Is Your Daughter Interested in Camping Outdoors? Let a Leader Know by May 1

Framingham Girl Scouts is considering coordinating an town-wide encampment in September outdoors at a Girl Scout camping site, most likely in Waltham again.
Framingham Girl Scouts have asked that leaders let them know their Troop's interest and estimated number of girls who may attend by this Friday, May 1.
The trip would likely begin on Friday night and end on Sunday afternoon. Girls will have the opportunity of arriving on Saturday and camping just one night. Most likely the girls would be camping in platform (floor) tents outside. (There is a slight possibility they could camp inside a lodge.)
As this is an official Girl Scout event, we have to follow safety rules and thus most likely no more than 2 adults would be allowed to stay overnight along with the tri-leaders.
The dates Framingham Scouts are looking at are: Sept. 11-12-13 or Sept. 25-26-27
Note: The Jewish holiday does not begin until sundown on the 27th
If you think your daughter is interested, please e-mail a leader ASAP. This is not a commitment to attend but a way for Framingham Scouts to plan.
It will also help them select a set of dates.
Final section of camping dates in September likely will be determined by Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Council.
**Official sign-ups would be at a later date.
Thus far, we know there are a handful of Brownies who would like to participate.
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Brownie Troop 2082 Rules

At yesterday's Brownie Meeting, as part of the Troop's work on the
Citizens Near & Far Try-It, the Brownies created Troop 2082 Rules.
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The Rules are:
* One person talks at a time
* Listen when someone is talking
* Raise hand when want to speak
* Wear Brownie vest
* Make new friends - Don't always sit with the same girls
* Hands to yourself
* Stay in your own space
* Keep self and area clean
* Don't tease anyone
* Be well behaved - no silliness or funnies
* Respect everyone
* Be polite

We will try to post these rules for the girls at each meeting. They always have the option to add new rules.
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Meeting summary - Exploring Nature, Embracing Differences, and Creating Rules

At yesterday's meeting, the Brownies worked on two Try-Its -- "Citizens Near & Far" and "Eco-Explorer."
During snack, Bella talked to the Brownies about attending a Council Movers Try-It workshop before school vacation. She showed the girls her flyer/glider she made and told them about creating and flying a paper helicopter and making a wind sock.
Also during snack, the girls reviewed the Try-It badges. As there are more than 60 possible Try-Its badges Brownies can earn, we asked the girls to identify a Try-It they wished to earn before they bridge from Brownies at the end of third grade. The girls when they made a decision wrote the name of the Try-It they wish to earn individually on a poster sheet. Before the end of the second year, we will provide parents will information on how their daughter can earn that Try-It over the summer by completing four requirements and completing a Try-It worksheet.
After snack, we joined in a Brownie Circle. The girls recited the Promise & Law.
Then, we talked about upcoming events, including a potential fall overnight camping trip outside.
Then, as a group we made Troop 2082 rules. (I'll post the Troop rules on this Web site later this week.) This was one of the requirements of the Citizens Near & Far Try-It.
Post creating rules, leader Pam led the girls in a discussion on getting along with people who are different than us. This was part of the Citizens Near & Far Try-It. In a group, we talked about situations that involve differences. The girls shared experiences in which they were treated unfairly - based on the color of the their skin, wearing glasses, or for no reason at all. We talked about how to react if the situations happens again to them or to a friend.
The girls have now earned 3 of the 4 requirements to complete the Citizens Near & Far Try-It.
*** After the two group activities, we then went outside and began work on the Eco-Explorer Try-It. The girls explorer nature in the area outside of the church. They tried to find both living and non living things in the natural environment. The girls found green leaves with insect holes, identified a ladybug, watched ants, discovered a feather, uncovered a spider web, and more.
Afterwards, the girls joined a Brownie Circle again for the Friendship Squeeze and to play Girl Scout Out.
Each girl was then given a photograph of them at the Girl Scout Museum Field Trip last month and a memo to parents about upcoming events and the possible fall camping overnight. Some girls were awarded a ballet patch for the back of their vest for attending an optional activity earlier this month.
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NOTE: Parents if you have not signed a permission slip for the hike next Monday or the bank field trip please contact a leader. We need these signatures for your daughter to attend. We will post directions to the Framingham hike site later this week, along with information on what we will do in a downpour or thunderstorm.
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Upcoming Events & Important Info for Parents

Brownie Troop 2082 NEWS – 4/27/09
note: this was given to the Brownies at the end of today's meeting.

Upcoming dates:
* Monday, May 4: Brownie troop meeting – possible hike at the Boy Scout Trail in Framingham - weather pending. If not, meeting at our regular meeting site.
*Monday, May 18: Field Trip to TD BankNorth - Meet 4:15 p.m. in bank parking lot. Bank is located in downtown Framingham on Route 126.
* Saturday, June 6: Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Museum of Science Sleepover – More details to come. 15 of the 16 Brownies are attending. The event is sold out!
***DATE CHANGE!!! --- *Monday, June 15: End-of-the-year PARTY and Dance party... (to complete the Dancercize Try-It)

FALL CAMPING: Framingham Girl Scouts is looking at holding a town-wide camping event in September. We need to let Framingham Girl Scouts know by this Friday, May 1 if our Troop is interested in participating. Please e-mail a leader ASAP to let us know if your daughter would be interested in the overnight camping experience. This event would follow safety wise rules so with a Troop of 16 girls we could only take two moms along with the three leaders camping. We would be camping with other Scouts from Framingham.
Dates Framingham Scouts are looking at are: Sept. 11-12-13 or Sept. 25-26-27
Note: The Jewish holiday does not begin until sundown on the 27th

Working on Individual Try-It Badges: Some of the Brownies in out Troop have been attending optional Council sponsored events and earning individual Try-It badges. Others will be attending camp this summer and earning individual Try-It badges.
At our last meeting the girls split into 2 groups and reviewed the book of Try-It badges.
As a Brownie there are more than 60 Try-Its they can earn.
We will never work on all 60+ so they girls voted on a Try-It they wish to earn in their final year (Third grade Brownies) – Let’s Pretend.
We realize that each girl has her own interests and they were asked to pick out a Try-It badge they would like to earn before they complete Brownies. THIS IS OPTIONAL but we can provide you with the information and requirements for your daughters’ badge along with a worksheet to complete this summer. At a meeting in the fall, the girls can present their projects and will be awarded their individual Try-It.

***Finally, all information on Optional Try-It badge workshops, optional activities and events, can be found on the Troop Web site at http://www.brownie2082.blogspot.com/
Even more activities are available on the Framingham Girl Scout Web site at http://www.framinghamgirlscouts.blogspot.com/

Meeting Summary: Going Shopping, Playing Instruments & Group Dynamics

At yesterday's meeting, we spent a portion of the meeting talking about how to earn Try-Its.
Several Brownies from Troop 2082 have been earning Try-Its away from the Troop at workshops sponsored by both the Eastern Massachusetts and Central & Western Massachusetts Councils.
At yesterday's meeting, Talia presented musical instruments she made at a Council-sponsored workshop and a guitar and musical mobile she made outside the workshop to complete the requirements for the Sounds of Music Try-It.
Girls in the Troop got a chance to play with the homemade instruments.
After this presentation, the 11 girls present played pretend store and made change for customers as part of a requirement for the Penny Power Try-It.
The Troop will be going on a field trip to a TD Bank North branch in Framingham soon to complete the requirements of the Penny Power Try-It. Details will be coming.
Afterwards, the 11 girls at yesterday's meeting were split into 2 groups.
Each was given a Try-It Brownie book with a list of the 60+ Try-Its that could be earned.
The girls in each group were to review each Try-It and if the group unanimously agreed to the Try-It it went on a list of potential Troop Try-Its to complete. If just one girl in the group didn't vote for the Try-it, it didn't make the list.
This activity helped the girls understand the need to work cooperatively and to learn about all the potential Try-Its they could earn before they bridge from Brownies to Juniors at the end of Grade 3.
* Group A (Ayushi, Becky, Sarah, Sasha, & Sydney) agreed on 3 Try-Its unanimously. They were Around the World, Let's Pretend, and ?????.
* Group B (Alyssa, Bella, Emily S., Kelly, Talia, & Tovah) agreed on 6 Try-Its unanimously. They were Caring and Sharing, Sports and Games, Let's Pretend, Stitch It Together, Science Wonders, & Space explorer.
Both Group A & B selected the Let's Pretend Try-It unanimously and thus Troop 2082 will likely earn this as a group before the conclusion of Year 3 (2009-2010).
During the group exercise, each girl also kept an individual list of Try-Its she would like to earn, even if the Troop doesn't work on it.
At our next meeting, each Brownie will write one Try-It on a list that they would like to earn before they complete Brownies. If it is not a Troop Try-It, each Brownie will be given information on how they can complete the requirements on their own.
At the end of the meeting, the 12 Brownies who completed the Bowling Try-It were awarded their badge.
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Our next scheduled meeting is Monday, April 27. Meetings are from 4;15 to 5:30.
Girls who miss parts of a meeting or an entire meeting may not earn that badge at year's end.
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Below are a few photos from Yesterday's meeting. (FYI: Kelly is wearing the Brownie uniform Troop Leader Pam wore at her age.)

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Four Brownies Attend Alice in Wonderland Ballet

Four Brownies from Troop 2082 attended a performance of Alice in Wonderland Ballet by Dance Prism at Mechanics Hall in Worcester yesterday.
Those who attended this optional event were Becky, Bella, Kelly (and her sister Kate), and Talia.
The girls attended a special Girl Scout pre-show in which they learned about dance, costumes, make-up, practice schedules, and everything else that goes into a ballet performance.
After, the ballet performance the Brownies got to meet cast members, get autographs, have photos taken with the dancers.
The girls and their families also were treated to a tea party completed with pastries and cookies shaped like card shapes like diamond, hearts, clover, etc...
Below are a few photos from yesterday's event.

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Each Brownie will receive a ballet participation patch for the back of their vest (The cost will be deducted from their individual accounts.)
The four Brownies who attended the ballet yesterday along with the girls who attended the Nutcracker ballet in December have now earned the Dancercize Try-It. (The rest of the troop will need to participate in a dance party to earn the Try-It.)
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Two Brownies Earn Birds Try-It With Central Massachusetts Scouts

Two Brownies from our Troop attended an optional Try-It workshop in Worcester at the Broadmoor Sanctuary in conjunction with the Central Massachusetts Girl Scouts and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Talia and Bella both earned the Central & Western Massachusetts' exclusive "BIRDS" Try-It this past Saturday.
The girls went on a nature hike to listen for and spot birds. They learned to identify and draw a bird like John Audubon. They learned about peaks and claws of different types of birds, and they made a bird feeder. The girls also learned about the early risin' birds and how to make their sounds.
Below are a few photos from the workshop.

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Meeting Tomorrow - Monday, April 6th

Hi troop 2082-
Just a reminder. We will be having a regular Brownie meeting tomorrow- 4:15.
See you then!
Sagan has snack tomorrow (There will be 15 girls there tomorrow).
- Pam, Shawn, and Susan

Big Apple Circus Event Likely To Be Cancelled

Although I had a couple of Framingham Troops express interest, there were less than a handful of Scouts who confirmed by April 1.
With less than 15 tickets to be purchased at this time, we don't qualify for the Scout discount.
The event will be cancelled, unless I hear from more Scouts by Friday, April 3.
No obligation, this is an optional event.
If you are interested in attending (all family members can attend at the $14 Scout price), e-mail me offline at spetroni@rcn.com
-- Susan Petroni