Follow The Leader

Useful Webpage you will USE!

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 03:11:00 +0000

Ever wonder what badges are out there for each level?

Yes you could pick up your handy Girl Guide hidden beneath mounds of paper on your desk or behind the seat in your car covered by earth-friendly reusable shopping bags OR you could CLICK HERE and save this link to your browser bookmarks. Chances are if you need it today, you will need again in the future. Especially if you are a GS Leader like me, in it for the long haul!

The BEST link is the chart that lists ALL the badges for every single level!
CLICK HERE

2018 Meeting on the Fly!

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 01:41:00 +0000

Let's admit it, we have all had one of those weeks... Kids are busy, appointments all week, laundry from last week's trip and oh my you have to plan for a GS Meeting in 2 days! Ahhhhh!

Take a deep breath! I have found a great solution everyone can use! Take a trip to Dollar Tree by yourself or make it a field trip with your girls. Depends on how much time you need to fill!

Did you know Dollar Tree provides amazing, easy craft videos and... you guessed it the projects are inexpensive which is a bonus when it comes to GS! Next be creative! Skim through the badges you have not earned and see where your project fits. For example,

1. Daisy Making Choices Badge - Let the girls decide on the craft, let them choose the supplies, let them design the craft themselves, let them decide who gets to have the craft (teachers, mom, neighbor...) Link to ALL Dollar Tree Videos

2. Brownie Making Friends Badge - Rosette Balls create and give to nursing home patients. Friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Mingle with the older generation, there is so much to learn from their stories! CLICK HERE for video

3. Junior Social Butterfly - Choose a craft to build with a senior citizen. Dollar Tree has lots of great activities you could do together with a senior. Hurricane Vase Candy Jar Video
Want some Social Butterfly Table Top Ideas CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE

4. Junior Product Designer - Place the girls in teams and have them scour Dollar Tree for supplies to build a product for example a Greeting Card Organizer CLICK HERE

5. Junior Flowers Badge - Create awesome tissue paper flowers to relish for a long time or purchase your vases for floral arranging at dollar tree. This store also sells seasonal seeds to plant as well.
GIANT Tissue Paper Flowers

6. Junior Simple Meals Badge - Dollar Tree has a whole page of recipes, 23 recipes to be exact, that are simple and inexpensive CLICK HERE

7. Junior Jeweler Badge - Let the girls find their own supplies and create a jewelry piece as unique as them. Encourage the girls to be creative, maybe use glass stones, bottle caps, twine, gems, velvet headbands for chokers... the sky is the limit

8. Cadette Babysitter Badge - as part of earning this badge consider taking the girls to Dollar Tree and having them pick a few items to stock their "Mary Poppins" bag. This is a bag full of goodies for all ages that she can use each time she babysits. Kids love to play with new toys and it can often be a life-saving distraction for a new babysitter from rattles to games to toys a new babysitter can be well prepared.

9. Cadette Animal Helper - Donate supplies for a shelter, create care package for newly adopted pets, create unique toys for shelters like buying kitchen towels or oven gloves inserting an empty water bottle and sewing edges or to fuel your own ideas watch Top 10 Dog Hacks

10. Cadette Comparison Shopping - Create list of items that are found at a local grocery store or Target and at the Dollar Tree. Have the girls find the items at Target and add up the prices, have them find the same items at Dollar Tree... what is the price difference. A real-world budget friendly experience!

11. TAKE ACTION Project - Senior Throw a Shower for an underprivileged or struggling single mother or provide supplies and written instructions to shelter so they can throw a shower when necessary. Provide diaper clutches to a local shelter or low-income clinic to provide as a gift to new moms.
CLICK HERE for video

12. Senior Buying Power Badge - Create list of items that are found at a local grocery store or Target and at the Dollar Tree. Have the girls find the items at Target and add up the prices, have them find the same items at Dollar Tree... what is the price difference. A real-world budget friendly experience! Have them interview the manager of both stores and learn about their philosophies, what sells most and who they market too.

13. Senior Womens Health Badge - Have the girls visit an OB/Gyn office to talk with a doctor or nurse practitioner about the common issues they see and treat in teens. Create make-up bags for a shelter. Create posters for a shelter or doctor office on a Womens Health Issue, buy the supplies at Dollar Tree - Foam Board $1
Makeup Bags CLICK HERE

14. Senior Car Care Badge - to supplement this badge consider a car wash and donate the proceeds and spend some of the cash on creating a Car Wash Bucket for each girl, you can purchase everything at Dollar Tree. Sell the buckets as graduation gifts at the car wash for double the price! Set up a table, use paint pens and have the girls personalize decorate the buckets with your high school or college mascots, greek life organization, sports theme etc

15. Dinner Party Ambassador Badge - Purchase food items at Dollar Tree create beautiful table tops using unique Dollar Tree finds CLICK HERE or HERE for a festive look

16. On my Own Ambassador Badge - part of being independently successful is being organized. Take a messy situation in your life whether it be your make-up area, bathroom linens, closet or locker and organize it using Dollar Tree finds CLICK HERE
Eating on a Budget - CLICK HERE

AND MORE....
Wreathes are a great project for any age! CLICK HERE and you can print out directions and supplies.

You cannot escape being a GS Leader and not create a care package for a soldier, a shelter or birthday
CLICK HERE

Camping/Sleepover Fun Activity - Newspaper Nail Art (Cadettes and above)
Frankenstein Nail Art (Brownies & Above)

Have a big troop? You can order a case of any item from Dollar Tree online and have it shipped to the store FREE!

FIND A DOLLAR TREE NEAR YOU: CLICK HERE

BTW I get no kick-backs from Dollar Tree (I wish!) I just love shopping there for GS! With my GS tax-free ID, which they gladly accept, EVERYTHING for my troops is ONLY $1! 12 packages of glitter $12, 8 hammers $8, 10 lip glosses $10... well you have the idea!

box! Dollar Tree is your place to go for Care Package items! CLICK HERE

Senior Locavore Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 05:14:00 +0000

SENIOR LOCAVORE BADGE

Today my Senior girls earned the Locavore Badge. This badge is designed to introduce the girls to the concept of organic and local farm fresh foods. Per the GS River Valley website a "Locavore is someone committed to eating locally grown, seasonal foods. The efforts of locavores can be important and delicious steps toward healthful eating, helping the environment and supporting local farmers." (http://www.girlscoutsrv.org/volunteers/troop-leaders/senior-leaders/senior-planning-guide/ is a fabulous resource for all leaders.)

My troop visited a local farmer's market in Grapevine, TX. (CLICK HERE for website) Prior to the visit we had a discussion about organic foods. I posed several questions:
What does organic mean?
Why choose organic?
What are the advantages to organic?
What are the disadvantages to buying organic foods?
Why would shopping at a farmer's market include organic foods?
What are the benefits of shopping at a local farmer's market?

Here are the resource links I used to help answers these questions:

Difference Between Pico de Gallo vs Salsa

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-salsa-and-pico-de-gallo-230145

10 Reasons to Support Farmers Market

http://www.cuesa.org/learn/10-reasons-support-farmers-markets

What does 'Organic' mean?

http://www.organic.org/home/faq

Next I had the girls shop for the ingredients to make 2 common items: Guacamole and Boiled Omelettes. Every single item was purchased at the farmer's market and used in making our recipes.

Our Shopping List Included:
TX GUACAMOLE

2 large tomatos
1 fresh garlic clove
1onion
cilantro bunch
juice of 1 lime
7 avocados
Chachere's Creole Seasoning

BOLED OMELETTES

2 dozen fresh eggs
fresh bacon
carton of mushrooms
cheddar cheese curds
used guacamole items as well to stuff our omelettes

The girls really enjoyed this badge and loved all the foods they made with freshly grown produce, eggs and bacon from local farmers. Plus, they now know how to make 2 useful meals in college :-)

I have included the recipes:

GUACAMOLE
7 avocados
Pico de Gallo - 1 tomato, half of an onion, garlic, cilantro chopped
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
lime juice to prevent browning (or store in air tight container and fill with water to prevent air from touching guacamole, drain water before serving in the future - will store 3xs longer this way)

BOLIED OMELETTES

Spray baggy with Pam.
Crack 2-3 eggs into a baggy
Add optional ingredients: bacon, onions, cheese, mushrooms,
spinach, tomato... be creative
Use spices if you want more flavor
Mix well
Cook sealed baggy in a full pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. 7. Slide onto a paper plate and enjoy!

Clean up is a breeze. Great for sleepovers and Camp Outs!

Senior Car Care Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 03:10:00 +0000

This was a fun and WORTHWHILE badge for my girls. I contacted the general manager at Auto Zone and asked if he would be willing to share his knowledge of cars with the girls. He was eager and flattered by the opportunity. Dean, was an older gentleman, who has raised two girls himself and he loved the idea of introducing girls to basic car care. He gladly popped the hood of his own vehicle and explained the basics. He was engaging and asked the girls lots of questions, adding a bit of science into the mix, including concepts of friction, heat, valves, axles, pistons condensation, batteries, fluid shifts etc. He held every girls' attention for a full hour. He approached the talk from a fatherly perspective and the girls really appreciated his time, effort and knowledge. Dean discussed safety and quizzed them with scenarios. He also explained the importance of good car maintenance and how this could affect the warranty of a car. I offered him an outline of questions which he basically covered without looking at my sheet. All of this for No Cost, but I insisted he take a $10 McDonald's Gift Card.

Remember leaders don't forget to look in your community for inexpensive ways to earn your badges. There is an Auto Zone or auto parts store in nearly every town, don't be afraid to ask for help. Often times people are excited and enjoy participating. I sent a letter of appreciation to Dean's bosses and encouraged Auto Zone to offer a New Driver's Car Care class. This would be a great service to the community and a super way to advertise.

Most importantly he told the girls if they ever had a light flash on their dashboard they could come to any Auto Zone and the store could diagnosis the problem with their computer program and in most cases fix the problem for them. He advised them not to be intimidated by an auto parts store, he is there to help and just because it is a predominantly male visited store not to be afraid to visit if they ever needed help. I felt this was valuable advice since my Senior Girl Scouts will soon be attending college and on their own.

Prior to Dean' Discussion, my troop met at Mc Donald's next door to Auto Zone. We enjoyed lunch and talked about the importance of insurance and how to choose a first car. To see how much they learned and to hopefully review the wealth of information, I created an online quiz which I am happy to share with leaders.

Here is the link to pass on to your troop members: CLICK HERE

Copy and paste in an email to send to your girls

CLICK HERE to access the answers

Once they enter your email, you will receive all their responses

Notes:

Why Do You Need Car Insurance

Choosing Your First Car

Questions for Car Care Specialist

JUNIOR JEWELER BADGE

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 00:43:00 +0000

My goal when choosing activities is to try and create not only a memorable experience, but a useful end product; something the girls would be proud to give away as a gift or use themselves. Most importantly I love when an activity instills confidence, creativity and cost conscientiousness in the girls. There is nothing I enjoy more than hearing, "I can't believe I made this myself!"

I spent a great deal of time in search of a fun jewelry project ad was thrilled to find 2 on Pinterest which I modified to meet our needs and keep within budget. Kendra Scott jewelry is all the rage in our area, but that comes with a hefty price tag so I knew if I could find a similar craft the girls would love it!

The girls were able to create a Faux Quartz Necklace, which is very similar to the Danay Platinum Crystallized Drusy Earrings and a Glitter Sparkle Necklace, which looks like the Layden Necklace in London Blue Illusion.

FAUX QUARTZ NECKLACE SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Pendant Bezels in any size or shape you like (Hobby Lobby $2.99/each)

Necklace Chain

A variety of metallic fingernail polishes

Mini Glass Mosaic Tiles (Hobby Lobby $3.99 - $5.99)

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (Hobby Lobby $6.49) (A Must for craft, a little goes a long way!)

Toothpick

paper dixie cups

Heavy Duty Zip-Loc Baggie

Hammer

Place mosaic glass tiles in a bag and crush with hammer. You want to strive for a variety of sizes, but not too large. I took care of this step for the girls. I placed a small amount of glass tiles in paper dixie cups for the girls. My parent helpers placed a thin layer of Mod Podge in each bezel. The girls then poured the glass pieces into the bezels. (I did caution them that they were handling glass and to use discretion). Next, they used a toothpick to sort of place the glass as they would like inside the bezel. Then the girls applied one more layer of Mod Podge filling in gaps and sealing the glass in place.

Then we set these aside and worked on the Glitter Sparkle Necklace while the Mod Podge dried.(Ideally I would give this 2-3 hours, but we only had about an hour and it worked fine.)

When we returned to the semi-dried faux quartz bezels, the girls dotted the glass with their favorite combination of metallic fingernail polish using silvers, purples, blues, turquoises and pinks. By far Silver seemed to be the favorite so have a bottle or 2 on hand. I just asked my girls to bring any metallic fingernail polish they had and we had a plenty and a good variety! The end results were STUNNING! And the girls loved them. Be sure and seal the fingernail polish with one last layer of mod podge.

GLITTER SPARKLE NECKLACE SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Round Bezels, any shape will work. (I found at Hobby Lobby 30/$3.99 but these were too small, but cost efficient)

Necklace your choice or yarn, rope etc

Glitter (Dollar Tree has the best glitter for this project) because the colors are nice and in small packages you can pass out and the girls can use individually with as little mess as possible.

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

Toothpicks

coffee straws to blow out bubbles in mod podge

Pass out bezels with a thin layer of mod podge. Have girls sprinkle in 1-3 colors of glitter. Use toothpick to swirl for effect. Add more mod podge to seal. Viola! Amazing results for very little effort. This would be great as a ring or magnet for their lockers too.

Because the projects take a while to dry. My parent helpers cut 2 vertical lines into the side of a dixie cup and placed the bezel in the cup and threaded the necklace chain through the cut lines in the dixie cup so the girls could transport them home.

They all wore them to school the next day and with 30 girls it was definitely a hot topic at school. They were proud of them and their classmates could not believe they made them. These would make wonderful Mother's Day gifts too.

Resource photos:

Cadette Movie Make Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 16:36:00 +0000

Today my Cadettes earned the Movie Maker Badge. I think I have finally learned I don't have to be hands-on all the time! It's hard to make this transition from educator to facilitator. However, I learned today that the girls 'can take the bull by the horns' and in effect run their own meetings. This was great... as I said I facilitated the meeting and then I sat and watched the magic!!!

Movie Maker Badge: To kick off the meeting I had a Senior HS student heavily into the High School Theater Department and involved in movie production. He was the perfect guest because the girls could relate to his age, he was highly qualified on the topic of movie making AND he was cute! A total Bonus at this age! The girls were mesmerized and probably the most attentive I have seen.

Wyatt Hall's video "The making of Frankenstein" was ranked 18th in the Texas UIL contest out of over 700 submitted videos. The girls loved watching his creativity. They watched his short 7 minute video and asked him questions. He explained how he created the scenes and pieced together the different cuts. Then we watched several of his "fun" short clips to give the girls ideas on how to make a fun and entertaining video. Wyatt will attend Chapman College in Orange County in the Fall. He will be majoring in TV production. He hopes to one day create TV sitcoms. You can check out his fun videos on his YouTube page ‘lifesmisadventures' You can choose a few minute videos to show your girls as examples and inspire them. He has a large array of videos to choose from.

Of course this meeting was not without some instruction. I had the girls brainstorm movie and cinematic jobs. We talked about various film shots, story boards and Shot lists and their purpose per the Girl Guide and Badge requirements. Then I tasked them to make both a storyboard and quick shot list and film a short movie using their phones. The challenge was to incorporate a Girl Scout value or topic. They chose Internet Safety. They were given a hour to create the movie and a half hour to edit it. The girls worked great together and included everyone! The movie turned out super and was a funny satire on what otherwise is a very serious topic. However, I think the film is educational, relevant and entertaining for girls their age. The most important thing is that they make an impact and a memorable movie. Finally, we premiered the movie for our parents. And they were quite impressed.

I did catch myself lending suggestions and on several occasions the girls asked me to stop offering advise and I am so glad they did. This was 100% their creativity! Created in 1 hour.

AND NOW PRESENTING TROOP #4036 MOVIE: INTERNET SAFETY.....

Mail Chimp Rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 16:34:00 +0000

What exactly is Mail Chimp? CLICK HERE

An awesome new way to communicate with your troop parents and it is FREE! Whether this service is used for your Service Unit or your personal troops, you will find this electronic newsletter a dream! While creating and hosting a troop website is wonderful, it is time consuming and often under-utilized. Mail Chimp allows you to create professional looking newsletters ABSOLUTELY FREE (I am still shaking my head over this.) If you are familiar with Constant Contact the transition to this free service is pretty simple.

For you techy friends there are a few disadvantages: 1) you cannot attach files, total bummer. I place my files on my website host and point readers to the location using a URL address. For those of you who don't understand what I just said, I suggest you insert a photo of a PDF file or attachment and sum up the flier in the body of the text box.

Another disadvantage: 2) for whatever reason the program does not like gmail addresses. So when you enter the from address and you place a gmail address for contact information (and this must be done) it will flag the system every time and you either "accept the risk" or change it to a different email. I guess gmail has some new security precautions in place that may prevent the newsletter from delivering or being opened by readers.

Finally the program does take some time to learn. It is pretty user friendly, but on occasion you may find yourself scrambling to complete an otherwise simple act like sending the newsletter. It has taken me several times of using the program for it to become intuitive. In other words there can be a learning curve.

The Good News: you can't screw up the program. If you are willing to learn and spend some time by trial and error, you can put together an AWESOME looking email in a matter of minutes. And you will get faster each time you make a newsletter. It's worth the initial investment of time because in the near future you will be able to publish a professional looking newsletter quickly. Plus, you can send to a list of readers instantly without having to enter emails over and over. You can designate groups too. So in my case I have Troop 4005 and all the parent emails as one group, group #2 4036 and group #3 my service unit leaders.

TIP: There is a difference between a "Template" and a "Campaign". This was confusing for me at first. Once you create your 1st newsletter save it as a "Template". Then in the future you can pull up the template erase the unwanted info and add new info and the newsletter will have the same format and look. Each newsletter that you create and SEND is considered a Campaign. These campaigns will be saved in an archive so you can see what you have sent in the past or resend it if necessary.

CLICK HERE is a completed newsletter I recently sent to my Service Unit Leaders recapping our recent service unit meeting. This is a great way to keep your leaders connected and it is easy for leaders to access resources. Hopefully this will fuel ideas for your own troop(s) and service unit.

Cadette Badge: The Science of Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 04:03:00 +0000

Cadette Badge: The Science of Happiness

I will admit initially I was not thrilled about doing this badge. How in the world was I going to present this information and keep the girls interested?

However, there is a website that will change your life! It is one of those hidden gems I never would have found had it not been for the GS Badge. After presenting this information to my girls, I feel I have given them valuable information that will positively impact their life now and into the future.

How many times is your daughter disappointed, sad, not pleased with her body or self image, frustrated, stressed or concentrates on the negative, rather than the positives in her life? Oh my goodness, my daughter is 13 and a basket full of emotions that swings in the wind. One moment she is happy, the next moment she is sad or upset or frustrated. It's hard to watch your child suffer through the mood swings of life, even though it was not long ago and we were in the midst of this childhood chaos ourselves. Hormones, acne, boys, tests, early mornings, late nights, extra-curricular activities... it's a wonder we survived!

My true profession is nursing and although I am not currently working, I know all too often anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications are prescribed to help people manage stress. However, now there is a website designed to teach and promote happiness. A totally different approach to the management of stress and unhappiness. This site tells us what we should already know... we control our own happiness. The site offers skills and encouragement and teaches you the Science behind Happiness.

www.Happify.com

Here you will find everything you need to create a great meeting. The site has stories, videos, suggestions, skills... and more.

So what exactly did I do for my meeting.

1. The girls enjoyed a 30 minute Free Yoga class provided by Ivivvia in our town square which is a large outdoor mall. This company is amazing. It supports the girls in their community by offering free classes, parties, donations, takes photos and promotes active girls and more. The yoga class offered them a positive way to deal with stress, encourages activity and promotes self awareness and positive body image.

2. The girls took a quick GS Quiz and we evaluated and discussed our answers. Girls had some great input.

3. I created notes and passed them out to the girls. We read through each section including:

What isn't Happiness & what is the definition of Happiness
What is stress and how can you turn it into ProStress
5 Skills that will Learn Happiness
Simple Acts to Feel Happier

4. We concentrated on the skill of THANKS & gratitude. We talked about the concept of Random Acts of Kindness and how it can make you feel to be a recipient or a giver. We also discussed the domino affect.

Each girl was given $5. They were tasked to get into groups of 3 girls and do a good deed or random act of kindness. They had one hour to look for an opportunity to positively change someone's day. They were not required to spend the money, in fact they could save it or buy themselves a yogurt or coffee if they could find a way to do a good deed without the money. The girls voted on the best act of kindness that was completed. Here are the acts that the girls managed to complete:

bought a coffee for the person behind them in line
exchanged $1 for nickels and handed to children in commons area to throw into fountain
bought an ice cream for a child
taped $5 to library window with note that said buy a children's book on me
purchased pretty post-its from Barnes and Nobles and wrote 25 positive notes an stuck them on windshields of cars in the parking lot or handed to people walking (GIRLS VOTED THIS #1)
paid a compliment to a stranger
opened a door for a busy mom
listened to a musician, left a tip and told him how talented her was (compliment)
Tipped a bus boy at a restaurant

Girls were asked to write down 3 things they are thankful for in the next week, avoiding the common items like family, home, food, pets, finds etc
Try to identify 3 stressors they encounter in the next week and turn them into pro-stressors
Look for another opportunity for a random act of kindness and evaluate it's effect

To view or print my notes & Quiz and save yourself some time CLICK HERE

Junior Drawing Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 03:06:00 +0000

I had planned to have the girls' art teacher as a guest speaker for this meeting, but unfortunately he had something come up and he could not attend. So I scrambled to get some activities together for the girls. As usual I went to Dollar Tree to get supplies. I picked up a large pack of markers for each girl, a nice fine permanent marker, a pencil and a good eraser, poster board and a sketch pad.

1. Name some different forms of art work that involve drawings?

newspaper comics
cartoons
graffiti
nail art
tattoos

Showed Slideshow

2. I drew a simple cat photo upside down. I wanted the girls to think outside of the box. Prior to the meeting, I used an overhead projector to trace the cat with a pencil on the poster board. When I got to the meeting, I turned the poster board upside down and I used a sharpie to draw the cat. I drew the cat one mark at the time and had the girls copy my marks on their sketch book. When we got to the eyes I had the girls turn their papers upright. The girls immediately recognized the drawing as a cat! It was a fun twist!

3. I read 7 tips to improve their drawing. I asked them a few questions:

What are your favorite things to draw?
What tips can you offer others when drawing?

4. I showed them examples of professional sketches. I asked them a few questions:

What makes the drawings professional in appearance?
What can you learn and use from these examples.

5. We discussed how different paper will affect your drawings:

card stock - heavy weight and smooth
sketch paper - slightly raised
manilla paper
glossy paper - how will it affect drawings

6. We discussed a used various drawing mediums:

overhead projector (many girls had never seen one!)
tracing paper
graphite paper

They were given simple drawings to reproduce free hand or using the above mediums.

7. Girl Created Drawing Portfolio - Folded poster board in half and stapled edges. Girls copied example of graffiti name on the front of their portfolio. They could copy exactly or embellish. I created each girl's name in graffiti print using: http://www.graffiticreator.net

8. Towards the end of the meeting the girls were encouraged to experiment with everything they had learned. Also they could color an adult coloring page. I purchased a set of coloring books for $12.95 from JoAnn's Fabric and I used a 40% off coupon to maximize our savings. (Any craft store carries these new adult coloring books which are very detailed and beautiful when colored.) The sheets were perforated so the girls removed the pages they wanted to color.

9. Each girl went home with her art supplies, drawings, coloring page in her portfolio.

To View or Print any of the materials above please CLICK HERE

Juniors: Social Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 02:47:00 +0000

Junior - Social Butterfly Badge

We obtained the Social Butterfly badge in November prior to Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays. The skills learned in this badge were perfect for the party season.

1. Table Manners - My co-leader and I acted out a lunch date scenario. She told the girls she had invited me over for lunch and the girls had to write down all the improper manners we exhibited. I don't know why the girls like these skits, but for some reason they love watching us be silly. During our skit we acted out the following bad manners:

Picking Food out of my teeth
I started eating before my co-leader sat down
She blew her nose at the table
We talked about potty habits
I spilled my drink and reached across the table to grab her napkin
I commented that the green beans were cold
She removed a green bean from my plate and tasted it
I laughed and spit water out of my mouth
We both spoke with our mouths full of food
I ate as fast as I could, telling her my day is really busy and I barely have time to visit
I gestured with my fork
She fidgeted a lot
I loudly sipped my drink
She opened her purse and began brushing her hair
She placed her elbow on the table and propped her head

I bet you can come up with even more poor table manners. This was really pretty fun, but felt totally unnatural :-) We gave the girl who identified the most poor manners a small prize - Free Sonic slush!

2. Hold a Conversation / Practice being at Ease - After identifying a Winner, we discussed all the poor behaviors. We provided a Bucca di Beppo pasta meal with a salad and bread for the girls for dinner. We asked them to use their good manners which they had learned and we awarded points. We identified 3 girls with the best manners, but awarded all the girls for their effort with dessert :-)
We set conversation starters on the table to give them an idea for good table conversations. They really enjoyed this activity. Examples of conversation starters:

If you could go anywhere in the world , where would you want to travel?
If you could have an old teacher again, who would it be?
What grade level do you miss the most?
What was the most favorite gift you have ever received?
What is the nicest thing you have ever done for another person?
If you could double a class, what class would it be?
If you could eliminate a class in your schedule what would it be?

3. Be Prepared for Special Occasions - Each girl was given a template and shown how to set a formal table. We also included dollar finds from Dollar Tree to allow them to decorate the plate setting. Once the table setting was explained, we grouped girls in 3s and asked them to properly set a table from a random set of dishes and silverware.

Template:

Random Dishes

Proper Placement

Decorated Place Setting

At Dollar Tree I purchased the following items to allow the girls to decorate the table:

snowflake ornaments, glitter tree, glitter ball ornaments, ribbon, holly plate, holly bowl, red glass, silver wine glass, napkin, place mat, holiday scarf, floral items, place card holders etc.

The girls really enjoyed picking and choosing decorative items to decorate the table.

4. Say Thank You - Each girl was asked to write a thank you note for the dinner. We gave each girl a nice piece of card stock and stamps with different color ink and let them design their own cards. Each girl walked away with a "Thank You" stamp provided by the leaders. A Holiday gift placed in pretty cellophane wrap.

Junior Flower Badge by Ginger Forst

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 04:27:00 +0000

Networking is extremely important as a leader. You can get some great ideas talking with other leaders. For this reason I have several ladies I like to brainstorm with over lunch. My go-to-gal is Ginger Forst, she has lots of great ideas to share. She recently completed the Flower Badge with her Junior Troop and I can't wait to use her ideas so I thought I would share them with you too! She was kind enough to submit a Guest Blog Post. ENJOY!

Before the meeting:

In preparation for this badge, I had my girls press flowers at home. We were going to be making bookmarks with pressed flowers. I did find a video on YouTube that showed how to press flowers in the microwave, which was very helpful. This way they can be done in a matter of minutes versus days. I did not have access to a microwave at our meeting location, so having them prepare them at home ahead of time was perfect…plus it got the parents involved too!

Here’s a video https://youtu.be/wGQJPVrgpjc

I also took time prior to the meeting to shop for flowers. The girls were going to make a bouquet for one of the steps. Shop around for the best prices. I was able to get three bunches for $10 at Central Market. Trader Joe’s has great prices too. Select flowers in a variety of shades (for example, I had many different shades of yellow flowers for the girls to choose from) as well as two different colors that would go well together. I chose purple since it was the complimentary color of yellow. Remember to purchase some filler (green leaves). I have a small troop and I still spent a good amount of money on flowers. If you are working on a tight budget, you could suggest that parents donate flowers. Sometimes local nurseries or grocery store flower shops will donate some flowers when you purchase flowers from their store.

You’ll also need:

Vases – I chose to purchase mason jars, but Dollar Tree has a large selection of vases

Ribbon- to tie around vases if desired (Dollar Tree again)

Sachets- Dollar Tree, in the Baby Shower Party favor section- 6 for $1! (see photo)

Dried Flowers- I bought some potpourri at Hobby Lobby and some Lavender from Amazon

Bulbs- I bought a box of hyacinth from Sam’s Club

White Carnations- at least one for each girl

Cardstock- cut into bookmark size, any color you like

A laminator- hopefully you have access to one or packing tape to laminate!

Flower snips/scissors for cutting stems for the arrangements

For the steps:

Uncover the Science of one Flower- I chose to let the girls take home five bulbs to plant for the “Grow your Flower” choice. They were able to choose the bulbs and put them in a baggie, along with photocopied instructions on how to plant them. You could actually have little pots and soil and they could plant them at your meeting.
Look Under the Petals- Dye A Flower using food coloring- Again, this task was to be sent home. I had planned to dye the carnations with the girls at the meeting, but as I researched it, I found out that it can take hours for the carnation to start to change colors! So, they each took a carnation home. I asked them each to send me a photo of their dyed carnation. I also suggested they have an adult split the carnation up the stem with scissors (carefully) and place each half of the stem in different colored water. I won’t tell you what happens, but it’s pretty cool!
Find Out How Flowers Help People- Flowers are Healers- For this, I brought my own essential oil diffuser which I had on for the meeting. I brought about 10 different essential oils for them to smell, along with a print out of common oils from flowers and their uses for them to learn about. Also the girls created potpourri sachets with lavender to place in a drawer at home.
Have Fun with Flowers- Dried Flower Art- The girls glued their dried flowers to bookmarks and laminated them. I also had a hole punch handy along with some scrap ribbon that they could add to the top of their bookmark if they desired. They turned out really cool!
Send a Message in Flower Code- Make an Arrangement- I printed out some “meanings of flowers” to look at with the girls. You can find a lot of them on Pinterest. However, the florist that I spoke to said that not to get too caught up in the “message” of the color and that is really an old fashioned idea. She suggested that if the person that you are giving the flowers to likes it, then that’s all that matters!

I had the girls watch a video about arranging flowers and then they created their own flower arrangement. They turned out beautiful and most importantly the girls loved the hands-on activities.

https://youtu.be/ZrjD5V05xZE

This badge did take quite a bit of prep work, but it was a blast! The girls loved it and so did I!

Getting Volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:39:00 +0000

Girl scout leaders…your calendar is full of awesome, empowering activities for your troop, but to ensure that these activities are a success, you need VOLUNTEERS! You might have already noticed that the same few parents do all of the volunteering; and while you do appreciate the continued help of these die-hards, you know that there is plenty of work to go around; and it’s nice to include other parents in scout life as well. So, whether you still need a Troop First Aider, Cookie Manager, or just some extra chaperones, we’ve put together 5 simple tips to help you get more parent volunteers:

1) Don’t forget to ask.

Once you have your activities scheduled, don’t forget to ask for help. Since most parents have a busy schedule, ask early and get it on their calendars well in advance.

2) Accept help, no matter how small.

While not every parent can commit to a rigorous volunteer schedule, many of them can commit to helping out every once in awhile. Even if your volunteer spots are filled, create a place for them - this will only encourage more volunteering. :)

3) Make it easy to sign up.

Use technology to your advantage and avoid the dreaded “reply all” emails with tools like SimplyCircle. We make signing up for a volunteer commitment as easy as a click of a button. And you know exactly who volunteered for which event!

Thank you to SimplyCircle who generously contributed to this blog post. Streamline your communication with parents visit www.SimplyCircle.com
A GS Leader's Best Friend.

TWITTER

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:36:00 +0000

TWITTER! Follow me on Twitter! Do you want to know when my next post is published? Here is a simple way to be notified!
@FollowtheJrLead

Speaking of Twitter, what is it?

I have been resistant to Twitter. As techno-savvy as I am, I had formulated a bad opinion of the service initially. The first time I signed up for a personal account several years ago, I was asked to follow people and it appeared that I had no alternative, but to check Twitter's suggestions. Then I was attacked with twitter messages that I could care less about. Also Twitter constantly suggested people and groups they thought I would like to follow. I was getting less posts from people I cared about and more posts on who I should follow. Finally, I expected tweets to be delivered directly to me via texts, but this did not happen so I figured I had done something wrong when I signed up.

Recently I gave Twitter another chance because I missed an important real-time announcement my public school tweeted. How can so many people like Twitter and I am so resistant to the service? How can other people find it intuitive and easy and I don't? I can build complicated websites, collect online payments and data and yet I can't seem to understand Twitter. What is wrong with me? Running 3 school websites, blogging and socially marketing events, activities and programs, I decided it was time to let go of my bias. So I did some research. Ughh why is it so complicated to me?

First and foremost Twitter is not a texting service! You will not be updated when you receive a tweet. You must physically enter the Twitter app to view current tweets, respond to tweets and submit tweets. Twitter is not Remind 101, a great texting service that reminds your troops about meetings or keeps your troop(s) aware of local activities. These 2 apps are very different and serve their own purpose. Twitter followers MUST choose to follow you, but you can follow anyone for the most part. There are private messages and closed groups, but for the most part Twitter is designed to share.... EVERYTHING. Some people are narcissist tweeters. They tweet everything... "Just washed my car, cute guy took my money." "Finished packing lunch for girls, homemade sushi." "Just took a shower after 5 days and used new shampoo, it smells great." Say what? You get my point.

So here is my personal synopsis of Twitter... either you like it or you don't. You are either a Twitter Fan or You are Not! Personally I like Facebook if I am going to spend a few minutes browsing, it seems more user friendly. However, I know everyone is different and I know all social media connects. You can connect with people and move them to different forms of media like websites, facebook, twitter, Remind 101, email, Constant Contact and you don't know what other people prefer. In order to reach as many people as possible it is important to use ALL forms of social media to promote the news, your business, your blog, your organization or yourself.

Why use Twitter?

Great uses for businesses:

Advertising

Staying in touch with Customers

Pointing them to other forms of social media

Contests

New releases

Organizations

keep members connected, aware of changes, announce events and awards etc

Personal Use - Microblogging

Similar to Instagram (Adult version) with or without the photos

Facebook for Texting to keep in contact with long distance friends or family

less commitment to text details since you are limited by the number of characters you can text

Job Opportunities

Announce to the world you are seeking a job and many companies post openings

Keep up with News

From school to community to local to national news stay on top of current conditions in real time

Small bits of information, but allows you to research further if it interests you

Weather

Be alerted to bad weather or travel conditions

Tell me about your experience with Twitter. Share with other readers why you like it or don't like it.

Ink, Ink, Ink!

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 02:27:00 +0000

If you are a busy leader like me you probably find it's easier to print out flyers, notes, worksheets, coloring pages, hand-outs, song sheets... you name it, on your personal printer than it is to go to Staples and have it xeroxed! It comes down to convenience and well in my case sometimes... procrastination! However, this bleeds my printer cartridges dry! It feels like I am always replacing my ink! This can be quite an investment over time. I have experimented with various recycling companies and actually settled on Costco for the most part. I liked the fact they simply refill and re-use my old cartridges at a much lower cost than new. However, I have found a new company I know all my followers are going to love so I am anxious to share this tip! Next time try LD Products. The only requirement is you have a little forethought in the process because it does take 3-5 days to receive your shipment. You will find the wait is well worth it and for the price, I will happily purchase more ink when I get low. I got 12 cartridges in total: 4 colors x2 and 4 blacks (2 large and 2 small) for $50!!!! Brand spanking new, all neatly packed in a nice box, vacuum sealed and shipped to my doorstep. 12 cartridges at Costco would have cost me well over $100 and new at Staples probably $150!

Plus this company runs a 10% sale often so you can avoid shipping costs as well. If you need ink now, please use the coupon code SAVE2DAY or SHIP.

http://www.ldproducts.com

Cadettes Comparison Shopping Badge: Wal-Mart Scavenger Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 04:08:00 +0000

It's important to me as the girls age to apply the badges to real world scenarios. I try and introduce them to careers and concepts that will help them in college and beyond. This can be a challenge at times, but well worth the added effort.

Sunday the girls enjoyed a scavenger hunt at Wal-Mart. This idea is not a new one, many student groups and birthday parties have been centered around scavenger hunts at Wal-Mart. I had hoped I could find a fun scavenger hunt online that would entertain the girls, but found most of the ideas online were merely a hunt for miscellaneous items in the store. So I had to invest some time to make this a meaningful event for the girls.

I met the girls in the McDonalds at our local Wal-Mart. They enjoyed lunch while I introduced the topic of Comparison Shopping. We talked about coupons, name brands vs. generic, what items are taxed and for how much, how apps and discount promo codes can benefit the online shopper, ebate sites and unit pricing. This was our first meeting of the year and I felt the troop was a bit apathetic and lethargic. The looks on their faces was "this is going to be boring!" I had to continue to refocus their attention. I reminded them that the information I was providing was truly going to help them on their hunt.

I have 9 Cadettes so I grouped them in teams of 3. I tasked them first with finding a team mascot and sent them out into the store to be creative. The "Onsie Squad" dressed up in adult onesie pajamas and had a store clerk take a photo. The "Get Shrek'd" team took a photo of a video cover with Shrek. And the "Most Awesome Team on Earth" was a photo of a blow up pumpkin. To add a competitive drive to the scavenger hunt I agreed to buy the team completing the most tasks an ice cream cone from McDonald's.

Next, I assigned each team a warm-up exercise which required them to find the lowest price on an item in the store: Motrin, Cheerios, Strawberry Yogurt and Deodorant. This took some thought because these items have lots of brands, choices and prices. The girls had to realize that Motrin can be named Ibuprofen or Advil during their comparison in order to find the best price. And the girls needed to compare spray and roll on deodorant. I did not have the girls collect all the items in a basket, I felt this would be too time consuming and they would have to put it ALL back, so instead the girls were asked to take a picture of the item and the price tag.

Following the warm-up the game officially began. I printed each task on an index card. I gave each team a different task. They needed to complete the task, report back to me for critiquing and then get another card/task. They had an hour and a half to do as many challenges as possible to win.
Each Team was given 1 of 10 real-world scenarios (on an index card) and asked to find the best deal they could, given the budget they were given. Some of the tasks included coupons (paper-clipped to the index card) that they could use if it proved to be the best price (sometimes the coupon was not beneficial). I tried to create scenarios that sent them throughout the store, from one area to another. I also encouraged them to think outside the box and use some of the savvy shopping information I shared with them. They received bonus points if they could figure out what items were taxed and how much it would affect the overall price. Once the team completed the task they had to report back to me and tell me how much they spent and I would critique their finds and make suggestions like: "Did you ever think to look for an inexpensive plastic bowl from kitchenware, rather than a real dog bowl? Would that have been cheaper?" It was really interesting to watch the girls improve with each task. Sometimes I would hand them the card and they would say, "There is no way possible I can buy all this stuff with so little money." And then they would return surprised that they had $10 left over!

I will share one task so you can see how the girls worked:

You have school pictures tomorrow and need the following make-up items, any brand: foundation or concealer, powder, light pink eye shadow, mascara, blue eyeliner and lipstick. Can you buy everything you need for $21? Also your Mom gives you $15 and tells you to buy a hair dryer for her and you can keep the change (if any).

The girls were given 2 coupons on this task: $2 off any Maybelline NY Mascara

$2 off Maybelline NY foundation

The girls found all the make-up items for $18 and change. The cheapest in-store hairdryer they could find was $13.97, but they wanted to save even more. So they found a hairdryer for $9.97 online and said they would plan to have it shipped to the store for free, since the task did not indicate that Mom needed it TODAY. (Ahhhh smart, I like it!) Plus they said if money was not a factor they would go back and upgrade some of their choices and spend all of the left-over cash. :-)

CLICK HERE for Notes

If you download my files please list your troop #, council and state in the comments area. I love for readers to see all the active leaders in the area looking and sharing resources! Also this keeps me inspired to continue updating my posts!

Invisible Thread... for Sewing on Patches.

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 04:19:00 +0000

Those Pesky Patches....

I have offered a helpful hint in the past to use Sewer's Aid to help sew patches on vests. This product is a sewing needle lubricant that helps the needle move through the fabric. I have found it to be particularly useful when working with those pesky iron on patches because as the machine works the friction of the needle produces heat and can activate the glue from the iron-on patch and cause your needle to gum up. This leads to all sorts of problems like breaking of the thread, skipping stitches and bending the needle. Sewer's Aid can be very helpful, but I found I was having to apply the Sewer's Aid with every patch I was sewing on and quite frankly it was a hassle.

One day I was sewing on 20 patches for several girls and the thread was consistently breaking! Just by luck, I decided to try a plastic thread. I had this thread for years and quite honestly have never used it. WOW! This invisible thread was amazing. It can't be seen on the patches and it has the benefit of added durability. I am not sure what this thread is made out of, but it feels like a light weight, plastic fishing line. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

EASY Summer Time Craft: Bleached Bathing Suit Cover-Ups

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:00:00 +0000

I did this craft with 35 Junior Girl Scouts and it was pretty easy for all involved. It does require some adult supervision and help. However, the end result was fascinating for the girls.

I purchased Women sized Faded Glory tanks/cami from Wal-Mart for $1.69 each in a variety of bright colors. They were originally priced $2.97, but had been marked down. What a deal! I mostly bought smalls in the Woman sizes, but picked up a few mediums because I have some larger girls. Remember these tanks are not designed to fit the girls. They should be large and over-sized to wear over their swim suits. If the spaghetti straps tend to fall off their shoulders, I brought ribbon to tie in the back. Next, I filled $0.99 small spray bottles (purchased from Wal-Mart's travel-sized section) with concentrated bleach. Larger spray bottles can be purchased from Dollar Tree for a $1 and although the small bottles were easily handled by the girls, the larger bottles sprayed better. I also purchased 2 big bags of foam sticky stars and letters for about $5/each. I chose stars, but you could also use the flowers with the cut-outs or any design that appeals to you. The craft is pretty self-explanatory, but I will list the directions so you do not overlook any details. In the end this craft cost about $2.50/girl.

Directions: Let the girls choose their tank and spread out on a picnic table, outside!!! This is important. Bleach should not be used indoors for staining and ventilation reasons. You could also do this in the grass or on concrete. I recommend having some cardboard on hand to slide in between the shirt to prevent seepage to the other side of the shirt and to ensure the tank lies flat. Next, I let the girls choose stickers for their shirts and place them anywhere they like. I always try and have an example for the girls to see and often times they just copy my version. The girls took turns using the spray bottles and spraying the tank right over the stickers. I recommend having the girls wear old clothes and plastic gloves, bleach is unforgiving and will stain, has a strong odor and can irritate the skin. Thankfully the girls were very careful and we were able to do this project with no issues. Planning ahead and explaining how bleach works is helpful.

We completed this craft in the evening hours before a sleepover and hung the tanks on hangers to dry overnight. We pulled off the stickers in the morning when the shirts were dry. The girls were so excited about the end result. The bleach caused the navy shirts to turn pink. This was unexpected and fun. I advised them NOT to wear the tanks until they had been washed. I also suggested they wash them separately to avoid getting the bleach on their favorite clothes. However, one of the tanks managed to find it's way into a normal load at my house and it did not affect any of my other clothes, thankfully. I texted a reminder to parents to wash separately, in case the verbal recommendation from the girl did not make it home. :-)

Supplies:
Tanks
Bleach
Spray Bottles
Stickers
plastic gloves
cardboard
hangers

Scribe Junior Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 15:52:00 +0000

In preparation for our BIG Emmy Awards ceremony for earning the Amuse Journey, I decided to tie in the Scribe Badge because I wanted the girls to complete their invitations and write a short speech to thank the guests that attended the ceremony. The girls were asked to write a few sentences about what the Journey or Girl Scouts mean to them and thank those who attended the ceremony on their behalf. They could also include their favorite Amuse activity and why. The speech also offered the girls a great opportunity for public speaking. It is not easy at their age, or any age for that matter, to get up in front of a large group of people and be the center of the attention for a few minutes. I was very proud of my girls at the ceremony. Each and every girl stood up with an air of confidence, spoke loudly and made eye contact with our crowd of nearly 80 people! It was a beaming moment as a leader and a clear indicator that we are molding female leaders of tomorrow. Although we talked a little bit about what to include in the speech and I offered some tips on how to write a successful speech, I wanted to have a meatier experience to earn the scribe badge so we played some word games.

All who have read my blog know I have a large troop and for this reason I have to be a bit creative in managing activities. Often times I create centers, stations or teams to help give every girl a meaningful experience and to help myself and my co-leader and volunteer moms address all the girls' needs. This badge was no different I divided the girls in to 4 team with about 6 girls at each table. Each table was given an activity and then we shared our activities with the group. While I thought all the activities were really fun, "the grass is always greener on the other side" and some girls were disappointed they did not get to do the other activities. If you have a smaller troop yo may be able to allot 15 minutes for each game and play them all.

GAMES:
Traditional Password Game Show - This is an oldie, but goodie! If you can't remember how it is played here is a quick refresher:

Break up the girls into pairs. One player tries to guess a given secret word based on clues offered by his or her partner. The partner can only say one descriptive word and the player must guess the secret word. If the clue-giver inadvertently says part of the word, they lose a turn. In the traditional game shoe the rounds are timed and hen the time is up, the team with the most points wins. In my GS version, the girls just enjoyed trying to figure out each other's secret words based on the descriptive clues given.

My Most Favorite Thing - I handed each girl an index card and an unusual or odd item and asked them to creatively pretend that this is their "Most Favorite Thing". On the index card they needed to write down why this item is their favorite and sell it to the troop. They need to try and be persuasive so everyone will want what they have.

Odd Items:

wooden spatula

lobster claw writing pen

lint roller

pencil sharpener shaped like a tooth

bar of decorative soap

brightly colored knee sock (one)

domino or clothes pin

red dog kong

smooth rocks

anchovies

you have the idea...

Create a Story: This game the girls were given 24 word cards and asked to try and incorporate as many words as they can into a story. They were given specific and totally unrelated verbs, adverbs, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, and persons. The stories they created were pretty funny!

Define It: The girls were given made-up words and asked to create a definition for each of the words. I will share my words, but you can just as easily make up your own.

We ended our meeting by writing down scripts and creating a segment of the news. Each group of girls got a specific part of the news to cover i.e. weather, breaking news, fashion, cooking, sports and transportation. These skits were really cute and the girls had a blast creating them and then acting them.

I am happy to share all of the game cards in pdf format. You simply print out what you need.

CLICK HERE Create a Story

Define Game

My Most Favorite Things

Password Game

Good Luck and have FUN!

Cadettes Wood Work Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:25:00 +0000

OK Leaders.... so I am pretty upscale savvy and good with power tools, but teaching a wood working badge to my Cadettes had me stumped. As usual I scoured the Internet, but I was unable to find any concrete suggestions on how to obtain this badge. I moseyed on over to Pinterest and still could not find much via Girl Scout Boards, but I was able to find some clever ideas to help meet the requirements of this badge. And while I am not certain I met every criteria GS would suggest, my girls had fun and they learned a lot! In my mind that makes this badge worth-while and meaningful.

Discussion 30 minutes
To begin our meeting I posed a few questions to my girls...

Has anyone ever used a power drill? For what?

Drills come in all sizes today and you can use electrical power, battery or re-chargeable batteries

Has anyone hung a picture using something other than tack? What?

What is the most complicated thing you have made? or built?

Have you ever fixed or helped to fix a household item? What? Did you have directions?

At this point I highly encouraged the girls to help the next time Mom or Dad is putting together something in the house that requires directions, i.e. a new entertainment center, large toy for a sibling, swing set, installing a washer. Girls can learn a lot from reading directions, handing tools to Dad and simply watching.

If something breaks in your home, do your parents call a handyman or repair service? Do they attempt to fix it on their own?

I encouraged the girls to try and fix items that break in the household through trial and error, especially if they plan on calling a handyman any ways. They might just get lucky and fix it themselves, building their confidence, saving money and learning a lot in the process.

Where to start? Consider re-purposing or sprucing up existing furniture. How?

I showed the girls some great photos of Furniture Upscaling, simply taking an old piece of furniture in their attic, from a garage sale or thrift store and transforming it into something different and new. You can view my Pinterest Board, "Upscaling Furniture", by searching for my pins Shannan Willman-Needleman

Most importantly I tried to make them realize that in the near future they will move on to college and Mom and Dad will not always be around to help hang a picture and they will not be able to afford brand new, nice furniture, but they can fix things on their own and build things to meet their needs with some simple knowledge and the confidence to try on their own.

Next we talked about some very important safety tips:

Dress appropriately. Do not wear gloves, ties, scarves, loose fitting clothing or jewelry around moving equipment.

Avoid distractions at all times.

Always wear safety equipment such as goggles, face shields, dust masks, and hearing protection appropriate for the type of tool or equipment being used.

Keep the working area and floor clean.

Do not stand in water or use any electrical equipment in the rain.

Be sure all equipment is properly grounded before use.

Always use the correct tools and equipment for the job. Never use a tool or attachment on a machine for which it was not designed.

Before plugging in a machine, make sure the switch is in the OFF position. Keep the power cords away from equipment while operating.

We ended our discussion with a quick Hardware Challenge Worksheet I created and we reviewed some hardware facts. E-Mail me and I am happy to send these pdf files to you.

Opening Activity: 20 minutes

Each girl got a block of wood and was asked to drill in one flathead phillips screw. First they tried to drill in the screw by hand using a phillips screwdriver. Next they attempted to use a small drill, the Black and Decker Gyro. They attempted WITHOUT a pilot hole and struggled. So I taught them how to drill a small pilot hole using a drill bit and then they screwed in 2 screws and REMOVED them.

***The Black & Decker Gyro is one of the niftiest power tools on the market. It is perfect for every hand size and operates with the flick of the wrist. It comes in black and pink as a lady version. And the drill makes a great graduation gift :-)*** It is a nice tool for girls.

In hind sight I probably would have chosen one of these activities below rather than trying to fit in both during our 3 hour, once a month Sunday meeting. Some girls were focused and nearly finished both, others barely got one done. If you have 2 meetings, you might be able to do both. It would be hard to choose one or the other however, the girls really liked both.

Lighted Wooden Letters (1 hour Minimum):
Goal: Girls will learn how to use a power drill and spray paint

I purchased each girl their first name letter from Hobby Lobby ($3.99).
I purchased 20 mini lights battery operated string lights ($3.99)
Additional Supplies:
Spray Paint
Painter's Tape
Staple Gun and Staples (mine was electric, but any heavy duty stapler would suffice)
Power Drill with a 13/64th drill bit (preferably electric, my rechargeable battery power drill lost power after the 4 or 5th letter)

Directions: Have the girls pencil 12-15 dots on the letters evenly spaced and avoid the edges of the letter, so try and have them stay relatively midline

Using the 13/64 bit, drill holes where the girls penciled the dots. Allow the girls to drill the holes, watch closely and offer assistance. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SCRAP PIECE OF WOOD BELOW THE LETTER BECAUSE THE DRILL BIT WILL DRILL THROUGH THE LETTER AND INTO THE SCRAP WOOD.

Next have the girls paint the letter. My daughter chose to use chalkboard paint, some girls created chevrons using painter's tape. I had a variety of spray paint colors. The girls were asked to spray outside in the grass using an old cardboard box. This dries within 15 minutes to touch.

Finally the girls poked the lights through the holes and I stapled the wires into place. I would not let the girls use the electric stapler, but they could probably use a simple heavy duty stapler.

PRESTO! The girl's were mesmerized by the light and the marque-look. They can hang the letters, but I recommend a tripod for display so you can set the relatively heavy battery box next to the letter.

Wood String-Art Elephant (1 hour Minimum):

I really worried the girls might not be able to handle this project, but I was pleasantly surprised. The girls loved hammering and did amazingly well.

Goal: Girls will use hammer, nails and stain

Wooden Plaque from Wal-Mart ($3.49)

Grey String from Wal-Mart (100yards for $1.99, can make 2 or more)

Nails (18gauge, 3/4in length, make sure the nails have a head or the string will pop off)

Tack hammer from Wal-Mart ($2.79)

Stain

Foam Brush

Mechanical Pencil (lead removed)

Elephant Template (printed on simple, white computer paper)

Saw-Tooth Picture Hanger

Stain the wood and remove the excess with a damp cloth (baby wipes). Allow to dry for a few minutes.

Set elephant template on the plaque and place 3 nails on the 3 dots on the template to hold into place. Nails do not have to go in deep, merely a few taps to press the nails in 1/4 of the way. Continue taping in nails every 1cm or less, not too close, not too far away :-)

Once all the nails have been placed, remove the template by simply ripping it off the plaque.

Next, I used an exacto knife to create a small hole in the side of the mechanical pencil and thread the string through the hole and out the tip of the pencil. This step is CRITICAL and was a fantastic Pinterest suggestion. I am not sure the girls could have completed the stringing part without it.

Click here for the Mechanical Pencil Tip: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164029611404843673/

(The only difference I made my hole closer to the tip)

I DID NOT LET THEG IRLS USE THE EXACTO KNIFE. I had these ready for use at the meeting.

Knot the thread onto one nail and begin the stringing part. It is really self explanatory if you look at the picture really well. Tip: Be sure and double wind the string around a nail after every 3-4 nails, this will ensure that the string stays in place. At the end simply double knot the string and trim.

Embellish with gems or sequins near the trunk. We used E-6000 to adhere the sequins.

Turn over plaque and hammer in the saw-tooth hanger.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/164029611404843666/

Here is one of the girl's elephant:

Awesome Right?

CLICK HERE to view all worksheets

UPDATE!!

Recently I completed this activity with my younger Cadette troop. I changed the activity a bit to accommodate for the amount of time we had at our meeting. The girls really loved their personalized monogrammed artwork.

Amazing Race

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 20:12:00 +0000

Last Spring I arranged an Amazing Race for my Cadette Cookie Reward. After sleeping over at the museum, going to Build a Bear, camping, zip-lining and spending the night at Great Wolf Lodge, I ran out of fun and AMAZING things to do for our End of the Year, Cookie Reward Bash. Last year was particularly challenging as the girls have aged and all enjoy different things. The weeks were slipping by and I felt the pressure to find an activity. While browsing different TV channels I came across an old episode of The Amazing Race. Quickly I worked hard to create a really fun and unique event for my girls. This proved to be fairly easy, inexpensive and the girls really love it!

I held this event in our neighborhood Town Square which is a large outdoor mall. I felt this was a safe place with plenty of people, room to roam and lots of businesses to use for the tasks. Creating the objectives was probably the most difficult part of this activity. I scoured the Internet for ideas and pulled some of the best ones. Plus, it my internet search was great fuel to inspire my own ideas. Once I arranged the tasks, I then created tickets, envelopes and obtained all the items needed to play the game.

On the day of the event we met for pizza at the mall and I explained all the rules. The girls were divided into 2 and 3 man teams (based on numbers). Next, each girl was given an Amazing Race T-Shirt.

These were easily made using iron on transfers, a simple black and white "Amazing Race" logo and my printer. I purchased the t-shirts from Michaels in bold neon colors for $3 each, on sale. The t-shirts indentified the teams, kept the girls together and helped us keep track them from a distance. Plus, it was a nice momento for the girls. My daughter wears her shirt as a sleep shirt.

After dinner we walked them to the square, near the fountain, which was the designated meeting area. The girls had 11 clues and they were passed out in different orders, so no teams were doing the same activity at the same time (to the best of our ability). The goal was to complete all the tasks first. Everything must be done as a team, teams could not split up to complete in an attempt to complete the tasks faster, or the team would be disqualified.

Every team was given their 1st clue, inside the envelope the girls had eveything they needed to complete the task. The Post Office donated a few cardboard Priority Mail envelopes that sealed tightly. The girls had to pull a tab to open. this felt really official and kept all the clues hidden and organized. The girls scattered once they received their clues and it was fun to watch them get really excited about winning. They could not wait to move on to the next task.

I purchased gift cards from different stores at the mall as the prizes. I hid the gift cards in their stores' bags and I attached some small visible item from the store like a headband, fingernail polish etc. The 1st team got to choose from the bags and so on. Girls at this age love gift cards! After the game was over, I allowed the girls to spend their cards with their group if they wanted too.

Following our 2 1/2 hour race we went to a movie and then we had a backyard camp out, complete with a midnight swim. My daughter still talks about the event. The race would make a great Birthday Party as well.

I am happy to share any and all my resources for this event including my rules, clues, and t-shirt logos. If you have any questions concerning the race, please e-mail me: GirlScoutLeaderx2@gmail.com

Iron-on Logo: (Printed on 8.5x11" iron transfer paper, then cut in half and applied to t-shirt, remember to reverse print unless your printer does it for you)

INVITES:

RULES:

PRIZES & CHALLENGES:

EXAMPLES of CLUE TICKETS:

ENVELOPES:

****Tip: Provide a map of the mall to each participant or one per a team.

E-mail me and I will provide you with any of the materials above in a pdf format for easy transfer to your computer or to print.

Cadettes: Special Agent Badge

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:07:00 +0000

The Special Agent badge is a truly fun and unique badge which any age can enjoy. As we know gaining the attention of a Cadette or 13 year old teenager is difficult at best, so I cranked it up a gear to make this badge exciting. I invited a Dallas Private Investigator to our meeting and asked him to bring some high tech toys. He was a fabulous guest speaker and once he opened the discussion for questions the girls could not wait to talk with him.

He hit on the topics of forensic science and talked about blood splatter and luminol.

Did you know luminol only allows blood to glow for 30 seconds and every second the blood is exposed to the UV light it degrades, destroying some of the properties of the blood and DNA?

Did you know that teeth are just as reliable at identifying a person as the human fingerprint?

Did you know that you can determine how often, how recent and what drugs have been used by a person from one strand of hair?

Our PI was filled with great and fascinating facts. Did you know every glitter placed in cosmetics, on clothes or crafts are different? Every company that manufactures glitter has to enter their exact dimensions, shape and refractory into a database. Any glitter at a crime scene can be identified.

The girls most enjoyed using all his fun, high tech gadgets like the key fob that was actually a camera. A special photography lens that could take accurate pictures over 50 ft away... in the dark! A pen with a special voice recording device. Sunglasses with special lenses so he could see behind him. A water bottle equipped with a hidden camera.

The PI gave the girls tips on how he follows a suspect in a car. He explained how you should try and drive in their blind spot, time stoplights and drive an inconspicuous, plain vehicle.

He talked about difficult insurance fraud cases where he was staked out in front of houses, sometimes days, waiting for suspects to falter. He talked about interviewing neighbors to get clues about a suspect's reliability or demeanor.

Finally he talked about the importance of fingerprints. He revieewed the different patterns that can identify suspects. He even fingerprinted each girl and allowed them to fingerprint their buddy and then we analyzed the prints.

Once our amazing guest left, the girls were ready to become spies themselves so we discussed the Morse Code. The girls were given a special Morse Code Cheat Sheet which helped them decipher the code in less than a minute. Using a website designed to teach Morse Code the girls identified each letter of the alphabet. http://www.learnmorsecode.com/www1.mp3

Next I created 2 mystery codes using a fun website. I offered a prize for the girls who could crack the code. They really enjoyed this exercise and we learned a lot about the art of secret communication.

http://www.morseresource.com/morse/makemorse.php

FYI: I used Quicktime to record the Morse Code alphabet and secret message and then I e-mailed the audio clip to myself so I could play it on my phone for the girls. You could also burn a CD of the audio clips and play on a computer or CD player. If you don't have access to Quick Time, you could record the audio clip using your voice recorder on your phone as well. I use this feature on my phone quite a bit and not just for voice memos.

My notes for this discussion cover topics in Forensic Science, Fingerprinting and the Morse Code with the 1 Minute Morse Code Cheat Sheet. I am happy to -email them to you: GirlScoutLeaderx2@gmail.com

Selfies: Cadette MEdia Journey

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 03:36:00 +0000

In our continuing effort to earn the Cadette MEdia Badge, I wanted to learn a little more about this new fad... selfies. After researching the term and techniques and talking with the girls I have learned quite a bit!

What is a Selfie?
The art of the selfie is one that lots of people have practiced and perfected in recent years. Seriously, lots. As of press time, more than 31 million Instagram photos have been hashtagged #selfie, and according to a recent study from the Pew Research Center, 91 percent of teens have posted a photo of themselves online. Did you know there is also a Belfie? Say what... it's so unbelievable I will let you Google that term yourself!

First of all there is a proper way to take selfies. There are so many tips on the internet you could read for hours. A brief synopsis: lighting is important, take pictures from different angles, best pictures are usually captured looking down at your face and slightly above the eyes. Many people believe that those girls who take frequent selfies are looking for validation and often have low self esteem or it suggests they have nothing better to do.

Can Selfies be dangerous? Yes if taken often. There is such a thing as too many selfies! Teens are being diagnosed with conditions like Dysmorphic Disorder, where they become obsessed with finding the "perfect" selfie.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/seeking-perfect-selfies-dangerous-obsession/story?id=24966745
Today kids are going to extremes and placing themselves in dangerous situations in an attempt to get a selfie that gains attention. The internet is filled with the "Top 10 Most Dangerous Selfies" from different sources. Teenagers have scaled buildings and bridges thousands of feet high, snapped selfies going at excessive speeds in various moving objects, antagonized wildlife, chased dangerous weather and more incredibly dangerous acts.
http://mashable.com/2013/11/19/dangerous-selfies/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11197725/10-most-dangerous-selfies-ever-taken.html
http://nypost.com/2014/11/07/the-10-most-dangerous-selfies-ever-taken/

Selfie Do's & Don'ts:

DO:

Consider taking photos of a new item like a scarf, shoes, lipstick or food/drink you are enjoying.
Watch for photo bombers who can ruin the perfect photo.
Capture different emotions in the moment. i.e. authentic photos of you laughing during a funny movie are more genuine.
There are many apps out there to improve your selfies by removing blemishes in a photo and adding filters or changing the lighting. Aviary was a favorite of most of the girls in my troop. https://www.aviary.com/

DON'T:

Do Not take a selfie at a funeral, memorial, car accident or any monumental event without permission.
Don take a selfie while driving!
Don't bombard friends with Selfies, some people do not like or appreciate them.
Be aware selfies can sometimes identify your location.
Avoid using mirrors which can sometimes capture inappropriate angles or views.
Don't post comments you would like like getting yourself. Be considerate of others.
Avoid Wildlife Photos. Let them be.

The U.S. Forest Service has issued a statement that people should keep away from wildlife especially bears!

http://mashable.com/2014/10/27/bear-selfies/

If you would like a copy of my notes for this discussion, email me: GirlScoutLeaderx2@gmail.com

Cadette MEdia Journey: Logo Fun

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 23:23:00 +0000

Recently my Cadettes started the MEdia Journey. Much like the Netiquette Badge this Journey is right up their alley and really appeals to the teen crowd. They love talking about all things techy and I have found I have learned a lot from the girls' savvy knowledge.

In our discussion of how social media can impact your life, you can't escape the fact that social media is a great avenue for advertising and marketing. There are so many ways to advertise today and one of the most effective ways is an easily recognizable logo. I asked the girls to give a definition of a Logo?

LOGO - is considered the "face" of a company. It is a symbol that is immediately recognizable. And it sums up a simple visual on what the company stands for.

Then I asked the girls what they thought they should consider when making an "effective" logo.

Today, there are many considerations when developing a logo. The logo must be easily displayed across multiple mediums including print for magazines, neon signs, to internet uses. So we spent an entire day talking about logos. We talked about what makes a logo easily identifiable with a brand. To help the girls understand how important logos can be, I developed several puzzles and games to test their logo knowledge. Many of the girls were surprised to find that they know far more logos than they thought from the most common logo like the McDonald's arches to recognizing the "e" in Google.

E Logo Quiz - CLICK HERE

ABC Logo Game - CLICK HERE

Store Logo Game - CLICK HERE

Which Car? CLICK HERE

Another fun activity would be to play the Logo Game which you can purchase from Wal-Mart for under $20.

Next, we discussed the 6 most common persuasion techniques and read the job description of an "Advertising Copywriter" in the GS MEdia Journey. We also read about the term "Advergaming" in the Journey. I asked the girls to give examples of companies that use games to market their products. One girl suggested Webkinz which is a perfect example of using games to help advertise and attract customers, but there are many examples today.

Finally, we recognized that media often overlaps, and it is advantageous to advertise across multiple media platforms. Often times these platforms reach out and connect or draw people in from different backgrounds and experience. For instance, the older generation might not use Facebook, but they probably use Goggle where people can advertise. Or not every person visits Etsy, but they may find a product or recognize a logo on Pinterest. If people see a logo across many social media tools then it only widens their awareness.

I had a marketing representative from our school district come and talk to the girls about our "Dragon" logo. Here in the Southlake Carroll school district the Dragon is a great source of pride and is trademarked. This is possible and cost effective because we have only one high school, therefore every school within the school district shares the Dragon mascot logo. That means, if you buy a Dragon t-shirt in elementary, it can be worn for many years and to various functions from a varsity football game to an elementary field trip. The school district decided to trademark or patent the Dragon logo to "brand" our school district and create revenue for the schools. We learned quite a bit about the logo, it's history, when the logo can be used and who can use it. We also learned that similar logos have been created that have infringed on other logos and this can create problems for businesses and schools. One school in Florida tried to use the Dodge Ram as their logo and Dodge sent the school a letter of infringement and asked them not to use the logo to protect their own Dodge brand. Typically 2 out of 3 characteristics must be different in order to use a logo. Take the USC logo for example:

Southlake Carroll attempted to use a similar logo and USC sent a letter of infringement. The school district thought simply changing the colors would prevent infringement. However, in order to adhere to the 2 out of 3 characteristics stipulation, we must change the color and the font or the place the letters connect in order to use the logo. Basically our school district decided it was not worth the controversy so they stopped producing products with the interlocking "SC". Today we only use the Dragon logo.

At the end of our meeting the girls developed their "own" logo. They could market themselves as is the case of singers or bands or they could market a product with their name like perfume. I showed them my examples and they went to town creating fun , unique and eye catching logos using all the knowledge and tips they learned from our meeting.

Feel free to use my notes to help start your discussions:

CLICK HERE

If you are unable to access Dropbox, simply e-mail me and I will send you all this information in pdf format: girlscoutleaderx2@gmail.com

Cadette MEdia Badge: Inventions

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 05:19:00 +0000

As discussed in the MEdia Journey social media is a great avenue for marketing and advertising. The world of social media has increased the possibility of getting an invention or new product into the hands of a very captive audience. This past week we talked about inventions and what it takes to create a great new concept, system or product. First, we reviewed the top ten inventions ever made. Then we talked about what makes an invention successful and some of the pitfalls that lead to failure. Next, we talked about whether it was important to patent an invention. In an upcoming field trip we will visit a patent attorney at his office where he will share the patent process with the girls.

For leaders it is hard to believe that You Tube, Facebook, Pinterest and Etsy to name a few can have such a large impact on advertising. This new form of communication has allowed some people and products to gain instant notoriety. Ask the girls what social media tools are available to advertise and why some might be better than others.
We watched an episode of "Shark Tank" which really helped the girls understand that new inventions and products require capital or start-up money and how to "pitch" your product.
Send a Ball - Female Sisters that began sending balls in the mail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOZFm4gJDGM

What is the definition of an invention?

Webster Dictionary: An “original”device or process

Invention is the creation of a NEW device, process or product

We talked about a girl their age who started a million dollar company:

Inventor your age:

Maddie Bradshaw a 5th grader couldn’t find any fun magnets to decorate her locker. Her uncle gave her a bag of bottle caps and she got an idea to glue a picture inside one and attach a magnet. Soon friends wanted them for their lockers. Next she made necklaces for her friends for Birthday gifts.

Maddie will soon be going to college and she is a millionaire. She is the owner, along with her younger sister Margot and her mom, of the company M3 Girl Designs. They sell many Snap Caps® products across the United States to young girls who want to have some fun. Snap Caps® can be worn as necklaces, bracelets, in hairpins, on ribbons and picture frames. Now that Maddie is older, she has designed a new line of jewelry for teenaged girls called Spark of Life™.

What I love about Maddie is that she believes in sharing her success with others. She has written a book called “You Can Start a Business. Too!”. Who knows, maybe you have an idea percolating away in your brain and the book can help you to become a millionaire!

What does “Creating” an invention involve?

Creativity

Vision

Observation

Analyzing

Identifying Problems

Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Following a Process

Implementation

Patience

Top 10 inventions:
Telephone Computers

Automobile

Cotton gin

Camera

Steam Engine

Sewing Machine

Light Bulb

Penicillin

Top 10 ways you can fail as an inventor:

Fail to record your inventing progress in a journal or log book

You can’t earn money from an “idea” you must create a prototype and market your product.

Avoid hiring one company to promote or build your invention

Do an “Invention Assessment” determine the likelihood it will succeed. Don’t sell your house to invest in a dream.

Don’t reveal your invention too soon

Conduct a search for prior art, determine whether someone has developed your idea.

Patent vs Not to Patent - some argue patents take too much time & are too expensive & are rarely profitable ex. of successful product without a patent: Rubik’s Cube

Avoiding bad patents. This legal document protects your idea, the better the patent documentation the more protection your patent will produce.

Often times inventors can be a little quirky. Appearance and professionalism is important in promoting your invention

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: when trying to sell or license your invention you should select at least 20-30 buyers.Important Female Inventors

We also talked about how important research can be you don't want to spend time and money on an invention that is already being marketed. I once thought I had created a great tool for pulling elastic through a hem. I used a piccolo tuning rod and attached a safety pin and then ran the safety pin through the elastic. I have used this for years and it is super helpful so my daughters told me I should market it.

A quick internet search led to disappointment when I found out the product already exists:
It is called a Bodkin

I created some FUN Trivia Sheets as handouts:
Toy Invention Mix & Match
Inventors Trivia Fun
If you would like a copy of my notes to help guide your discussion CLICK HERE

Finally I showed the girls my invention I created:
The ALL in one Washer/Dryer which saves space, time and money. Once the wash cycle is complete the washer empties and then the dryer turns on. (Why hasn't this been invented?)

The girls then had to create their own invention. They were given a scratch sheet of paper for their rough draft and a shiny brochure piece of paper for their final project. They used markers and sharpies to complete this project. We hope to show these to the patent attorney for his opinion on their success.
The girls created the following:

Sneakers that released bubbles as you walk
Beds created into objects like dinosaurs and unicorns
An assembly line of cooking items that slice, blend and cook foods
A high Heel shoe that you can flatten the heel so your shoe can be worn as flats or as an heel

*** If for any reason you are unable to view or download my notes and trivia, simply e-mail me at GirlScoutLeaderx2@gmail.com and I will send the files via e-mail

MEdia

noreply@blogger.com (LeaderMsShannan) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 15:15:00 +0000

Howdy and I am BACK! After a nice long summer and avoiding the computer as much as I can, I finally kicked off the year. My oldest daughter is now in Middle School, quite the transition. And our service unit thought it was a grand idea to have a camp out this 3rd weekend of school! It was FUN, but taxing and required a great deal of planning and coordination! All of this kept me quite BUSY! So what do I have in store for my girls this year....

Anyone doing the Cadette MEdia Journey this year? Well we are and I think it is going to be a lot of fun based on my girls response to the Netiquette Badge last year. This is their world - MEdia. They are inundated with technology and this is a time for leaders to get a grasp on their reality and possibly make a big impact on how MEdia influences their lives. So I have created a fun calendar for the girls and you are welcome to mirror or swipe some of my ideas.

As the girls have aged crafts and meetings are less enticing to the older girls, but we still have to have meetings to educate, remind the girls about the GS values, address general business and complete our Silver Award. In order to mix it up and maintain their interest I have scheduled a field trip every other meeting.

My first meeting of the year I introduced the MEdia Journey and we talked briefly about the Journey. I included these topics:

Definition of Media
I had a poster board and allowed the girls to write down different forms of media in marker, from TV to bus signs to billboards to facebook, all the different forms of MEdia.
Then we talked about how much they think media affects or influences them?
I asked them have they ever watched TV and wanted a product from a commercial they probably did not need?
We then viewed several "As Seen on TV" infomercials and the girls immediately wanted the Wubble Bubble and Squeezy Freezy! Then we watched YouTube Reviews of these products to find out if they really do what they say they will do. Finally the girls LOVED watching a segment of the Ellen Show where she talked about the crazy products she bought late at night.

Wubble Bubble:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbiOHXGC-tc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFMQcQtzmsk
Squeezy Freezy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtU6entV0Rc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAcT82nAfZk
Ellen Show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPruPDhXas4

I also posed these questions:

How much does media influence your life on the weekends, Summer, at school?

How much do you surf the web, watch internet videos or TV, go to the movies, browse on your phone, listen to pandora, download music, visit Instagram

Ask yourself these questions:

How many texts did you receive in the past week?

When you take a trip on a plane or in a car, what is your 1st inclination? To talk to your family, observe people and surroundings? Watch overhead video? Grab your phone or tablet?

School is cancelled because of snow? Do you dress warmly and run outside to enjoy the snow? Curl up on your bed with a real book? Watch a rented movie? Retreat to your room for a day of online chatting with your friends? Develop a new Pinterest Board?

How much TV do watch on the weekends? Too busy with sports, I have certain shows I record and like to watch, I watch anything and everything, I sleep with the TV on

Pg 15 Selena Gomez

If you were a celebrity and could use your notoriety to do good, what cause or organization would you want to donate your time or money?

Can you believe black & white TV was once the cool new thing! Imagine how quickly new things are discovered and invented.

What things have been invented during your lifetime?

The 1st cell phone used in 1984 weighed 2lbs, measured 13in long and 3in wide and cost $4000

In 2007 the first e-reader was introduced and changed the way books are read, bought, carried and shared

Later these 2 things were combined

When it comes to media, what updates are you grateful for? What has inspired, entertained

or has educated you?

The next meeting we went on a field trip to Design Werks here in Southlake, TX. This is a company built from the ground up by an innovative man named, Jeff Nicodemus. He developed the company that uses vinyl to wrap and advertise cars. Mr. Nicodemus was fabulous with the girls. He was inspirational and enthusiastic and showed the girls everything about his company from editing photos to designing the car wraps to choosing the vinyl, printing the vinyl and cutting the vinyl and then finally the actual application. It was probably the most interesting field trip to date, my daughter said she LOVED it. This was a great way to show the girls how advertising affects them and how it can be applied.

http://www.designwerksonline.com/

Next we have a field trip scheduled to Day Star Radio, a newspaper office where they plan to feature our girls Silver Award in a story for the newspaper. We will walk through the process of creating a story from photos to writing the article to publishing. I have a patent attorney and logo graphics guy coming to talk to the girls at a meeting.

The girls will create their own infomercial, logo and product too.