The Salad Bowl: Leaving A Legacy Across Generations August 24, 2009

A Note on “The Salad Bowl”

The “Salad Bowl” has replaced the “melting pot” as an analogy for the USA. A melting pot requires ingredients to give up their individual flavor.  A salad, on the other hand, needs each ingredient to retain its uniqueness and participate in the overall flavor. The Salad is meant to provide girl and adult Girl Scouts with resources and ideas to recognize, celebrate, and participate in the River Valleys’ “salad.”  Bertrene Cage welcomes comments and suggestions at 763-971-4046 or bertrene.cage@girlscourtsrv.org.

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Leaving A Legacy Across Generations

Where do you think it’s best to plant a young tree: a clearing in an old growth forest or an open field? Ecologists tell us that a young tree grows better when it’s planted in an area with older trees. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by former trees and implant themselves more deeply. Over time, the roots of many trees may actually graft themselves to one another, creating an intricate, interdependent foundation hidden under the ground. In this way, stronger trees share resources with weaker ones so that the whole forest becomes healthier.

-Excerpt from “What is Legacy?” by Susan V. Bosak at http://www.legacyproject.org/guides/legacy.html

Like trees, humans rely on the history of older generations to strengthen us. Research shows children need four to six involved, caring adults in their lives to fully develop emotionally and socially. Research also shoes that without a sense of helping those who come after them and working to create a legacy, adults lose meaning in their life. So legacy is fundamental to what it is to be human. Exploring the idea of legacy offers a glimpse not only into relationships and building strong communities, but also the human spirit.

Today, more than 13 percent of the US population is 65 years or older. By the year 2030, one in every five Americans will be older than 65, totaling 70 million. For the first time in history, there will soon be more people of grandparent age than children and youth. These older adults are more educated, active, and healthier than elders of decades past.

Our lives are enriched by our connections with people older and younger than ourselves. All it takes is the time and willingness to get to know each other. The grandfriend (an interchangeable term to describe a non-related older adult or youth that have developed a friendship) relationship is perhaps one of the most important of these relationships. It is, in fact, second in emotional importance only to the parent/child relationship. Older grandfriends can bring a sense of history, unconditional love, and support and advice. Younger grandfriends can bring a sense of the present, exuberant love, and a meaningful purpose. Older grandfriends are keepers of our heritage; younger grandfriends are forgers of our future.

Our fast-moving world of planned obsolescence does little to give us a legacy base. Everyone catapults forward to the next “newest” trend. Anything old gets tossed in the trash. Inevitably, we tend to believe that nothing endures, nothing lasts – thus the crisis of meaning. Without meaning, there can be no hope. Consciously refocusing on and building stronger relationships across generations, especially between older and younger grandfriends, can restore meaning and hope. Being a grandfriend is a role and a stage in life in which we find significant meaning and a fulfillment of our need for legacy.

Below are some resources for your troop to create a legacy with your grandfriends:

• Bridging the Gap – a program kit that connects young and old by offering fun, information, ideas, activities, resources, and books to establish meaningful relationships with older adults.
• www.igrandparents.com – a comprehensive grandfriend website filled with a wealth of information, ideas, fun activites, advice, support, and links to enrich the lives of grandfriends young and old.
• Bosak, Susan V. Something to Remember Me By – a story about love and legacies that has touched the hearts of children and adults across the country.

*Information for this article was obtained from Something to Remember Me By Legacy Project, www.somethingtoremembermeby.org.

Lakefront Days Parade August 14, 2009

Prior Lake/Savage area girls discovered how fun it is to connect with the community in the Lakefront Days parade on Saturday, August 1. They took action in their float promoting the ‘Imagine if We Could Change the World’ theme. The girls were well received as they handed out Girl Scout bookmarks, tattoos, and candy while Girl Scout music played along.

Troop 11548 at Camp Lakamaga August 13, 2009

Troop 11548 had a fun weekend at Camp Lakamaga. To see more pictures, check out the Facebook photo album.

Girl Scouts at the farm August 3, 2009

Rochester Troop 43088 took a trip to Featherstone Farms in Rushford, Minn. The girls learned about Community Supported Agriculture, tasted lettuce straight from the ground, and planted daisies in the employee picnic area.

Girl Scouts at Rondo Days July 29, 2009

For more information about Rondo Days, visit http://rondodays.com/.

Girl Scouts at the Isanti Parade July 14, 2009

On Thursday, July 9, 26 Girl Scouts from the Cambridge-Isanti Service Unit came together for the Isanti Jubilee Days Parade to spread the word about the fun Girl Scouts are having in their area. The girls shared their Encampment theme, CSI:GSU (Crime Scene Investigation: Girl Scout Unit). The banner seen in the picture includes the finger prints from all girls and adults that were at the Cambridge-Isanti Service Unit Encampment at Camp Elk River in May. The girls had a fantastic time singing and playing some awesome songs over the speakers on the float.

Why I value camp for my Girl Scout July 7, 2009

By Girl Scout Parent Mike

When I was a Boy Scout, I wanted so much to go to summer camp that first year. I had heard from friends about how great camp was and why a week away from everything was so great! The bad thing was that my parents didn’t really appreciate the fact that I wanted to go “sleep in the woods.” Their entire experience with being in the woods was a series of lynchings and tales about people who went into the woods and never were heard from again. So it was “maybe when you get older.”

I went out and raised my own money for camp that spring. I mowed lawns. I sold pocket flashlights. I babysat. I washed cars — all for the $95 camp fee (hey, it was a long time ago, okay?) and $50 for “throwaway money” (I was advised to bring some extra money for T-shirts and neckerchiefs and carving stuff).

I did it, only to have my Mom to tell me that I couldn’t go because nobody could take me to camp. So I called up an old friend (he actually beat me up the previous spring) and asked him if he was going to camp (back then everyone went to camp… not like today), and I went with his family (and endured being beaten up again–small price to pay for a week otherwise of great camping!).

I returned a bit older, wiser, and more confident in myself. And alive and well–except for the “two tone” look as my arms and legs were darker than the rest of me. My parents saw the personality difference and ever since then, they’ve paid for me to go to camp each summer.

So my Girl Scout needs to go to summer camp. It’s part of her development as a young woman, and she loves it. Her mom will appreciate the break from having the young gal away, too. And I’m happy to be able to be in a position to afford to pay all of her camp fees. I’m sending her a card with “throwaway money” in it and will tell her not to buy me a T-shirt — that money is for her to enjoy camp with!

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River Valleys camps still have openings this summer! Search sessions and register online to give your Girl Scout a great camp experience.

Lil Kickers – Girl Scout Soccer June 29, 2009

This summer 102 Girl Scouts joined Lil Kickers, a Girl Scout soccer league. Pictured are St. Charles, Minn., teams at a tournament in Rochester, Minn., on Saturday, June 20. A good time was had by all!

My Girl Scout Gold Award Story June 26, 2009

My senior year of high shool, I finished my Girl Scout Gold Award by redesigning the French language curriculum in District 112 to include aspects of francophone culture into a mostly euro-centric language program. Main goals of this curriculum include increased understanding of francophone culture, introduction to non-traditional vocabulary, mock experience solving world issues involving francophone countries, and monthly classroom immersion into the culture of one francophone culture through field trips or in-class activities.

Since the project’s completion, it has been slowly implemented in the Pre-French I- French II classes. At the end of 2012, this program will be fully active in Chanhassen High School as part of the main French curriculum.

Below is an article from the local newspaper covering Pioneer Ridge Freshman Center’s French II class’ experience with the new program.

French Classes Take Aim at Africa’s Problems (February 12, 2009)

AIDS, drug trafficking and global-warming may be daunting problems facing countries in Africa, but a group of students at the Pioneer Ridge Freshman Center are determined to help where they can.

“We’ve seen how every vote matters in the local Senate election,” said Ivan Contreras. “The same applies to the the problems over there. Everyone can make a difference.”

Contreras was one of several French students who put their language skills to the test, researching problems in Africa and eventually developing a project to to help deal with AIDS in Rwanda.

Students in Michelle Maria’s French II classes produced their own movies describing a serious problem they encountered in research of French-speaking African countries.

“They then had to offer a way to be able to change it and make a difference,” said Maria.

Once finished with their productions, the class had a celebration to watch all the movies and pick one to take on as a service learning project for the remainder of the year. During the celebration, they enjoyed an African meal, sitting on cushions on the floor in a typical Moroccan setting, while feasting on couscous, dates, apricots, and mint tea. While they voted to address AIDS in Rwanda as their class project, other movie topics included lack of education for children in Madagascar, drug-trafficking in Maroc, and child trafficking in Togo.

“We are really motivated to make an impact,” said Ashley Kemp. “Helping just one person would be a positive impact.”

The students didn’t seem fazed by the extent of some of the problems they chose to research.

“We may not be able to stop big problems completely like the impact global warming has on ocean reefs in the Seychelles,” said Micha Mills. “But we can make a small difference.”

Spencer Banister said the standard of living in some of these countries is so low that anyone from the United States can make a difference.

“These people live off of 10 cents a day,” he said. “Donating just $10 can go a long, long way over there.”

Potential

During the time Jeffry Lyman was researching childhood nutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a cease fire in the civil wars there occurred.

“These countries have so much potential for fixing their own problems,” he said. “They just need to be pointed in the right direction.”

Dan Schanus was also working on the Congo project and agreed with the potential the country has.

“Children are starving all across the country, yet it has huge ore deposits that could make it one of the richest countries in Africa and solve those hunger problems,” he said.

The projects were part of the students’ French class, so they were expected to use and develop their French speaking abilities.

“While I was developing my presentation, I was surprised at how I could say pretty much whatever I need to in French after only two years of studying it,” said Ali Souza.

The students had to pick problems they felt they could actually do something about, said Maria.

“We’re asking these students to become global citizens, so what better way than to ask them to pick the project to work on for the rest of the year,” she said.

-Chuck Friedbauer
Hawk Talons

When I started my Girl Scout Gold Award, I had no idea it would have this much of an impact on my school district. French teachers now have the option to share the francophone world with students who may not otherwise be introduced to alternative French cultures. While it is still a work in progress, I am optimistic this is a step in the right direction for increasing cultural awareness in students and modernizing curriculum development to include opinions of students.

Thanks to the guidance of my mentors Katherine Martens and Kris Rydland, I am now in college studying education policy and have since learned just how lucky I have been to be supported by such amazing teachers. It is fantastic to know a single student can have such a large impact on a community.

Lauren

Girl Scouts help at Operation GreenTouch June 23, 2009

Last month Round Lake Girl Scout Cadettes, with the help of Girl Scout Juniors (not pictured), went to Kilen Woods in Lakefield, Minn., to help clean up the park as part of Operation GreenTouch in partnership with Federated Rural Electric. The girls cleaned the shelter house and painted picnic tables.