HobcawChaos

Someone else's so I don't have to keep up with one!

"The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook" is my all-time favorite resource. We began using it as Juniors (4th & 5th grade). Three years later, the girls will pick it up and easily plan their meals along with other standbys like walking tacos and foil dinners.

http://www.amazon.com/Scouts-Outdoor-Cookbook-Falcon-Guide/dp/0762740671

Check out the Kelty's that sell at Target. Similar to Coleman but with rain flys that extend all the way to the ground. Online the 4-person is 129.

SquareUp has dropped the +$0.15 so now it is just 2.75% if you swipe. We have the same profit margin as Nike. Forgoing incentives we make $0.60 on a $3.50 box. Looked into it for the troop and actually set it up for the past weekend for someone buying over 4 boxes - girls chose that. But then everyone just got cash back before they came out of the store so we didn't get to try it :-) Actually were able to have a good discussion on how cards aren't free for anyone - there's always a fee that either the cardholder and/or merchant pays. That was eye opening for them. Wouldn't do this with elementary aged kids but a good conversation with middle school and high schoolers.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Wetsuits are a definite. Crystal River Water Sports located near the Day's Inn is taking us snorkling. They were chosen for the sole reason that the Girl Scout Council in West Central Florida uses them, something that makes my troop trip approval go much easier. Kudo - that Rainbow River Drift Dive looks awesome and could definitely be a trip in our future - nice bit of progression, too!

Our troop is heading down to Crystal River, FL over President's Day weekend. The plan includes snorkling with manatees, the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and the Crystal River Archeological State Park. We'll only be there 2 days...anything else we should try to squeeze in or comments/advice on the proposed plan?

TIA

I find myself using bowline knots for something at least once a month. They continually amaze people. A taut line hitch secures our Christmas tree each year thanks to the dd who will crawl under the tree to the corner where the hook is.

Our GS Cadette troop is planning a trip to snorkel with the manatees in Crystal River, FL over President's Day weekend. Besides snorkeling, they want to visit the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. Any reviews on that? Other things they should check out? We'll be down there two full days. Thanks!

How wonderful!

Left the lid lifter @ home by accident and used a masonry hammer that happened to be in the back of the min-van (don't ask!). It actually worked better since it was more snug under the holder and had a long flat part instead of a claw.

Cabin Bluff GA not SC - sorry

kinda random - just shot clays for the first time last week at a corporate outing @ Cabin Bluff, SC. They have a shooting clay course. It was a blast and I can totally see where teenage boys would think this would be an awesome outing. They had me use a 20 gauge and the men use 12 gauge shotguns. Yes, I got the "sissy pad". Two bullets were loaded at a time but I can see where you'd only want a teenager to load one!

ps be kind to calipers....

Welcome, Suzi! I'm in SC also.

Our GSUSA troop has a fair amount of camping gear (15 tents! from modern to ancient round-up ones) that has been collected over the years. It is associated with a local UMC that also charters a BSA troop, both of which have been around many moons. The gear is all targeted towards car camping: tents, cook sets, etc. Asking at a leader get together last night, there have been a few girls over the years interested in backpacking but never enough at one time to run trips. Something to think about though as I'd be willing to take a smaller patrol out if they wanted.

Just got word that my troop received front section FAN passes for the Carrie Underwood concert on the TODAY show next Friday! NBC was wonderful to extend them to the whole troop. I'm too excited to tell the girls and debating how long to keep them in suspense!!! If you happen to be watching next week, maybe they'll be on TV. Too excited!!

Good luck and best wishes! Watch out for pirates and big winds! Maybe you'll find some Scouts there too!

Before my list, please remember that this is a pretty girl-led troop so they do most of the picking and planning ;-) To keep the list manageable, here's our camping/outdoor stuff from this membership year: camped out near an amusement park and participated in an after-hours science event then rode rides then next day; spent the day at a local corn maze; demonstrated dutch oven cooking to Brownies and Daisies; learned how to geocache at a local county park and did a scavenger hunt all over it; participated in a Survivor themed camporee at the GS camp on the other end of council; finished off with a long weekend of hiking and waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest with sister troops. Next up is a lot of "urban hiking" in NYC, a trip they have been planning for the last six months.

As a GSUSA troop leader, I have been disappointed with the most recent round of changes they have done to the program. Many long time leaders are ignoring it the best they can and hoping it will go away while doing the minimum with it for award pre-requisites. They have been steadily dumbing down the Gold Award while simultaneously making it more difficult to achieve in actual hours and scope. The relative consistency of the BSA program makes it very appealing. The girls in our troop, including my dds, benefit from having down time from boys. In the Disney tweeny land they live in it can seem to be boy craziness all the time. The girls that get that way - it's good for them to take a break; the girls that don't - it's good for them to not feel the pressure. So my inclination would be co-ed in elementary school or through fifth grade with the emphasis on family camping. Then would move to single sex, either whole troop or through patrols that do separate outings but maybe joint meeting programs.

lol - now there's an "app for that"

http://animatedknots.com/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

though i'd still recommend learning them. Might be hard to tie a new know in the dark with a dead cell phone battery and no reception bars ;-(

Just back from a week in the Smoky Mountains with dh and the three dds: one newly bridged Brownie and 2 Cadettes. No getting copies of drivers licenses and insurance, no worries about certified lifeguards at every turn (yet still being safe). Just tent camping, box ovens, dutch ovens, hiking, horseback riding, tubing, and rafting. Bliss!

'Course still looking forward to a trip to NYC with the troop next month and had a great sister troop campout (hiking and waterfalls) last month!

Sounds more like a festival weekend at a college during which you choose to pitch a tent to hold down lodging expenses.

Just wanted to share how the USS Yorktown looked at 8 pm Saturday night. A Cub Scout Pack from Durham NC was running around checking out the planes. Local Girl Scouts were dancing with their FROGGS (Father, Relative, or Other Guy/Gal) at an annual ball at the stage area on the main Hanger. The flight deck was a curious mix of Cub Scouts and dressed up Girl Scouts all running about with their escorts as was the line for the Flight Simulator. A pickup truck was filled slam full with donation to the Red Cross for deployed troops. The DJ had the music blaring. All in all it was one big party and a whole lotta fun!

The fave of my Scouts: baked mac n' cheese with peas and chunks of ham in it. They will devour it on a campout. They half cook the noodles ahead of time so that they don't have to boil water.

That chicken recipe sounds awesome!

Two ideas: 1) a scrapbook with pictures of her scouting activities over the years like first Brownie campout, etc. 2) a Lifetime membership to Girl Scouts

Maybe the solution is more activity not less. There could be a scouting season - say in the Fall. Meetings twice a week for 3 hours plus campouts everyother weekend that are mandatory.

Saying this tongue in cheek but this may actually make more sense to some of the troop parents. The slower more relaxed pace and meeting schedule seems to relegate Scouting to the role of third class citizen. Crazy.