Jordan Girl Scout Bronze Award Project October 9, 2009

Jordan Girl Scout Junior Troop 21220 spent time planting flowers around Lagoon park in Jordan. This community service opportunity was just one of many planned activities to help the troop earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award. The girls have chosen the theme “Beautifying Our Community” and will also be organizing the Adopt-a-Highway fall clean-up and a holiday decorating project for local community businesses. They are also spending time within their own homes with recycling and yard projects.

The troop leaders and girls met this summer and we asked the girls what they wanted their troop year and Bronze Award project to be. They really enjoy non-traditional troop meetings that allow them to explore new ideas and concepts. The girls are also really busy with other extracurricular activities, so we also wanted this year to be more flexible to meet the demands of their schedules without overwhelming them. The conversation about this type of meeting generated a lot of ideas for a project and as we put them on paper, they all fell around the general theme of “beautifying our community.” We discussed what the word “community” meant. They said things like: buildings, schools, people, your city, or even a family. Those conversations evolved into a plan for this year.



We took their ideas and did some research: Linda Steinhoff, troop leader, contacted the City of Jordan and asked if there were any projects with which our troop could help; that turned into our Lagoon Park planting project. I contacted the manager at the Schule Haus and asked what we could do; that will be our valentines card making project to be delievered to the residents. The girls really wanted to do something else that could be seen around town; that will become our handmade holiday decorations that will be distributed around to community businesses.



Some of the  girls have also worked on building Teraya’s Garden, a community garden at Jordan Elementary School dedicated to the memory of a student who was killed in a car accident last year. The troop is sponsoring this year’s Jordan Service Unit Adopt-a-Highway Fall Clean-up, as well as recycling and helping with home projects and planting trees this Spring. The girls are looking forward to finding other ways to contribute to their community.

-Carrie Speikers, troop leader

Faribault Girl Scout Balloon Rally October 7, 2009

Last month, Girl Scout Daisy through  Cadette troops in Faribault participated in the 25^th Annual Airfest and Balloon Rally, a community-wide event at the Faribault Airport.  Troops signed up for one-hour time slots to work at the Girl Scout booth.  The girls helped children and passersby make various styles of paper aircraft and parachutes.  Leaders were present to assist as needed.

There was also a Girl Scout information display set up where the general public could stop in and ask questions about Girl Scouting in Faribault (or River Valleys in general).  This was a wonderful opportunity for the girls to learn and practice leadership and public relations skills.

Faribault’s service unit also invited Miss Washington County, Mary Swenson, to partake in the festivities, and the girls loved her. She mingled with the Girl Scouts and the audience, worked with the girls in the activities booth, was a featured guest speaker, appeared on stage and shared her platform (self-esteem building through the uniquely ME! program), participated in numerous  photo opportunities, gave autographs, etc.

The Girl Scouts also packed up bags filled with goodies and coupons (including Girl Scout brochures/bookmarks) and passed them out to passersby.