Girl Scouts: Month in Review, Meeting Update, Cookie Booth

Hi everyone!

FIRST:  I just wanted to start by taking a minute to just absorb everything we've done this February--it's been nuts!

1)  Planning Meeting where we researched France and built our display and project for the International Fair

2)  Field Trip to Milwaukee Public Market to find French Cheeses and our mini-journey on the Hop

3)  Ran the Make-Your-Own Game room at the Greendale Family Fitness Fun Day

4)  Adventure Race sleepover at Camp Silverbrook and SnowTubing there!  (Nice job girls, we were one of the only troops to successfully find ALL the checkpoints!)

5)  International Fair

6)  Ice Skating

7)  Planning Meeting #2 today where we got a good chunk of work done on our Silver Award project and got ourselves nicely organized for March (details below)

That was a lot of scout stuff for one (short) month.  Nice job!  Don't worry everyone, it does slow down some!  

SECOND:  Moving on, today the girls were busy bees.  Here's what we did today, and what the girls planned for March.

We started by getting back to our Silver Award work.  Jackie Schweitzer at Park and Rec had heard what we were doing and wanted to get involved too.  Since one of the three focuses of the project was to work to get marker signs up at the currently unmarked walking path intersections in Greendale, she offered some direction and advice and seemed incredibly supportive of what we're doing.  SO, today the girls researched the cost of signs and signposts which would fit at trail intersections and made a Google Doc of information we can share with Park and Rec and the Village to see what the next step is.  (Will they help pay for the signs, will they install them? Do they have preferences based on the sizing and pricing we found?)

After that the girls spent some time picking out what badge we'll work on in March, and decided on the "Good Sportsmanship" badge.  They divided up the work for the badge as follows, with our needs in bold:

Evangeline + Kendra:  Find an athlete who could visit our meeting and interview them at the meeting about being an athlete.  The girls have ideas of people to ask, but DOES ANYONE HAVE CONNECTIONS TO (PREFERABLY FEMALE) UPPER LEVEL ATHLETES THAT WOULD CONSIDER VISITING US ON MARCH 13TH 3:00-4:30?  Please pass this information along ASAP so I can pass it to Eva and Kendra to reach out to.

Ellen + Evie (1) :  Make an obstacle course challenge for the scouts to do blindfolded to learn communication and teamwork.

Ellen + Evie (2) :  Find a competitive game for us to go watch as a troop.  Looking at the upcoming GHS schedule, they surveyed the girls at the meeting to decide whether we should watch a GHS girls soccer game or a GHS boys baseball game.  The girls decided that girls soccer would be their choice.  And found that their first game is at GHS Gavinsky Stadium on April 1st 4:30 JV or 6:30 Varsity.  We'll decide which to watch as it gets a little closer.  

Carrie + Quinn + Teagan:  Choose a female athlete and teach us about her.  They chose Serena Williams.  Carrie will be teaching us about interesting facts, special details, and general information about Serena, Teagan will teach us about Serena's family and history, and Quinn will teach us about her career and professional accomplishments.

FINALLY:  For those girls getting some more cookies under their belt for the big prizes, and to help save up for our big future trip, our Cookie Booth schedule is here for 2019.  Dates, Times, and Sign Up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA5AD22A13-cookie5

Thanks for a MASSIVE February everyone, happy scouting!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Reminder--Meeting Wednesday 2/20 3:30-5:00

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that Wednesday is our other meeting day.  It'll be a work/fun meeting again though.  We have neglected our Silver project for a while but Park and Rec and the Health Department both got in touch with me with ideas and information to help us move forward.  So we'll do some of that.

The girls can also get March ideas set up a bit, and maybe even brainstorm for Earth Day again.

I'll bring the snacks as usual, and I have Ice Skating, and Winter Hike patches for the girls that went ice skating today or to the Adventure Race Winter Hiking event last weekend.

See you there!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Cookie Pickup and Ice Skating!

Hi everyone,

I now have all our cookies and a free evening!  So Cookie Pickup can commence.  I'll be available from 4:00-9:00 tonight (Monday).  (Later by apointment.)

Please text me before coming just in case I do step out, or in case there's a stack of a bunch of people already here and waiting. That number is 414-595-6668

I should be available similar hours Tuesday; from after ice skating through the evening.

Speaking of ice skating; someone pointed out I was ambiguous in my last email.  YES we are ice skating 1:30-3:30 at Wilson Park tomorrow.  See you there!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: What an amazing couple of excursions! Also: Next meeting information IMPORTANT

Hi everyone,

What a great Girl Scout week!  Starting with the Adventure Race trip this weekend (possibly my favorite Girl Scout event ever) and all the way through exploring downtown on the Hop and sampling and picking out French cheeses from the Public Market, this has been a really great week; so let's keep it rolling.

The girls had the idea of using our next meeting time to go Ice Skating, but on the way home I had a bit of inspiration:  Since school is off on Tuesday, and Wilson Park has open skate only from 1:30-3:30, though, how would everyone feel about moving our meeting to Tuesday at 1:30, at Wilson park Skating Rink?  We would use our Wednesday after school time to lay out plans for March, and possibly start to research or pick out an Earth Day event (I'd be open to doing clean up at the Urban Ecology Center again, but we can see what the girls come up with.)

I'll be picking up our troop's cookies on Saturday (except the Gluten Free which I have to get Monday) and anticipate having them sorted and ready for everyone to pick up by Monday/Tuesday, so be ready for that too.

Finally, the Wehr Center in Whitnall Park is holding a "Women and Girls in Science" event on March 16th from 1:00-3:00.  It sounds like it might be something cool for our girls to go to.  Link:  Women and Girls in Science | Friends of Wehr | Wehr Nature Center  

"Let's celebrate historic female figures as well as current women in science and their contributions! Participants will be able to visit with local women scientists of various backgrounds that are willing to share their passions. It is strongly suggested that young ladies bring along questions to ask scientists attending the program."

Is anyone else interested?

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Meeting this Wednesday, French Shopping, and International Fair

Hi everyone,

I've only heard back from a couple of you, so I'm sending out a reminder:

1)  Our planning meeting is this Wednesday 2/13.  That goes from 3:00-4:30.  (Regular meetings go from 3:00-5:00.)

2)  I need to know if you scout is joining us for the international shopping field trip to Milwaukee Public Market downtown immediately after the meeting, with a goal of returning home by 7:30/8:00.  We'll find a cheese vendor and get some samples for international fair and get their advice on a cheese that is both French, and enjoyable by younger scouts.  We'll also eat there, and try some new things!

3)  I also need to know who will be joining us at the international fair including the flag ceremony from 1:45-3:30 on Saturday.

See you tomorrow!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Important Dates Approaching--Meeting and International Fair (IMPORTANT!)

Hi everyone!

Two important dates are coming up quickly!

#1)  The Green Corners International Fair is coming up soon (2/16) so I need a count on who'll be there.  It's 2/16 from 1:45-3:30.

In addition to our France display (the girls decided we'll have French Cheese and Bread available, and mini poly-clay baguette pins as SWAPS) our troop is also responsible for leading the Flag Ceremony.  I know the girls LOVE doing that and have been excellent at it several times at other events!

#2)  Our February Planning Meeting is next Wednesday, 2/13.  We'll use some of our time at our planning meeting to work on our French info, any remaining work, and make our French flag. (We'll see if we can use some of the girls time at the Adventure Race event this weekend to roll up some baguette SWAPS too.)

However, part of the fun of International Fair is International SHOPPING, so, I'd like to propose that any scouts interested can join in a short international shopping trip to the Milwaukee Public Market downtown immediately after the meeting.  We'll load up any interested scouts in the van, head out as soon as we're done cleaning up, and aim to be home around 8:00.  We'll check with the cheese vendors there for recommendations on some French cheeses to share, and have a light snack/dinner before bringing everyone back home.

ACTION ITEMS:

#1)  Let me know attendance for the international Fair 2/16 1:45-3:30 at Whitnall Middle School

#2)  Let me know if your scout will join in our international shopping trip after the meeting next Wednesday (2/13)

Thanks!

Aleks

Girl Scouts: Spot available for Silverbrook Adventure Racing/Snowshoeing/Tubing Overnighter!

Hi everyone,

We just had a cancellation for the Girl Scout Adventure Race event this Saturday to Sunday at Silverbrook.  So, I'm checking to see if anyone is interested in filling that spot.

The event runs from 9:00AM Saturday to 9:00AM Sunday (if you're riding up with us, then meet at our house at 8:00AM Saturday and expect to be back around 10:00AM on Sunday)

Schedule:

Saturday:

9:00 - Check-in, Parking, Unload gear

10:00 - Tutorial of Race

10:30 - Race Begins!

1:00 - Break for Lunch at Jo Ann Mann Lodge

4:30 - Race ends and Dinner time

6:20 - Load bus for Sunburst Ski Area (between 7:00 and 9:00 – is snow tubing)

9:30 - Return to camp

10:30 - Lights Out

Sunday:

7:30 - Wake up, get ready, breakfast, pack up

9:00 - Departure

The adventure race will involve us being given a map, a compass, and clues and then using those clues to race all over Silverbrook.  It sounds like a ton of fun!

Let me know ASAP and I'll get you the appropriate paperwork and docs.

Aleks