Parent Newsletter - Daisy / Brownie

Girl Scout Newsletter

Daisy Troop #3164 // Brownie Troop #5231

Can you believe that the end of the year is fast approaching?  With only 2 more meetings scheduled, we've got so many things to accomplish and to talk about!!

Meetings at the school (After School-5pm):  April 25th & May 9th!

v     Bridging/End of Year Ceremonies

We have 7 Brownies bridging to Juniors this year. . . to get them ready for their new adventure, we are having a 3rd Grade Brownie Meeting on Wednesday, May 15th at the Freeman Community Club Building 6pm until 8pm - dinner & drinks will be provided!!

Bridging and Award Ceremony for all Girl Scouts will be Wednesday,  May 29th at 7pm.  The ceremony will be held at the Freeman Community Club Building.  Your girls had a wonderful year, come celebrate all their accomplishments!!  We have 8 girls moving on to the next level of Girl Scouting -- the Brownies who have earned their wings and are 'flying' to Juniors: Amanda, Brynnlin, Cali, Kiarra, Laci, Samara, and Sydney.  We also have a Junior bridging up to join the Cadette troop -- Christine.

v     Summer Meetings & Activities

Don't want to go all summer without seeing your friends?!?!   Now you don't have too!  Stay active in Girl Scouts this summer!!  Mark your calendars!  Right now, we have two Daisy / Brownie Workshops planned for this summer -- Wednesday, June 12th & Wednesday, July 31st from 6pm until 8pm at the Freeman Community Club Building.  Because our current, Junior troop is actively working on their Bronze Award - 3rd grade Brownie who are flying up to Juniors in May can participate in the Daisy/Brownie Workshops this summer as helpers.  These new Juniors will have the opportunity to earn their 'Junior Aid'.

The Junior troop is currently in the process of earning their Bronze Award - the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn!  These girls are in the planning process of putting on a Girl Scout Field Day.  They will need your participation to make it a success!  All details and planning are being decided by and put in motion solely by the Junior Girl  Scout Troop.  Be on the look out!  More details are to come about a date, time, and location.

This summer our Cadette troop is going  for the Silver Award—the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn.  It gives them the chance to show that they are a leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving our community.   These girls are working on a "Stuff the Bus" school supplies drive during tax-free weekend in August.  It is a huge project that takes a lot of organization and planning.  You will be receiving more information about our "Stuff the Bus" project as we get details confirmed.

Both the Junior Troop and Cadette Troop will need our support during the quest for Bronze/Silver!  In order to earn these Awards, the girls must put a lot of time and energy into them (Jr's must complete 20 hours and Cad.'s 50 hours), which includes stepping out of their comfort zone and talking/meeting with new adults and community members.  I asked that when the time comes, you help us make our projects a success in whatever way you can!!  Because hopefully one day - it will be your girls working together, trying to make the world a better place!!

v     Girl Scout Camp

It seems that EVERY girl wants to go camping again this year!  So camping we will go; however, I do not have any details yet.  I am still looking into our options and waiting for council to open up the registration dates for our council campsites.  I would guess, that with the resident camps taking over most of the camp site in our council this summer, if we stayed on a council owned site, we are looking at a July/Aug camping date.  However, I am looking into State Parks and other approved camping facilities as well.  I will let you all know the details as soon as I have them!

v     Early Bird Registration

Early Bird Registration for the 2013-2014 membership year will be April 15-June 14.  Each girl that registers during this time frame will receive a free early bird patch this fall and our troop with also qualify for on-time incentives (remember the t-shirts this year)!  If your girl plans on being a Girl Scout next year please consider registering them NOW!  This will save both you and I time!  By re-registering before June 14th, there are no registration forms to fill out!  (However, at some point you will still have to update those Health History forms.)  And it's just a click of a button for me!  Registration this year is $15 per girl / per adult.

Early Bird Registration can be done at anytime - just get with me!  If you don't want to Register as an early bird, we will still have a recruitment night in Aug/Sept once school starts to register new recruitments.  However, filling out all the paperwork will be mandatory.

v     Daisy RoundUp!

Wednesday, May 22nd at the Freeman Community Club Building from 6:30pm until 7:30pm.  We will be having a Daisy Recruitment Night. . . this will be an informal Daisy Meeting were girls currently in Kindergarten or entering Kindergarten in the fall can come see what Girl Scouting is all about!  This girls will have fun meeting new friends while working on crafts and enjoying a snack!  Parents are encouraged to attend and get all their questions answered!!  If you know of a girl that would like to be a Girl Scout this would be a GREAT night to have them register with our troops. . . Girls that register now, have the opportunity to participate in our summer activities with us!

We have had a fantastic year!  I want to thank all of you for your dedication to Girl Scouting.  Without a strong parent/leader relationship, I could not do this and be successful at it.  Thank you for your continued support as we finish up this year and celebrate in our accomplishments!!  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me -- together we can do more!

Heidi Daily                         XXX-XXXX

freeman.girlscouts@hotmail.com

March Newsletter

Cass-Midway Girl Scouts Parent Newsletter
 
Hello Girl Scout Families!

Can you believe that after today's meeting, we only have 3 more Girl Scout Meetings at the school.  I am still hammering out the details of our April Campout and our End of the Year Bridging / Awards Ceremony.  But I will give you all the information that I know as of right now.

April Campout - Please note that there are different arrival times for the different age levels.  If you aren't sure which group that your scout is in, please ask!  And please let me know if your scout is going to need a ride to camp. . . I would like ALL our girls to attend and if I can help in anyway, please let me know.  If transportation is a problem - there are plenty of parents signed up to go, I am sure together we can get everyone to and from camp!

 If you haven't already heard about the excitement of camp, I'm sure you will soon!  We are camping with a huge group of girls - combining 3 different Junior/Cadette/ Senior Troops!  I am excited about this because the older girls will get a chance to make friendships not only across towns, but Council's as well!  The older girls will be on their own agenda, different from our Daisy's & Brownies. . . they will be enjoying the campout as attendees and earning patches from their own scouting level, they are not attending camp as my helpers!  In order to provide this amazing opportunity to our older scouts, I've enlisted the help of other adult volunteers and experienced Girl Scout Leaders from Benton County. 

Friday, April 27th - Older Scouts arrive - 6:30pm.  This night is for the Junior, Cadette and Senior girls to set up camp and meet the other girls and leaders from our sister troops.  This will be a two-night campout for Juniors and above. 

Saturday, April 28th - Daisy's and Brownies arrive ready to start camp - 9:00am.  This will be a one-night campout for Daisy's and Brownies.  Zip lining & Archery -- is still pending, waiting on instructor confirmation.

            Sunday, April 29th - All scouts depart camp - 1:00pm.

**Please note that all times are subject to change.  As of right now, I do not know the exact times that we can check-in and check-out.  Once everything is written in stone, you will receive a camp packet with all the information, including directions to camp, permission slips, emergency numbers, and itinerary.**

End of the Year Bridging & Award Ceremony - Our girls have worked hard this year to earn their badges and participation patches.  On Wednesday, May 16th at 7pm in the Freeman Community Club Building, we will celebrate all their accomplishments and bridge the girls that are moving to the next level in Girl Scouting.  Family are invited to attend -- snacks and punch provided.  More information will come home with your scout at a later date!

At this ceremony, the girls will receive the patches and awards that they've earned this year. . . It is a special time for your scout and I recommend that your scout have a vest to display their accomplishments.  If you need, I am able and available to get their vests.  Depending on sizes just the Brownie vest is $17.25-$18.25, Junior vest is $17.75-$18.25 and the Cadette/Senior vest is $22.50-$25.75. 

Thank you for your continued support as we finish up this year and celebrate in our accomplishments!!  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me -- together we can do more!

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Heidi Daily

Cookie Rally Information

Meeting Dates

Please send a note to school with your daughter on these days, telling her teacher that she will be staying after for a Girl Scout Meeting. 

September 7th

October 5th

November 2nd & 16th

December 7th & 21st

January 4th & 18th 

February 15th

March 7th & 21st

April 4th & 18th

May 2nd

NO SCHOOL = NO SCOUTS!  If school is cancelled or released early for any reason there will not be a Girl Scout Meeting!

Welcome Newsletter!

Welcome to Girl Scouting!!
I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the 2011-2012 Girl Scout year!  Whether you are a new Girl Scout or a returning one, this year is going to be filled with fun and celebration.   This year is going to be beyond special - Girl Scouting is celebrating its 100th Anniversary!!

My name is Heidi Daily and I am a troop leader for the Cass-Midway school district.  I have been involved with Girl Scouting for14 years - 6 years as a Girl Scout and 8 years as an Adult Volunteer.  This is only my second year with the Cass-Midway Girl Scouts and after the huge success of last year, I am looking forward to promoting the growth of the Girl Scout Program in our community.

Currently, Cass-Midway has two established troops - Daisy & Brownie - and at Back-to-School night we received a lot of older girls interested in the Girl Scouting Program.  We are looking for any volunteer who is willing to take on or help out with the responsibility of a Junior Troop and a Cadette, Senior, & Ambassador Troop.   If a troop isn't something you can take on, I still encourage you to register as a parent volunteer.  The membership dues are $12 and just like your daughter, you'll receive all the added benefits of being a Girl Scout - discounted rates when it come to activities and Girl Scout activity accident insurance.

I completely understand that not everyone has the time to participate in every Girl Scout meeting, every time - especially when it comes to work and other children!  I have a family and a full time job too!  But to maintain the required adult-to-girl ratio, I will need at least one volunteer to help out with the meetings each week.  The girls quickly out number me and I appreciate all the extra hands I can get, especially during badge work.

Girl Scout Basics
Daisy Girl Scouts (K & 1st Grade) - Through leadership and willingness to volunteer, girls will have the opportunity to learn about themselves, make friends, and put into action ideas to make the world a better place.

Brownie Girl Scouts (2nd & 3rd Grade) - Brownie work together in groups, earn badges, and explorer their community.  Friendship, fun, and age-appropriate activities begin at the Brownie meeting and move out to the community and wider world.

Junior Girl Scouts (4th & 5th Grade) - With increasing independence, bonding with friends and a likeness for teamwork, the Junior Girl Scout is ready to take on more and more responsibility in the troop.  A 50/50 relationship for Girl/Adult planning is a good goal!

Cadette, Senior, & Ambassador Girl Scouts (6th - 12th Grade) - Trip planning, Silver/Gold Award projects, and money earning activities require a lot of time, energy and commitment on the part of Teen Girl Scouts.  Girls need encouragement from not only you, the Troop Advisor, but also from each other.

Troop Meeting Information
As we start this year out, the Girl Scouting Program has grown a lot in our community.  I am working hard to sort and organize troops, and determine meeting places and meeting times.  Once all the girls and volunteers are registered, I will have a clearer idea of what needs to be done.  I ask for your patience as we figure things out and get the new year rolling.  You will be notified by your daughters troop leader, as to when and where your Girl Scout meetings will begin.

No matter the time or the place of the meetings or events, I asked that parents be on time in dropping off and picking up their daughters.  And for the safety of your scout, when picking up your daughter please enter the meeting place, instead of waiting outside or in the car.   It is important to me that every child goes home with the right person!  Plus I just might have some troop information to pass on or permission slips for you to sign.

Communication
Whether or not I am your daughters troop leader, I am always here if you have any questions or concerns.  How do you get a hold of me?  Sometimes I'm sure it's easier said than done.  My life never slows down!  Along with Girl Scouting, I work a full-time job and I am a mother of 3 very active children.  Therefore, I offer a few ways to get a hold of me!  My home phone number is 816.250.2491; if I am not home you can always leave a message with my husband or on the answering machine.  My cell phone number is 816.258.9527; if I don't answer you can leave a voicemail or send me a text message.  An added bonus for the computer savvy parents, like me - who seems to only have a free moment when the dishes are done and kids are in bed; you can drop me an email, my email address is freeman.girlscouts@hotmail.com.  Just like the rest of the world, Cass-Midway Girl Scouts also has a facebook page!  To find us, just type "Cass-Midway Girl Scouts" in the search box.  While you're visiting don't forget to click the "Like" button to get troop information and reminders on your facebook page!  And finally - because "Going Green" is important to our planet, we also have a website were you can find information about our troops, along with a Calendar of events, and newsletters for all Cass-Midway troops.  Visit and bookmark us at http://midwaygirlscouts.blogspot.com/facebook page updated!

No matter how you contact me please leave your name and contact information - along with your scouts name and I will make every effort to get back to you in a timely matter. . . but please understand that I have a busy schedule too!

In Closing
I know that was a lot of information all crammed into one newsletter!  This year, I really hope that your Girl Scouting Adventure is a good one for both you and your daughter!  I am looking forward to the new year and together, through Girl Scouting we can build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place!

Camping Newsletter

I am very excited to take your Girl Scout Camping!  But as a parent, I completely understand the worries that go along with sending them off to camp.  First off, I want you to know that all parents are welcomed at our camp.  We are allowed to have 30 people on the campsite during the day; however, we are limited on the amount of people we can have stay the night.  So because camp regulations state that only 15 people can stay the night, we must limit one adult per Girl Scout to camp stay the night with us.  I also ask that if you are camping with us that you be registered as a Girl Scout.  By filling out the Girl  Scout Registration and paying the $12 fee,  you are covered by insurance.  Otherwise any parent staying with us will have to purchase additional insurance through Girl Scouts.  Registering as a Girl Scout saves us a lot of time and money, so please consider it.  Financial Assistance is available.

Just F.Y.I. - The camp that we are camping at is Girl Scout owned property, so there is no smoking or tobacco use allowed on camp property.  If you are a smoker, you must leave the camp in order to smoke.  Also, no alcohol, illegal drugs or firearms are allowed on camp property.

Your daughter should help pack her own bags for camp.  Even Daisy Girl  Scouts  are able to do a lot of the work in packing her bags.  When she has to find things, it will be much easier if she has packed or at least taken an active part in helping pack her bags.  In addition, she will have to re-pack her bags when getting ready to leave camp and having the experience in the first place will be an advantage to her. 

Please stick to packing just the items on the "What to Bring" List.  Your Scouts won't need too much, so please pack light.  All vehicles must park at the camp entrance and campers are required to hike to the campsite.  And believe me, the hike to the campsite is up a pretty big hill.  Part of Girl Scout camp is making the Girls responsible for their own gear.  I know it's asking a lot to have Daisy's carry their gear up a large hill, but the lighter that the bags are the easier it will be for them (or you and me) to carry them!

It is also very important that the Scouts don't have anything in their bags that I don't know about.  Toys and electronic (even cell phones) have no use at camp, your Scout will be very busy and there won't be any time to play with toys.  Please do not pack food items!  I will have all the meals and snack foods that your Scout will need while at camp.  Little critters love sweet snacks in the middle of the night. . . and I don't want any late night visitors to our campsite.

We have registered and paid for our campsite through the Girl Scout Council, we only have the campsite from 8a-5p on Friday, July 8th and from 3pm on Friday, July 22nd until 2pm on Saturday, July 23rd.  Other scouts use the campsite before and after us, so it is important that we are on time arriving and departing camp.

Family Award Ceremony - Please join us at 12:00pm on Saturday for a small Award and Bridging Ceremony.  Come see what your Scout did on her camping trip and look back on the great year that we've had! 

And one last note. . . I will have my cell phone on me at all times at camp.  If there is an emergency and you need to be in contact with your Scout please call me.  Otherwise, I am prepared to handle any issue that arises with your Scout.  The fear of camping away from Mom & Dad and homesickness can be a lot for a Daisy Scout to handle.  I've dealt with it before and not many Scouts need to call home, but should any fear arise that I cannot fix, I will call you.  Sometimes the Girl just needs to hear Mom and Dad's voice to know that they are okay and sometimes Mom and Dad have to come get their Daisy.  But again, should this arise, I will call you and we will work out a plan for what's best for you and your Scout!  Please make sure that the permission form has the number that you can be reach at during the time we are at camp.  Nothing worse than not being able to get a hold of mom or dad.