What do you have planned with your troop for Feb?

Feb will take us swimming to earn the water safety and fun from Virginia Skyline, work on Thinking Day stuff (which we will try to tie into "people of the world" out of the try it book) and ice skating- again from virginia skyline.

I'm looking for ideas. Also do you do stuff over the summer?

ballerina try it requirements

In an effort to really make this blog more helpful to other leaders here are the requirements for the ballerina try it.

Brownie Ballerina Try-It
Girls must complete four of the six requirements to earn this try-it.
1. Take a beginning ballet class – learn how to warm up your muscles and do some simple movements.
2. Find out about dancewear – tights, leotards, character skirts, legwarmers, etc. What is the difference between soft-shoes and pointe shoes and why do dancers need each kind?
3. Learn the five placement positions for your feet in ballet.
4. Learn how dancers come to "attention" (bras bas), and how to hold your hands gracefully when doing ballet.
5. Many ballet terms are French. Learn what to do when someone asks you to plié, relevé, tendu, and cambér.
6. Talk with someone who has taken ballet for a while. What does she enjoy about it? Have her demonstrate some things she has learned. Maybe she can help you earn this try-it.

then to order it call Girl Scouts of Middle Tennesse at (615) 460-0222

I honestly just asked the kids dance teacher if she would do it or if she had an older student/friend who wouldn't mind. She said yes and while she's not requiring a payment I will be paying her because she's taking off work early to come and do this.

ok just to give a little heads up

try its are expensive when you do a bunch of them! LOL yesturday in an effort to catch up on getting try its together and caught up... I got on the phone ordered a total of 36 try its from 4 different councils and the total came to 67.62 yikes ...of course that makes each try it a value of 1.89 which isn't much more then what they cost if I have to drive to the council shop. Where they are 1.25 each plus tax and I don't get reimbursed for travel. So really now that I break that down for me and such its easier and cost effective for me as leader LOL.


I still have 240 + more to order. Today's meeting will add a ballerina one to be ordered. Which really this total isn't bad because we have 21 girls in our troop alone. And then our sub/small group was 4 girls and sometimes when Bella says "I'm bored" on days off I reach into the search engine to find her a try it to earn. Our troop also has decided to focus more on try its rather then fun patches. Though I would like to track down a few fun patches for them.

fyi gymnastics try it requirements

Complete 4 activities

1. Learn the basic safety rules of gymnastics.

a. Be sure to discuss the importance of mats, standard equipment, and spotters.

b. Talk about the importance of working with a trained gymnast or instructor when trying something new.

c. Learn what the proper clothing and footwear are for a gymnast. Consider the dangers of long hair and jewelry when tumbling.

2. Learn about the four gymnastic events used in competition and try a basic move in at least two different areas with the help of a gymnast or coach.

a. Floor Exercise
b. Vault
c. Balance Beam
d. Uneven Bars

3. A gymnast must take care of her body. Discuss the following:

a. Warm up and cool down before and after strenuous exercise.

b. What kind of exercises would help you get into shape?

c. What should she eat and drink?

d. How much rest is important?

4. Make up a short routine, dance or game using music or rhythmic moves. You may create your movements by yourself or with a group.

5. Visit a gymnastic center or school or attend a class, workshop, or gymnastic event. Talk to a gymnastics coach or teacher about why they think gymnastics is a good sport for girls. Talk to girls your age about why they are involved in a class or a gym team.

6. Observe, in person or on television, a gymnastic event. Think about what performance you enjoyed most and why. How did watching the event make you feel? What new things did you learn about gymnastics?



to order this call the Beaver Shop at 724-774-3553 ext. 1504
They also have the Junior badge and Interest patch available. Call and they will email you the requirements.

thought you might like to see Bella's try its on her vest.

Now the issue is that not all of them have been ordered and therefore not recieved and sewn on. So when that happens the front will be completely filled and the back will have them on there as well. Our troop sews fun patches and earned patches onto their tote bags because of space issues.

If you start with the first picture top row, left to right then you will see: cookies count, outdoor adventurer, numbers and shapes, ready, set, go camping, travel right, friends are fun, Michigan
bottom row: bowling, animals, computer smarts, making music, point, click and go, water everywhere, write away, and art to wear.
In picture 2 top row is: my neighborhood, giddy up, 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, wave the flag, girl scout ways
second row: let's pretend, manners, climbing fun, colors and shapes, penny power, around the world, earth is our home
bottom row: make it eat it, eco-explorer, earth and sky, dancercize, caring and sharing, senses, healthy habits.

so as you can see we are still waiting on several dozen try its.

Today my troop (plus a few siblings and a friend)

went to the local gymnastics training center! We earned a council's own gymnastics try it and the girls had a great time! The center was really nice and didn't smell like old gym socks! My camera batteries died not long after we got their however =(

So we went

4 girls, 2 boys and 4 parents. It was a bit crazy and I take the blame there for most of it. I should have gone to cranbrook ahead of time, by myself and mapped out the plan of attack. My lack of familiarity with the exhibits caused a bit of chaos and I'm sorry for that. Part of it is just the nature of things when you have kids and even more with kids who have some special needs.

All in all we had a good time I think. I'm going to sit down and figure out exactly what we earned. There were a few exhibits I didn't expect but because I knew different try its out there that I wanted to do at one point or another I did wing it. So I'll edit this when I figure it out for you all to see.

Here's the list and the council we are getting the try its from:
Dinosaurs- Girl Scouts of DuPage County Council
Climate Change- Virginia Skyline
watersheds and me- Virginia Skyline
cosmic adventurer-Girl Scouts of Rolling Hills
archaeology- Girl Scouts of Central Indiana
let's get diggin'- Girl Scouts of Black Hawk
fossil safari- Girl Scouts of Black Hawk
Our Feathered Friends- Girl Scouts of Black Hawk
Rock On- girl Scouts of Middle Tennesse

I think if we have a follow up meeting with the girls to make a couple of crafts and a building project and eat a few treats then we can add to the list:
Creepy Crawlers- Rolling Hills
Engineering- Girl Scouts of Columbia River
Native American- Girl Scouts of San Diego-Imperial council

So now I will plan out the few odd activities and set a date for them.

I have to say also that I'm all about maximizing events. I figure if I can go the same place and earn more than 1 try it with my daughter then that's great. And a better use of our limited time at this point. There are other occassions when I want to really really focus in on something special for us and that's good to. I am also trying to focus our "small group" on council's own try its rather then the book. While I'm my daughter's troop leader and its easy for me to plan different try its for the girls so there is a variety I dont' want to make it harder for other leaders or on the girls. Afterall how "boring" would it be to earn the same try it on a field trip with our group and also in a meeting. Of course it depends on the try it and again the activites wouldn't necessarily be the same but still... that's like doing 8 things then for each try it and they are kinda little work that hard for those little things. My theory is expose them to TONS of stuff at this stage of life.

the prayers worked...

I got the passes! So in just a little bit we will be heading to the muesum to earn a series of try its. I'll keep you posted on what we actually get done.

The goal is to earn the following:
cosmic adventures
fossil safari
dinosaurs
archaeology
let's get diggin'
watersheds and me
climate change

but that's being really hopeful. This is the first time we are getting this group going so it maybe a little slow going today...but it should be fun. I also haven't taken a tour of the science center in a long time and don't recall exactly what is there... so these were planned by memory and based on what was on their website.

ok say a fast prayer that I can get passes to cranbrook for this afternoon! IF I can and take the "zoo crew" then we are going ot work on some try its and some cub scout stuff for William.

Today brings progress

thanks to our friend Carol making a stop for us... the scouts in my house will be starting their "God and Me" award. Monday I think a few of us are getting together to do some try related work as well ...and then again on Friday afternoon. Seems like alot but Monday the one mom is a nurse and she's going to do some fun first aid- wrap your friend in a bandage type stuff with the gang and then Friday is a trip to Cranbrook Science Center which the kids like. I think the best advice to doing try its on your own wtih your scout is to incorporate them into things you're already doing.


So my advice go to your local science muesum... earn some council's own like "dinosaurs" and "fossil safari". Even better if you live in my area because our local libraries (I don't know about other areas) have a program where you can check out passes to alot of great local muesums.

so as a leader

I'm a little frustrated with one mom in our troop. Its so hard to be a good leader and do something that challanges all the girls but also so that they enjoy it and have fun. I spend TONS of hours finding new and exciting things for the girls to do and learn. And its really frustrating when one person is so vocal about her dislike/distain for everything we do in our group. Do people not realize that I'm a volunteer and I have other things I could be doing with the hours I spend working on scouts and programming. I have a large troop of now 21 girls and this year we've done a few field trips, camping and alot of meetings. We've done community service projects, fall sales (magazines, nuts and calanders) which I ended up being the product manager for and now we are doing cookies for which I'm the cookie mom. I'm tired! My son wants me to do stuff with him! And I have a life. This same mom has failed to do anything she has said she would do which is making me even more angry about it. There is nothing more irritating (or at least things rank up there with it) then me having to run around at the last minute picking up balls other people drop. So now I have to figure out how to handle this ..especially since her daughter is such a sweetheart and we love having her in the group. Anyone got any hints/suggestions?

Another link to share

This is the Black Diamond Council in West Virgina! They have some really interesting try its and have been wonderful on the phone to ask questions of. http://www.bdgsc.org/program_resources/councilsown/

Some good links

A few people have been asking me lately for this info.

Here are just 2 of the various councils that I check out their council's own try its/patch programs. They have alot to offer and that's why they are a great place to get started.
Girl Scouts of Virgina Skyline Council http://www.gsvsc.org/ooc_tryits.htm

Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey http://store.gscsnj.org/store/category/54/196/COUNCIL'S-OWN-EARNED-AWARDS/