Preparing for Trinity

NOTE: As of 12/17, we still have 5 Trinity Rep tickets up for grabs... contact me if you know someone who can use them.  erinranger@cox.net

Tracy: Julia E, Mel, Emily, Abby
JoAnn: Diana, Nora
Erin: Alice, Sandy, Julia C. and Gillian

The rest of our participating families will be travelling directly to the theater.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a wonderful day.

OUTING: Visit to Clements Market

If you have photos to share please sentd them along!
The girls presented their custom-designed heavy-duty shopping bags to the folks at Clements Market, last night.  Those groceries have never been better-dressed!  Decorating and donating the bags are part of the girls' Journey toward a Bronze Award. 

Chef Kyle made everyone feel welcome as he walked us "behind the scenes" and step-by-step through the process of preparing a dish in a commercial kitchen. The staff knew we were there see a cooking demo and EAT the results.  At a previous meeting, a vote had been taken and Mac'N'Cheese was the food of honor.  The girls each received a portion to take home-- although many portions did not make it out the door!

REMINDER:
Ther is no meeting on WEDNESDAY, 11/17/10.

Last Night's Meeting: Eco-Awareness Journey, Making Plans and Pluffy Pendants

-- JOURNEY Discussion included the introduction of the brown shopping bags the girls will be decorating and bringing to Clements' Market.  The girls should use markers or paint to create designs in keeping with our Environmental Awareness theme. 

-- Planning a musical visit to Sakonnet Bay Manor.  Instruments, songs, crafts discussed.
-- Pluffy Jewelry: Completed necklaces... some girls working on some more Fall-themed pieces. (To be baked and ready for painting, next Wednesday.)
Remember, emails can be found on the Tracy's Email Archive page of this site.
Take care!
E

Halloween Party: Thanks for Coming!

We had plenty of snacks, treats, games and FUN.  Girls were able to finish their Tie-Dyed Jack-O-Lantern T-Shirt creations, then take part in an array of activities (THANKS Tracy E!) including Pumpkin Bowling, Donut-Munching Competition, and a Jello-Eating Contest.
Thank you, parents, for contributing to our edible goodies and for taking the time (on a school night) to help your girls prepare their FABULOUS costumes, makeup, etc.  Special thanks to JoAnn D and Tracy E as well as to the parents and siblings who stayed with us! (Gary C, Missy P, Kristen C)
Happy Halloween....;~>

HALLOWEEN PARTY Planning

The Sign-Up list for the 10-27 party can be found on the "planning" page of this site.  Messages may be sent to erinranger@cox.net.

How your Tie Dye shirts enjoyed a little Autumn weather:

Sunlight streaming through the T's.

Don't forget that all of Tracy's email updates can be seen on this site's page, "Tracy's Email Archive," linked in the navigation bar above.

Be A Reader: forms are due

October 27th: all forms must be turned in. 

Escobar's Maze: Saturday's Windy, Winding Walk

An ideal day to launch a broom.
Harry Potter Day at the Corn Maze was well-attended and a great outing for Troop #1308!  Sunday evening, you should receive an email with the exclusive link to an online photo album.  If you have any difficulty viewing, please let me know. erinranger@cox.net

I have pics of the group that I accompanied... more pics would be great!
 There were Harrys big and small. Hermione was frequently seen among the stalks, as well.  We had a great walk-- blustery at the very least, perhaps gale-force in the open field where our girls sipped hot chocolate played on the hay bales. 

   Hey, soccer players!  Many of you spent the earlier part of the day fighting the wind and chill during your games.  If you were able to make it, we appreciate your efforts.  If not, we always have more outings coming up.     Take care, EoB



Actual size: 2 inches

ESCOBAR FARM CORN MAZE: Meet at 2pm



Arial view of Escobar's 2 entrances

Escobar's Farm Address Information   Farm address: 133 Middle Road, PortsmouthFrom Route 114 in Portsmouth:- Take Hedly Street to Middle Road

Maze address: 251 Middle Road, Portsmouth
   Phone: 401-683-1444
DIRECTIONS...
- Take a right onto Middle Road go to 251 Middle Road
From Route 138 in Portsmouth:
- Take Stubtoe Lane (at the Cumberland Farms near Agway) to Middle Road
- Take a right onto Middle Road go to 251 Middle Road

Welcoming our newest members...

We are happy to welcome Nora and Emma to Troop #1308.  Although the rain necessitated the postponement of our Orchard outing, we were happy to see so many of you at Ranger School for tonight's meeting.  Thank you for your flexibility. 

Weekly Meetings: #1 ~First Meeting Tonight!

First Meeting - Sept. 29th-2010

  Pre meeting fun in gym

6:20- Flag Ceremony’

6:30-Welcome- Three things about you!
6:45- Magazine Drive- $2.00 each packet/ 1.50 each mag
  Planned Events: Apple-Picking/ Corn Maze/ Halloween Party/ Clement's Market/ Trinity Rep Play/ Singing at Sakonnet Bay Manor/
6:50- Planning – ideas/costs
7:00- Craft Project-Erin


Next Week (10/13/2010) Apple Picking- Meet @ Old Stone Orchard-4:30p.m.  CALL TRACY or ERIN if your daughter needs a ride.  Please bring completed permission slips.

IDEAS! (notes courtesy of MaryBeth V.)

When asked to brainstorm, the Girls came up with the following: Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Fishing, Tie Dye, Sailing, Corn Maze (10/16), Paint Ball, Six Flags Trip, United Skates of America

Halloween Party Planning

ACTIVITIES
- Rockin' Jack'O'Lanterns
- pumpkin bowling
- Tie Dye Pumpkin Shirts (sneak peek)
- Jello-eating contest (strawberry kiwi)
- Decorate cupcakes
FOOD
Pizza Rolls
Pizza
Cupcakes
Fruit
Veggie/Dip
~ Cup of Mud
~ Water
~ Punch with Eyeballs

Sakonnet Times: 09-22-2010



Great job, girls!



Outings: Apple-Picking in Little Compton

UPCOMING   This would be a Wednesday field trip. October Wednesdays available are 10/06, 10/13, 10/20.  If we  follow our usual routine of creatively sharing transportation... everyone ends up with a ride TO and FROM the orchard. Contact Erin.  More information, directions on their website.

http://www.oldstoneorchard.com/

View Larger Map

Outing: Escobar's Corn Maze Harry Potter Day, Sat. 10/16

UPCOMING This might be a great way for us to see the Escobar Family's Corn Maze, this year. 

2010's Design

In Print: "Scouts say thanks..."

From the Sakonnet Times (East Bay Newpapers) published September, 9th, 2010. 

Click to open larger version



So, I sent an email on Monday morning to thank the bagpiper and...



The Firefighter's Prayer
September 11th, 2010

 She offered to come and visit our troop, sometime.  Yea!
---------------------
On 9-14-2010 10:04am Pipe Major, Debbie Kane wrote:

Hi Erin,
Thank you very much for your e-mail. It was an honor for me to be part of Saturday's ceremony of remembrance. I believe that if there is one person you can reach by your example it is a job well done. I strive for that every time I present myself in public. Please tell all your Girl Scouts I said "hi" and to keep up their good work.
If your Girl Scout troop would ever like me to come and do a special bagpipe presentation for them I would be happy to do it. Please contact me any time.

Thanks again for your very kind and heartfelt comments.
Warm regards,
Debbie Kane, Pipe Major
Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band

Pardon Gray Day-9-11-2010

What a day! We had quite a presence with Registration and Activities. Our Girl Scouts made a big impression on many kids. They helped their guests make SWAP pins to take home.  They applied countless tattoos and painted many faces with patience and precision.  I am very proud of those

girls and thankful for their parents' patience and support.  We will participate next year, but there will be little mystery what to expect.

A thank-you has been sent by email: "Those girls made the entire GS organization look like a million bucks. Whether they arrived in Girl Scout uniform or soccer uniform, their presence was priceless. They worked extremely well together and charmed the crowd with their politeness and skills."

I am preparing the pictures to share. I will be emailing log-in information to each household.  Thanks, again.

Erin

Have You Seen This in Print?

This photo was published in the Sept. 2nd issue of The Sakonnet Times.  However,  I didn't know about it until this morning when I opened a paper I bought last night. Thanks, Tracy, for taking the great picture!

You'll find it in a prime location at the top of the "Around Town" section (page 12).  If you see it in the paper, you may notice something else that Alice spotted immediately... and caused me to run to the phone (to issue an apology) then to my computer... to submit a correction.  

Labor Day Weekend: Best wishes to you and your family.

Saturday's Waves at Sakonnet Point

...and a bubble-gum pink sunset.

Re: EARL. Well, that was not so bad.

A few Earls would be just fine for "Hurricane Season."  Ideal weather is expected through Labor Day.  I hope you are somewhere enjoying it... like we are.

Maybe we won't have any more of those three-shower days, either (H.H.Humid).

OUTING-- Osprey Sea Kayaks

Samantha, Owner of Osprey, with GS 1308  and the Earl brothers

How about some quiet-water paddling in the Fall?  You can find a review which served as a preliminary Thank-You note, written the day following our outing here.  Later, I wrote another note which named names... sent to staff/owners.
Meanwhile, we will be looking forward to more paddling in the Fall.  We may organize an outing with a combination of kayaks we own and kayaks rented from Osprey. ($25/ 3hrs for single sit-on-top; $40/ double kayak.)  More info on Westport River paddling at http://www.ospreyseakayak.com/

Earl will be visiting... staying OFFSHORE, we hope.

Generally speaking, the name "Earl" doesn't make me nervous.  When any other Earl is approaching, I do not feel the need to prepare with plywood and water.  More recently, the name has become more charged... Yeah, Earl family... save some of those nifty graphics.  Put them in a scrapbook. Make no mistake about it, we actually don't want EARL to become too memorable.

GSRI #1308 goes back to school!

Hope all is well with you...
Despite having to hit the books, again, you'll find that it still feels like Summer.  BTW there will be WAVES at the beaches, this weekend.  Keep your distance!

Pardon Gray Day 9/11/2010 10a.m. to 4p.m.

Get out your sashes and vests.  This is going to be fun! The Troops in our area will have quite a presence at this event.  GSRI of Tiverton, Little Compton, and Westport, MA will host activities for kids and be encouraging new girls to Register with a Troop OR to become a Girls Scout who attends events and outings w/ others. Girl Scouts are needed to staff Make & Take Activity tables: 
1. SWAP Pins (see earlier post), 2. Macrame Friendship bracelets (with pony beads), 3. God's Eyes w/ yarn and twigs, 4. and Bug Bookmarks (Sue G.'s imagination at work). 
We have also been asked to offer with Temporary Tattoos (Daisies and Brownies can do this) and Face Painting (Cadets can do this).
A Color Guard has been requested for the parade honoring victims of Sept. 11, 2001. We will choose names from a hat for this.  Flags will be on loan from GSRI Council.
Registration will take place nearby at another table and we want to encourage new girls to join. 
*If you need help getting your uniform ready, contact me directly.  I still have some 1308'ers patches/badges. Official Web Page

The Blog is ALIVE

First established as a test site last February, the design is new but some of the older elements have been left intact just to demonstrate how the different parts can function. Maps/directions, invitations/RSVP's, surveys, slide shows and more can appear on this blog. Some "gadgets" are a little silly but fun to try out. (MP3's?)  Most importantly, you'll find meeting summarys and info to keep you up "in the loop."
I also have new photos which may be posted soon... just looking for the best way for us to view them.  They can just appear in a "photostream" on this site or they could be password-protected. I'll be looking for your opinions. Thank you for taking a look. -E

The Girls Will Be Working On...

"Burrow" Girls at Camp Hoffman

Here is some of what we know about the Troop's upcoming activities.  Meetings will be at the same place and time as last year.
Badges to finish:
Swimming, Wildlife, Dancing
Badges the girls would like to pursue:
Adventure Sports, Fit for Fun, Horse Rider, Earth Connections

The Program activities we discussed are marked on our Google Calendar (the entire Prog. Guide is here on the GSRI website). We need to find out what you would like to do from these possibilites. (Costs are also noted on the Calendar.)
Take care, E

Learning About Swaps - Pardon Gray Day and Beyond

Latrine Brush  How-to

Girl Scout Law Card  How-to

These decorative, girl-made pins are traded, or swapped, between Girl Scouts.  Troops can make enough pins for an entire troop, in the same town or from a distant part of the USA or the world! Sometimes they arrange this in advance, (as is done on the website linked above) girls just carry a quantity of Swaps to an event, to exchange w/ new friends. The pins can symbolize GS ideals (like the "Girl Scout Law Card") or they can be funny and cute --like a mini version of a familiar object from camp or GS life. (See the Latrine Brsuh)

Perhaps we could demonstrate how to   make some Swap Pins as part of our kids' Activity Booth for Pardon Gray Day on Saturday, Sept. 11th. (10a.m.-4p.m. on Google Calendar). They are easy, fun, and very GS-- a great Make & Take craft.

I'll have some more to show you, soon, on this blog. -E

The Planning Meeting That WAS

Hello Fabulous 1308'ers,

71 degrees but still having fun

If you were able to make it to the planning session on Thursday 8/26, then you know what a serious, thought-provoking discussion we had.  Surprisingly, some business got done-- besides the Monkey Business, that is.  With the girls in and out of the pool (brrr), it was a damp, raucous, semi-sloppy, frequently silly, and salty (the snacks), rendez-vous.   Amid the splashing and spritzing, there was, indeed, an exchange of ideas with some important decision-making thrown in.  The badge work and activity options will be outlined soon. Hint: Animals, sports, "adventures"of various kinds.  (BTW, you aquatic monkeys ate all of the chips and cheese balls but left the Bedchex w/ 5 pounds of leftover watermelon. Thx.)

If you were among the girls who had A Better Offer, that day, rest assured that your opinion is valuable, also!  You will still have a chance to "vote" on what our Troop does this year.  See you soon.  - E

Pardon Gray Day, 9/11 // First Wednesday Meeting, 9/29 

February Vacation Ideas

A Trip to the Boston Science Museum
Newport Winter Festival Activities
Ice Skating at Local Rinks
Driscoll Arena, Fall River, MA
New Bedford Skating Rink
Sovereign Bank, Newport, RI
St. George's, Middletown, RI