Silver Award

The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn.  It is highly regarded and gives you the chance to show that you are a leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving your community.

This is a significant commitment by both the Girl Scout and her parents.  Parents are expected to supervise their daughter for the duration of the project.

• Design and implement a sustainable Take Action Project.  The project must be sustainable, not just a one-time event and have measurable numbers that can point to the project’s success - emphasis on sustainable.

•  You are required to put in at least 50 hours of work on the Take Action Project per girl on your team.

• You choose your team of 1-4 fellow Girl Scout Cadettes.

• You will need to build your team of adults to help you: a project advisor, your troop leader, and community members.  Note:  your troop leader is not your project advisor (unless she is your mother).

• The first step is to complete a “Journey “ – we will do that this year as a group.

• The Silver Award is a prerequisite for the Gold Award that can be earned in High School.

• Your project & paperwork must be completed by the end of your 8^th grade year.  Since it is a two year process, you will not be able to start the process with our troop in your 8th grade year. 

• Because you will need to complete the "Journey" first, then work on your project, this is a 2-year process.  I will be doing the "Journey" in 3 marathon meetings this year.  You will need to commit to the "Journey" by the first Journey Marathon (date TBD) in order to start the process of earning your Silver Award this year.

Links to more information:

Silver Award Orientation
Silver Award Workbook
Silver Award Info

What can we reuse from the old uniform for our new Cadette Uniform?

Before you stash away your green sash or vest, if you want to reuse some of the pins & patches here is what will carry over to the new Cadette uniform that you will receive in September:

from the front:
American Flag patch
"Girl Scouts USA" patch
"Western Washington" patch
Blue Bird crest
"43125" number patches
gold membership stars and plastic discs
Bridge to Cadettes rainbow bar patch (you received in June when we bridged up)
Brownie wings patch
Trefoil pin
Green & gold Girl Scout pin
Bronze award pin

from the back:
any patch that has year "bars" that go with it, like the Operation Cookie Drop or Summer Camp - the main patch and the year "bars" can move over to the back of the new vest

Let me know if you have any questions.
If you do not want to remove any of these items from you old uniform, you can purchase new ones in September with the new vest.

Support our Bronze Award Girls - and donate to the wildlife garden

 

Meet Freddy.  He is the mascot for the four girls from our troop who are earning their Bronze Award (the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn).  To do so, they need to plan and create a community service project that will have a lasting impact for years to come. They decided to plant a wildlife garden in an suburban area to attract birds and insects as they migrate or live locally. With the increase of construction and urbanization, they want to ensure that our wildlife friends have places to rest and find haven.

Please help us raise the money we need to purchase plants and supplies to create our wildlife garden!  Click here to donate and see our video!

Thank you!

Do you want to be a Girl Scout next year?

I need to know by June 7 if you want to register for Girl Scouts next year.  Next year the troop will be Cadettes.  I have put together a Top Eleven list of why you should want to be in Troop 43125 next year.

11.  You get a new uniform, so all of the patches that you accidentally put on the wrong side of the green uniform won't matter anymore - you get to start fresh!
10.  You get to keep the same sash / vest for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors!  Think of the patches you can accumulate!!!
9.  Overnights with friends.
8.  A safe place to hang out with friends that is free from school "politics".
7.  Trail Maintenance with the Dads.  Do you think this year you can get them to work?
6.  We get THREE years to do a new Journey - no Marathon needed :)
5.  What do Hilary Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, Sally Ride,  Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, Laura Bush, Gloria Steinem, Lucille Ball and Taylor Swift all have in common?  You got it.  They were all Girl Scouts.
4.  Cool fieldtrips - like Kids in Medcine, Jigsaw Renaissance (high tech Maker's Lab), XBot Robotics, and ???
3.  You can earn your Silver Award.
2.  COOKIES
1.  It's fun!

I didn't mention the most important point, that is because I want you to re-register - but you knew that already, right?

Community Service Project - Seattle Humane Society

During the Journey Marathon in March, the girls voted to do work for animals as their community service project. After looking around at what opportunities there are for 10-11 year olds, I found that the Seattle Humane Society was the obvious best fit.  Aside from collecting donations, we will have a tour of the Humane Society in Bellevue before June 7.  If you would like to help coordinate that, or would like to join us, let me know.

At last Friday's meeting, we made kitty blankets out of fleece. The Humane Society gives every cat its own blanket. I also have the supplies to make cat toys which are needed for the cats. The blankets and the toys are very easy to make. The blankets just requite cutting for the fringe, and tying simple knots. Instructions for the cat toys are below - they require a minimal amount of hand sewing.

If your daughter would like to work on either of these at home, let me know and I will put together a kit for her.  I have plenty of supplies to make more.  

I will mention that many of the girls wanted to keep what we are making. Since the troop bought the supplies and this is a community service project, I need to get the finished product back in a reasonable amount of time.  Learning lesson:  Just because it is cute, you don't get to keep it.

ALSO, we are accepting donations for pet food, cat toys and money for the Humane Society.

CAT TOYS:
baby sock
stuffing
1 scoop of catnip

1.  Divide stuffing in half.
2.  Put half of the stuffing into the sock, pushing it down into the toe area.
3.  Put 1 scoop of catnip into the sock.
4.  Put the other half of the stuffing into the sock.
5.  Securely sew the sock closed.

Patch Placement

Front:

• Journey patches - little blue "Me" and green "Team" (there is one more ring patch that they will get after the communitry service project) - http://www.girlscoutshop.com/JUNIOR-JOURNEY-AWARD-PATCH-SET
• circle "Staying Fit" (heart) patch

Back:

• Science patch - for Kids in Medicine
• Pac-Sci Camp-In patch
• Postcard Exchnage patch
• Patch from international troop
• 2012 & 2013 patches (go around Operation Cookie Drop patch)

Journey Marathon & Pacific Science Center Sleepover

Journey Marathon

What:  Finish (well, almost) the GS Journey - Agent of Change - in one day, instead of working on it for a whole year!  We are going to buckle down and put our noses to the grindstone.  We are already part way through (those that did not work on it last year can easily catch up), so let's finish all the way up to the community service project.

When:  Saturday, March 9, 1:30pm-5:30pm (note:  you are not picking your daughter up at this time, scroll down)

Where:  My house - I will email you the address when you rsvp

Why:  In order to "bridge up" to Cadettes and/or to receive your Bronze Award, you Girl Scouts requires you to complete 1 Journey.

Food:  yes, I will have snacks (fruits, veggies, cheese sticks and GS cookies) as well as dinner (I'm thinking pizza)

Fun:  there will be a fashion show to present our duct tape creations and maybe a little dancing

Do I have to?  No, you can skip the Journey Marathon and just attend the sleepover if you do not intend to "bridge up" with us in June.

THEN...

We are heading down to the Pacific Science Center for the Girl Scout Camp-In! 

Things that we get to do: Energy Boost Hands-On Science Workshop, Planetarium Show, Live Science Show, Private, after-hours access to permanent exhibits, including the Tropical Butterfly House, Laser Light Show and IMAX Film, Visit the brand new exhibit: Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness, And of course - SLEEP OVER!
 

• Packing list is here, along with other information.  Waiver forms are here - bring them with you.
• Pack REALLY light - it is only 1 night and my house is small (we need space to dance on Sat.).
• Pick-up is at 9:30am at the Pacific Science Center.  Please don't be late.

Questions, concerns, comments, jokes?  email me :)