HobcawChaos

Check this out: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/gps.html

It could be adapted to do with strings.

My girls still talk about the day they spent letterboxing in the rain and playing softball with mudpuddles for base. They had raingear on and changes of close. It also helped that we happened to be cabin camping that weekend ;-) ummmmm with a washer/dryer (it's the staff cabin in the summer). But they did everything they had planned even before the washer/dryer was discovered. The only thing altered was a hike to the top of a close "mountain" since straight line winds and tornadoes had been forecast. Those never materialized but we stayed close to camp just in case.

There's an App for That. We don't have GPS's specifically but are trying out some of the apps you can download to a GPS enabled phone such as BlackStar on a blackberry. One girl is downloading a different app onto her iPhone. We'll see how they work!

The Lodge website (IMHO the authority on all things cast iron) recommends baking at 350-400 for at least 1 hour.

http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-care-seasoned-cast-iron.asp#3

Way near the coast of Africa, the wind is blowing. Could be a direct hit by a Cat 5 Hurricane.

The Doritos dog collar made me laugh out laugh and the Budweiser bridge was funny. The Who looked like an assited living talent show entry.

One advantage of having a couple of cookbooks around to start with is that you can toss them to your patrols. The books give them ideas to either do the recipe as written (many kids are more comfortable starting that way) or to jump off and create their own as they get more experience. It seems to help move them beyond hot dogs and mac n cheese. Can be an actual book or handouts - no matter.

The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook is well worth the $14 and has lots of dutch oven recipes. Basically anything you can make in a home oven can be done in a dutch oven. Just add coals.

Going out on a limb here....I would not suggest a movie at all. Ask each kids to bring something to do/share on the ride: play cards, read a book, sing songs, play silly face games, look out the window, make paper copies of Bus BINGO, let them just talk.

Some of my favorite times as a leader has been how invisible I get while driving a car. You can learn all kids of things. Some of the Scouts funniests remember when's are things that actually happened during the ride. Kids are really tightly controlled in school where they might mainly know each other. No talking except lunch (maybe) and recess and the bus ride.

Once they get over not being plugged in (what no movie or DS???), they do fine.

If you've visited the USS North Carolina enough, hop on 17 South and visit the USS Yorktown in Charleston. It would be a perfect weekend trip. The Medal of Honor museum is not to be missed and has volunteers from many wars and conflicts. Anytime is good. You may want to visit during Navy Week April 12-18th (http://www.navyweek.org/) or Harborfest June 12-18 (http://www.charlestonmaritimefestival.com/index2.html) when there is even more going on in town.(This message has been edited by HobcawChaos)

As a leader of young Cadette girls (mostly sixth graders aka 12 year olds), I'd be looking for another meeting location. This age girl is just tasting her freedom. They wander around. Even if you're sending buddies to the bathroom...same floor? different floor? locked doors? Who else is meeting in the space when the GS troop is there? I'm not the paranoid type so I'd actually worry about getting complacent. Like someone said it only takes one incident. Empty churches can get kid of cavernous and dark.

If the space that the BS troop uses across the street is available at the meeting day and time, that would be my first choice. It's close and stays with the church but provides physical distance.

PURSUING THAT WOULD BE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS STUDY

I'm too lazy to follow-up on that dumb idea

Duct Tape

Grill to lay over fire pit (when the ones at the campsite are nasty)

It doesn't seem to be that tricky in my area for Girl Scouts. The number is in the phone book. A "Join Us" button is the top of the left nav bar on the GSUSA landing page, which is the top of the Google search list. From there an interested girl or adult enters their zip code which gives them the phone number of their council. At some point they do have to pick up the phone. At council they'll be transferred to the Field Director for their area who will try to find them a troop. This is actually where the problems will start. Many of the troops fill up as fast as they are created. Having enough leaders for interested girls is the biggest difficulty.

That sounds a lot like a "murse", Joey's man purse from Friends. Just don't really see that happening.

In the spirit of offering other ideas after poo-pooing that one....depending on your climate how about a polar fleece scarf? Could either be a no-sew knot project that gives lots of overhand knot practice or if it's really cold then double it over and stitch a seam. The same could go for fleece hats or mittens in an outdoorsy fabric. Another simple sewing project could be a string bag to carry the notebooks and stuff in or a den flag the boys design.

"You supply the uniform, right?"

"The camping trip is Friday AND Saturday night???"

"I don't want to sell cookies and can't afford to pay dues instead"

personal favorite "I don't do deadlines"

NEXT!

My troop really enjoyed letterboxing and it really improved their compass skills. It's also inexpensive and simple for older scouts to set up for younger ones. A local county park does geocaching scavenger hunt days. We're going to give it a try in February and I'll let you know how it goes.

Camping this summer in Pohick Bay, VA, we could hear Taps at 11 pm from Camp Belvue. One of my favorite things that week. It almost had a magical quality for the kids, too. "See the soldiers are going to sleep. Be quiet and go to sleep too. They get up early and will be made if you keep them up."

Awesome story, Buffalo Skipper!

Eagle732, not sure about SMT224's response to #1

Our family vacation was in DC this summer the week of July 4th. My handy green Jansport daypack went everywhere with us except the White House and Capitol. No packs are allowed in the White House (nor are there facilities or lockers) and we had to leave it in the Representative's office at the Capitol. The bag (standard bookbag size) was welcomed and carried through all the Smithsonian museums and the Spy Museum. It contained the usual stuff: camera, snacks, water, first aid kit.....

Don't know about Greenbelt. We camped at Pohick Bay and put valuable in the car. Gear out of site in the tent with no problems other than some squirrels that tried to eat through a marine cooler.

Heard on the radio this morning that the decision has been overturned by the school board. Hurray for common sense prevailing!

At our HS there was a certain corner of the parking lot used by all the guys who hunted in the morning before school. Trucks with big wheels and covered in mud. Shotguns probably still in them. 'Course nobody ever messed with those boys' trucks. They'd kick %^(%&( . They were all sweethearts (BTW i'm a GS not BS ;-) just don't mess with the truck.

The Daisy leader's response was pretty dismissive, and as Nike notes, there is not a set program and multiple resources are available. She may be focusing on petals this year instead with plans to do a Journey next year. She may really not like the Journey material or be having a hard time seeing how to implement it. She may have some patch programs that the girls have expressed an interest in completing. The Service Area (think Pack) that the troop is in might have a lot of service projects and local activities that she is planning to do.

I've never lead the Daisy age group. We were 1st and 2nd year Juniors when the Journey program rolled out. The troop was in the middle of earning their Bronze Award and so did not do a Journey last year. This year we are a mixed troop of 2nd year Juniors and 1st year Cadettes. The Journeys are focused on a single GS level and so this year we won't be doing one either and will instead earn Interest Projects (merit badges) and Junior Badges that correlate to each other and make it easier for me to lead the whole troop together. So - there are plenty of reasons she may not be looking at the Journey.

What plans did she lay out at the parent's meeting? How do you feel about the direction of the troop? How receptive would she be about you leading the Journey portion of the meetings? If all of that's negative, another troop may simply be a better fit.

Hi 2 u! Welcome to the Forum.

Have you asked your GS Council's field director for your area to recommend a troop? She should know the general actities of them and be able to help you find one that suits you better. Some troops are very arts n craftsy while others are outdoorsy and yet others a blend.

Please also remember that at the Daisy age most kids are still using booster seats and outings can be a challenge. The "herding cats" expression comes to mind. Daisy troops do tend to stay in the meeting place and keep visits to around town. There is plenty to see and do in the immediate area for kindergarden and first graders.

By your age, Girl Scout Cadettes, you should be able to find troops that plan activities throughout your region with an eye for national trips as they become seniors. In my Service Area, Cadette troops typically camp nearby and throughout the region, go scuba diving, kayaking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, letterboxing/geocaching, etc. They can also be found going to a cooking store and learning new techniques in a demonstration kitchen, visiting a restaurant behind the scenes, and taking lessons from a pastry chef. My own troop has/is doing all of the above (except the diving and rafting which a friend's troop is up to) in the past 18 months.

There is a hiking/owl-pellet-dissection/camp-skills event for Daisys and Brownies at a local nature center next month. I would also hazard a guess that similarly aged Cub Scouts(Tigers for K-1?) aren't doing much high adventure either.