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September 26 September 25 MeetingThis is the last meeting being led by Mrs. B until April. FamilyGuy was out due to illness.
The meeting began with intense discussion about MySpace.com and internet safety. The troop now has a few more tools in their knowledge arsenal to protect themselves online. My fervent hope is that they use them. Girls, please remember to bring FamilyGuy up to speed on this discussion as she was one of the two that needed this knowledge the most. Teach her what you know about protecting your identity online.
Also discussed was the non-profit vs. profit status of groups with an emphasis on Non-profit and all the rules and regs that go with that. When discussing troop finances, please remember that the money you make must be earmarked for something and that not spending it makes us subject to "For Profit" status.
Registration forms were collected and will be turned in before the next meeting on October 16th. Princess and FamilyGuy --- please get your registration forms and money to me ASAP.
The rest of the meeting was devoted to a thorough explanation of what is required when you become "Leader-of-the-Month" and "Activity Director". Again, FamilyGuy will need to be brought up to speed on all of this. The calendar was re-arranged a bit to accommodate people's preferences. The new schedule is as follows:
I haven't forgotten the bonuses either. We received an e-mail from one of the girls in troop 971 from Minnesota. Two of our members are interested in writing to this new friend, so I have passed the note on and hopefully, we'll start sharing stories very soon. Boomba - Gold ... call Wendy. Until Next Week,
Mrs. B Between MeetingsMySpace.com. I recently addressed my girls on MySpace.com about internet safety, personal safety, risk, informed experimentation ... I have been watching all of them and many others for a long time now. A couple of them knew who I was. A couple didn't. Since last night's meeting, they all know who I am. They also know the steps they have to take to avoid me. I figure if I can't get to them (and I know them), they are as safe as they are ever going to be online. The Internet is PUBLIC. Internet safety isn't just something we should talk about. It's something we should all think about every time we log on. From creeps targeting our children to creeps stealing identities to creeps trying to con us into handing over our life savings, there is no safe harbor except knowledge. We all need to take the right steps to avoid becoming victims. We all have that responsibility to OURSELVES. This is Boomba's answer to my frustrated anger at what I imagined was their complete and total disregard for their own personal safety. It's well worth reading. I think you may confuse us ignoring you with simple teenage angst. Seriously, I understand what you want/are talking about/why you care. Its sunk in. Seriously. I actually have a couples ideas on how to expand your impact in this subject. Can I come to meeting about...5 minutes early to share? I cannot speak for the troop, only for myself. I know that you just want us to be safe. I am working on it. Seriously...my page is going to be me free rather soon. It is important. You are important. And although we aren't that good at expressing it sometimes, I know I appreciate you and all you do for us. On a slightly different topic yet under the same spectrum indeed: I never properly appologized for last week. I shouldn't have talked when Pug was on the phone, and I agree with your punishment in that it is probably best I am not in the car with Pug because I am a distraction. It wasn't how anyone wanted to start off the year, and I just hope it doesn't become like that thing with my sister. I am not that bad of a kid, you know that. I am a little much sometimes and I am the first to admit. So, in shorter terms I am quite sorry about that. I am glad another year of GS has started not only for my friends but your standards. First of all, I am tired of making so many cookies. I like making 'em but I don't like the way they make me look, you see its hard for me to say no and to be the bad guy to my friends and it is good you did it this year. I am working on that whole saying no thing...but thank you. I am glad we have to do a project each month. It would be nice to have something to say when people ask what I do in GS because basically what I tell them now is what I do but it is what I do by myself. I want to do stuff as a troop. I miss having the unity is provides. And I wouldn't mind switching monthes with whoever got cabin camping because I do really want to do that. And also, that leader of the month thing, even though Pug doesn't like it but what does she like, was a good idea. We need to start taking more control of our troop because last year and previous years it was your troop because we were not willling to take that responsibility. Sorry I am leaving all of this here but I can't ever seem to get the troop blog to let me leave a comment even though I got an MSN account and everything...so....now you know. By the way, I do read the troop blog and it is a nice insight into what happened. I know we should be taking responsibility but I think you should still write that because you are really good at writing. We could take notes though. For all the leaders, teachers, mentors, parents, concerned adults out there who truly have the best interests of our children at heart ... TEACH your children how to protect themselves. SHOW your children how to be safe. LECTURE, PREACH, CAJOLE ... do whatever you have to do to make sure they understand what 's out there waiting for them. Information and education are the keys to changing the world. Be an active part of Making the World a Better Place. From my heart to yours,
Mrs. B (a.k.a. Elle) September 18 September 18 MeetingWelcome back. The year started with a lecture on decision making because half the troop decided to go shopping after school today and things got a little out of control. NOT the way I wanted things to go today. 'Nuff said.
Registrations were handed out. It was decided that everyone should pay their own registration fee this year and not use troop funds for it. It was also decided that dues would still be taken weekly in the amount of $.50 per scout.
Because the girls are 10th thru 12th grade, I am no longer going to take care of the regular weekly business of the troop. The girls decided to divvy up the Leadership duties on a "leader-of-the-month" basis. Each scout will have three or four meetings where they are the organizer, note-taker, in-charge person. I will guide and suggest, but I will not do any of the work that needs to be taken care of for meetings. The schedule lays out as follows:
It was also decided that each month will have a project of some kind for the troop to work on. It could be an event, a trip, a craft, a party, whatever. The following schedule has been laid out:
In addition to these things, Mrs. M and Boomba's mom, Mrs. H have decided to keep troop 654 going by training to be co-leaders for next year. A huge thank-you is due them for accepting this challenge. Boomba is determined to pursue Gold Award and has been instructed to begin writing her proposal immediately due to very big impending changes in our home council. I don't want her to get stuck behind unforseen circumstances yet again. She won't have time to start over. All members recieved a membership star that I forgot to obtain at the close of last year, and Pugnatious also recieved a Studio 2B charm for "Looking In, Reaching Out". We looked through the new fun patch book to see what we might like to get this year, and finally, Mrs. B forbid unhealthy snacks from troop meetings. Not a popular edict, but a necessary one. We are all WAY too addicted to Boomba's cookies. A very productive first meeting. I am well-pleased to see this group step up to the responsibilities that will be expected of them this year. Despite an angry beginning, we will overcome mistakes, learn to communicate better, and hopefully learn the true meaning of the Girl Scout Law. Until Next Week,
Mrs. B September 01 Calling New Friends!Well, we put out a call to a bunch of potential new MSN Friends today. We also deleted a couple of friends who no longer keep spaces here. Cleaning house is important once in a while. So ... troops, leaders, scouts ... this is for all who answer the call.
We are Girl Scout Troop 654 from Upstate NY. We are Seniors and in our last official year of scouting. It's not really the thing to do to call ourselves "Seniors" since the Studio 2B stuff started, but we like the title, and we're keeping it. I won't go through introductions here because there's a list to your left that tells who we are. Some of us have other spaces here, and those names are linked to personal MSN blogs. Most also have MySpace accounts. You have to have a Myspace to see them, though, so you won't get there from here. The troop e-mail is also there for anyone who'd like to bypass the comment section. We really like to hear from people, especially other scouts.
For the past year, this blog has been a weekly chronicle of our plans, thoughts, struggles, and triumphs. Troop meetings can be a place to explore, grow, learn, make mistakes, laugh, and cry. We've done all those things. We have become a family over the years ... real sisters ... and we act like it! Our personalities always shine through in whatever we do. We don't always get along, but we always come back.
We hope that this year you'll join our weekly adventures. Help us in our quest to grow stronger and get us ready for the world we're about to enter. We also hope that in some small way, we can help all of you ... to reflect, to absorb, to teach, and to learn. That's what this is all about, after all ... sisters supporting sisters across the globe. Come grow with us.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try
To serve *God*, and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
("God" represents a higher power of your own choosing.
It is allowable to substitute another title that more
closely matches your own belief system.)
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
Honest and Fair
Friendly and Helpful
Considerate and Caring
Courageous and Strong
And Responsible for What I Say and Do,
To Respect Myself and Others
Respect Authority
Use Resources Wisely
Make the World a Better Place
And Be A Sister To Every Girl Scout
Make New Friends
Make new friends, but keep the old
One is Silver and the other's Gold
(This is the first stanza of a song nearly all Girl Scouts
learn in their early years of scouting. It's also a credo
we try very hard to live by. This is our way of reaching
out to all of you. Join our friendship circle!)
Meetings will begin on September 18th. Join us for our final year of fun and friendship as Girl Scouts of America.
Until then,
Mrs. B |
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