Just a few reminders...

Hi Families,

Thanks for bringing your Guides to Bushtukah last week! It seemed that they enjoyed the demonstrations. Also, the headlamps (flashlights you strap to your head) were a big hit if you are looking for a neat birthday or Christmas gift idea :)

Please see below for a few reminders:

If you wish to place a Guide Store order, please let us know by Thursday November 26. (www.thegirlguidestore.ca )

December 3: We are doing our dance badge with the 2^nd Riverside South Brownies at St. Jerome School. This meeting will be held in the gym from 6pm to 7:30pm (please note time change!)

December 4: Les Petits Ballet show at Centrepointe for those who have bought tickets (details to follow; Guides will need to arrange transportation to and from Centrepointe).

December 5: For those participating in the Manotick parade, we will meet at the Manotick arena at 12:30. As per usual, we will have the Millar’s farm wagon. Please let me know this week if your Guide plans to attend (if you have not already done so).

Looking for a helper on December 10: it looks like we will be short a couple of leaders on December 10. Are there any moms willing to come help us for the evening? We will be decorating cupcakes for the Ottawa Mission. Thank you in advance!

Pathfinder Camp, January 8 to 10: a reminder to 3^rd years (girls in grade 6) to let Julie Mowat know this evening if they would like to attend the Pathfinder camp at Camp Woolsey.  

Thank you!

Jen

Nov. 12 meeting and other reminders

Hi Families,


Just a quick reminder that the Guides are encouraged to wear their uniforms to school on Remembrance Day.


And thanks to all of you for your generous donations last week for Elimu and Operation Christmas Child. We were able to give both groups sizeable donations.


At this week's meeting, we are working on Christmas cards for Seniors and Valentine's for Vets. It is time to get creative!


Next week (Nov. 19) we are going to Bushtukah on Richmond Rd. for a field trip (http://shop.bushtukah.com/). Details will follow later this week.


Looking for Christmas ideas for your Guide? If you would like to order something from the Guide Store, Lisa is placing an order on November 26. Other good gift ideas are stuff sacks (water proof bags for lugging camping gear), flashlights, sleeping bags, a compass, a thermorest mattress, a small first aid kit, a mug with a lid for hot chocolate or a small camping pillow.


And speaking of Christmas, if your Guide is interested in participating in the Manotick Parade on Saturday December 5, please let Jen know.


That's all for now. See you soon!
Jen

Halloween reminder and upcoming events

Hi Families,

Just a reminder that we are having our Halloween party this week! The Guides are invited to wear costumes if they like (no weapons, etc. please). Please also bring a reusable mug for hot chocolate.

Our Nov. 5 meeting will be dedicated to our Global Challenge badge work. We will first have a representative from Elimu to talk with the girls about its school initiatives in Kenya (see: http://www.elimu.ca). As part of this visit we will be collecting donations for the school, a list of which can be found below. Our visitor will also have handmade beaded keychains for sale that evening ($5 each), if anyone is interested. Proceeds will go to the Charity. 

 

That evening we will also have the Guides put together some boxes for Operation Christmas Child (see:  http://samaritanspurse.ca/operation-christmas-child.aspx ). Any items you may have to donate to the boxes would also be welcome. The Guides loved packing the boxes last year!

**Donated items accepted for Elimu (children aged 6 to 20)
- Donations for Elimu's children's home:

Regular HB pencils (rather than dollar store ones)

Coloured pencil crayons all types

Card games (like uno or go fish)

Puzzles

Cotton underwear, girls size 10-12-14 (any colour)

Toothbrushes - adult size (not kid size) – please no toothpaste

- For Elimu's sewing school:

Loose matched or mismatched buttons

zippers

hook and eyes

snap closures, etc.

** Items accepted for Operation Christmas Child: http://samaritanspurse.ca/rss/operation-christmas-child/get-involved/operation-christmas-child-packing-your-shoe-boxes.aspx

Also– we have tentatively booked a trip to Bushtukah for Nov. 19. Details to follow.
 

Thanks once again for all of your support, and see you Thursday!

Jen
 

Plants and Animals, Ecology and Baxter's reminder

Hi Families,

First of all, THANK YOU for doing such an awesome job selling cookies! We only have a case or two left out of 70. You are fantastic! Your efforts will help fund some great activities for our Unit this year and have put us well on the way to earning the Cookie All Star badge again.

This week’s meeting will cover #2, #5 and #6 of the Plants & Animals badge and parts #1 and #3 of the Ecology badge. For those Guides attending the Baxter’s event this weekend, we will finish up these badges there. For Guides not attending the event but still wishing to complete the badge(s), please see one of the leaders and we will talk to you about what can be done at home to finish them up.

 

Also, please check your email - I have resent the kit list for Baxter’s as a reminder of what to bring. We are going to be outside all day, so please dress for the weather! The address for the park is 498 Carter Road, Kars. For parents just dropping off/picking up, you do not need to pay for parking. 

 

Coming up:

 

Oct 29 – Halloween Party! Guides are invited to wear Halloween costumes. If they have ideas for Halloween crafts/swaps, please send them to me by the weekend.

 

Nov 5 – Chat with Elimu representative (Global Challenge badge work – details to follow)

 

Nov 12 – Valentines for Veterans and Christmas cards for Seniors

Nov 19 – Trip to Bushtukah to learn about camping gear, etc. (details to follow)

Thanks and see you Thursday!

Jen

Enrolment and Baxter's reminder

Hi Families,

Just a reminder that enrolment for our new Guides is this week! Families are welcome to join us for the ceremony starting at 7:30.


Also, forms and payment are due this week if your Guide is planning to come to Baxter's on Oct 25.


Thank you!
Jen

Cookie selling Thursday Oct 8, Afternoon at Baxter's Conservation Area

Hi Families,

Just a reminder that we will be selling cookies this week door-to-door. Please meet at Alice's house (5078 North Bluff Drive, near Nimiq Park). We will sell cookies from 6:30pm until 8:00pm (please pick-up at Alice's house). Guides should go to the washroom before leaving home and dress for the weather, wearing their uniform under their coats.

We will also be distributing a case of cookies to each Guide to sell individually. Please bring a cheque for $60 made out to Girl Guides of Canada when you drop off your Guide. Thank you for your support!


Other news:


Enrollment is on October 15! Parents of Guides being enrolled into the unit are welcome to join us at 7:30 for the ceremony. Guides wishing to bring a treat to share at the event as part of their tasty treats badge are welcome to do so; please just email Jen ahead of time to let her know. Please also ensure that the treat is nut free.


Baxter's, Sunday October 25: As mentioned last week at pick up, we are offering Guide Day Camp at Baxter's Conservation Area, from 10am to 4pm on Sunday October 25th for $15.

We will be working on elements of several badges at this day camp: Naturalist, Plants and Animals, Conservation, Ecology and Outdoor Cooking (for those who didn't attend Fall camp) .

Girls will be making pizzas on a charcoal grill and cooking Bannock with whip cream and cranberry jam (that they made at fall camp) for dessert. 

We are hoping to get a 90 minute session with the staff at Baxter's, if we don't the price will be lowered.

Please let us know if you are interested by October 15 (forms to follow by email).


Thank you!
Jen

Oct 1 - a bit of homework

Hi Families,


Please check your email - I sent a few forms for TD tree days and Les Petits Ballets, all of which are due at this week's meeting. These are optional events.


Also, the Guides are asked to bring a favourite toy (no electronics please) for one of the activities we will be doing for the international day of the girl challenge this week.


Thank you!
Jen

Sept 24 Meeting - 6:30pm at Canyon Walk Daycare and Tree Planting Oct 3

Hi Families,

I hope the Guides are all recovered from camp this past weekend. We had a fun time and were very glad that the weather cooperated (for the most part!).

This week we are back in the Canyon Walk Daycare for our meetings. The daycare is attached to Steve MacLean PS and the entrance is on Golden Eye Way (NOT Spratt). Please note that our meeting time will now be 6:30pm to 8:15pm unless otherwise specified.

This week we will be working on a variety of activities, including more of the You in Guiding program, the Cookies Rising badge (cookies will be available Oct. 8), and a few items we didn’t get to at camp.

Other notes:

Please remind your Guide to bring indoor shoes, dues and her program book to each meeting.


We have reserved some spots for our unit to go tree planting on Saturday October 3 from 9:00am to 12:00pm, at Calzavara Family Park, which is at 1502 Blohm Drive (just north of Hunt Club Rd. between Conroy and Hawthorne). Please let us know if you are planning to attend by Friday September 25. Parents and siblings are welcome.

Thanks and see you soon,

Jen 

September 17 meeting and upcoming events

Hi Families,


Just a reminder that we will start our meeting at Four Seasons Park again this week. We will meet at the park at 6:15pm, and then head to 4635 Sugar Maple Dr (backing onto the park, right near the walkway) for the remainder of our meeting. Pick up will be at 8pm.


This week we are doing a bit more of the You in Guiding program square. We will also have the Guides look through their books to see what badges they might like to work on this year and finish up with a chat about bedrolls and firestarters (work towards the camp badges and general prep for this weekend's camp).


Coming Up:


September 24  - This week we will begin holding our meetings at Canyon Walk Daycare, which is attached to Steve MacLean Public School. Meetings will run from 6:30 to 8:15pm from now on. Badge work: You in Guiding, Cookies Rising


October 1 - We will be doing the International Day of the Girl Challenge and planning for enrolment


October 3 - Optional tree planting event from 9am to 12pm on Blohm Dr.; details to follow


October 8 - Door-to-door cookie selling!


October 14 - Optional campfire singsong event on Parliament Hill


October 15 - Enrolment!


October 22 - Outdoor games and a hike


October 29 - Halloween party


Yours in Guiding,

Jen

Packing for Camp - tips and tricks

Hi,


As prep for our upcoming camp on September 19-20, here are some handy tips about camping from another Ottawa Guide unit.


http://64thguides.blogspot.ca/2011/05/packing-tips-for-camp.html


Jen

First meeting and camp forms

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe we are almost at the end of summer! Please find attached some important information about the upcoming Guiding year. (I am sorry this is so long – I will try to keep the posts shorter from here on in.)

Start date and meeting location: Our first meeting will be on Thursday September 10, from 6:15 to 8pm. For the first two meetings (Sept 10 and Sept 17), we will meet at Four Seasons Park under the pavilion. If the weather is bad, we will move the meeting to Jen’s house at 4635 Sugar Maple Dr.

Other general meeting information:

1. Guides are required to submit a completed H1 form (form is attached) at the first meeting. Unfortunately they are unable to stay at the meeting if this form is not submitted.
2. Guides are asked to bring the following to every meeting: A bag for holding everything; uniform – shirt, sash, scarf and program book (available for purchase at http://www.thegirlguidestore.ca ); runners (indoor shoes); and dues. Water bottles may also be handy.

Dues:

Please ensure your Guide brings her $1 for dues every week, including those nights when we are taking a field trip. The dues, along with the proceeds from cookie selling, cover craft supplies and badges.

Camp:

Camp forms for our camp at MacSkimming Outdoor Education centre from Saturday September 19 to Sunday September 20 were sent via email. While all camps are optional, we do highly recommend your Guide attend this event (or at least part of it, however please note the cost is fixed at $50 for all participants), as we will be working on many badge areas throughout the weekend. Please return camp forms and payment at our first meeting on September 10. Cash is acceptable, or cheques can be made out to Girl Guides of Canada.

Items to Collect:

If you drink canned pop, please send us your pop can tabs! They are great for crafts. We are also looking for 1KG metal coffee tins – if you have any we would love to take them off your hands for camp stoves.

Badges:

As was the case last year, most of our meetings will be spent doing badge work – while we will generally focus on badges that fall in the program areas we are covering this year, we will also add some others as we discuss programming with the Guides. We will also have badge testing opportunities throughout the year. If your Guide would like to work on a badge but is unsure if we’ll cover it as a group, please do not hesitate to ask.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. We are looking forward to a great Guiding year!!

Yours in Guiding,

Jen C., Alice and Lisa

Welcome letter for our 2015-16 year

Dear Families,

Welcome (back) to 4^th Riverside South Guides! This email is just to touch base with a few important announcements. We will have a more detailed introductory letter noting what to bring each week, etc. towards the end of August.

Meetings: Our first meeting will be on Thursday, September 10 (location TBC – we are not likely to have our regular meeting location until later in September). We are meeting this early in order to prepare for our first camp on September 19-20.

Camp: That’s right, we are heading to camp in September! We have booked a one-night camp at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Center in Cumberland, from Saturday September 19 to Sunday September 20. We’ll be working on our outdoor cooking badge, as well as doing some work towards our camping badges and whatever else we can fit in! Cost will be $50 for the weekend and includes food, indoor accommodation (tents will come in the spring), and cost of materials/badges. Forms will be available shortly.  Please note that if you are short equipment (e.g. sleeping bags, camping dishes), we can loan them out – just let me know via email. Although the camp is optional, we encourage all the Guides to attend – it is a lovely location and a great way for everyone in the group to get to know each other.

Store order: We will be placing an order with the Girl Guide Store in early August. If you would like to order shirts/sashes/scarves, we can include your items in our order to help reduce shipping costs. If you are interested in this service, please let me know what you need by the end of July.

Things to collect: Do you have milk bags (the coloured outer plastic bag for 4L bags of milk) or the extra- large size tin coffee cans? If so, please save them for us – the unit is collecting them. Thank you in advance.  

Badges: This year, the main program area we plan to cover is Beyond You. (We will also cover parts of the You in Guiding program area, as we do every year.) As we explore this program, we intend to do several badges as a unit (e.g. naturalist, exploring, conservation, weather, water, chemistry and science, to name a few). We will provide a more detailed list closer to September.

Blog: Please remember to check our unit blog regularly: http://4thriversidesouthguides.blogspot.ca/. This will be our main method of relaying information to the unit. (That said, permission forms will be emailed out.) I will make every effort to update the blog each week by Tuesday night, so please make sure you check it before Thursday’s meeting.

We are looking forward to a great year – registration so far puts us at 21 guides! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Yours in Guiding,
Jen Collins

April 30 meeting, registration reminder, other updates

Hi Families,


This week we may be going outside, so please have your Guides dress for the weather (someone has been fixing up the SMPS garden, but weather permitting we may do some work as well, and we may have a couple of cases of cookies to try and sell). We will also be inside for a bit, working on a few fun swaps and planning our year-end party on May 14.


** Also for this week, a reminder to hand in any Lady Baden Powell booklets for those Guides trying to complete the challenge this year. This is also the last week for badge testing so that we can get any badges ordered before the end of the year **


April 29: just a reminder that to guarantee your returning Guide a spot in the unit for next year, you must register her by April 28. Registration opens to new Guiders on the 29th. (Guides moving to Pathfinders can also register on April 29).


May 7 - we are taking a hike at the Chapman Mills Conservation area, just across the bridge. More details to follow.


May 9 - horseback riding: Just a reminder to turn in your Guide's forms asap if you have not done so. We are also looking for some parent volunteers to join us (free pizza!!!). Please let us know if you can come.


May 11 - Advancement at St. F-X, 6:15 to 7:30. All girls, even those not advancing to Pathfinders, are welcome to join us for the ceremony. If your Advancing Guide will not be coming, please let us know as soon as possible.


May 14 - our last night :(


See you soon,
Jen

April16 meeting, permission forms for upcoming events coming over email

Hi Families,


Here are a few important updates:


Cookies: We still have some cookies left to sell. If you would like more, please see Alice.


April 16: We are working on the Inventing Badge!  Don't forget to bring some recyclable items (toilet paper tubes, shoe boxes, newspaper, plastic containers, etc ) and masking or packing tape if possible.


April 23: Field trip to Foxy Recycle, 2940 Baseline Rd (http://www.foxyrecycle.com/ ). Details and permission forms to follow by email. This is an electronics recycling depot. If the girls bring an old electronic device to recycle, they will try to do some of them on the spot.  Girls will earn the Recycling Badge. If parents would like to carpool, please let the leaders know.


Saturday April 25 (rain date April 26): Optional Badge event, Saturday am in the neighbourhood: Our unit will be participating in the annual Clean Up the Capital Event and the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up. Parents are encouraged to attend as well. Siblings can come too! Please let us know if your Guide is attending by Thursday April 23.


April 30: Gardening at SMPS, cookie selling, some badge requirements, crafts and songs


Date TBC: “Good Turn for Goodwill” challenge. Over the next couple of weeks those interested in participating can collect 3 large garbage bag or 9 - 12 small grocery bags of clean used clothing and make a donation to Goodwill. In exchange, Goodwill will provide a crest thanking them for their donation. We are waiting for a date confirmation as to when our clothing donations are to be delivered. Please let us know if your Guide will participate.


Saturday May 2: Optional event: Girl Guide Computer Badge, Carleton University from 12:15 to 4:45pm.


May 7: Hike in the Chapman Mills Conservation Area. Rain or shine event!

Saturday May 9: Horseback riding at Greenbelt Riding School. Forms to follow by email shortly.

Monday May 11: Advancement ceremony at St F-X. Girls attending are asked to arrive at 6pm. If your Guide is advancing but is not available to come to the ceremony, please let us know as soon as possible.

May 14: Last meeting!

Yours in Guiding,

Jen, Lisa and Alice

Cookie Selling March 26, and Other Upcoming Events

Hi Families!


I hope this finds you all well-rested after March Break. We are in the final stretch for this Guiding year - can you believe it? Here's the lowdown for the next few weeks. We also have a few optional events coming up that I wanted to flag:


March 26: Door-to-door cookie selling. We'll meet at 6:15 at Alice's house (5078 North Bluff Drive), and sell near her house. Guides should come dressed for the weather - this is a rain or shine event and they will be outside for the entire time. We could also use a couple of parent volunteers if anyone would like to come along. **Cookie cases will be available for pick-up. Please bring a cheque (made out to the Girl Guides of Canada) or $60 cash for each case you are picking up.


March 30: Registration starts for Guides returning to the same units. Details will follow from Girl Guides by email.


April 2: This week we are working on a Renewable Energy Challenge. We will also do a couple of fun Easter-themed activities.


April 9: This week we'll finish up a few outstanding requirements for a couple of program squares (code breaking, be prepared kits) and play some games.


April 13: Optional event: Third-year Guides will be invited to the Manotick Pathfinders meeting. You should receive an email invitation about this event directly from the Manotick group.

April 16: We are working on the Inventing Badge!


April 23: Field trip to Foxy Recycle, 2940 Baseline Rd (http://www.foxyrecycle.com/ ). Details and permission forms to follow. This is an electronics recycling depot. If the girls bring an old electronic device to recycle, they will try to do some of them on the spot.


April 25: Optional event, Saturday am in the neighbourhood: Our unit will be participating in the annual Clean Up the Capital Event and the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up.


April 30: Gardening at SMPS and a bike ride around the Community.


May 2: Optional event: Girl Guide Engineering Day (TBC).


May 7: Hike in the Chapman Mills Conservation Area (TBC).


May 9: Horseback riding at Greenbelt Riding School. Forms to follow by email shortly.


May 14: Last meeting!


TBC: Advancement ceremony


See you soon,

Jen
  

Registration Information

Hi Families,


Please find below a bit of information on registration for next year:

Families will be sent an email in late March with all the information they'll need to re-register, including their daughter's iMIS number and unit name. In late April, another reminder communication will go to families who have not yet re-registered their daughters. Please note that new membership fee increase (rate TBC) applies to all girls registering for the 2015-2016 Guiding year including those who register on March 30 and 31.

March 12 - Reporting badge and packing up our Thinking Day donations

Hi Families!


This week (March 12) we'll be finishing up the reporting badge. We have been working on bits and pieces of this one with some of our other badge work (like career night). For the meeting, we would ask the Guides to think of a funny incident in their life that they could turn into a cartoon. They will also write a short story about an event they have attended.


In addition, we will also pack up all the donations we received at the Thinking Day meeting on February 23rd as part of the Girl Guides' Words in Action Challenge. You would not believe the donations we gathered from our Guiding community! We are very proud. The list is long, so I have included it at the end of this post.


Other notes:


March 19: March Break - there is no meeting


March 26: Cookies will be available for pick-up. Please bring a cheque for the number of cases you requested - everyone has at least one. The cheques should be made out to Girl Guides of Canada. We actually receive them on March 17, so if you would like to pick your case(s) up before the 26th, please email the leaders.


Votes are in: The girls have voted almost unanimously for horseback riding on May 9. More details will follow shortly.


That's it for now. Have a great weekend!
Jen


P.S. This is a list of what we collected as backpack donations. Way to go!!!


224 books
17 children's magazines

19 backpacks - new and used filled with:
 9 packages of 150 page paper
31 subject notebooks/journals
19 rulers
5 sharpeners
10 pencil cases
5 packages of 8+ markers
2 sets of pencil crayons
7 packages of pens
9 activity books
17 glue sticks
13 packages of 10 pencils
6 packages of 4 erasers
4 binders
5 pairs of scissors
13 post it pads
1 water paint set
2 bottles white glue
6 folders
2 highlighters
6 packages of crayons
20 pencil top erasers
1 geometry set
2 note pads
3 calculators
2 USB sticks
2 packages of mechanical pencils
1 pack of glitter glue
3 large Ziploc bags full of gentle used school supplies

$120 for the World Friendship Fund

Thinking Day is this week - Monday Feb. 23

Just a reminder that our meeting will be held on MONDAY February 23. This will replace our regular Thursday meeting on the 26^th. Please email me to confirm whether your Guide will attend this special meeting. In addition to the items below, please bring indoor shoes and dues. A bag to carry everything is a good idea too.

The Thinking Day event will be held at St. Leonard’s Elementary School (5344 Long Island Rd. in Manotick). This is where we met for Thinking Day last year. Girls should arrive between 6 and 6:15; the meeting will start at 6:15 and wrap up by 7:45.  A leader from our unit will be there to greet the girls just inside the school’s front doors.

At this year’s meeting, the girls will be working on the Girl Guide national service project, “Words In Action”. To do this, we will be having a book exchange with the other groups. We will also be collecting donations for a “backpack” drive. To round off the evening, we will be having a campfire in honour of Guider Pauline, who died of cancer.

For the book exchange, the girls are asked to bring one book to trade at the book ‘store’. For the backpack drive, we are asking girls for any of the following donations:

>> New or gently-used backpacks

>> New or gently-used books

>> Pencils

>> Erasers

>> Pens

>> Pencil cases

>> Lined notebooks

>> Post-it notes

>> Rulers

>> Protractor kits

>> Calculators

>> Puzzle books such as crosswords, word searches, Sudoku, mad libs, etc.

4th Riverside South Guides will be assembling the backpacks to donate at one of our meetings in March.

Sparks Campfire: if your Guide does not have the campfire leading badge and would like to earn it on March 3rd at the Sparks meeting, please let me know. The Sparks meeting runs from 6:15 to 7:15 at the Community Center.

Feb. 12 and a couple other items...

Hi Families,


This week we'll be working on our Interpreting badge and having a treat in honour of Valentine's day. We'll have a special guest who will teach the Guides a bit of sign language and we'll be trying out phrases and words from other languages. It should be a fun night!


Other things to note:


Lady Baden Powell Challenge - Guides (in any year) interested in completing the Lady Baden Powell Challenge are asked to print out the booklet found in the link on the right-hand side of this blog. This will help them keep track of what they need to do for the pin. Please keep the booklet with your program book and bring it to each meeting.


Feb. 19 - the community police officer will visit with the unit this week to help us work on our Law Awareness badge.


Week of Feb. 23 - We will be celebrating Thinking Day one evening this week (date TBC) with the rest of the Community. Details will follow this weekend. The Thinking Day event will replace our regular meeting.


March 3 (optional event) - We will be taking a group of Guides to the Tuesday night Sparks meeting (6:15 to 7:15 at the Community Centre) to help them with the Sing Ontario Sing Challenge. If your Guide is interested in this event, please let Jen know this week. Work here will go towards the Guide Campfire badge (some Guides already have this one).


March 5 - We'll be learning about WAGGGS and the World Centres.

March 12 - We'll finish up the reporting badge - there will be some homework to do for this one  - stay tuned.


That takes us up to March Break!!


Yours in Guiding,
Jen

January 29 - Let's finish up some badges!

Hi Families,


This week we'll be finishing up the required theory work on the skating and snowshoeing badges. If your Guide has not had an opportunity to snowshoe before, please let us know and we can arrange a time for them to try it out.


Also, as most girls are almost done the basic camper badge, we'll be finishing up that badge as well by practicing making bedrolls and talking about how/where to put up a tent.


Finally, we are starting the reporting badge! Girls will be asked to write a short announcement publicizing our Career Night on February 5.


That's it for now. See you soon,
Jen

January 22 and a change for next week

Hi Families!

This week we are doing the Dove Free to be Me Challenge. Your daughters will get a book that we will work through to fulfill the challenge. There is a general section in the challenge on puberty we will not cover in the meeting.

Also, we are going to take next week (Jan. 29) as a catch-up week instead of doing the reporting badge – we have a few odds and ends to do on the skating and basic camper badge that we’d like to finish up. We will also work on some components of the snowshoe badge. If your Guide did not go to camp but would like to finish the snowshoe badge, this could be done with a school trip (I know some of the schools have snowshoes) or a family trek on snowshoes. For more details, please just speak to the one of the leaders.

Finally – we really need your help for the career night on Feb. 5. Your job is probably more exciting than you think!! If you are willing to come and be part of our job fair for an hour on Thursday February 5, or know someone who would be willing to come, we would really appreciate it!

Upcoming events:

Jan 22: Dove Challenge

Jan 29: Let's finish up a few badges!!

Feb 5: Career Night

Feb 12: Interpreting Badge/Valentine's Day Treat/Let's talk about Flag Day

Feb 19: Police Officer visits the Unit - Law Awareness and High on Life badge work

Week of Feb 23: Thinking Day Bridging Activity - details to follow

Week of March 3: Trip to Tuesday Sparks group for Guides wishing to work on their Campfire leading badge. Details to follow.

Yours in Guiding,
Jen

What's up for January/early February

Hi families,

 

Happy New Year! We have a busy few weeks ahead. Here's the lowdown:

 

January 8 - Our first meeting of 2015. This week we start working on the High on Life badge and will finish up some work on the Needlework badge. For this meeting, please have your Guide:

1. Bring a sock that needs mending, along with a needle and thread.
2. Think about the TV shows and movies she watches. How do these shows talk about drugs, smoking and alcohol? (I know shows on Family channel do not typically talk about drugs and alcohol. This is a perfectly valid point for them to bring up!)

 

January 15 - This week, weather permitting, we are going to the Spratt skating rink to work on our Skating badge. Any Guides who are either figure skaters or hockey/ringette players are strongly encouraged to bring some games and warm-up drills that they commonly use at their practices to show the other Guides. Siblings who participate in these activities are also welcome to bring us some tips. If you have questions about this evening, please see Guider Lisa. * If the weather is bad, we will cancel the meeting. Stay tuned for updates closer to the date.

 

January 16-18 - Winter Camp at Camp Woolsey. Those Guides participating will be receiving an information email, hopefully by next weekend.

 

January 22 - This week we'll be working on the Dove Challenge (see here for more information: http://www.free-being-me.com/downloads/)

 

January 29 - Tonight we will work on the Reporting badge. For this, the Guides will need to think of a funny incident at Guides (it doesn't have to be from this year) that they can turn into a cartoon.

 

Help needed!!! On February 5th we will be having a Career Night to fulfill some of the Discovering You program criteria and to work on the Career Awareness badge. For this, we are looking for a few moms/grandmothers/aunts, etc. to come in for an hour to talk with the Guides. Moms could talk about some of the following:

• What an average day at their job might involve;
• The type of education or training needed for their job and which colleges and universities offer the required education;
• How much tuition costs for the required education;
• What might the starting salary and the average salary be for their job;
• What special clothes, tools and equipment are used; and
• What future prospects are like for their job.

Our plan is to have the Guides circulate in small groups to talk briefly with each different participant. If you are willing to come and help us with this important evening, please let Guider Jen know.

 

We are looking forward to a great year! Yours in Guiding,

 

Jen, Lisa and Alice