AnneinMpls

All in Scout uniforms, posed in various contortions of calculating distance, direction, wind speed - use plenty of props: map, compass, astrolabe, stick in the ground, binoculars, etc etc. with the youngest gazing up into the sky.

Inside wording can be Santa and his sleigh oriented, or Star of Bethlehem, depending on what you're going for.

My kiddo and I broke in our new JetBoil GCS following a winter orienteering meet: everybody else was racing to get into their warm cars. Woody and I made a snow table, set up the JetBoil to boil some water. Water was boilign by the time we'd opened the can of tuna and the bag of ramen. Also through in either broccoli or peas..cant remember now.

Fabulous!

Started to eat while the Jetboil made us some very nice hot cocoa.

We were eating within 5 minutes of unlocking the car doors. Could not believe how easy!

Anne in Mpls

CubbingCarol, we'd love to hear an update - how are the joint activities progressing?

Back when I ran an activity center (outreach) GS troop for the council, we did a joint cross-country skiing and cookout event with the BSA troop I was then CC for. Very very fun day - especially when my most girly-girl feigned a sprained ankle so the cute boys would take care of her! Arrgh....really not what I was hoping for (The first aid rendered was first-rate BTW!)

Anne in Mpls

1. Introduce yerself

2. Say a lil something about your involvement in Girl Scouting and any other scouting programs

3. You can include an update on your current Girl Scout program

Welcome everyone!

Anne in Mpls

Welcome!

We have a dedicated GS forum on here as well. I'll reopen the Calling All Girl Scouts thread, and some others.

Anne in Mpls

So, I was reading through an old copy of Seton's Book of Woodcraft that I found at Halfprice Books, and he has a listing of suggested wintertime activities.

I was wondering what updated ideas folks had that were still sortof in that same vein? I think this will be the year we learn to build quinzees - we've got a large grassy spot at our meeting place, and it's looking like it will be a very snowy winter up here. I'd like to see a patrol competition for these. Our meetings are a bit short for fully completing, so I'm thinking the first week we'll get snow mounded up nicely, then do the digging out, etc. on subsequent weeks.

Seton calls November the month of short hikes. I think I might try an "undiscovered country" theme - to uncover the natural areas that are in our urban neighborhood. Seton also suggests studying evergreens during the winter - yup. Easy.

Our city park rents cross-country skis for pretty cheap, and we'll probably volunteer at the Loppet again this year.

Any more ideas? I'm feeling a tad guilty that I havn't done a better job of passing on my love of the outdoors, and since winter looks like it will be a long one this year, I'm thinking I better not waste these months!

Ok, I think we'll also pick up knitting and crochet again.

Anne in Mpls

Tiger dens are supposed to be small:

Tiger gestation:

The gestation period for tigers is 100 days, but ranges from 93 to 111 days. After this time she will give birth to a litter of between 1 and 7 blind cubs, the norm being 2 to 4.

In two extreme cases 7 cubs were recorded as being born in captivity, while a tigress was sighted in the wild with 5 cubs, all of similar age; these may well be record births.

So your tiger den is just fine In fact they're probably better than fine, cause I bet they didn't start off blind

Anne in Mpls

DenZero, thanks for your reply, and sorry to hear of your pack's difficulties.

I would tend to err on the side of too much contact...

Everything I've read about quality unit service seems to point to needing consistent contact over time.

I've revised an ADC reporting form for my own use that tracks contacts throughout the year.

Is it possible your UC is just plain gone? I've been surprised to find that many of the commissioners who welcomed me last spring on no longer listed on the commissioner roster! I thought this group had little turnover..

I do hope you're able to hold onto your charter. If you're not hearing from your UC, put your DE and District Commissioner on notice - you need unit service from someone! You would not be ignored in my area

Blue skies!

Anne in Mpls

LOL! Yes, somewhere between opening this thread and last week, my name was added to the district website as an official ADC.

I'll put my focus on unit service for now and get those communication issues straightened out!

I dont want to lose any more units! If anything we need more units in this area - not fewer - especially because most of the Scoutreach units have gone to meeting during the schoolday.

Thing is, though...feels like our district has just resigned themselves to seeing units dropping off like flies. How do you fix that???

Anne in Mpls

Welcome Jake!

Looking forward to hearing about your Eagle project.

Anne in Mpls

Hi folks,

I know there's a lot going on on the board lately - just was hoping for some more input here.

Steps I've taken so far:

I've been trying to get communication going with the Scoutreach DE - not happening.

I've got families needing a cub pack in the areas where Scoutreach has units - you'd think they'd be wanting to share some info! But no...

I've been trying to get better info on the status of the units I'm serving: now 2 Cub packs, one in a nosedive, the other doing ok, but I've had no contact with them as yet, and three troops, one too small, one about to let charter lapse because all are aging out, and the other noncritical but I've had no contact with that troop yet. These represent three Chartered orgs, all churches - I've not yet had contact with the IHs.

With my pack in a nosedive, the DE has apparently been having conference calls with them and another pack in the neighboring area - DE did not give me a heads up on this. I think this is a problem, no?

All of which points to problems to solve in the area of communication streams - which makes sense, given that we've *had no commissioner service in this area*. If we did, those communication streams would be in place. How frequently should I be in contact with my DC, given that we have at least two units in crisis? How much communication should I be having with the DE - should I know about potential mergers of units across area borders, etc? Should I find out by way of the DC mentioning a "rumor", then getting flak from the unit when I ask? I'm thinking....nah...this is not considered "best practice" What steps do I take to begin correcting course, so I don't get hit in the head as the sail swings around?

It's my understanding that I am the provider of unit service until I'm able to place UCs - is this correct? If so, what is critical to laying a solid groundwork so things flow better for a future UC coming in? Does the unit service monthly plan make sense for units in crisis? What other questions should I be asking?

I think one goal will be to have direct contact with all 3 IHs by the time we recharter.

My next goal is to have unit-level visits (troop meetings and pack meetings) with each unit before recharter.

Comments/suggestions?

Anne in Mpls

Ok, here's my thoughts,

Start small.

Use this as an opportunity to retrain and rebuild the troop, both the boys and the adults.

Pick something less controversial. Perhaps the tents. Tents are expensive, mainly durable over the longterm, and not a likely candidate for someone to argue for throwing them all out.

so, give your SPL the job of inventorying just the tents. Have the SPL make up the checklist of what to assess each tent for. This can probably be done in one troop meeting: Buddy up and each pair of bussies pitches the tent. Then hand out a checklist of what to look for: guy lines, stakes, tight well-sewn seams, cleanliness, any tears or holes, condition of poles, etc.

Put a dollar value on every tent saved from the dumpster. A good inventory includes an estimated value, and this also helps teach the boys and adults.

At a future troop meeting (maybe space this out a bit, a month later may be too soon) come pu with apl an to inventory the patrol boxes. This will take more work: Work one on one with the SPL to get one patrol box in good shape as an example. Then at the troop meeting, the SPL teaches what goes into the patrol box, piece by piece, and when these are best used on site. (Car camping, 3 nights or more. They're just too bulky to mess with for an overnighter. My opinion!)

Make stoves and lanterns a separate project: again, SPL should be able to demonstrate the proper use and care of each type of stove or lantern the troop uses. This is a good time to check that the fuel types are G2SS-compliant, that proper procedures are being taught, etc. And again, buddy up to get stoves and lanterns up and running. Assign dollar values again.

As the inventory gets filled out, keep a running total of the estimated value and announce with fanfare.

Not sure what all else your toop gear consists of: sleeping bags? water containers? Just keep going through it until complete.

The next step in maturity then is to evaluate whether your gear is sufficient for your needs, what needs upgrading or replacing, and what can be passed on to others. (Potential service opportunity here to help a troop in a needy part of town - maybe your troop is crazy with lanterns - got them coming out your ears, cause...no one could find the lanterns when it was time to pack for a trip, so more were bought, so now the troop has 2 dozen...it happens!)

Incremental change can be an easier pill to swallow if you've got stubborn adults to work around

Blue skies!

Anne in Mpls

Thanks for your response

so, if I'm not to hurry to fill UC positions, what is my first order of business?

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls

So, now I'm the acting Asst District Commssioner for North Mpls. (They offered it to me since I've been acting like an ADC, helping get paperwork and communications going with units without UCs...)

So...what's the learning curve like for this job? Unfortunately, I wont be able to attend U of Scouting this month because I'm bringing my GS troop to the Wirth Park Trail Day, to build some more ski trails and bust up some more buckthorn.

I'm working up some names to approach about serving as UCs for these units - but wondering how to go about this, and how do you tell whether a particular person is going to be a good fit for a unit.

I'm also working on a website to coordinate information on all the units in our area, both our district and the scoutreach units. It's like pulling teeth to get info on the scoutreach units! If someone would like to PM me, I'll give you the url to look over and tell me what you think - I'm not really going "live" with it yet.

This is a chunk of the city that hasn't really had commissioner service for at least 20 years. (Hard to believe!! I know...) So I'm building from the ground up and really want to get it right.

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls

The song you mean is "On the Loose"

On the loose to climb a mountain

On the loose where I am free

On the loose to live my life

The way I think my life should be.

For I've only got a moment

And the whole world yet to see

I'll be looking for tomorrow on the loose.

Have you ever watched the sunrise

Turn the sky completely red?

Have you slept beneath the moon and stars,

a pine bough for your bed?

Have you sat and talked with friends

Though a word was never said?

Then you're just like me and

You've been on the loose.

On the loose to climb a mountain...

There's a trail that I'll be hiking

Just to see where it may go

Many places yet to visit

Many people yet to know

So in following my dreams

I will live and I will grow

On a trail that's waiting

Out there on the loose.

On the loose to climb a mountain...

So, in search of love and laughter

I'll be traveling through this land

Never sure of where I'm going

For I haven't any plans.

So in time when you are ready

Come and join me, take my hand,

And together we'll explore life

on the loose

On the loose to climb a mountain...

Hope this helps

Anne in Mpls

Even easier...

We bought two lengths of plastic raingutters with snap-on end pieces - the end pieces have built-in rubber gaskets so nothing leaks. Super cheap, and super easy. To drain, just pour into a bucket. The raingutters dont really hold that much water. Also, they sit flat on a banquet table just fine because they have flat bottoms.

Anne in Mpls

From nuts to certifiable in less than one year...

Another troop in my area has been asking me to sort of stand in as their UC since they don't have one - I helped them get rechartered when there was a signature missing (took me one phone call and a 10 min drive), and they asked me to sit in on a committee meeting where they discussed fall recruiting, etc.

So since I've had contacts with all 3 units in my area, I've been offered the position of ADC and so now I need a whole new set of advice

As far as I can tell, my first and biggest job is to recruit UCs for the units. There are 5 units on the books, but in reality only three. A cub pack went missing this year, and the tiny troop merged into another troop in my area. Still, I want to recruit 3 UC's so they are in place if and when the cub pack and troop resurrect.

Next, I want to increase cooperation and contact among the units on the northside: our 3 units straddle several scoutreach units that may or may not be currently active.

I'm playing with starting up a website for the northside scouting units. PM me if you'd like to take a look and offer comments, as I'm not really publicizing it yet - I've only worked on it for a day or so so far and it's not ready for primetime!

Ok, folks Give it to me straight!

Anne in Mpls

Hey, no reason to bash the person asking the question. The phrasing of the question does point out some areas of misunderstanding, and I think we can sort those out in a cordial manner.

That said, there is a long-standing policy in GSUSA that troop funds, however earned, belong to the troop as a whole, and may not be disbursed to any one girl. Here is the relevant program standard from Safety-Wise:

Program Standard 29:

"...The income from group money-earning activities never becomes the property of individual members - girls or adults...."

Councils have great leverage for setting additional policies as long as they are not in direct conflict with Safety-Wise. So, councils may allow a method of tracking individual monies contributed towards a specific trip or event, with detailed explicit policy of what happens to those funds if not used for the specific trip or event.

A "reimbursement" to the girl is unlikely to have been the agreed-upon policy, as this would be in direct conflict with Safety-wise. It is more likely that such funds would revert to the troop account, or to the council's financial assistance fund, possible with a timeframe specifying that the funds would be held in case the girl returns to the program. In any case, the funds would not be transferred to a separate agency, such as an Explorer Post or Venturing Crew.

Hope this helps to clarify,

Anne in Mpls

I CAMP

I'll preface this by saying that I am mor pro-multiage level than con, but I'll play devil's advocate here

Cons:

You will need to learn more than one set of awards, and know the ins and outs of your council's policies and how they vary from one level to another, and balance this all throughout the year.

You will need to spend time convincing troop parents that it works!

There may be a lack of support from the SU or council if this is not common in your SU or council.

Someone might complain that some age level is getting overlooked when another age level is hitting a critical stage, such as planning for bronze award projects.

It's ok to do some activities apart and some activities together - you'll just have to communicate that to everybody else

Older girls could in theory feel that it's babyish if there are a lot of younger ones, and few older ones - perception is everything for preteens and young teens.

Food for thought

Anne in Mpls

klwf730! Too funny - what a small world! Were you finally able to receive the meal planner I sent you? I noticed one list accepted attachments, and theo ther did not - I think JuniorLeaders did not, and JuniorLeadersOnline did. Let me know I can also private message you from here now too.

Blue skies!

Anne in Mpls

Wow! Too cool - this is the best of scouting, isn't it

Anne

Good morning!

No one has yet mentioned another resource you have: the fabled and mythical Unit Commissioner!

If you do not know who your UC is, ask at your next roundtable. Having someone from the District come out to talk to your Troop Committee or even your parents can help lend credence to your position that these are critical functions. You, as the SM are a familiar face - and are being taken for granted. Afterall, it's all getting done, right? There's no pain for anyone else. But losing good people is a very real possibility aqnd your UC can help - in fact they want to help long before the situation becomes critical. Get them involved sooner rather than later

Anne in Mpls

Hi Joni

Yes, this is a petpeeve of mine as well.

Way back when, some councils were so resource-poor that they only purchased insurance plans that covered 8 or 9 months of the year! I caught heck in the old Peacepipe GS Council - I was assigned to caddy for a Brownie troop and I asked the troop leader if I could come to one of their troop meetings to help the girls get ready for day camp (I taught them buddy system and proper footwear and how to dress, etc.) Well, apparently that troop meeting was not covered by their insurance! Goofy.

So a lot of this shutting down for the summer business might be a hold-over from way way back when.

There are still places around that believe that troops have to spend down every dime in their troop accounts by the end of the school year every year! I dont know where these ideas come from - just bizarre.

Our current council doesn ot have SUM meetings during the summer months, so therefore the SUMs do not schedule SU meetings during the summer - apparently if council has nothing to say, there's no point in meeting! Goofy!!

Keep meeting! It's the best season of the year for Brownie activities!

Anne in Mpls

Kindergarten Wall

(could provoke tearing up! goes well with pics of seeing little ones age from tigers up to Webelos)