AnneinMpls

UncleGuinea, thanks for your help!

I seasoned a brand new dutch oven in my oven last night - it'll be nowhere near as good as a well-loved old d.o. but I figure since the pie is going into its own piepan the newness of the oven won't matter so much. Unc, you mention using bottlecaps - does it matter how much space you give it underneath? The d.o. I bought is 5" deep. Do we want to get the pie in about the middle of the depth of the oven, or does it not really matter?

A couple more specific questions:

How do you know when it's better to go ahead and *bury* the oven for a particular recipe? S.P.P. takes a good hour to bake - would there be any advantage to burying it?

Regarding the whole - "diameter plus 3 coals on top, minus 3 on the bottom" - does it *really* matter? I was of the "make a hot fire, shovel a bunch of embers and coals over under and around, leave it alone till it smells good" school. There's a few of these types still around, but the vast majority are now counting out their briquets.

With the long baking time, should we cover the edge of the pie crust with foil once it's browned?

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls (Yha, I know...midwest, and we're baking sweet potato pie...)

Wow...have we got you stumped?

25 people have read this request for help, and nary a one has replied!

I've been rummaging through the web for about 18 hours straight, and still havn't found a single reference to anyone making a sweet potato pie in a dutch oven - could this be history in the making? Stay tuned!

Sometimes it looks as if there aren't any of us around, but if you open the GS forum, and select "show all topics posted in the last year" we can keep some of these good conversations going, ok? I'll try to pop in more regularly as well.

Just an update: The Junior troop I started last year has finally hit its stride though still not as strong in numbers as I would like. We lost some of our more difficult members over the summer to out of state moves, leaving us with a troop mostly composed of girls who bridged up from the Brownie troop I had founded 5 years ago. This troop continues to bridge girls to our troop, and we are seeing really good results! We've now got that critical mass of girls who believe in the real fun of scouting so it's rubbing off on the new girls that join us. We also continue to be IMHO the coolest funnest and most diverse group of girls in Scouting.

For the first time in decades, our service unit has a troop attending the council-wide traditional encampment - Prairie Flower - and - it's our troop

We have two full patrols attending. Last night one patrol decided to boost their menu by adding sweet potato pie - I'm seeing an awesome entry in the camp Cook-off - wish us luck and fair weather!

Peace!

Anne in Mpls

Hi folks

One of my patrols wants to make a sweet potato pie at camp. We're thinking (guessing!) Dutch Oven. Any tips or tried and true recipes? We've got a couple good family recipes but not tested in a camp and dutch oven situation.

Thankee!

http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/brownie/computer_smarts.asp lists the requirements for the Computer Smarts Try-it. The final requirement suggests:

7. Computers at Play

Play an online game or answer a poll or quiz on the Girls Only Web site.

http://www.gogirlsonly.org/ is the official GS Girls Only website.

The Point Click Go Try-it has the following req:

6. Talk Time

Some computers are linked by telephone line or satellite so people can send messages to each other. Go online with an adult and send messages to other girls using computers. Many online services provide safe places for kids to talk to each other. Ask your adult helper about times when you can do this together.

OR

Use a computer to learn more about Girl Scouts in other places. Try visiting:

International Girl Scouting: World Thinking Day Tour

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Web site

OR

Visit an Internet site with information about a hobby, ideas for a Brownie Girl Scout meeting, or homework help.

From what I can tell, these req's may have been updated to provide safer alternatives to online chat.

BTW, this weekend is the official weekend for the Thinking Day Chat on the Scoutlink IRC servers for those of you who are familiar with Internet Relay Chat. Go to this page for a quick overview of how to get started:

http://www.geocities.com/trefoilchat/newcomer.htm

In terms of IRC, Scoutlink runs a pretty tight ship.

Pax et bonum!

Anne in Mpls

Interestingly,

"Amazing Grace" can be sung to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun"....

Anne, humming in Mpls

Eamonn, I feel for you, Buddy!

I'm still recovering from a stupid stupid neck injury, and drafty cold is the worst.

I'd switch out the long underwear for silk. I've ever liked the "feel" of long underwear, but with a silk turtleneck life is good.

I also really love Merino wool - very little bulk, nice cushy feel.

Around here they sell gloves and mittens lined with Thinsulate. Very little bulk, very warm. Warmer than polarfleece.

Peace out,

Anne in Mpls

Yupper, beans are very easy to start, and are't nearly as prone to damping off. (Herbs in general are terrible with damping off - I would't recommend them as an introduction to gardening unless using starter plants.)

Glass jars are very easy to use for getting the bean seeds sprouting: Dampen some papertowelling, roll it up qand let it unroll up against the sides inside the jar, and slip the seeds between the papertowel and the side of the jar. Darkness also helps - just put the jar away in a kitchen cupboard for a few days. Check on em every day, moisten the towelling as needed.

But beans also grow very very easily just pushed into a pot of soil - it's more like what kids "think of" as "planting something", but then you dont get to watch the roots develop.

Pumpkin seeds also grow quite easily.

With kids, you need something successful and with quick results.

Repotting starter plants is always a winner - decorate the pots for gifts or centerpieces.

Bean plants grow fast and they get tall. You can literally see them grow overnight.

Sprouting carrot tops or potatoes are fun - pop them with toothpicks in water.

My favorite is to plant wheat or rye in shallow pans. It sprouts fast, looks like a lil miniature grassy lawn - you can create lil scenes in it with toy soldiers, lego or playmobile, and it's a wonderful treat for housecats to nibble.

Peace out,

Anne in Mpls

I just thought of....

Venturions

Ok, ok, how bout Venture Scouters? Venturing Scouters?

For the alumni:

Ventured.

Hey while I'm at it, I should let folks know that the ceremony for girls moving up from Juniors is no longer called bridging - it's called jumping the shark. You can plan your own jumping the shark ceremony: just scatter toy sharks across the area where you would used to have placed the small wooden bridge. Waterskis are optional.

(Since I've resigned as a coucil trainer, I can be as tongue-in-cheek as I wanna be now)

Anne in Mpls

This is always an area of confusion

"Flying up" refers only specifically to moving from Brownies to the next level (which is currently called Juniors - used to be called Intermediates a long time ago).

It is called "flying up" because it is when Brownies receive their Brownie Wings.

Brownie Wings are not an earned award. It is an old tradition that everybody objected to being dropped

More recently, bridging awards have been instituted in which girls complete a series of activities that prepare them for the next program level. So a bridging ceremony symbolically celebrates both the movement from one program level to the next, *and* the earned awards if any.

It is important to remember that not every girl will necessarily earn the bridging award but their continuing on to the next level is still celebrated.

It sounds like you are planning this ceremony for your entire Service Unit, which would generally mean several different troops of all different program levels. So there may be Daisies bridging to Brownies, Brownies bridging *and flying up* to Juniors, Juniors bridging to *whatever they're calling it where you are*. Currently because of the S2B debacle, the official program level is now called Girl Scouts 11-17. There used to be two separate program levels, Cadettes (jr high) and Seniors (high school age). The bridging award for Cadettes moving up to Seniors is still available as far as I know, so that might be part of the bridging ceremony you will plan, also.

Hope this helps!!!

Anne in Mpls

Hi Eamonn,

As Unc said, you can't blame yourself.

There's also a lot of....well, I'll call it psychic energy for want of a better term, and in hopes folks dont start thinking I'm much more odd than I really actually am...

I can imagine this situation with the pack resonating quite strongly for you, given what you've shared about the demise of your troop across the pond. It might be helpful just to sit back and say, ayup. Once you can bring that to the fore, it takes some of the wind out of its sails - that stuff that makes you feel more of the blame than you ought.

The other piece is, this is *highly likely* to happen to you repeatedly, given that you are probably well up there in the top 2-3% of folks who give of themselves for scouting - that means 97, 98% of the folks to come after are just simply not going to have that same level of commitment or skill or knowledge or availability.

Sounds like you're working a good plan to assist the pack get back on its feet again. Obviously, the more you can work within the given structures and support the persons in those roles the better. I could see a temptation to do too much, which wouldn't be good for you or the pack. (By the way, were't you just healing up from back surgery? Hope you're feeling all better!)

Pax et bonum,

Anne in Mpls

Welcome queenj

Can you tell us more about why your daughter would rather be a Juliette? At least in our Council, Juliettes are welcome at all the same events that are open to members who are troop members. And girls can always work on recognitions on their own. Just curious? Glad to have you on board!

Anne in Mpls

We had an "acting" unofficial bugler in our CIT unit up at Camp Ruby Lake. Ruby Lake was a fabulous camp on leased state property operated by the Greater Mpls GSC just outside Bovey, MN. Across the lake was a BSA camp. No contact with them other than occasionally seeing their canoes out at the other end of the lake. They had a bugler that played taps each night. Well, it evolved over the summer, that our bugler and their bugler began performing taps each evening echoing line by line. Pretty neat

Very cool! Thanks for the tips!

I'm also looking for ways of presenting specific outdoor skills within the theme. For instance, just about any really cool lashing project would work well within the Robin Hood theme, from catapults to tree swings.

I can also see doing simple leather work to make pouches for carrying home loot (chocolate coins for prizes) and found treasures.

Any more ideas?

We've begun work on our 2nd annual day camp. The name of our camp is Lockslea and we'll be able to offer archery, so we're toying with a Robin Hood theme.

I'm in need of a really fun involved all-camp activity/wide game - sortof along the "capture the flag" variety of activity. Any ideas?

Thanks!!

Maid Marion of Mpls

BrownieMom - sorry I never replied till now! Life got very very busy for a while there and once a topic goes inactive it's out of sight out of mind!

We'd love to hear updates from folks, and get to know the new ones who've found their way here!

Our Junior Troop is finally hitting its stride, though it's smaller than I would like. We have some more 3rd graders bridging this year and we might have enough then to get two patrols restarted.

I dropped my role as a council trainer as life was just too full and it was getting very hard to justify the time commitment when as trainers we are afforded very little respect from our council staff. I'm still serving in our Service Unit as the orientation specialist and that has been a real eye-opener! This is a tough job!! I like the challenge though and can see real progress in it.

So let's hear from you

Anne in Mpls

Yha, that was my thinking too, plus the fact that the Lands End stuff is specifically "casual uniform", plus Lads End has now added several other "unofficial items" which include nice jackets, polo shirts in many extra colors, etc. which they will embroider with the GS logo. So I think I see some good possibilities here. I certainly would not suggest putting a whole troop in the official adult dress uniforms that are in the GS catalog.

Peace,

Anne in Mpls

Just a thought here...

Since S2Bers can choose their own uniform, could they choose components from the adult unis at Lands End? Seems like advisors and girls in the same uniform would better represent the relationship advisors and girls in Studio2B ought to have.

Comments?

Anne in Mpls

Would BALOO training be helpful to this committee?

The other thing to realize is that the troop belongs to your chartering organization - usually a church or faith community, sometimes a community organization or school. This chartering organization is who makes the decision whether or not they have a troop. Find out who your CO is and strengthen your troop's relationship with it

Peace and all good,

Anne in Mpls

Hi Joni

You sound a *lot* like me - idealistically able to see how things ought to be and frustrated by the slow-on-the-uptake of the vast minions

You've also shown that you are very resourceful - I want to make a suggestion in how you present your information. (My intention is not to criticize but offer something that might increase your effectiveness)

It sounds from your post that you have a supportive CC "who CAN be taught!". Right now, you've got a bunch of parents who need to quickly learn the proper troop structure. *Because of that*, I would suggest you post your resources *only to the CC* and allow that person to pass the information along to the others. This way, you don't accidentally undermine the very process of learning the new structure that you're trying to help implement.

You may find that your role needs to be one of subtle finesse right now. Perhaps go to the troop meetings to kibbutz with the moms, be one of those who "suddenly remembers" there's great coffee in the other room, perhaps bring something yummy along just for the parents that you need to set up by the coffee pot and "oh Mrs Overinvolved - could you come with me? I wanted to ask you about blahblah but I need to get this into the other room..."

Sometimes pushing too hard just drives the level of conflict up without achieving much else. Give it time - it sounds like growth is happening - you just cant rush it.

Peace out,

Anne in Mpls

Ok....but I'm on the rubbermaid website and I cant find anything with wheels...

Can someone post a webpage or a model no.?

Hey folks - I've been ruminating on the patrol box issue too for some time and I've decided to set aside my romantic notions of the old wooden patrol box.

What's your preferred brand and model for store-bought? Rubbermaid comes to mind but there are a lot of other products out there. Just wondering if anyone's come across the be-all-end-all solution