Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I wasn't a Daisy leader, but I did Brownies and Juniors for
    several years.  It is scary, but after a couple of times you'll
    get to know the girls and what they're interested in, and the time
    will just fly.  I predict you'll look forward to it as the high
    point of your social life.
    
    One piece of concrete advice -- make sure you've always got a fun,
    time-filling activity in the back of your mind and plans, in case
    what you planned doesn't last as long as you planned, or isn't
    working.  A game like Lion (a favorite Girl Scout game) is good,
    or keep drawing paper and crayons in the back of your supply bag.  
    
    You'll learn most of the rest of it in training.  Don't worry
    about asking stupid questions, by the way -- that's what they're
    there for, and you can't possibly ask stupider questions than I
    did.  (Like, "Do we have to work on badges if we'd rather just go
    on walks through the neighborhood?")
    
    --bonnie

    
    I'm looking forward to it.  There are only five Daisies right now which
    is probably a good size for a beginner.
    
    The only thing is that the impression I got from some parents is that
    they don't seem to want to do activities over the weekends because of
    football games, boy scouts, want to spend time with family, etc.  I
    feel that the best time to do these activities with the children is
    during the weekends since all except one parent works till 5/5:30pm. 
    I, myself, work full time, have a home typing business, and work on
    Sunday mornings.  One of the parents asked me, "When will I have time
    for this."  I said, "I try to make time to spend with my children as
    much as I can."
    
    Well, I hope things will work out.
    
    Karen

    Hi Karen.  You'll do just fine.  I'm a Brownie leader.  There's a
    scouting notesfile you can also get ideas/support from.
    ed
    [yes, I'm male, yes I'm a Girl Scout, and a Cub Scout leader, and...]

    Ed,
    
    Thank you.  I have opened the Scouting notesfile.
    
    It's nice to see both genders involved in these activities.  In my
    troop, there is a male parent participating.
    
    Karen
       
    

    Ed, are cub/boy scouts open to participation by mothers?  I
    enjoyed scouting and would like to get involved again, but my two
    youngest are both boys.  I know I could work in girl scouts
    without having a child in the troop, but I think it would be more
    fun to be involved in a group my kids were in . . .
    
    --bonnie

    Tigers are 1st graders.  They particpate in soucting functions with an
    adult partner.  This can be mom,dad,relative,close friend.
    
    Cub scouters begin at second grade.  Cubs belong to small groups called
    dens, who in turn belong to larger groups called packs.
    It used to be that the dens were lead by 'den mothers'.  Today the den
    *leader* can be either sex.  I was commonly refered to as a den mother
    before the den leader term was coined.  Its fun to be a den leader,
    you'd enjoy it.  The whole boy/cub scouting group has become gender
    free.  The girl scout organization still has gender specifics, such as
    the promise I say "a sister to every".  Perhaps in the future the girl
    scouts will become gender free.  And, maybe in the future we can have
    scouts without any gender specifics.
    enough of the soapbox ;-)
    ed
    

>    It used to be that the dens were lead by 'den mothers'.  Today the den
>    *leader* can be either sex.  I was commonly refered to as a den mother
>    before the den leader term was coined.  . . . The whole boy/cub scouting 
>    group has become gender free.  

	Probably partially out of due to the demise of the Leave it 
	to Beaver family, and partially due to the advent of the 
	"involved father".

>    Perhaps in the future the girl scouts will become gender free.  

	Some cracks in the armor already, Ed.  I spent last Saturday night
	on a campout with my daughter, seven other girls, and six mothers.
	Also, there are a number of daughter/father events in girl scouts;
	I don't know if there are many mother/son events in boy scouting.
    
Clay

Remember that Camp Fire is open to kids of both sexes also.
I was in Camp Fire and loved it.

Currently, the Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts) are very homophobic.  There is
a gay father in Denver whose entire group (pack?) supports him but who
the Boy Scout organization will not allow to be part of his son's group
(not as a leader, even, but just on camping trips with the other dads, etc).
For this reason, if my son(s) decide to go into scouting, I will be 
steering them toward Camp Fire.  

        Carol

    
    Karen:
    
    Our sitter has three girls, the oldest is now in Girl Scouts and her
    middle-child will become a Daisy this year.  Our sitter is co-chairing
    a troop (with another mother) -- kind of back-up to each other and
    broadens the scope of "activities".
    
    My family is very heavily involved in arts/crafts, so Cheryl asked me for
    some "craft" ideas (especially some which are "seasonal").  So my Mom
    helped put together a shoebox of "potential" crafts which young-ones could
    handle.  Cheryl's also asked me to assist her (which I'm thrilled
    about!).
    
    So maybe if you know someone who could assist you with:
    
    	.  arts and crafts
    	.  cupcake decorating  (simple as sticking halloween cream candies
    		in the frosting!)
    	.  painting
    	.  paper works  (special paper cutting, folding, etc.)
    	.  nature walks (someone familiar with trees, plants, etc.)
    		(maybe collect up some leaves for a collague)
    	.  planting seeds and watching them grow each week and then
    		take them home for yard planting
    
    and outside activities could be:
    
    	.  children's museums
    	.  puppet shows
    
    I used to teach 8-10 year olds jewelry macrame', too.  
    
    I'll probably pre-package the craft project so each kid is guaranteed 
    a "kit" before they start and saves some preparation time.
    
    Having never been a Troop Leader (or assistant), I'm not sure how they
    treat liability  (car accidents, playground accidents, etc.).
    
    Can't wait to help Cheryl!!
    
    Dottie
                                                              

    re .7, One of our friends has an 11 year old in Boy Scouts, one of the
    most favorite activities is a monthly dinner for boys and
    parents-that's mother's included!  Her only complaint is she wished
    they'd server something beside Spagetti and meatballs!!
    
    My husband and his father still chaperone a group EagleScouts-to-be on a 
    weekend trek up some mountain once a year. (Something that got started
    when his brother was *that* close to becoming an Eagle, but joined the
    US Navy instead)  My husband grumbles after and still does it the next 
    year.  Guess we'll be "Active Scouting parents" when AJ is old enough!
    
    An interesting side note, my son's Godmother was a Brownie leader for
    several years.  She thought it interesting that she was required to take 
    a basic First Aid course every year....She was a Registered Nurse, they
    wouldn't recognize that!  (She used themes at a lot of her meetings,
    holidays, Countries of interest including having the  girls show things
    relating to their heritage and of course a visit to the Fire Station
    with the men showing thier gear during Fire Prevention week)
    Lyn

    re .9.
    
    Dottie,
    
    Thank you for the great ideas.  I have a sister-in-law who works at a
    craft store.  I hope to get some ideas from them and she can get a discount
    for me on crafts too.
    
    I have two friends who used to be Daisy Leaders so they are lending me
    their old material (songbooks, video tapes, etc.).
    
    Good luck to you too.
    
    Karen
    

<   Thank you for the great ideas.  I have a sister-in-law who works
<   at a craft store.  I hope to get some ideas from them and she can
<   get a discount for me on crafts too.

   This leads me to an interesting question... are any of these groups
   "officially" non-profit?  Are they entitled to whatever discounts
   non-profit groups get?
   
   - Tom
   
   (not involved, just curious...)

    I'm not sure geographically where most of you are, but Ziff Paperworld
    in Wrocester will give 10% discount to non profit groups,(scouts,
    church , fraternal etc)  they have a HUGE selection of paper, plastic,
    posters etc.  and prices are quite reasonable to start with.
    
    Someone in a group I belong to was raving recently about the Craft Dept
    in the FAIR department store (route 20 Worcester/Auburn Line)  I do
    know they've always had good craft and candy making supplies, but have
    recently upgraded the department and is supposed to be better!
    
    Lyn
    

    re discounts for non-profit groups
    
    The majority of stores will either ask to see a copy of the tax exempt
    number, or will have one on record in the store.  If you're picking up
    supplies for such a group, ask the treasurer for the tax exempt number.
    
    
    Judi