Friday, October 31, 2008

First Meeting Tuesday December 2, Ames Library

Wow Just around the corner..... We are so excited to be able to get this year started....Better late than never. For those of you who have not turned in your Form for the first meeting please do so, as we need to order registration forms from the Vista Office and will need a close count. To those of you who have, Welcome !

A couple things to remeber for the first meeting:
*Daisy Tunics Khaki Pants Uniform will not be worn until after the Investiture Ceremony in February. Until then, Blue or White shirt/ Any pants, shirt etc.
*Girls will be picked up from their classrooms by Leaders and will be brought to the daisy Meeting. Girls will have snack/independent activity till meeting starts @ 3:30.
* Parents must come in to pick up their Daisy and sign out.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Parent Information Letter

While parents are not required to attend monthly meetings, on occasion they will be asked to participate in various events or outing and are strongly encouraged to volunteer time to at least one meeting. We are also looking for a Kindergarten Parent Liaison to be a part of the troop. If you can help in any capacity, please contact any one of the Leaders listed above.

Meetings:
2 Fridays a month……unless otherwise noted , 3:30 pm – 5 pm see specific dates below
December 2nd, Tuesday: first meeting
December: 4th: Thursday 6:30 – 7p.m Outing to place the ornaments we made on a tree for the Riverside Tree walk. Parent/s to accompany your Daisy
December 18th
January: Meetings 2nd and 4th Fridays due to Winter Break: 9th / 23rd
February: 6th /20th No Day meeting due to night Meeting 6:30 p.m. see Daisy Investiture Below
March: 6th and 13th due to Spring Break
April: 3rd / 17th
May: Meetings 2nd and 4th Fridays due to Institute Day at Ames 8th / 22nd
June: 5thth 6:30p.m.: Last meeting of Daisy School Year 2007 1st grade
Daisies Bridge to Brownies: Night meeting Date and Time TBA Later

Membership Dues:
Our troop dues for the year will be $30. The dues collected by the chapter will go toward troop crafts, supplies, badges and pins and insurance coverage for outings and overnight trips and membership into the Girl Scouts USA. Field trips and outings will be in addition to the regular dues. One parent /guardian from each family will also be asked to join the Troop as an adult member. The Adult fee of $10 dues will cover the membership into the GSUSA and will include an automatic insurance coverage from the GSUSA for all outing, trips and overnighters that the parent goes on.

Business Sponsorship of our troop:
To give our Daisies the best experience in this Daisy year we are looking for one or two business sponsorship that will ease the start up costs of our troop, IE: crafts supplies, photocopies, pins and badges. The business will receive acknowledgement in any publications we send out as well as a banner to be carried in the 4th of July Parade/s we participate in. If you know of someone who would like to sponsor our troop please contact Wendy Winkler at: wawink@comcast.net

Supplies:
Being that this is the start of a brand new troops we are asking that each girl
contribute to the Troop Supplies by bringing the following supplies to the first meeting.
scissors
Package of #2 pencils
1 box of crayons
1 package 8-12 thin washable markers
2 glue sticks
Meetings:
· Start-Up: A simple activity to be done as girls arrive/ allowing the leaders to get set up.
· Opening: Girl Scout Promise, flag ceremony/ Color Guard, and a simple song.
· Daisy /Friendship Circle: Chapter information to be shared with the girls and possible decision making See description below
· Activities: One or more program activities or craft
· Snack: Each meeting a different girls will be asked to bring a healthy snack to share with the troop. Girls will receive notice prior to their snack date.
· Clean Up: A Girl Scout leaves a place cleaner than she found it.
· Closing a meeting : Closing Song: Good Bye until next time.

Uniform:
· December 2nd- February 6th: Blue/ White Shirt
· Blue Daisy Tunic-Provided by parents Approx $13: Worn for the 1st time during the Investiture meeting February 20th
We are doing this because we understand that this is a new experience and Daisies might not be for every girl. This will allow our girls 2 months to see if this is something they would like to commit to further, without parents having to purchase a uniform that will never be worn again. In January we will send home purchasing information.
· Yellow Insignia Tab: Provided by parents Approx: $3
· Daisy Iron On Patch Provided by parents Approx $7 ( To be given to troop leaders and will be given back to the girls once they earn the appropriate petal) Parents will iron on patch before next meeting.
· Daisy Girl Scout Membership Pin: supplied by troop and will receive at the Daisy Investiture Ceremony
· We will not require the girls to purchase the Daisy books, any activities we do we will supply the needed information.

Daisy Sister
Each Daisy will be paired up with another Daisy. This will allow the girls a chance to interact with each other on a personal basis and practice the sisterhood of Daisies. Daisy Sister assignments will be done prior to the first meeting. They will also start earning their first badge “ Sisterhood of Girls Scouts” by taking this first step.

Patrols:
Depending on the number of girls, they will be divided into smaller groups called PATROLS. These groups will allow girls to share and participate on a smaller scale as well as learn in the dynamics of a group setting. These patrols will be assigned specific tasks within the meeting IE: Flag Color Guard, Snacks, Clean up, etc.

Daisy Investiture Meeting:
The formal induction into our Daisy troop. Girls will invite their families to be a witness and support them in their decision to officially become a Daisy. This is a beautiful Candle ceremony where the girls will recite the meaning behind the daisies, the girl Scout pledge and receive their Daisy Pins from their troop leaders. The pins will be placed upside down on the girls BLUE TUNIC ( worn for the first time to this event) and parents will be asked to turn it right side up once the girls have completed a good deed. A small reception will follow the ceremony.

Uniform:
· December 2nd- February 6th: Blue/ White Shirt
· Blue Daisy Tunic-Provided by parents Approx $13: Worn for the 1st time during the Investiture meeting February 20th
We are doing this because we understand that this is a new experience and Daisies might not be for every girl. This will allow our girls 2 months to see if this is something they would like to commit to further, without parents having to purchase a uniform that will never be worn again. In January we will send home purchasing information.
· Yellow Insignia Tab: Provided by parents Approx: $3
· Daisy Iron On Patch Provided by parents Approx $7 ( To be given to troop leaders and will be given back to the girls once they earn the appropriate petal) Parents will iron on patch before next meeting.
· Daisy Girl Scout Membership Pin: supplied by troop and will receive at the Daisy Investiture Ceremony
· We will not require the girls to purchase the Daisy books, any activities we do we will supply the needed information.

Daisy Sister
Each Daisy will be paired up with another Daisy. This will allow the girls a chance to interact with each other on a personal basis and practice the sisterhood of Daisies. Daisy Sister assignments will be done prior to the first meeting. They will also start earning their first badge “ Sisterhood of Girls Scouts” by taking this first step.

Patrols:
Depending on the number of girls, they will be divided into smaller groups called PATROLS. These groups will allow girls to share and participate on a smaller scale as well as learn in the dynamics of a group setting. These patrols will be assigned specific tasks within the meeting IE: Flag Color Guard, Snacks, Clean up, etc.

Daisy Investiture Meeting:
The formal induction into our Daisy troop. Girls will invite their families to be a witness and support them in their decision to officially become a Daisy. This is a beautiful Candle ceremony where the girls will recite the meaning behind the daisies, the girl Scout pledge and receive their Daisy Pins from their troop leaders. The pins will be placed upside down on the girls BLUE TUNIC ( worn for the first time to this event) and parents will be asked to turn it right side up once the girls have completed a good deed. A small reception will follow the ceremony.


Girl Scout Glossary:
· Girl Scout sign: Hold the middle three fingers up by putting your pinky
and your thumb together.
· Girl Scout handshake: Shake hands with your left hand while making the
Girl Scout sign with your right hand.
·Friendship circle: This stands for an unbroken chain of friendship with
Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all around the world. Everyone stands in a
circle and places their right arm over her left and holds hands. Everyone makes a silent wish as a friendship squeeze is passed from hand to hand.
· Friendship squeeze: After someone shares something in the circle, she
squeezes the hand of the person standing next to her, who shares something and then squeeze passes on around the circle.
· Quiet sign: Hold up your right hand. As people in the group see the quiet
sign, they stop talking and also raise their hands. Once everyone is silent,
the meeting continues.
· Girl Scout motto: “Be prepared!”
· Girl Scout slogan: “Do a good turn daily!”
· Daisy Girl Scout Circle: A circle that the girls can sit in to share ideas.
· Earned recognition: Daisy Petals, the Promise Center symbolizes the
learning of the GS Promise and each petal earned is for a part of the GS
Law each



The Girl Scout Promise: On my honor, I will try:To serve God and my country,To help people at all times,And to live by the Girl Scout Law

Parents Introduction Letter

Dear Parents,

We are very excited to announce the forming of Daisy Troop 41184 here at Ames.
This troop will be open to All Kindergarten Girls and 1st grade girls who wish to participate.

We have a wonderful group of Moms and friends who will take various roles in the troop, all with the goal of making this a memorable year for our Daisies.

Please read over following packet with our Daisy Troop information and feel
free to contact any of the leaders below with any questions you may have.

Enclosed you will find a permission slip that is for the 1st meeting attendance.
We have so many exciting things planned…..we hope you can join us as we start our girls off in the Great World of Scouting.

Sincerely,

Daisy Troop Leaders
Wendy Winkler
Joan Kanatas
Renata Coffey
Katie Kowal