Hurry! Limited time to vote!

• The Junior Badge poll closes 8AM on Thursday Morning, October 1.
  
• Once it's closed, it's closed.
  
• NO verbal voting on the current poll.
• In the case of multiple ties, we'll have a run-off.
• You may vote for up to 3 badges on this poll.
• Only vote once.
  

Pick Badges for the Troop

Polling is now open for Badge Selection for 2009-10.

You have chosen 20 different badges individually that you would like to complete as a troop. We will try to get in as many as we can, but we need your input. You have until the morning of October 1 to vote for your top 3 badge choices.

There are 5 different art badges on the list of 20. If there is a tie, we can have a run off.
Right now we are working to complete our 1st badge of this school year which is Girl Scouting in the USA. There are a few that are not in our books that we may want to look at adding to our program this year such as CyberGirl Scout Badge and The World in my Community Badge. If you want to take a look at other GS program opportunities that are online, this is the link.
Look to the right of this post on the blog and you will find the list of badges to vote from. Please just pick 3 then click vote. Also, please only vote once.
Thanks!

Troop Patrol Leadership

Congratulations to our new Troop Patrol Leaders! They are the 1st for this year and everyone will have the chance to provide leadership to the troop. The terms run for 5 meetings, and on the 5th we will have nominations and election for the next set of Patrol Leaders.

Record Keeper: Ali
Pirate (treasurer): Graysen
Kaper Keeper: Raven

The Record Keeper takes attendance and checks uniforms.
Pirate takes up weekly dues and accounts for them and current troop dues balance.
Kaper Keeper sets up and cleans up meeting space, they can delegate and ask for help.

This is just the beginning of leadership and responsibility opportunities for our Girl Scouts!

Please remember that you are responsible and you will either earn or not your Patrol Cord at the end of your 5 weeks. Please find a replacement if you will not be at a meeting and report your replacement.

Healthy Snack

Please check the calendar (see link above or the agenda on the right side) for your date to send or bring a Healthy Snack. Dates have been assigned up through the end of the year. If you can not bring or send a snack on that date, feel free to switch with someone. No Drinks, unless Capri Suns. There are 7 Girl Scout members at this time (and 3 brother-helpers). Thank you!!

Happy Fall!

Fall is officially here! Today is the Autumn Equinox, or first day of Autumn. Enjoy it!

Don't forget to look over your badge book and bring a few badge ideas that you would like to complete as a troop this year. If you do not have your book yet, no worries, just check out badges online.

Either write down your ideas or email them. See you Thursday! And Happy Fall!

Welcome Back Note

Welcome back Troop 840! This is going to be an exciting year. Here's a recap of some of what we covered at Thursday's meeting plus more that wasn't.

1. This year we will have Patrol's that will be responsible for taking attendance, records of uniform, treasurer, kaper keeper (set up and taken down table), flag bearers. They will earn a "Leadership Cord" that they can wear on their vest. They will be voted on by the troop and everyone will have the opportunity to provide this leadership to the troop throughout the year.

2. It is important that they are responsible for wearing their vest each week and bringing their quarter and book(s).

3. The leaders will keep a "catch ya being good" chart. This is to note the times that we see especially good behavior or participation.

4. We will have quarterly family celebrations to show the importance of what the girls are achieving with their badges, journey and service projects. (dates/times TBA)

5. We will take up a one time for the year dues of $25 to cover badges, crafts and extras. If you have extra cookie dough and would like to use that to pay the dues with, please let me know and that is acceptable.

6. There will NOT be paper notes sent home (unless they come from a source other than our troop specifically). Check your email for notes, dates, reminders and information of the like.

7. Snack: Healthy Snack please. No drinks, unless Capri Suns. Look at the troop calendar and email the dates you would like to send snack. As they are received, they will be added to the calendar. No dates are taken yet.

8. There are a few weeks that we can not meet on Thursdays. Check the calendar for those dates. A reminder will be posted prior to the date. We are going to try to do other activities or field trips those weeks. Details TBA.

9. ***Badges*** this is important :)
Girls, for this Thursday, look over your Badge book and bring 3 or 4 that you would like to accomplish this year. We will compile a list and you will get to vote on the blog. We will try to get as many of your choices done this year as we can.

Remember: Live by the Girl Scout Law. Have Fun. Do your best. and Be Prepared!

Let's Get Ready . . . . .

This is going to be another great year of Girl Scouting!
Check the calendar for up coming meeting dates as well as dates that we will not be meeting. You should plan to check your email and/or the blog at least weekly for notes, updates and much more.
There is a lot to look forward to this year, we are going to go from Traditions to Leadership and Self Esteem to Exciting Adventures.

So get ready with your vest, get set with your Junior Handbook and Badge book, and let's GO on this Journey together!
If you have any friends that would like to join us this year, please let us know or have their parents contact us. We would love to meet new friends and look forward to seeing the old.

Fall Program Guide 2009

The Girl Scout Fall Program Guide is now available. If there are any activities you are interested in participating in, please comment to this post.

Hold the Presses! Day Change!!

Day Correction: We will meet on Thursdays this year, NOT Tuesdays as previously reported.

Everything else is correct . . . as far as we know. (see last post)

So our first meeting will be September 17 CT Cafeteria - Pick up 5PM.

Juniors 2009-10

We hope everyone had a great summer! School starts next week, but Girl Scouts does not start until September 15. This year we will meet on Tuesdays after school, not Mondays, so mark your calendars. The troop calendar is updated to reflect this change.
If you have not already visited either the GS Western OK shop or website to purchase your uniform and handbook, here is a breakdown of the costs and items.

Item	$
Vest	$15.75
Troop #'s	$3.75
US flag	$1.75
Insignia tab	$2.50
GSWOK	$4.00
GS Pin	$2.00
* handbook	$10.95
* badge book	$11.95
**hand/badge books	$21.50

*Badge book alone has description of Junior Badges
*Handbook alone is not recommended
** package of both Handbook & Badge Book is the best deal to keep track of badges completed, information on Girl Scouting and Junior requirements.

Basically if you would like both books, a vest and the basic emblems it will be $51.25 plus tax.

Are you ready to discover your power? Are you ready to see how this power can make a change in the world?
We hope you are ready and excited to discover this power that you resides within you!
This year we will become "Agents of Change"!
The troop will purchase these books for you.

In addition to this journey, we will accomplish a number of badges. If you have any particular badges that you would like to do as a troop, please let us know.

We are excited to take this journey of Girl Scouting with you. We will see you Tuesday, September 15 after school at CrossTimbers for our 1st meeting of this school year.

*Mystery in our National Park series*

National Geographic Series Mysteries in Our National Parks

	Buried Alive, A Mystery in Denali National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The Landons are in Alaska's Denali National Park and are joined by 13-year-old Nicky Milano. Jack, Ashley and Nicky accept a dogsled ride from a man in a Park Service uniform -- which leads to trouble. (ALA251, $4.99)
	Cliff-Hanger, A Mystery in Mesa Verde National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • Jack's mother is investigating a cougar attack at Mesa Verde in this installment of the popular series, co-authored by science and mystery authors. (USW522, $4.99)
	Deadly Waters: A Mystery in Everglades National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • Alane Ferguson • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • While visiting the Everglades National Park with their parents, the Landon children uncover the mystery of dying manatees and learn important lessons about the natural environment. (FLA69, $4.99)
	Escape from Fear, A Mystery in Virgin Islands National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The Landon family races to figure out what is destroying the coral reefs at the Virgin Islands National Park in the ninth installment of the popular mystery series. (CRB208, $4.99)
	Ghost Horses, A Mystery in Zion National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • Life-threatening accidents keep plaguing the Landon family as they investigate the mysterious deaths of white mustangs at Zion National Park (USW521, $4.99)
	The Hunted, A Mystery in Glacier National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The fifth installment from the popular series follows the Landon family's attempts to uncover the mysterious disappearance of grizzly cubs in Glacier National Park. (ALA252, $4.99)
	Night of the Black Bear, A Mystery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • While their mother investigates a series of bear attacks in and near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Jack and Ashley learn about country music and Cherokee people from two new friends, one of whom is keeping a secret. (USS400, $4.99)
	Out of the Deep, A Mystery in Acadia National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The Landons travel to Arcadia National Park in Maine for the tenth installment of the popular mystery series. (USE414, $4.99)
	Over the Edge, A Mystery in Grand Canyon National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The life of a biologist studying condors in the Grand Canyon is threatened in this entry in Mysteries in Our National Parks -- and the hostile teenage computer whiz in her family's foster care may be involved. (USW520, $4.99)
	Rage of Fire • Gloria Skurzynski • Alane Ferguson • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • In this suspenseful entry in the Mysteries in our National series, Jack, Ashley and their parents visit Hawaii and meet a Vietnamese boy who leads them on a mysterious adventure into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. (HWI212, $5.95)
	Running Scared, A Mystery in Carlsbad Caverns National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The Landons travel to Carlsbad Cavern to study the local bat population, but find themselves lost in the dark tunnels of the caves in this installent of the Mysteries in Our National Parks series. (SWU236, $4.99)
	Valley of Death, A Mystery in Death Valley National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • LITERATURE • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • The Landon family makes a trip to Death Valley National Park accompanied by a mysterious new foster child, fourteen-year-old Leesa Sherman. (CAL216, $4.99)
	Wolf Stalker, A Mystery in Yellowstone National Park • Gloria Skurzynski • Alane Ferguson • MYSTERY • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) • Published by National Geographic, this mystery concerns the shooting of a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. For readers ages 9-12. (RKY45, $4.99)

Amy Akin "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do. Or, Do without."
Junior GS Troop # 840
Akin Adventure

theakins@sbcglobal.net

No Kid Hungry - Dine Out 2009

Each year, more than 12 million children in America (one in six) worry about when their next meal will come.

Eat out the week of September 20-28, 2009 at a local participating restaurant.
Click to find one of the many near you!