Pets & Animals and Culture Night

February ended with our second "By Guides, For Guides" night. We started out with our usual opening ceremony, then the Thistles led the first half of the meeting on the theme of Pets and Animals, followed by Daisies and their Culture Night. 

The Thistle Patrol had planned three activities about Pets and Animals for their half of the evening:

• Big Dog Tag - In this game, "It" is the "Big Dog". The Big Dog chases other players, if someone is tagged, they sit on the floor with their legs out in front of them. In order to be un-tagged, two other players have to come and sit on the floor as well, using their legs to make a T. After counting to 5, all three players rejoin the game. Players cannot be tagged if they are squatting or if they are sitting in a T.
• Lost Pet Skits - Guides were asked to form small groups and each group made up a skit about a losing and finding a pet. 
• Twag - In this game, "It" is an Owl and everyone else is a mouse. When a mouse is tagged, they become a baby owl and go and sit in the Owl's nest (a corner or section of the playing area). One player is an "Eagle" who turned the baby owls back into mice.

The Daisy Patrol had chosen Culture Night as their theme and had four activities:

• Facts About the Philippines - One Guide shared some information about the Philippines.
• Scotland Trip - One Guide shared pictures and told about her trip to Scotland to visit family.
• Luksong Tinik - We then played a traditional game from the Philippines. Two players sit on the ground with their legs out and soles of their feet touching. The other players jump over their feet. One of the seated players then places her foot on top of the other players foot, heel to toe, and the other players jump over this increased height. The height in the centre continues to be raised using feet and then hands until other players are unable to jump over it. For better instructions, visit Filipino Games. 
• Tinikling - We tried Tinikling, a traditional folk dance from the Philippines. We have lots of bamboo poles for gadget making, so were able to split up into groups of 3-4 Guides. Two people kept the rhythm with the poles, going slowly, and the remaining girls learned to dance in and out of the poles without getting their feet caught! Download the instructions and watch a video under "Downloads" at the bottom of this post.
• Food! - The final activity was a taste test with Licorice All-Sorts from Scotland and Sausage and a Fruit and Milk Salad from the Philippines - all very yummy!

Everyone had done a great job preparing their activities and had a lot of fun trying some new activities. We ended with reminders for next week and closed with Taps. 

Downloads: 

• Tinikling Instructions
• Filipino Cultural Dance Troupe (YouTube Video)

Eco-Guides

This week's meeting was spent working on the Ecology Badge. One of the things we often do is to created our own requirements to meet the purpose of the badge, and this was no exception.

As the girls arrived, the Patrol Leaders took attendance and collected dues. Each Patrol then did some brainstorming and made two lists - things to eat at camp and things to do at camp - as we look ahead to our winter camp in February.

Following our usual opening, we played a Find Your Match Game with animal noses. Each girl is given the name of an animal (cat, dog, chicken, snake, bumblebee) and has to find the other person who has the same animal by making the sound that animal makes.

We then sat down for a short discussion. We talked about what ecology is (the study of how animals and plants depend on each other, the weather, sunlight and water) and ecosystems (environments and the plants and animals that live there). As we have a new subdivision being built just outside of town, we also talked about what happens to animals when humans build roads and houses where the animals live. This led to talking about the animals that are seen as 'pests' in the community (raccoons, rabbits, rats) and why we are seeing them more often.

The next activity was a Food Chain Game. I believe this game is often called Amoeba or something similar. Everyone starts as a Bumblebee and moves around the playing area 'buzzing'. When they meet another Bumblebee, they play "rock, paper, scissors". The winner moves up the food chain and the loser moves down the food chain, unless they are already at the bottom (Bumblebee), in which case they stay there. So, when two Bumblebees play each other, the winner moves up to become a Sparrow. Players can only play someone who is at the same level of the food chain as they are - i.e. Sparrows can only play other Sparrows. The goal is to moves up the food chain - Bumblebee, Sparrow, Fox, Eagle, Human - although we kept the game going by having the Humans play each other to remain at the top.

The group then split into two, with one group making milk carton birdfeeders and the other learning about vermicomposting.

The birdfeeders were simple, made out of 500mL milk cartons with a hole cut in the front and and a popsicle stick for a perch. We filled them with a mixture of birdseed and sunflower butter and talked about what birds eat and why it is good to leave some plant life (i.e. dead sunflowers) in the garden over the winter as a food source.

One of our Guiders has a vermicomposter that she brought in to show the girls. Vermicomposting is a form of composting that uses red wriggler worms to breakdown food scraps into rich compost that can be used in your garden. What's neat about vermicomposters is that they can be kept indoors and as long as they are cared for, they don't smell! The girls were able to see the composter (worm poop!) and handle some of the worms.

As our final activity, we divided the girls up into two groups and had each create and lead a game. The first group was
asked to come up with a game about living things and their surroundings. In their game one player is the Germinator and one is the Gardener. When the Germinator tags a player, they become a Weed and have to sit down on the floor. The Gardener can 'water' the weeds to turn them back into plants who can then rejoin the game. The second group was asked to come with a game about recycling. In their game, one person leaves the room and the others sit in a circle. One player has a water bottom and the person who was out of the room has to guess who has it. They made up and sang a song called 'Who's the Litterer?' to the tune of 'Make a Circle'.

We ended with reminders for next week and closed with Taps.

Useful Links

• Vermicomposting - Cathy's Crawly Composters 

 

"I Want To Be... (Career Awareness for Guides)

For our first meeting after March Break, we learned about careers and explored the skills needed for different types of jobs.

The first 30 minutes of the meeting were Patrol Time, and each patrol started working on the activities they had planned out before March Break.

• Trillium Patrol - "Rap Around the Clock" - made up raps and songs about safety
• Rose Patrol - "Running" - did timed sprints and blocks of running
• Pansy Patrol - "Time Travel" - looked at photographs from camps in the 1930s-60s and designed their own futuristic campsites
• Daffodil Patrol - "Scrunchies" - measured and cut out fabric to make scrunchies and started sewing

We then had our usual opening and moved into our program. Each girl was given a worksheet and had to complete 3 activities:

• I Could Be... - Girls explored 11 posters about different careers and choose two that interested them to learn more about. They also had the option of adding a different career, and had to explain why they were interested in that particular path. (Posters were created based on interests expressed by the Guides!)
• My Resume - Girls filled out a simplified resume to highlight their talents and abilities. 
• Getting the Job - Girls worked in pairs to answer sample interview questions.

They were then able to choose from a variety of different skill activities, grouped into 4 categories: Law, Arts, Animals and Working With People.

• Exploring ... the Law - Here the girls could choose to test their knowledge of the Law or create a short exercise routine.
• Exploring ... the Arts - This station offered a wide variety of activities grouped as Design, Drama & Dance, and Writing & Composing.
• Exploring ... Animals - At this station, the girls had a chose of three different activities - making field notes, creating an activity to teach others about animals, or testing their knowledge with the "Creature Quiz"
• Exploring ... Working With People - We had two options here, getting to know another Guide and learning some basic signs and finger spelling.

After cleaning up, girls were able to present their skits, posters and research. We then played an active game and closed with reminders for next week and Taps.

DOWNLOADS

• Career Awareness Worksheet
• Career Posters
• Exploring ... the Law
• Exploring ... the Arts
• Exploring ... Animals (The "Creature Quiz" can be found in GFI: Animal Active as "Know Your Animals")
• Exploring ... Working With People 

While the Guides were learning about Careers, our Pathfinders & Rangers cleaned out the supply cupboard - that hasn't been emptied in many years...

Ripley's Aquarium

On Saturday, April 9th a group of 49 Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers and Adults from Binbrook, Brantford and Caledonia spent the day at Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto.

In the morning, everyone met at the Aldershot GO Station to take the train into Toronto. We basically filled the top level of one car! The trip there was punctuated by songs at different points and many trips to 'experience' the toilet on the train.

When we arrived at Union Station, we found a space to eat as we had found out only a few days before that we couldn't take outside food into the aquarium (we had thought we had permission as school groups do). Eating and washroom break finished, we took a short walk, and were at the aquarium!

Everyone split up into small groups to freely explore the exhibits. We saw sharks, stingrays, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, various types of fish, kelp, coral, anemones, eels and so many more creatures! Some of the girls were brave and actually touched horseshoe crabs, rays, and a white-spotted bamboo shark.

After about two hours, we all met again near the entrance and each group received program sheets to complete. Some groups had another snack and everyone had a washroom break at this point as well. The Guides worked on sheets to earn the Ecology and Endangered Species Badges, and the Pathfinders worked on sheets to complete the Up Close and Personal With Nature Module and pieces of several other modules.

Later on, we all headed back to Union Station to have another snack before heading home. With the wonderful assistance of a GO Transit Security Officer, we were able to get everyone into the same car and level - once again, we took over the upper level of one car. The train was quiet full as a baseball game had ended about the same time. Once again sang part of the way home - people not with our group were warned they were joining a group of about 50 girls and adults and it could be loud! The girls had a great time and would do this trip again!!

Therapeutic Paws of Canada

As a welcome back from March Break we had a visit from Nicole, Cheryl and Shaili from Therapeutic Paws of Canada.

We held our usual opening ceremony followed by an active game, before introducing Shaili to the girls. The girls learned lots and had fun doing skits and games with Shaili. And Shaili enjoyed all the extra snuggles and treats! The program lasted about an hour (and then Shaili got some extra attention from the Pathfinders!)

 

Therapeutic Paws of Canada is a non-profit organization of volunteers providing animal resources for human needs (physical, mental, educational, motivational, socialization) through regular visits to hospitals, residences, schools, etc. More information can be found on their website at tpoc.ca/.

Our visitors were from the Haldimand County Branch, but there are branches across Canada. See the local Facebook page here - Therapeutic Paws of Canada - Haldimand County

Some of the Guides then took part in an evaluation day on April 10th where dog/owner teams were being evaluated for certification to work with children. See the post about that day here - TPOC Haldimand County IWC Evaluation Day

Endangered Species Badge

Tonight's meeting was devoted to earning the Endangered Species Badge.
As the girls arrived, they were given some time to work on their collections/hobbies posters from last week, then we started with our Horseshoe, the Promise, and an active game (Minion Tag) led by the Active Living Patrol for the week.

We started the meeting off with a discussion about the terms rare, endangered, extirpated and extinct, identifying different endangered species, why species become endangered and how Guides can help wildlife. The girls were able to share information they had learned at school, through their personal interests in different animals, and through Earth Rangers.

Rare - A species that is likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. (i.e. Wood Bison, Grey Fox, Hooded Warbler, Wild Hyacinth, Hairy Prairie Clover)
Endangered - A species is so small that it is facing imminent extirpation or extinction. (i.e. Whooping Crane, Beluga Whale, Northern Spotted Owl, Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Pitcher's Thistle)
Extirpated - A species that is no longer found in the wild in Canada, but can still be found elsewhere. (i.e. Greater Prairie Chicken, Black Footed Ferret, Spring Blue Eyed Mary)
Extinct - A species that no longer exists. (i.e. Great Auk, Labrador Duck, Passenger Pigeon)

Why Plants & Animals May Become Endangered

• Destruction of habitats and/or food supplies - such as clear-cut logging, construction, dams
• Environmental contamination - such as pollution, chemicals, pesticide use, oil spills
• Overharvesting and excessive trade - such as overfishing, clear-cut logging
• Climate Change - climatic conditions make a species' habitat no longer suitable
• Disease
• Invasive Species

How Can You Help?

• Don't disturb animals or collect plants in the wild - it may increase their vulnerability to predators and interfere with their feeding and reproduction
• Use non-toxic products to eliminate pests in your garden - harmful pesticides can eventually affect other animals, including endangered species
• Create a wildlife habitat in your backyard, for example bird feeders, drip pools, nesting boxes, butterfly garden
• Read and learn how human actions can affect wildlife, and how people can help protect endangered species
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - consume less and buy from companies that are involved in protecting the environment 

Next we moved on to an Active Quiz (the corners of the room are labeled as A, B, C and D, and girls run to the corner they think is the right answer). This quiz is an updated version of one originally created by the Canadian Wildlife Service:
1. Why do Monarch Butterflies fly south for the winter?
     A. To go to Disney World; B. To escape the cold; C. Changing wind patterns
2. Which bird has been saved from extinction in Canada (so far)?
     A. Daffy Duck; B. The Passenger Pigeon; C. The Peregrine Falcon
3. In which province can the Vancouver Island Marmot be found?
     A. British Columbia; B. Vancouver Island; C. Alberta
4. What is the biggest threat to Canadian wildlife?
     A. Cars; B. Loss of habitat; C. Heavy metal music
5. How many species of wildlife are currently known to be at risk in Canada?
     A. 1,581; B. 37; C. 676
6. How many animals are left if a species is extinct?
     A. Less than 50 in the world; B. None in Canada; C. None at all
7. What is the Nooksack Dace?
     A. A Fish; B. A famous West Coast hiking trail; C. A river from the ice age
8. The Pitcher's Thistle is the official flower of:
     A. The Great Lakes; B. Major League baseball; C. Scotland
9. Why are wetlands important?
     A. Swimming and boating; B. Hydroelectricity; C. Their biodiversity
10. On which ocean is the Harlequin Duck still plentiful?
     A. Atlantic; B. Pacific; C. Arctic
11. What does extirpated mean?
     A. Gone from the Canadian wild; B. Upset; C. Found in Canada only in summer
12. Which of the following form part of an ecosystem?
     A. Animals; B. Plants; C. Rocks; D. All of the above

Afterwards we played the Habitat Game. In this game, we started out with a square of newspaper per girl. At a signal, the girls had to start moving around the room in the manner specified (i.e. skipping, hopping, walking backwards, like a monkey, like an elephant). When 'Stop' was called, the girls had to find a home on one of the habitats (squares of newspaper) with their whole hand or foot on the paper. Between each round, a square of newspaper was removed, until all of the girls were trying to find space on a single square. The game ended with a short discussion of how this represented animals becoming endangered through loss of habitat, and that without access to adequate food, water, and space, animals cannot survive.

Next, using the resources provided (posters, maps and books), each girl made a poster about an endangered species that interested them. We shared the posters with each other and located the home of each species on a world map.

The meeting ended with reminders for next week and Taps.

November & December with the Pathfinders

We started November with a planning meeting. The girls present planed activities on different arts to share at the next meeting. We had activities covering Drama, Writing, Drawing and Art. We also did a challenge activity - list 10 body parts of 3 letters (this is harder than it sounds). The last part of the meeting was spent planning activities for our upcoming sleepover in December.

The second meeting in November was devoted to the Arts, with the girls leading activities that they had planned.

• Game with character cards, players have to interact according to the instructions on their card
• Two Truths and a Lie using character details
• Cooperative story where each person added one sentence at a time.
• Freeze - an improv game where two players start a scene and someone else calls out 'Freeze' and takes the place of one player and starts a new scene
• Bullying prevention skits
• Skits showing the best parts of Guiding
• One paragraph stories and skits

On November 19th, 5 Pathfinders joined the Guides at the McMaster Planetarium, earning the Galactic Adventures Badge - see Guide post here

Our last meeting in November was spent learning to crochet. The goal is to make a blanket that can be donated, but the first step was learning how to do it!

December started off with a meeting all about Animals. Everyone had been asked to choose and animal and bring 5 facts about it. Using the facts, the rest of the group tried to guess the animal. The chosen animals were Cat, Polar Bear, Penguin, Red Panda, Fox, Water Bear and Dog. The next activity was a memory game played with animal tracks. This was followed by animal charades and a game of Capture the Flag. The last activity of the evening was to create an animal cartoon character.

Our annual Pathfinder/Ranger Service Project Sleepover was held on the first Friday of December. We made 8 dozen cookies for the church to pack into boxes for people spending Christmas alone, 5 plates full of decorated sugar cookies for an assisted living facility, and Christmas cards for a group home. We ordered pizza and the girls had lots of time to play games, listen to music and socialize.

The second week of December was our Christmas Pot Luck Dinner. Everyone brought food and we spent the evening eating and ended by playing some active games to stay warm as the hall was very cold that night.


Our last meeting of the year was spent visiting the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA. We had a tour of the facility, learned about the work done by the SPCA, and got to visit with the therapy rabbits.