Summer Fun Has Just Begun!!!

The final bell has rung, the last textbook has been read, and the teacher has cleared all the assignments off the Smart Board. School is officially out and it’s time to welcome summer in. Kickback, pour yourself a tall glass of sweet lemonade, chill poolside and soak up the sun, because you’ve made it through another successful school year.

Just because school has ended doesn’t mean your Girl Scout fun has to come to an end. Register for a Girl Scout camp. Enjoy the great outdoors, roast some s’mores, meet Girl Scouts from all across our council, and make memories to last a lifetime. You can get a jump start on earning badges or design your own. Check out www.gsusa.org for more details on how to make your own unique badge. Make a “R.A.K.S” list, and try to complete all your “random acts of kindness” by the end of the summer. There are tons of fun Girl Scouting activities to do this summer, just think BIG!

So what is on your summer “to do” list? Travel to faraway lands and immerse into a new culture? Download a page turning mystery that will keep you on your toes? How about start a new hobby? Challenge yourself to do something you have always been interested in, yet never had the time to start, such as trying a new recipe, taking an art class, or learning how to fish. It is always fun to try new things. Invite a friend to try something new with you, the more the merrier!  There are lots of events going on right outside your door like Girl Scouts Day at Wild River Country, Saturday, June 22^nd. Check out other great activities we found going on in your community.

Tell us what you have planned for the summer or suggest other fun activities in your area.

Hope to hear from you soon!!!

 

 

Fun Activities in Your Own Backyard

 

 

What	When	Where	Time	Cost	Details	Contact
Family Network NWA Teddy Bear Picnic	Thurs., June 20th	Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center (Fayetteville, AR)	5:30-7pm	$10	Entertainment by The Kiddos. Kid-friendly box suppers will be provided — along with a mini bear for each child.	Call for more details(479) 927-3659)
Mount Magazine Butterfly Festival	Friday, June 21st-Sat., June 22nd	Logan County Fairgrounds (Fort Smith, AR)	9-5pm Friday, 9-8pm Sat.	Free	Venues include: Art Show & Sale, Photo Contest, Food Vendors, Kids Zone includes Camel Ride, Barrel Train, Petting Zoo, Army National Guard Rock Wall, Live Butterfly Observation, Helicopter Ride, Musical Entertainment	Contact for more info (479)963-2244
Two Dumb Dogs by Edith Weiss.	Thurs., June 20th, Friday, June 21st.	Fowler Center (Jonesboro, AR)	10am & 2pm Thurs., 10am & 7:30pm (Fri.)	$5	Play presented by Arkansas State University’s Summer Children’s Theatre	Contact for more info (870) 972-2037
The Great War Memorial Balloon Race	Fri., June 21st- Sun., June 23rd	War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock, AR)	4pm-10pm (Fri.), 6:30am-10pm (Sat.), 6:30am-3pm (Sun.)	Adults $5  Kids 12 and under FREE	Live music, Hot air balloon rides, food vendors, bean bag toss, inflatable slides, bounce houses, carnival rides	www.greatwarmemorialballoonrace.com
Girl Scouts Day at Wild River Country	Sat., June 22nd	Wild River Country Water Park (Little Rock, AR)	Park hours	Park hours	Enjoy the water slides, the lazy river, and the wave pool	Contact for more info Wild River Country at (501)753-8600

                  

 

 

Dedicated Dad of a Girl Scout

When most people think about Girl Scouts often times they think of girls bonding with other girls, leaders and volunteers all being women, and there being no place for men. It’s been long overdue for us to kick those thoughts out of our head, because many dads play a big part in Girl Scouting. The organization is mostly run by women, but there are also some dads out there who have made their daughters’ girl scouting experience great.

I can remember during cookie season, many dads coming to the church to help load tons of cookies into countless vehicles. Not only were they cookie loaders, but also chauffeurs. Every second and fourth Saturday, I remember my dad taking me to my Girl Scout meeting or a Girl Scout event. My dad wore the hat of a chauffeur, but also a seamstress. He would sew each patch on to my vest year after year; and he never complained when he had to re-sew the patches back on because they were upside down. One of my favorite Girl Scout memories with my dad was the annual father/daughter dance. I can remember my dad opening the door, holding my hand as I walked up the steps, and saying this is the way that you should be treated with respect, just like a queen.

Dads can play such a large part in making a girl’s experience in girl scouting one which will last a lifetime. Thank the guy in your life that has helped make your Girl Scout experience wonderful. Whether a dad, a brother, or an uncle, tell them how much you appreciate them.

What has been your favorite Girl Scout memory with your dad? Share with us!

 

Thanks Dad,

JoNece Carter

Union Service Unit has a "WICKED" good time in New Orleans

The stage is set, the thespians have taken their positions, the curtain rises dramatically- Lights, Camera, Action!!! Thirty four members of the El Dorado Union Service Unit dabbled in the arts this past weekend. They traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana May 31st through June 2nd to see the Broadway musical Wicked at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre.


Wicked is a musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz; its plot begins before and continues after Dorothy's arrival in Oz from Kansas and includes several references to the 1939 film and Baum's novel. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch of the North), who struggle through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace. Winner of 35 major awards and three Tony Awards®, WICKED is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times, 2010).


All the girls were anxious and excited about the trip to see the musical, but for four girls this trip was more than just about going to see Wicked. This was their first time traveling outside the state of Arkansas. Traveling out of state for the first time is fun and adventurous, because you never know what to expect. They experienced traveling with a group of people, while everyone got to submerge in the New Orleans culture. They tasted New Orleans cuisines, experienced the diversity of the arts, and visited the New Orleans French Quarter. Do you remember the first time you traveled to a different state or country?


The hard work these Girl Scouts put into their cookie season helped fund their trip, along with their garage sale. While planning this trip, the girls learned the values of making smart financial choices, the importance of personal communication, and the fundamentals of decision-making. These Girl Scouts will get the opportunity to earn their “Wicked” patch by identifying stereotypes and giving examples of good and evil from the musical. They are also required interview several people who may have encountered bias due to their race, gender, age, or abilities.


Sounds like the  Union Service Unit had a “wicked” good time this weekend! Check out some of their photos from their great weekend. 

The Centenary Journey to Big Sandy

Hi Girl Scouts,

It has been a while since I've had a chance to write. I've been on an amazing two month Centenary Journey. I've made stops to meet up with Girl Scout friends, old and new, in British Columbia in Canada, Scotland, and in the United States: Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri and, of course, Arkansas. Over the next few weeks, I'll share some of the things I did and wish I could hear how your Centenary adventures have progressed.

My 2012 Centenary Map

Many places I visited on this trip were some of my favourite campsites. Camping and outdoor activities have always been a very important part of Girl Scouting. Baden-Powell, Juliette Low's mentor, said it was critical for young people to get away from the pressures of our every-day life and learn to take care of ourselves in a rural environment such as a camp. At camp, we have to take care of our own entertainment, safety and meet our own needs with respect to shelter and food. As youngsters, we don't often get to be in charge of these things...at camp, we do!

Juliette Low's first Girl Scouts didn't camp overnight as much as their British Guide sisters in the beginning. There are several reasons for that but one reason might have been that the Savannah area had some scary wildlife in the woods. Instead, the girls often took nature walks and had outdoor activities like cookouts that gave them some experience at taking care of themselves. Just like you and me, they had favorite places to go for their outdoor adventures. Juliette Low had a shelter built on a piece of woodland property not far from the First Headquarters where the girls could work on outdoor cooking and learning woodcraft.

Girl Scouts cooking outdoors (circa 1917)

Do you have a favorite place to get outdoors with your patrol? A place to have a cookout or overnight camping?

When I visited some Girl Scout friends in my old council in California, we checked out some of our former camping places. Most of them are no longer owned by the Girl Scouts so we had to get special permission to visit. But everyone was very helpful and we shared a lot of our memories with the new owners.

One campsite we visited, however, made us cringe. It must have been the worst campsite in the world! It was called....

BIG SANDY

In 1968, the local Mariner Scouts invited all Cadette troops to come to their annual Gam at their favorite campsite, Big Sandy. Well, we LOVED to camp so signed up to go.

My troop arrived at Big Sandy having never heard of Mariners or Gams. By the end of that camp, we learned a lot and had the best time with our seafaring sisters. We went sailing in the harbor, learned about surviving a shipwreck, first aid at sea, that driftwood made the best art and campfires ever! What we didn't learn was how to avoid getting sand in our food, our sleeping bags, our clothes and EVERYWHERE!!

Trailblazer 

Mariner

Panorama

 DID YOU KNOW: In the old program, Senior Girl Scouts could specialize in an area of interest. Many of their activities focused on that area. There were nine interest areas:

• Trailblazers who liked to camp, backpack and mountaineering,
• Mariners who liked water sports such as sailing and swimming,
• International Friendship who worked with Guides and Scouts around the world and participated in international events
• Wing who were interested in flying
• Mounted units worked with horses
• Arts investigated all manner of expression from Drama to Photography
• Homemakers focused on skills around home and family such as cooking, child care, and home repairs.
• Panorama troops did a bit of everything.

At a 2012 Girl Scout Gam

DID YOU KNOW: A Gam is a social gathering of mariners. Senior Girl Scout troops specialized in seafaring skills like sailing, were called Mariner Scouts. They call their big gatherings were called Gams. Mariner Scouts often competed in sailing races and are often given access to boats of various kinds. There are still groups of Scouts and Guides that specialize in these activities.

On our 2012 Centenary Journey, we visited Big Sandy once again and remembered the challenges and the wonderful time we had. We cooked sandy hot dogs on a driftwood fire and built a small wooden boat with a candle to send out to sea with our thanks to the Mariner friends who shared their own brand of Girl Scouting with us. 

THE BIG SING!

Wow! Girl Scouts! I've just returned from the second of my Centenary Events. The BIG SING in Washington, DC! And, guess what! There were girls from YOUR Council there! They were from Van Buren, Arkansas,With their Leader Madeline Marquette. I never had a chance to meet up with them but I was very pleased to know that they were there among the quarter of a million Girl Scouts who joined us on that VERY hot day.

DC Fire Department provides water fun for the Girl Scouts

That's right! 250,000 Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts now hold several new Guiness World Records:

            1. Largest gathering of Girl Scouts in the world.

            2. Largest Flash Mob to dance.

            3. Largest group sing EVER!

There are several You Tube posts from the event including this one supplied by Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital:  

GSCNC Rocks the Mall!

We met Girl Scouts from across the United States including California, Nevada, Washington, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts. We also had the pleasure of Canadian Girl Guides staying with us.

Can you find us in the picture?

Other great parts of the day included:

A new issue stamp honoring our Centenary entitled 'Celebrate Scouting Forever.' I like that idea!

The Smithsonian opened exhibits and activities for Girl Scouts to explore from home and while visiting the city. (Here is the Smithsonian's link: Girl Scouts Centenary Activities from the Smithsonian Institute

We played in the water courtesy DC Fire Department.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE adventures: Play the online game (with APPS!) to save the future by knowing the past! Agent of Change is a collaboration (joint venture) between the National Archives in Washington, DC, and GSUSA. You can play. too. Get started here: Be an agent of change!

Hard Rock Cafe made lunches for us with an special set of pins designed by girls.

We danced and sang and made new friends!

(Note: Thanks to the Washington Post for many of these pictures.)

Centenary Celebrations

                        Two years ago, I enjoyed participating in the Centenary Celebrations (100th Birthday) of the British Girl Guides.  But in my heart, I continued to look forward to my own American Girl Scout Centenary in 2012.

I’ve picked a few things that I want to do to be part of the Centenary Celebrations and thought I would share them with you:

1. This blog -

When my former Council proposed this idea, I was very excited! What a great way to share the things I’ve learned with my sisters in Guiding and Scouting while reflecting on the journey we’ve travelled as an organization. Sharing this with you kicked off my personal Centenary Celebration and it will close out the year as well.

2. Visit my former Councils -

Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas is first on the list. I hear there is a reunion this summer for participants of the WS/AOK link (West Sussex, England/Arkansas and Oklahoma) established through the legacy Council of Mt Magazine...the link that would eventually lead me to my life in Britain. I am looking forward to attending to meet old friends and new at Kelly Cabin.

Tres Condados legacy Council, now Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast, was where I grew up as a Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Scout. I went to summer camp each year at Camp Tecuya. That is really the place I learned about international sisterhood (we had counsellors join us from other countries every summer), self-reliance, and singing. I look forward to visiting there in August as well.

3. Rock the Mall in Washington, DC -

Nation’s Capital Girl Scout Council sponsored a BIG SING this month. I picked this event to attend because it has grown to international proportions and I wanted to participate in a nation-wide celebration. It will be inter-generational, too, with daughters, mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers who are all Girl Scouts attending together!  AND the songs we will sing- many old and new favorites!

           Did you know that singing was part of the original Laws that Baden-Powell set down for girls?
                                  He wrote, "Scouts whistle and Guides sing!"

If you haven't started your own Centenary Celebrations, start thinking of what you want to do to mark this event. It might include a few of the following:

• Read and share this blog.

• Talk to your mom or grandmother about her experiences with Girl Scouts. See what was the same (new friends, loved camping and singing) and different (wearing dresses to camp, camp uniforms of white shirts and knee socks with flashes).

• Do a meeting on Girl Scout history and dress as different characters from our history.

• With your patrol or troop, try a badge from your mom or your grandmother's handbook.

• Attend a Centenary event in your Council or another Council.

What other ideas can you think of?

What did we do before Our Chalet?

 Greetings Girl Scouts!

Many of us grow up in Girl Scouts knowing that we are a world-wide movement with several international homes we call the World Centers. Visiting the World Centers, we can experience international friendships with other Scouts and Guides. These international Guiding/Scouting homes include Our Chalet in Switzerland, Pax Lodge in England, Our Cabana in Mexico and Sangam in India.  (Do you know which is the newest World Center? It may surprise you)

Our Chalet, Switzerland

Did you know: Our Chalet was the first World Center (1932), a gift to Guides and Scouts around the world from American Girl Scout Helen Storrow. No wonder she was called "a world-minded sort of woman" by English Guider Katherine Furse . Mrs Storrow organized and supported training centers at Foxlease in England and Pine Tree Camp in the United States as well as Our Chalet.

My journey to England started with dreams of visiting a World Center. But what did Guides and Scouts do before there was a World Centre? Where did they go to learn how to be Girl Scouts or Guides?

They went to Foxlease, the first home of Guiding and Scouting. It is in the New Forest area in the south of England.  (Google "Foxlease, Girl Guides" or for a map look at Lyndhurst in the New Forest)

In many ways, we should think of Foxlease as our FIRST World Center.

Princess Margaret House at Foxlease

With Girl Scouting and Guiding growing around the world, more and more members wanted training on skills needed to be a Girl Guide or Girl Scout. Since it all began in England, the world looked to England for training.

In 1922, an American heiress made a generous offer to the Girl Guides.  Ann Archbold Saunderson offered her Georgian manor house and 65 acres of land to the Girl Guides. Princess Mary, the President of the Girl Guides, endowed the property; that is, she gave enough money to support the property so the Girl Guides could afford the upkeep. It became the first international home of Guiding and Girl Scouting.

The first Guider in Charge at Foxlease, Alice Behrens, set out to make Foxlease a beacon to follow for all the Guides and Scouts of the world, a haven and a source of strength. A place for Guides and Girl Scouts to call home. She set its motto: Peace, Vision, and Power...a motto that still stands relevant today.

Our Juliette Low stayed there many times and loved Foxlease dearly. She outfitted a cottage on the property where she and other American leaders stayed when they visited Foxlease. Juliette Low's British Guides called her cottage "The Link" because Juliette Low was the link between the British Guides and their American sisters.

Did You know: At first, the Guides wanted to name The Link after Juliette Low but she said no, wanting something less focused on herself and more focused on her Girl Scouting and Guiding girls. That is when the girls decided it should be called The Link, still in her honor but respecting her wishes to remember the two branches of the Guide/Scout Movement she loved. Today, the cottage is gone but its former site is a campsite on the Foxlease estate. It is surrounded by several American trees transplanted by the American visitors. It is still called The Link.

The patch for the World Camp at Foxlease, 1999

Foxlease continues to be a retreat that welcomes Guides and Scouts from around the world to come for a visit. You can stay in the house or camp out in The Link field. They also offer summer jobs to High School and College aged Guides and Scouts from around the world. This year when I went there for a 4^th of July campout, I met a Girl Scout from Arkansas who was working there as a House Assistant for the summer. We had great fun talking about our homes!

Did you know: Juliette Low, Ann Archbold Saunderson and Helen Storrow weren't the only Americans that supported Foxlease. Senator and Mrs William Clark (Montana) outfitted the Garden Room (now the dining room in Princess Mary House at Foxlease) in honor of their daughter, Andree Clark. The Girl Scouts of Massachusetts have a long, close bond with Foxlease and still sponsor one of the bedrooms (The Massachusetts Room). I understand the Girl Scouts of Texas have recently offered to sponsor a bedroom, as well.

Since 1922, the Girl Guides have offered trainings and events to their sisters around the world at Foxlease. They us offer a place to meet Guides and Scouts from around the world. There have been two World Camps (1922 and 1999) hosted at Foxlease. It has been a shelter for Guide and Scout families and other refugees during the World Wars.  Guides and Scouts from around the world will find they have a home at Foxlease, including Girl Scouts from Arkansans, Oklahomans and Texans like you and me, a place to play, rest and live the history of the Girl Scouts and Guides. C'mon, I'll meet you in The Link field for a campfire.