- Girl Scounts of Central Maryland




	Activities Daisy petal Green for use resources wisely Gather miscellaneous craft stuff left over from other projects, then set it out with NO instructions other than "make something." You'll be surprised at what they come up with, and how cooperation and working together suddenly happens. Collect aluminum cans for recycling. Visit a recycling center. Practice some "leave no trace" skills by cleaning the playground. Have a relay race with recyclables. Make a pile of mixed recyclables (plastics, newspapers, etc) and have a separate box labeled for each type of recyclable. One by one the girls put one item at a time into the correct box. Give a time limit and they can race against the clock or each other. Brownie Activities Earth is our Home Try It Junior Activities Eco-Action Badge Cadette and Senior Activities Eco-Action Interest Project Patch Packets for Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts Chesapeake Bay http://www.gscm.org/adults/attachments/ChesapeakeBay.pdf 2008 National Young Women of Distinction 10 Young Women of Distinction will be honored during a presentation at the National Council Session in Indianapolis, Indiana. Click here for the flyer and more details and here for the application. Any questions or concerns about the National Young Women of Distinction event please email ywod@girlscouts.org. 2008 Girl Scout Global Citizens Essay Contest The purpose of the Girl Scout Global Citizens Essay Contest is to help Girl Scouts reflect on the meaningful experiences they've had in Girl Scouting, and connect those experiences with the wider world. Be a Junior Blast Cheerleader on March 29, 2008. Click here for more details. To salute its storied, 60-year history, WHAM-O is searching for its next great toy idea from its most innovative and engaged audience – kids. WHAM-O has launched its search for the next great WHAM-O toy invention with the kick-off of the “WHAM-O 60th Anniversary Kid Inventor Contest.” The winning toy inventor will receive $2,000 cash and profits from WHAM-O making and distributing their toy. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has launched a worldwide survey on volunteering that seeks to find out about girls’ and young women’s (age 11 - 24) understanding of volunteerism, and what motivates young people to join organizations and inspires them to become leaders. Click here for the survey in English or here for Spanish. The American Young Ambassadors Program Summer Internship at the White House Girl Scouts: Get in Touch with Peace Corps Volunteers Are you curious about other cultures? Connect to the world via the Peace Corps Correspondence Match, a program that helps U.S. girls learn about other people and places directly from the a Peace Corps Volunteer. Peace Corps volunteers serve in 70 countries on projects including agriculture, business, education, health, and the environment. To start a dynamic two-year exchange of ideas, stories, pictures, and artifacts, visit: www.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond or email: wwsinfo@peacecorps.gov MILK MATTERS: Free Resources Available Online Free teaching resources about calcium and bone health for teens and tweens are downloadable now through the Milk Matters calcium education campaign. This campaign is sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These online lessons are easily adaptable for Girl Scout healthy living related programs. They have been designed to help youth understand the importance of calcium for bone health through activities, fact sheets, and take-home activities. Resources are available at www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/. In addition to teaching materials, the Milk Matters Web site offers a variety of free materials for parents and health care providers that emphasize the importance of calcium in the diets of children and teens, including a booklet, poster, fact sheets, a coloring book and sticker. Many of these materials are available in both English and Spanish. For more information, contact the NICHD Information Resource Center at 1-800-370-2943 or E-mail NICHDInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov. 2008 NATIONAL GIRL SCOUT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE Older girls...start saving up! October 29-30, 2008 The 2008 Girl Scout Leadership Institute (GSLI) (formerly Girl Congress) is part of the leadership development program for girls in grades 6 -12, designed to develop and hone their leadership skills, provide an opportunity to discuss key health issues relevant to them, and engage in a fun and interactive learning environment with peers and adults. Sponsored by Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, the GSLI will be held on October 29-30, 2008, in Indianapolis, Indiana, prior to the National Council Session. Over 2,000 girls from across the country will have the opportunity to participate in this unique and exciting event. The 2008 GSLI will serve as a model for future national, regional and local GSLIs to be implemented throughout Girl Scouting. As part of this leadership experience, girls will have the opportunity to engage in a myriad of workshops in an environment that fosters inclusion and pluralism. Workshop topics range from understanding the democratic process in a way that prepares girls to better participate in the business of the National Convention to learning and discussing key issues of health relevant to and identified by girls, such as self-esteem, bullying and stress. With experts in these fields leading group sessions, girls will be provided a safe space to discuss ideas and issues that are important to them. Through participation in these workshops girls will identify ways the information is personally relevant, as well as strategies to take action back in their communities. GSLI will offer two workshop tracks for girl participants: a middle school track (grades 6-8) and a high school track (grades 9-12). Girls will attend workshops they have selected from five different categories: physical health emotional health diversity/global issues advocacy physical activity In addition, workshops will be provided for adult advisors/mentors who accompany girls to GSLI. They will mirror some of the topics offered to girls, in order to further the connectedness of the learning by all participants. In addition, adults will have an opportunity to learn about the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience. As councils determine the number of girls to send to GSLI, it is recommended that the number of adults not exceed the Safety-Wise ratio. GSLI is scheduled to start Wednesday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. and end Thursday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m. and is located at the Indianapolis Convention Center and Westin Hotel. Registration info: Registration opens January 31, 2008 Fee is $125 per participant. Registration deadline is July 31, 2008 For more information check out www.girlscoutsindiana.org Dear All, I am currently working on a research paper for my graduate level Folklife class. The paper's topic is on Girl Scout culture. My research has to be focused on anything that is traditional, but not official (if the New York office has ever published it, I can't use it). I am looking for any information on why we sing some of the songs we sing, what are some great traditions in Girl Scouting and any aspect of culture that you can think of. I was thinking I could also discuss swaps and why we give them out. If you have any information or stories that you would like to share with me, I would love to hear them. If you have a certain swap that you always give and would like to share the story and what that swap means, I would love to hear it. If you could also send a picture of the swap that would be great. The e-mail address that I set up for this paper is gs_jeb@yahoo.com. Thank you for all of your help. YIGS, Jeb Bush Assistant Program Manager Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace EARTHCACHE DAY Second Annual International EarthCache Day Plan to celebrate International EarthCache Day by visiting an EarthCache on Sunday, October 14, 2007! International EarthCache Day kicks off Earth Science Week; a week dedicated to promoting the awareness of Earth science. An EarthCache is an educational geocache reviewed and approved by the Geological Society of America. The reward for these caches is learning more about the Earth science of the planet on which we live. An Earthcache site is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. Visitors to Earthcache sites can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth. To learn more about EarthCaches and this special day, visit http://www.earthcache.org CREATING POSSIBILITIES You and the girls can use these to create new ideas! Here's 6 steps for creating possibilities and new ideas. Test it out by taking on a real challenge you're faced with right now #1. Give yourself some time. You don't need much. 5 minutes is great. 10 minutes, luxurious! #2. Get away from your usual place of work. That doesn't mean leaving the building - it can just be turning your chair around. But shift out of that 'be efficient and focused place' we all have. #3. Set yourself a target of new ideas. Five is the minimum... after that, you can go crazy #4. Press the 'pause' button on that little voice inside your head that just went 'I can't have five ideas ... I'm not that creative ... I'm no good at this.' (Did you know the biggest influence on your ability to be creative is your belief that YOU CAN be creative? So just for the next five minutes, pretend that you're creative and that you're up for this. Go on - it'll be fine) #5. Ask yourself some powerful creative questions to open things up. Here are some of my favorites: If you could not fail, what would you do? What's the easiest thing to do? What's the boldest thing to do? What would be the most fun thing to do? What's the counter-intuitive thing to do? What's the safest thing to do? #6. Start shaping a solution - take the best idea or ideas and start planning on how you're going to do what you want to do. 2008 WORLD THINKING DAY POSTCARD EXCHANGE It's time to start creating the list for the 2008 World Thinking Day Postcard Exchange! This will be the eleventh year and we are looking forward to another great year! Please spread the word to all your Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting friends to help make this project a huge success. Last year we had 3145 US troops, and 675 international units from 43 countries that participated. To sign up or to learn more about the program, please visit www.mythinkingday.com and click on the Where are you? link and fill out the registration form. If the site shows a blank page it is because the site is busy with so many trying to access it so please keep trying. The exchange will begin the first part of September. BACKYARD HUNT Some fun for a backyard, playgound, camp or any open space... Backyard Hunt First, create a list of ten to twelve common backyard items - things like a smooth stone, a dandelion, a maple leaf, or a four-leaf clover. Then have the group divide into teams however they wish, and give each team a brown paper bag. Send each team out to the yard to collect each item from the list. Add "bonus items" (toys or other small objects) around the yard beforehand and alert the teams to look for these little surprises. When all of the teams are done hunting, re-group and compare the items everyone has found. By Kids For Kids Announces: BRIGHT SPARKS...a new television series presenting the world's most innovative and inventive kids and teens. The show follows young inventors and entrepreneurs as they attempt to make it big with their bright ideas! Kids and Teens: Are you an inventor or entrepreneur between the ages of 8-16 years? Do you have a great idea that could be the next big hit? Are you outgoing and willing to share your story on television? If so, then we want to share your story with the world! Teachers and Parents: Do you know a great innovative and inventive kid? Pass along this email or send them to our site to learn more! http://www.bkfk.com/kids/castingcall.asp FIELD TRIP FACTORY Field Trips can help Girl Scouts meet award requirements. Visit our website or call 800-987-6409 Children Learn by Doing! Designed for Children Grades Pre-K - 8 Schedule Today! Life Skills Lessons Include: Healthy Living, Nutrition, Fitness, Careers, Animal Welfare, Life on the Farm, Personal Safety, and Auto Safety STANDARD GRACES FOR EVENTS AND MEALS From "What We Stand For" Graces, Blessings, and Invocations The Girl Scout organization does not endorse or promote any particular philosophy or religious belief. Our movement is secular and is founded on American democratic principles, one of which is freedom of religion. Although Girl Scouts has policies supporting religious diversity, there is no policy by Girl Scouts of the USA that prohibits or requires the saying or singing of a grace, blessing, or invocation before meals by Girl Scout members in a troop/group setting, in a resident or day camp, or at meetings, conferences, and other large events. The decision to say a grace, blessing, or invocation is made locally at the troop or group level, and should be sensitive to the spiritual beliefs of all participants. ORCHARD & FIELD - tune: Tell Me Why Orchard and ocean, the farm and field We are so thankful for all they yield. For earth and water, for flower and seed We are so thankful in thought, word and deed. CARE FOR ME - tune: There is a Tavern in the Town So many people care for me (care for me) And make me happy as can be (as can be) A-a-and give me bread and a place to rest my head, Oh, the joy of friends and family! (spoken) Thank you! THANK YOU - tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Thank you for the food we eat, Thank you for new friends we meet. Thank you for Girl Scouting days As we learn in fun-filled ways. May we always try to do As we promised, duty true. NATURE'S THANKS (spoken) The eagle give thanks for the mountains The fish give thanks for the sea. We give thanks for the goodness And for what we're about to receive. (arms like wings, then become mountain peaks) (hands together like swimming fish, then wave motion) (arms raised in front like receiving something being passed down from a height) (arms lowering, hands like they are holding something) TIME TO EAT - tune: Ain't she Sweet Time to eat, thankful Girl Scouts in each seat! We thank you for your generosity- time to eat! WE THANK YOU - tune: Kum-Bah-Yah For the food we eat, we thank you, For the friends we meet, kind and true. For the fun we share, all day through, We thank you, we thank you. GIRL SCOUT GRACE -tune: Auld Lang Syne For all the bounty we receive, Let us offer thanks and praise. And be courageous, strong and fair, As we live the Girl Scout way. WE ARE THANKFUL - tune:Are You Sleeping We are thankful, we are thankful * For our food, for our food. And our many blessings, and our many blessings, We thank you, we thank you. second part of round begins here MMM GRACE - tune: Linger MMM - I am so thankful MMM - that we're together MMM - to share this food with each of you. THANKS FOR THIS FOOD - tune: Hark to the Chimes Thanks for this food, That we shall eat, Thanks for the bread, And for the meat. ADDAMS FAMILY GRACE - tune: The Addams Family We thank the cooks for giving The food we need for living So go ahead and eat it Before it crawls away Da da da da (snap snap) Da da da da (snap snap) Da da da da, da da da da, Da da da da (snap snap We've filled our plates and dishes, With food that is nutritious, And all that we can wish is, To thank you very much. Da da da da (snap snap) Da da da da (snap snap) Da da da da, da da da da, Da da da da (snap snap) ALPHABET GRACE- [adapted] A-B-C-D-E-F-G I thank you all for feeding me. Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat Thanks, thanks, thanks for food, We're thankful that it's here. And help us now to spread our love To people far and near. *The round start here. BOOM BOOM TA-RA-RA - Tune: Roll Out The Barrel Give thanks for good friends, We have a barrel of fun. Give thanks for good food, We'll eat up the very last crumb. Zing, boom, ta-ra-ra! Sing out a song of good cheer. Now's the time for us to give thanks, The food and friendship's here! CHALET GRACE Chansons de Notre Chalet You, who have worked today for our refreshment Come and partake You who have worked today Come, share with us this bread, for friendships sake CHANT Give me a G Give me an R Give me an A Give me a C Give me an E What does it spell? GRACE! Let's eat! DOO WA DITTY Thank you all for the food that we've received Singing doo wa ditty ditty dum ditty doo And thank you for the bread, the butter and the meat Singing doo wa ditty ditty dum ditty doo Looks good (echo: looks good) Tastes Fine (echo: taste fine) Looks good, tastes fine We eat it up all the time! Singing doo wa ditty ditty dum ditty dooooo. Lets Eat! GIRL SCOUT MAMBO- Tune: Mambo #5 A little bit of breakfast on my plate, A little bit of dinner, don't be late, A little bit of gorp while on a hike, A little bit of s'mores by firelight, A little bit of brown bears on my stick, A little bit of pudding, not too thick, A little bit of ice cream in the can, We thank you all and say amen. HARK TO THE CHIMES Hark to the chimes, Come bow thy head, We thank the world, For this good bread. LET'S JOIN HANDS - Tune: Mary had a little lamb Let's join all hands and give our thanks, Give our thanks, give our thanks, Let's join all hands and give our thanks, For what we have to eat. LOVELY TREAT - Tune: This old man Bread and jam, bread and jam, I am grateful, yes I am I thank you kindly for the food I eat. Thank you for this lovely treat. MARINERS WE - Tune: Taps Mariners we, gay and free As the sun sinks beyond sail and sea Shipmates true, loyal crew, We leave you. NATIVE AMERICAN GRACE May the great spirit (hands circle above head) In the future (hands extend in front) As in the past (hands extended back) Fill our hearts (hands cross chest) With much (roll hands) And great joy. (pound fists on one another) PROMISE AND LAW GRACE - Tune: I'm Going to Leave Ol' Texas I'm goin' to share [I'm goin' to share] This meal with friends [This meal with friends] Let's give our thanks, [Letís give our thanks,] Before this day ends. [Before this day ends.] The Promise and Law [The Promise and Law] Show me the way [Show me the way] To be preparedí [To be prepared] For each and every day. [For each and every day.] SILENT GRACE (Great for a Monk's Meal.) Speak the grace first with motions, and then silently tell the story with the motions. Till the ground (run fingers across palm) Plant the seeds (plant seeds on palm) Rain comes down (fingers drop down to palm) Sun comes out (hand rises from palm) Plants grow (fingers rise from palm) Cut them down (push edge of hand into palm several times) Make the bread (palm to palm a few times) Bake the bread (hands out, fingers away from body) Give thanks (hands in prayer) THANKS A LOT Thanks a lot Thanks for the sun in the sky Thanks a lot Thanks for the clouds so high Thanks a lot Thanks for the whispering wind Thanks a lot Thanks for the birds in the spring Thanks a lot Thanks for the moonlit night Thanks a lot Thanks for the stars so bright Thanks a lot Thanks for the wonder in me Thanks a lot Thanks for the way I feel Thanks for the animals Thanks for the land Thanks for the people everywhere Thanks a lot Thanks for all I've got Thanks for all I've got TIME TO EAT - Tune: Ain't She Sweet Time to eat, thankful Girl Scouts in each seat! We thank you for your generosity- time to eat!

Activities