AnneinMpls

G'mornin all Just starting to get back in the swing of things after the holiday break... Bob, I definitely agree with you're wanting to get clearer on the data. I'd be interested in how close your numbers are to what Purcelce ended up with, given that there were private responses reported. I also think that Purcelce's analysis may have some merit - "we use it when we need to" to me sounds like, when a smaller troop has new Scouts, then they can put together a new scout patrol. I'm still working out how to fit NSP into the premise that "patrols gather to form a troop" - in the sm

Oh thanks! That's exactly the sort of thing I need for the meeting Another good one is to have a rope/string tied to the dominant wrists (lefthanded or righthanded)of the buddies and then to eat a meal - works if seated across a table so that only one can get a forkful to his mouth at a time. This is neat...first game brings up communication, this one brings up cooperation. Anymore out there?

I bet some of you could rattle off 5 good ones without even taking a breath ) (Meeting's tomorrow and we're getting ready for our first overnight event coming up soon) Anne, scattered in Mpls

Sigh. I know GSUSA missed the boat when the Girl Scout Law was rephrased to "I will do my best..." Current phrasing is as follows, for those who are curious about such things! I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. Somebody even put up a page about the changes in the law over time... http://www.epilogsys.c

Some of the Studio2B stuff is ok for an add-on to program, but if they're truly going to make this *the* older girl program umbrella, GSUSA is no longer going to have an older girl program. Why can't they find a way to do it right? BSA a while back in the 70s made a mistake with program and got back on course. GSUSA got offtrack then too, but never bothered to redirect (although the 5 worlds of interest were pretty good - wish they'd bring that back!) You should have seen the look of disgust on our Cadette's face when she compared her books to what our Junior girls had just received. C

Some of the Studio2B stuff is ok for an add-on to program, but if they're truly going to make this *the* older girl program umbrella, GSUSA is no longer going to have an older girl program. Why can't they find a way to do it right? BSA a while back in the 70s made a mistake with program and got back on course. GSUSA got offtrack then too, but never bothered to redirect (although the 5 worlds of interest were pretty good - wish they'd bring that back!) You should have seen the look of disgust on our Cadette's face when she compared her books to what our Junior girls had just received. C

Ahem.

Hi Alpha - have been wondering how things are going with your troop this year? Blessings! Anne in Mpls

Let's subtitle this one "When you gots sucky patrol members" Going back to Ed and Bob's excellent adventure of sorting out the matrix between good leadership, poor leadership, and negative response and positive response... I think we've all been there where you got a group of just totally bad-attitude-weilding grumpy obnoxious scouts (havn't we??) Even so, good leadership ought to result in results that suck less than bad leadership... In other words, given patrol members that suck, (for whatever reason, temporary or chronic) bad leadership will *not* make things better. So, t

Bob, I agree with you to the best of my ability to do so How do we motivate adults to sit on their hands, so to speak? The temptation is SO GREAT to want to hurry the process and make the troop "look right", to make the patrols efficiently operating units, to generate some demonstrable achievements - badges - names on the Eagle plaque... and I still struggle with this myself - the tension is between how much to let the kids struggle with the problems, or whether to get something up and running that at least shows them what is possible. I came across a website where the Roundtable Commi

There are both legitimate and illergitimate but doable ways to visit Cuba (so I've heard - have not done it myself!) There are certain programs going to Cuba that the State Department classes as "cultural exchange opportunities" or some such animal - these need to be planned carefully, the whole itinerary, etc is submitted to the proper channels and it is scrutinized. There's a certain aim of not benefitting their economy by the travel...I have very little clue beyond this, and my information might be outdated - current administration may have closed this off. I have also heard of folks g

Hi - sounds like you've all been through the wringer! I too have had some encounters with very odd parents making wild accusations. I can definitely understand that it would leave a bad taste in your mouth regarding troop politics, etc. I'm checking in Safety-Wise as I remembered something that might pertain to your predicament with the council: Take a looksee at program standard 20 on page 72. "A group consists of at least 5 girls from more than one family." That to me looks like a definition....if you're getting together with only 2 or 3 other girls, then you're not a "group" accordi

Update... Called mom this morning - she greeted me happily until I asked how her conversation with the daughter had gone - turns out the daughter lied to her mother, saying I had shown up and told her I *found* my wallet in my car. No such thing happened and mom hit the roof so to speak when she discovered she'd been so blatantly lied to. She asked me to stop by after my trip to replace my DL so that's where I'm headed now. I'm praying on all of this, though I'm really kindof at a loss even how to pray...add yours too if you could please. Peace out, Anne in Mpls

This might help on your quest for knowledge "Gnosticism The doctrine of salvation by knowledge. This definition, based on the etymology of the word (gnosis "knowledge", gnostikos, "good at knowing"), is correct as far as it goes, but it gives only one, though perhaps the predominant, characteristic of Gnostic systems of thought. Whereas Judaism and Christianity, and almost all pagan systems, hold that the soul attains its proper end by obedience of mind and will to the Supreme Power, i.e. by faith and works, it is markedly peculiar to Gnosticism that it places the salvation of the soul me

Got home from our 2nd meeting of the new troop we just started up (GS grades 4-8) and discovered my wallet was missing. Now, I had my wallet when I got into the car - I always reach into my purse to dig my keys out from under my wallet, dug into my purse, didn't find my keys, and remembered I had them in my pocket. Got in the car with two girls I was driving (they are sisters - the older one was elected SPL, and the other was elected Treasurer). Dropped the younger one off at her dad's house. Drove over to my friend's house to pick up my daughter - the older girl got out of the car wit

Yes, in my very old handbooks (circa 1920 or so) their neckerchiefs have a kind of Navy flair - ends flying out to the sides a bit. I can see how the slipknot idea would work nicely to keep the ends hanging straight down. Sidenote on the reminder to do a Good Turn - we Girl Scouts have a tradition that upon receiving the membership pin, it is pinned on upside-down and worn that way until the girl has done her first good turn Back in the twenties, the membership pin was pinned onto the square knot of the neckerchief. Does anyone know of a supplier of full square neckerchiefs? Yes,

Guys, help me out here... My *very old* GS handbooks all say to tie the neckerchief in a square knot...what the heck kind of slipknot is used to tie a neckerchief?

Going out on a limb here - son't know how poetry will play with this group, but sometimes a good poem can set just the right tone at campfires or ceremonies... this'un's a favorite of mine Seal Lullaby Rudyard Kipling OH! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us, And black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon, oer the combers, looks downward to find us At rest in the hollows that rustle between. Where billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow; Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease! The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake the

The other thread got me thinking on this. When we designed our own troop "travel" uniform to get out of the horrid lime green things, we made neckerchiefs - big square ones that had to be folded diagonally in half. My friend who had attended a jamboree with the French Eclaireuses taught us to roll them the French way - three girls each holding one point to keep it taut while being rolled. My neckerchief still has the neatest tightest roll to it - wish I still had reason to wear it. I've noticed in many of the older photos of Scouts that the neckerchiefs were usually just gathered up and t

I was just waiting for this forum to get interesting again - kinda like watching a car accident. I wonder how many people get arrested while engaged in normal everyday activities, like brushing their teeth, watching the game on tv, picking up their kids from school.... I can just hear the outcry now..."Does no one hear the cry of the innocent! He was merely flossing! FLOSSING!!! Americans are told to floss their teeth, but a Muslim man flossing his teeth is arrested! Such are the injustices we must bear and you are all blinded sheep with teeth that need flossing." Peace out, Anne i

I guess this particular family just left me feeling really overwhelmed. That in itself is surprising - I've brought Girl Scouting to a lot of similar families in the inner city. One family that I used to pick up from an apt. building in South Mpls had their home show up on a local station's undercover story on drug dealing. They even showed their surveillance tape taken from a building across the street, showing me going in and out of that building every week (lol). Another family I saw on the news when their house burned to the ground - they had been using the stove to heat the home becau

I've been making home visits all weekend to get registration forms done. The family I visited today, this was my third try at getting in touch with the mom. Mom was home today - she registered 6 of her girls in our troops- the other two are too young. Took a long time to get everything done for 6 girls, with the oldest helping to fill out names and addresses then passing them to mom to finish off - national registration, health form, financial aid form - so had plenty of time to take in the surroundings. 2 windows are broken and winter is coming around the corner. All girls dressed in tor

OGE's got it right - GS left ranks behind in the early 60s, rewrote every single badge to have optional requirements, etc. Bronze Silver and Gold awards in Girl Scouting earned by girls in grades 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 respectively do not specify any outdoor skills. They do all require leadership experience and career exploration and community service. Generally speaking, the average girl scout today probably knows how to tie an overhand knot and a square knot, and may have spent a night under a tent. Very likely to have had at least an explanation of campfire safety, may have toasted a mar

If your quesion is concerning how to make the den numbers work most easily, here's a thought. Assuming you don't yet have dens numbered, number your dens in order from oldest to youngest: Web II (or all Webelos if they are all in the same den) - Den 1 Web I - Den 2 Bears - Den 3 Wolves - Den 4 Tigers - Den 5 (Maybe you've got 2 dens worth of Bears...in that case you can do Bear Den 3, Bear Den 4, then Wolves - Den 5, Tigers - Den 6, etc.) The next year, ranks move up, Web 2's age out, so you can then recycle the Den 1 number for that year's Tigers: Web II - Den 2 Web

Scoutmaster vs Asst Scoutmaster immediately triggered in my mind an installment of Spy vs Spy, except wearing campaign hats... I was totally rotflol when you just had to add "positives and negatives" oh my - the illustrations are coming to mind now... sabotaged lashing...poisoned coffee over the campfire...patrols being trained as Ninja... Please forgive me, Anne in Mpls