Pet Care Badge

We are going to take steps to complete the Pet Care Badge on Thursday. Before then, take some time to consider the following:

Add It Up

What’s the cost of owning a pet? Figure this out for a pet you have now, or for an animal you’d like to have as a pet. What does the pet eat? How much does it eat? Does it need a special place to live? What will that space cost? What are its medical needs? Does it require special equipment, like a leash (dogs), a litter box (cats), a saddle (horse), or an air pump (tropical fish)? Does your community have any laws regarding that animal? Are there fees? Figure out the daily, monthly, and yearly costs for that animal.

Healthy Diet

What is a good diet for your pet? Collect ads for pet food. What information do they give you about the nutritional needs of your animal? Read labels on pet food containers and compare them for food values.

We will discuss these 2 requirements as well as To Have or to Have Not? and Animal Talk. If you have a picture of your pet or pets that you would like to bring to share with the troop, that would be great!

Free to Live Visit

The Troop enjoyed playing with the cats! They were able to give the cats treats while they played with them.

We found out that Free to Live is at capacity for both cats and dogs (about 180 of each). The adoption fee is $60 and that includes the animal's shots up to date and spayed or neutered.

Check out the slide show of all of the cats that Raven took pictures of while playing with them.

Free to Live

We are not meeting at our normal time this week.
We are going to visit Free to Live on Saturday at 1PM. We can meet at Oak Cliff at 12:45 for those that would like to ride together and back there at 2:15 for pick-up.

Last year when we voted with our pennies, doing something to help animals won our dollars. We will take something from their wish list (probably dog or cat food) to give to them while there. This visit is a part of our Pet Care badge.
Please reply or comment your acknowledgment of no meeting this week and your plan for Saturday (meet at Oak Cliff or at Free to Live).

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.