Promise, Law & Planning

Tonight was a bit of a catch-up night with a review of the Promise and Law, planning for our Hallowe'en Party, beginning to organize our Patrol-Planned meetings and activities, voting on the new uniform designs, and talking about a holiday service project.

As the Guides arrived, the Patrols marked their attendance books and collected dues. They were also challenged to see if as a team they could remember the words to the Promise, Laws and Motto. We opened with our usual horseshoe and then checked in with the Patrols - everyone knew the Promise, but the Motto and Laws were a mystery to most of the group. We talked a bit about the Motto and then practiced BURRPLS for the Guide Law. (BURRPLS is an acronym using the first letter of each Law and can act as a memory aid when trying to recall all of the Laws!) We then moved onto an active game before diving into our program for the evening.


Our first, and longest, activity was to plan our upcoming Hallowe'en Party. Each Patrol was responsible for brainstorming ideas, choosing an activity and making a plan. The Patrols will have 20 minutes next week to set up, run and clean-up from their activity. As we are working on planning as a skill, we asked the Patrols to follow a step-by-step process:

1. Brainstorm activity ideas - write down everyone's ideas.
2. Choose your favourites (no more than one per Patrol member) - everyone has an equal vote!
3. Run your list by the Guiders to make sure all are do-able in our meeting space and the time given. 
4. Make your final choice. You might be able to combine more than one idea into a single activity. 
5. Create a plan - What supplies are needed? What are the instructions/rules? Who will explain the activity? How long will you need to set-up/clean-up your activity?

For some Patrols, this was an easy activity and they moved on to coming up with ideas for activities they could lead at other meetings. Other Patrols needed more assistance, but we managed to come up with three unique Patrol plans. 


While the planning was taking place, we visited each Patrol to conduct a survey on the New Uniform Designs. We used a tablet to show images of all of the options, and each Guide was given a ballot and voted for her favourite options for the front of the shirt, back of the shirt, sleeve logo, sleeve length and fit style. Each person was also able to provide any additional comments they had. All of their votes and responses will be entered into the survey site so they can be part of the National Uniform Team's data!


Once planning was completed, we moved on to Guide Law Skits. Each Patrol was given two of the Guide Laws and had to come up with one or two short skits demonstrating the Laws. Skits are always entertaining and the Patrols did a good job as the rest of the Unit was able to guess which Law they were acting out.


Our final activity was a discussion about a service project we've been asked to participate in - The Shoebox Project. This is a program that provides gifts to women in need through shelters and community groups. Each box is packed with items to help the recipient feel good about themselves and to let them know that people care about them. Donors are asked to choose items that they would like to receive as a gift, or that they would buy for a family member or close friend in order to keep the quality of items in the boxes high. We were specifically approached to see if we would like to make a box (or boxes) as part of a batch for young women aged 15 to 18 living in a transitional housing program in Brantford. After explaining the project, the Guides and Pathfinders decided we should take part, and we will be collecting items to pack two shoeboxes over the coming weeks.

We closed with reminders for next week (Hallowe'en Party!) and Taps.


Links:

• The Shoebox Project (external link)

Happy Lunar New Year 2017!

Tonight we had a Chinese New Year Party hosted by our Pathfinder and 4 3rd-Year Guides to earn the Chinese New Year Challenge created by the 12th Swindon Guides in the UK - Download the Challenge Pack. The girls did a great job and completed their Event Planning badge and part of the Learn How to Plan section of the program.
We started out with our usual opening ceremony and then moved right into the program for the evening with an active game - "Dragons, Roosters and Dumplings" (similar to 'Wizards, Giants and Elves') - explained and led by one of the 3rd Year Guides. While the group was playing, we finished setting up for the first craft, painting Chinese symbols on stones. Our Pathfinder explained this activity, and showed examples of stones she had painted at home.

As the girls finished their craft, they were directed to signs at the back of the room that identified the different animals in the Chinese Zodiac. They had to find the animal for the year they were born, taking into account the different New Year dates. We had found some information about common traits for each animal, lucky numbers, famous people, and things people should focus on this year. We have Tigers, Goats, Snakes, Roosters, Dogs, Monkeys, and Pigs in our group! (Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers, Guiders) Download our Chinese Zodiac Posters (pdf file) - information derived from ChinaHighlights.com

We then played two more games, each led by a different 3rd Year Guide, Rooster Tag (when you are tagged, you have to make wings with your arms until someone frees you) and Hawk Chases Roosters (where one player is the Hawk who tries to catch the Rosters, when a Rooster is caught, they become a Hawk).

The Guides were then given the choice of two different dragon crafts, each led by a 3rd Year Guide - they could either make a dragon puppet or a dragon mask.

The Dragon Puppet Template can be downloaded from Kids Activities and the Dragon Mask Template is part of the Challenge Pack.

Our final activity was food sampling! We served dumplings, spring rolls, breaded chicken, and breaded pork with plum sauce, oranges, and fortune cookies. We used a red table cloth, red plates and red napkins to make our feast as lucky as possible!

We closed with Taps and each girl received a Red Packet with chocolate coins as she left.

The activities we chose to completed this challenge were:

• Discovery - Year of the...; Red Envelopes
• Decoration - Dragon Mask or Dragon Puppet
• Entertainment - Our Own Games (Dragons, Roosters and Dumplings; Rooster Tag; Hawk Chases Roosters)
• Cuisine - Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Breaded Chicken, Breaded Pork, Plum Sauce, Oranges, Fortune Cookies
• Celebration - Our Party!

January & February With the Pathfinders and Rangers

Outdoor Know-How
January started off with a meeting to finish up the Outdoor Know-How Module by making high-energy snack bars, taste-testing different pre-made high energy foods, and planning a campfire that will be used for Thinking Day in February. We used a fruit and nut bar recipe for our baking, and discussed different types of foods that can be eaten for an energy boost during outdoor activities. Some of the foods we sampled were Trails Mixes, Almond Butter, Dried Fruits (banana, pineapple, papaya), and Nuts. (We have no allergies in our unit, but did talk about how it is important to know about allergies beforehand and prepare foods that everyone can enjoy.)

No-Bake Fruit 'n' Nut Snack Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Chopped Cashews
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)
1/4 cup Almond Butter
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Butter

Directions
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with tin foil. Lightly grease foil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies, almonds, cashews, cranberries and raisins.
3. Place agave nectar, almond butter, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour liquid mixture over cereal mixture and stir gently to coat. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan.
5. Chill for 1 hour or until completely firm. Once firm, cut into 12 bars and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Healthy Eating
The second week of January we joined the Guides for a visit to Zehrs - see post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/healthy-eating-at-zehrs.html

Winter Camp
The Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers held our annual winter camp weekend at Camp Teka in mid-January - see post here http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/winter-camp-at-camp-teka.html 

Thinking Day Planning
The rest of January was spend exploring World Guiding and making plans for our annual town-wide Thinking Day event. We started off with a quick facts quiz about Thinking Day and the Canadian World Friendship Fund to get everyone thinking on the same lines. After, we did a WAGGGS Quiz - girls were allowed to use their phones and books to find the answers, as well as their own memories. Planning for Thinking Day involved looking at the activities in the WAGGGS Thinking Day Pack, coming up with ideas, and considering if each activity was suitable for girls aged 5-11 to do at the same time (this was the most difficult part, I think!).

WAGGGS Quiz
1. In which four countries can you find a World Centre? England/UK, Switzerland, Mexico, India
2. Where is the fifth World Centre located? Africa
3. Who was the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides? Robert Baden-Powell
4. At which World Centre can you go skiing? Our Chalet
5. Why do Guides and Scouts shake with the left hand? The story about B-P meeting the Ashanti people in Africa, and when meeting their chief, he put down his shield which was held in his left hand. By leaving himself vulnerable to attack, he placed his trust in the other person. B-P then adopted this for Scouting.
6. At which World Centre might you wear a sari?  Sangam
7. In which country did Guiding begin? Great Britain/UK/England
8. Where is each World Centre located?  Pax Lodge - England; Our Cabana - Mexico; Our Chalet - Switzerland; Sangam - India; Kusafiri - Africa
9. How many countries are members of WAGGGS? 146
10. What does WAGGGS stand for? World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
11. What does "Pax" mean? Peace
12. What does "Sangam" mean, and what language does it come from? Coming Together - Sanskrit
13. What languages are spoken in Switzerland? German, French and Italian
14. What is the date of World Thinking Day? February 22nd
15. Which World Centres have swimming pools? Our Cabana, Sangam
16. What flag is flown at all World Centres? World Flag
17. What are the 5 WAGGGS Regions? Western Hemisphere Region, Europe Region, Africa Region, Arab Region, Asia-Pacific Region
18. Who started the Girl Scouts in the USA? Juliette Gordon Low
19. One World Centre takes guests to visit a woodcarver. Which one? Our Chalet
20. at which World Centre might you visit Big Ben? Pax Lodge
21. At which World Centre might you make a pinata? Our Cabana
22. Which World Centre has an elephant for a mascot? What is her name? Sangam - Sangalee
23. Which World Region does Canada belong to? Western Hemisphere Region
24. How often does WAGGGS hold a World Conference? Every 3 years
25. What is the World Bureau? The administrative body and office for WAGGGS, located in London, England

Find Your Inner Leader
 With the arrival of February, we took a break from our planning to work on our leadership
skills. We started the evening off by looking at what makes a good leader. The Pathfinders added skills and qualities they associated with being a good leader to a poster with a picture of a Pathfinder. We then talked about which of the skills and qualities they feel they already have and which ones they need to work on. Next, we looked at Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats and applied each to our Thinking Day planning to see how they worked. Last, we all took a Leadership Quiz to see what type of leadership we prefer, leading to a discussion about different types of situational leadership:

A. Directing Style - Getting the Job Done
This style is used when something needs to be done quickly. It provides clear expectations on who, what, when and how something should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. When using the directing style, leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. This will be the primary leadership style in situations where girls need a lot of direction or where safety is a concern.

B. Selling Style - It's a Good Plan, Don't You Think?
This style is used when leaders need group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative.

C. Participating Style - So What Will It Be?
Here leaders offer guidance to group members, participating as part of the group and facilitating input from other group members. Here the leader plays more of a teaching role and engages girls by encouraging contributions.

D. Delegating Style - It's the Journey, Not the Destination
Leaders in this situation offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. It is typically used in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise or where the process is more important than the outcome. Though it may lead to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation, it can also lead to creative results and be empowering for the group members.

Thinking Day Preparations
The second week of February was spent getting ready for Thinking Day. The Pathfinders and Rangers made the craft kits for the beaded bookmarks, create a bingo card for the Initial Bingo Game, choose countries for the WAGGGS Compass Game, and prepared to lead the different activities at our Thinking Day event.

Spa Night
The week before Thinking Day was turned over to the Pathfinders for a Spa Night. The girls did facials, nail painting, foot soaks and hair. They had a great social night eating and talking!

World Thinking Day
February finished up with our annual town-wide Thinking Day event - the girls did a great job leading the activities! See post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/02/happy-world-thinking-day-2016.html