girl Guide. However, I did find at the Girl Scouts, Minnesota and River Valleys council website some badge plans. They might give you some ideas to complete this badge. Step 2 of the badge is take tons of pictures. Working on a Photo A Day challenge will give them 31 photos! Step 3 of the badge is to create a digital project. How about putting those 31 photos into a Power Point or digital scrapbook?!

I better get started – I’m 7 days behind! I’m also going to create posts to go along with this challenge so you can follow along with me!

I’m also going to create a Girl Scout centered challenge. I’m going to make it for March (Girl Scout month!). I’ll post it sometime in February so you can start thinking and planning! If you have any ideas for my Girl Scout Photo A Day Challenge, let me know in the comments!

Yours in Scouting,

Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of the Scouting Movement, date unknown

For this month’s History 101, we will explore events that took place during the month of November. Girl Scout History information is collected from the Girl Scout website (check it out for more history!).

Yours in Scouting,

Penguins Attention, Penguins Begin

Have you ever seen

A penguin come to tea

Take a look at me

A penguin you will see

Penguins Attention, Penguins begin

The first time through the song, there are no motions. The motions are added with each time you sing the verse.

Right arm flapping

Left arm flapping

Right leg flapping

Both feet marching

Head bobbing

Spin in circle

Stick out tongue

The last time the verse goes like this:

Have you ever seen

A penguin come to tea

Take a look at me

A penguin you will see

Penguins Attention, Penguins dismissed.

Here is a video that does a great job with the motions. They announce what the motion is before they do it. You can add that to the song, or leave it out.

Yours in Scouting,

Skill Level: Daisy – Adult

Supplies: Card stock, sticker paper, scissors, safety-pin, laminating (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Create a graphic in a Word based program (or if you’re really fancy a photo program!). You can draw a shape and add text and graphics to it. I used the phrase “You don’t have to be crazy to be a Girl Scout Leader. We can Train You.”  You can create your own phrase that is all about your Girl Scout leader experience!

Step 2: Print onto full size sticker paper. Or if you can find circle sticker paper that’s even better. You can create the SWAP with that template!

Step 3: If you use a full size sticker paper, place it onto a sheet of card stock paper and cut out your shape. At this point you could laminate the page. It will make it a little stronger and durable (and save your SWAP from water spots like mine has!)

Step 4: Add safety-pin and id tag and you’re done!

Happy SWAPPING!

Yours in Scouting,

3 Blind Jellyfish

3 (hold up 3 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

3 (hold up 3 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

One fell off – awww! (sad faces)

2 (hold up 2 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

2 (hold up 2 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

One fell off – awww! (sad faces)

1 (hold up 1 finger)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

1 (hold up 1 finger)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

One fell off – awww! (sad faces)

No (hold up 0 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

No (hold up 0 fingers)

Blind (cover eyes with hands)

Jellyfish (arms make jellyfish motion)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

Sittin’ on a rock, woo (hands up in the air)

None fell off – yeah!! (happy faces)

This video was taken at one of my council’s camp properties (which now being sold – sad face!). They do a great job with the “sittin’ on a rock” part! It’s hard to describe that! I had also forgot about having 3 girls leading it and them “leaving” as a jellyfish “falls off”!

Yours in Scouting,

Skill level: Junior – Ambassadors (because of the bead work)

Supplies: 18 pony beads (brown), cording (24 inches), safety-pin

Directions:

Step 1

Step 1: Make the cow hitch onto the safety-pin. Make sure that the ends are even.  Here’s a video to show you how to make this hitch. I make my hitch a little differently than the video – I make a loop and feed the ends through the loop. I hope the video helps you! I am sometimes “knot” challenged! I can “make” a knot/hitch, I just don’t remember the name or if I am doing it correctly!

Step 2

Step 2: String 2 beads onto cord. Feed left cord through beads and then feed right cord through the beads. When complete beads will be horizontal as shown in photo below. Tighten cord.

Step 2 – completed

Step 3

Step 3: String 3 beads onto cords using the same technique as above. Tighten cord.

Step 4

Step 4: String 4 beads onto cords using the step 2 technique. Tighten cord.

Step 5

Step 5: String 7 cords onto left string. Leaving one bead to the side on the left.

Step 5A

Step 5A: Skipping the bead on the far right, feed the right cord through the next 6 beads.

Step 5B

Step 5B: Using the left cord, add the bead and feed the cord through the second to last bead on the left.

Step 5C

Step 5C: Using right cord, thread it through the second to last bead on the right. This row can be a challenging step, but working with the girls a couple of times, they will catch on.

Step 5D

Step 5D: Work to tighten this row. This is how the row should look when completed. This represents the brim of the hat.

Step 6: Add one last bead.

Step 6

Make an overhand knot with the two cords together.

Below is a video to show you how to make an overhand knot.

Your cowboy SWAP is complete!

Yours in Scouting,

This is my list of the top 10 traditional Girl Scout songs everyone should hear and maybe learn – one time in their GS life!

1. Make New Friends

Because everyone should know that it’s ok to make friends all along the way!

2. On My Honor

A great homage to our Girl Scout Promise. (Confession time: I will sometimes get weepy with this one!)

3. “G” is for Generosity

This song my oldest (23) learned this when they were Juniors. They used to have fun making up hand motions for it!

4. Brownie Smile Song

If you’re a Brownie, you need to know this one! It makes you smile!

5. Barges

This one is perfect at a campfire or around a lake. Many girls today don’t know this one, but it is beautiful!

6. Peace (of the River)

Again another great one for the campfire!

7. Whene’er You Make a Promise

This one was great to teach the girls when they had to learn how to sing a round. It also is a really pretty song!

8. Ignite

This one is new and a lot of people don’t know it very well yet. I have seen a few flash mobs done to this song and they get me a little teary eyed!

9. Taps/Day is Done

This song is how we closed our meetings from the time they were Daisies until Juniors. It’s a great transition song to go from the craziness of meeting time to going home with the parents! Also if you use the hand motions, it puts you right into your closing circle for the Friendship Squeeze!

10. I am One Voice

This one is very beautiful and simple. This would be great at a service unit/association event. It would be another great closing or wind down song!

And because I couldn’t stop at ten (I couldn’t leave these two out!) – Bonus Songs!

Bonus #1 We Change the World

I just like this song! It’s fun!

Bonus #2 Say Why

This one I hear every time I pick my daughters up from summer camp. It’s their closing song as part of the closing ceremony for parents. If I could get away with it (ie not embarrass my daughter’s too much) I would be crying buckets during this song!

What is your favorite traditional Girl Scout song?

Yours in Scouting,

Yours in Scouting,

Juliette Gordon Low, Founder, Girl Scouts, excerpt from “Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday Message”, The American Girl, October 1924

For this month’s History 101 lesson, we will explore events that took place during the month of October and during the 2000′s.   Girl Scout History information is collected from the Girl Scout website (check it out for more history!).

2000 – 2009: Studio 2B is introduced. New badges were introduced: Global Awareness, Stress Less, Adventure Sports, and Environmental Health.

Next month, 2010′s!

Yours in Scouting,