Research: Italy by Lizzy

Hihi~ Lizzy here:

Since we’re going to Europe, we were all assigned a specific country to research. I’m pretty sure Mrs. Susan gave us all countries that had to do with us…. Like, since Brittany really loves Greece, so she was given it. I take Latin at school so, I was given Italy. C: Not going to lie, researching it was a bit of a pain in the butt, especially because all my teachers randomly decided to ALL give projects and make them all practically due on the same day. Anyway, while I was researching I really started to love Italy; it’s a really cool country. Because I’m learning so much of the culture in school, the historical sites and buildings really fascinate and intrigue me. Honestly, and I’m not just saying this because it’s my project, I think Italy would be a really good choice for us. It has a rustic feel to it, even in the cities but the cities are full of tourist attractions and the food! There’s also a lot of wilderness so, CAMPING. HOWEVER, the country I want to go to most of all is France. It may be expensive, but I feel something in my gut telling us to go to France…… c: I'm conflicted. >.<

ITALY FLAG C:

Observations: Watching the Girls of 1640 by Donna

Watching the girls run our Campfire Meadow Magic (CMM) event recently made me remember the first time our troop orchestrated this event.  The girls were just plain scared!  Scared about being in front of large groups...scared about getting tongue tied...scared about forgetting words to a song or skit....scared they couldn’t start their fire during the fire-building demonstration.  But now, watching them years later as young confident women, they know exactly what to do.  They confidently speak to store managers soliciting supply donations for the event.  They excitedly jump up in front of 45 girls, leaders, and parents and sing their hearts out without even thinking about it.   They skillfully teach the girls how to build one match fires, forgetting that it wasn’t so long ago they themselves had just learned how.   And they’re no longer afraid!!   Susan and I simply let them lead the whole event, and we're there in case there is any blood - which there never has been.  Most of the participants don't even know there are adult leaders there.  I am very proud of each of them and I am blessed to have been a part of their growth and achievements.

Most recent CMM

Most recent CMM

Most recent CMM

Most recent CMM

                                                   

1st CMM

1st CMM

1st CMM

Canoeing Practice by Brittany

Before we go to the Okefenokee, we all decided that we needed practice in canoes so that we didn’t find ourselves clueless in the swamp (or swimming with alligators). We were originally going to go canoeing at a local park, but then we realized that there were time restriction. So, Mrs. Susan and my mom found an alternative lake that allowed canoeing. The only bad thing was that is was an hour’s drive away. So, we sang the way there, practicing for Campfire Meadow Magic.
Once we were there, we unloaded the canoes, strapped up in life jackets, grabbed our paddles, and were ready for instructions from Mrs. Susan. The first thing she did was go over how we were supposed to paddle. Then she went over the different parts of the canoe. (This is where I got to use my sailing knowledge!) After that, she told us where to sit, how to move around in a canoe, and then paired us up. I was with Lizzy, Emma with Selina, Coumbah with Rosie, Katie with my mom, and Mrs. Susan alone in her little kayak.
Once we were partnered and ready, we took our assigned canoes and ventured off into the water. We paddled around, practiced following one another, and even wove through the sections in the bridge. My favorite part, however, was where we got cold and wet. After canoeing around the lake for a while, we brought the canoes back to shallow water and went for a dip in the water. We all just rested for a few minutes and floated around before learning how to overturn a capsized canoe. What we did was grab our canoes and purposefully fill them with water. Mrs. Susan then instructed us on how to turn the canoe upside down and lift is up to release the water on the inside. The tricky part, however, was turning it rightside up again without letting water back in. After trial and error, we all finally got it.
The canoe trip was a success, and we all learned something new. At the end of that long afternoon, we were all tired and wet, but there was no doubt that we all wanted to do it again.

Mrs. Susan giving us a brief reminder lesson.

Done! After a hard days work.

A goofy shot before we hit the lake.

LIVE DEMO by Mrs. Susan

We flipped that.

Research: Greece by Brittany

Greece
Oh, now where do I start?! The moment I looked at that paper and saw I was researching Greece I have been so anxious. Anxious to go, anxious to see what the other girls think, and anxious just to learn about the country in general. You can ask the other girls in this troop, but I think that you will hear from each that I am totally obsessed with Greek Mythology. This made it all the more fun to look up attractions and places to go. I could apply what I know from mythology to the ruins and statues to portray a better meaning than just, “Oh, it’s just rock,” or, “Wow, it’s a destroyed city.”
While I was looking up the country, I found out even more about it. The scenery is more beautiful than I had expected, and there are many places that deal with mythology I have yet to learn. This would be the highlight of my vacation if we were to go: seeing the mythological places that I can learn about. I’m sure the other girls would enjoy this as well.

Greece's flag

The Blog Makin' Job by Brittany

For this blog, Adventure Forever, I am the techy girl. It has been quite fun for me to oversee the construction of yet another blog. I was the one who created our Seattle Blog, Scouts Touring Seattle, so it was very enjoyable to witness the creation of this blog. I am working with two other girls, Lizzy and Emma, as well as our troop leaders to make sure that this blog is the best it can be.
The design, I believe, was the hardest part. We couldn’t decide on a theme, and the background picture definitely did not come easily. The three of us must have spent half an hour just searching for a picture, and then Lizzy spend another 30 minutes trying to get it perfect. It was quite interesting to watch her since I had never really understood photoshopping. In the end, though, I think the picture turned out great. The entire blog itself is coming along well, and I know that the girls will enjoy posting about what we are up to. Our job is to make it enjoyable for them and to make it enjoyable and interesting to our readers. Hopefully we can help improve where it’s needed and make this blog a total success.

This is Me! 

What Campfire Meadow Magic Means to Me by Katie

Hey, it’s Katie. This time I’m going to talk about Campfire Meadow Magic. In Campfire Meadow Magic our Girl Scout Troop teaches younger Girl Scouts how to build fires and puts on shows teaching Girl Scout songs and performing skits. This is one of my favorite things I’ve done with my Girl Scout troop. I feel like we connect with the younger girls when they’re excited about lighting a match for the first time, or building their first fire, or giggling over a skit we’ve put on, or enthusiastically gasping and yelling “I love this song!” when we announce what we’re going to sing to them. I feel like Campfire Meadow Magic is about connecting with these girls and showing them how great Girl Scouts is in a way they might have never experienced before.

Short before-lesson talk

Teaching the girls c:

SMORES

Caught a lizard c: Let it go of course.

Welcome! c:

Our bathrooms

Leader Skit (sorry for any harm, leaders >.<)

Gathering wood!

Katie- What it Felt Like to Research Germany

            Hello, my name is Katie; I was assigned the country of Germany. When I got the assignment that I was researching Germany, I was really excited. This year I’m taking German for the first time. Not only is it a fun language to learn, but in class we’re also learning a bit about German culture as well. It’s been a really great class so far, and taking my learning about Germany out of the classroom was a great opportunity. I was able to add information I had already learned in class to the research questions as well as learning many new things. All in all it was pretty fun and I’m looking forward to doing more research on the country.   

Germany Flag.