Journey to the Past -- 1948

This summer I earned two 1948 Girl Scout badges for fun. They were both extremely difficult, but they were what I would think of as a traditional Girl Scout badge. Because they are. The two badges I earned were the Conservation badge, and the Tree badge. Both of which were from the 1948 Girl Scout handbook.   You might be wondering why I chose to earn badges from this handbook.  This is the handbook my grandmother had when she was a Girl Scout.  I am working on some badges that she earned as well.

            In 1948 to earn these badges you had to do a number of things from a list of somewhere between 10 or more things. For the conservation badge I had to do eight items from a list of 16. Two of my favorite things I did for this badge was visit a Wildlife Sanctuary; I did bird watching and identified different fish and macro invertebrates. I learned that Wildlife Sanctuary’s are Federally Protected, that it is illegal to fish or hunt in a Wildlife Sanctuary. My second thing I did that I enjoyed when earning this badge was explaining how plants and animals are dependent o each other. They are dependent on each other because the plants provide food for animals, and animals provide a way to transport seeds.

            The second badge I earned was the Tree badge. This was probably the easier of the two that I earned. I had to complete 10 of the skills out of 19. I had one required skill that I had to do, which was be able to identify 15 different trees. I learned to take care of a young tree and learned how to properly cut a branch from a tree. I also learned to identify by sight five trees that bear edible fruits and nuts. One of the other skills I completed was research the same 15 trees and look up which ones were hardwood and softwood. These were just some of the skill I completed and use.

            These badges were difficult to earn, but it was nice to earn them and experience how Girl Scouts from 1948 earned badges. I am going to be earning more this year, I am currently working on the 1948 reading badge and sewing badge.

           

Why Stay in Girl Scouting!

Why stay?

            Girl Scouting is a great way to learn new skills and meet new people all in a safe and exciting environment. And the older you get in Girl Scouts, the more the skills become challenging and the more people you get to meet.

            Why stay? Why stay in Girl Scouts? I stayed because I wanted to make a lasting difference in this organization. I stayed because of the things Girl Scouts has to offer me. Traveling to foreign places, to meet new people and to learn new skills. Girl Scouts is a great organization that empowers girls to be themselves and to learn about the world around them.

            Staying in Girl Scouts is also a good thing because the higher awards can earn you scholarships for college. It can also, if you’re interested, get you good recognition in the Military. I learned that earning your Girl Scout Gold Award can earn you an advance in ranking if you join the Military.

            I don’t understand why anyone would want to leave Girl Scouts. It’s such a wonderful program and it’s a great way to learn new skills, and to find your interests. It has helped me immensely, find what I’m passionate about and has helped me learn more about it. I stayed in Girl Scouts and I hope that other girls my age will too.     

This Summer as a Girl Scout -- Part 1

Summer Girl Scout experiences

            This summer has been busy and full of great Girl Scout experiences. Before the summer started I worked on ideas for my Gold Award and sent in my paperwork. During the summer I worked on my Gold. I sent in a grant for trees, but still have not heard back.

            I had the opportunity to attend the state wide Gold Award Ceremony at the Texas State Capitol. I had an even greater experience being part of the Color Guard for the ceremony. This was my first time bearing a flag in such a ceremony and I think we did a great job. I am glad that my mom is going to be putting Flag ceremony’s into the Service Unit Meetings. Because I feel that learning this is important.

            I also went to Wisconsin and took part in a Girl Scout Fourth of July Parade with a Girl Scout troop from that area. As well as did a service project with them. We weeded a public garden and planted other native plants. -- See more about Boyd Family Girl Scouts - This Summer as a Girl Scout - Part 2.

            One of my favorite Girl Scout experiences for this summer was traveling around the world with five other Girl Scouts my age to Ghana, Africa, to attend an International Scouting Jamboree. It was a wonderful experience and I hope that I can attend more in the future. One thing that I did in Africa though, that stood out above the rest, was planting 80 trees with the Ghana Girl Guides. This was my Take Action project for my Girltopia Journey I had been working on prior to the trip.

            This summer has been eventful and experience filled. I hope that this coming semester will bring new skills and new fun activities. And I hope that next summer with be just as wonderful as this one.   

Senior Journey Summit Award

The Senior Journey Summit Award is a new "award" in Girl Scouting.  It came out last fall (2011) with the new handbook.  According to the handbook it is awarded if you complete all three Senior Journeys, you'll earn the Leadership Journey Summit award.     

I did it - I earned my Summit Pin and have learned numerous skills. Earning this Summit Pin has made me feel accomplished. By myself I have done three journeys, the Sow what agriculture journey. The Mission Sisterhood communications journey and the Girltopia journey.

             I think other Girl Scouts should go for the Summit Pin. I loved learning, through these journeys, things I couldn’t have through the badges. Girls who love a challenge and extra GS work should try to earn Summit Pin. It was a great experience, challenging and fun and other older Girl Scouts should try to earn it.  

Girl Topia - Take Action Project

I have finished my Girltopia journey. The take action project for this journey was by far the hardest, yet the greatest project I have ever helped put together. For this journey I was supposed to put together and implement a take action project to better someone’s lifestyle.

            So I took the trip to Ghana to its highest and planted trees with the Ghana Girl Guides. Planting trees was a great experience but putting together the project was an experience in itself as well.

            I contacted the various contacts at the World Association Girl Guides and Girl Scouting to get a contact in Ghana – the first was in March.  It was very frustrating over the next few months trying to get the Ghana Girl Guides and then to get a contact in the area of the country that we would be located. I didn’t know that it would be close to four months before I be able to actually get the plan in place. We emailed a little back and forth and found a date for the planting that worked. That’s when I wrote a grant from WAGGGS and a mini grant from Discover Green. As part of my application process – I was asking about the budget – what were going to be the cost.  I got deeply discouraged by the numbers I received from my Ghana contact.  To the point I was sure the project wasn’t going to happen.

            I let the adult who was leading my trip know and she got a hold of Mr. Gordon, our transportation connection and a great communicator.   He  was willing to check on the numbers and to contact our contact and see if we could make it work  He gave us reasonable numbers and even ordered trees. I was so glad that I asked for help and that the project was a success!

            We planted our trees within grounds of a small school center. 80 trees planted with 40 girls from the US, Ghana and Hong Kong .  This tree planting helped with the ecological development as well as provide homes for native wildlife and food for the people.  “We cannot trust that the adults alone will save our future. We have to take our future in our own hands.”

            Felix Finkbeiner

Why Journeys? -- A Senior Girl Scout perspective

Why Journeys? I know that a lot of Girl Scouts and Leaders aren’t sure if they like Journeys.  And honestly before my recent trip to Ghana Africa – I was wondering what benefit (other than earning the awards) was there to doing all the journeys?

 For the last year I have been working on three Senior Girl Scout Journeys, working towards my summit pin, by myself. The Sow What Journey, on agriculture, green living and healthy living. Mission Sisterhood, on understanding yourself and others, and Girltopia, looking at the world around you and understanding the way others live and work.

            All of these journeys came into play on this Ghana trip. I traveled with five other girls my age who are also Girl Scouts. And without noticing I used different aspects from each journey on this trip.

            I implemented communication and teamwork skills with my group in patrol games during the camping Jamboree. Teamwork skills and communication skills from which I learned and practiced while doing Mission Sisterhood. As well as reading body language of my friends to learn how they where feeling.

            The Sow What journey I saw a lot in the villages. They were using their resources wisely, using what they had instead bringing in more waste. There were people there that had very little but used all of their resources to create something they could use.

            I looked around and took in how the girls and women of Ghana lived and worked everyday while I was there. To me it looked somewhat difficult to live a life style with very little.

For more information on my Journey to visit --

GirlTopia - Session 8 - Create It

           This Girl Scout Journey asked for me to create a way to express my thoughts through a visual media or a written way. Since I am doing this alone and I don’t paint or sketch. I decided to do poetry and photography, but then decided to just do poetry.

            I use Teen Ink as my platform to share with others because it is a way to show my poetry to other teens and youth my age, what I’m doing and how I’m feeling through my works. They read, rate, and comment on it. This gives me an idea on how they enjoy and see what I see. This site is an easy and constructive site, not once has someone said they hated my poetry, but they have given me feedback on what needs work.

            My piece of poetry I have written for this Journey is posted on Teen Ink; it has gotten 168 views and a few comments. All of them are constructive feedback, positive and helpful. This particular poem has five out of five stars. And really conveys how I think girls scouts is, and how the world would be like, if everyone was a girl scout.

            This is the link to the poem… I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.teenink.com/poetry/free_verse/article/463966/The-year-of-the-Girl/

GirlTopia - Session 3 - How's Our Community Doing for Girls?

So when I drafted the survey -- I was looking specifically in my community of 50k and specifically related to the "offerings" of the Parks and Recreation department.

I was not surprised by the results of my survey -- basically there is almost NOTHING for girls or even teens -- let alone teen girls in the community.

Because I am doing this project in a "Juliette" format - I decided to take my results to the Parks Department.

This worked out well since I had been selected by City Council to serve of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

During my City Council interview -- the Mayor asked me "What do you think we need to do?"  My response was have more activities.  I wasn't well prepared with an example.  However, the next day I found out that the Mayor had run a triatholon.  So I decided that it would be a GREAT idea for the Mayor to start a running club with teens.  HE would run one mile one Saturday a month along our trails wtih the teens.  This would give them a 1 on 1 opportunity to hang out with the Mayor and to exericise. 

When I presented it to the Parks Director and the Parks Commission -- they LOVED it.  We are now working with the Mayor to actually make it happen.

Since I don't really run and government isn't really my thing -- this is going to be a stretch for me to get up one Saturday a month to do this.  BUT, I am excited about seeing this come together.

GirlTopia - Session 2 - What's On Girl's Minds?

In Session 2 - In addition to finding our creative side -- I am supposed to get feedback on community issues.

Below are the questions of the survey that sent to friends and to other girls who live in my area. -- I am just getting around to posting it -- but, I did the survey about 6 weeks ago.
***********************************************************************

1. What’s your age?
2. Where is your community located? (ex: Austin, Texas)
3. Are you involved in your communities Parks and Rec activities? [] yes [] no
4. If no, why?

[] I don’t know anything about them

[] There’s nothing for me

[] I live too far away

[] other _________________

5. Do you feel you live in an ideal community for girls? []yes [] kind of [] no
6. If no, why not? _________________
7. Do you think that you have as much activities in the Parks and Rec department in your community for after school programs for girls, as there are for boys? [] yes [] no
8. Do you feel discouraged that you can’t do as much, if there are not as many activities for girls in your community? [] yes [] kind of [] no
9. Do you wish to see more opportunities’ for girls in your community? [] yes [] no
10. If yes, what kind of opportunities?

[] sports opportunities

            [] Competitions (ex: more competitions for girls sports teams)

            [] Sports teams (ex: more girls sports teams)

            [] Specific sports

If specific sports which kind? (ex: Rock Climbing, Basketball, Baseball) ___________

[] Enrichment opportunities

            [] Classes (ex: Dance classes, Art classes)

            [] Clubs (ex: After school Girls Debate Club)           

11. Do you think that girls get enough say in your community? [] yes [] kind of [] no
12. If no, would you change that if you could? [] yes [] no
13. If yes, how would you change it? ________________

Girltopia - Session 7 - How Will We Lead the Way?

"Vision without action is merely a dream.  Action without vision just passes the time.  Vision with action can change the world."  This quote by Joel Barker is in the Adult Guide for the Girltopia Journey. 

It really helped me see what I had been doing was more than "How Will We Lead the Way" -- it was the Vision and the Action...

As the new student member of the City of Pflugerville, Parks and Recreation Commission - I am excited about the possibilites.  Last night was my first meeting -- I had questions and even more I requested that  items be on the next meeting agenda:
1.  Neighborwoods
2.  It's Our Park Day
3.  Mayor's Mile Buddies

I thought you might like to READ my speech that I gave to City Council.

I am Sarah Young and being the Youth Director for Discover Green I feel that I am in a unique position to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission. And you are in a position to do the best for the city by putting me in the position.

Why? 

Because, I have two years left in high school and a proven interest in the community  

Not looking at this as a way to "pad" my resume before college applications.

In the last three years I have been involved in marking 2525 storm drains. The last 25 where marked in August 2011,

Because my mother has not been able to get city staff to order more drain markers.     

From January - April 2012, Discover Green has held

o    22 events in Pflugerville, with a total of

o    528 volunteers with 425 youth volunteers

o    We have planted 796 trees

o    Picked up 143 bags of trash estimated at 20 pounds per bag

o    We have educated 715 youth as part of educational outreach 400 thru NaturePfest that Discover Green facilitated for the city.

o    1 play house was painted

o    75 trees were mulched

o    And 1467 volunteer service hours  

In the rest of 2012, I am continuing my Ecological Restoration project where so far we have planted 750 trees along trails after removing invasive ligustrum with a group I started “The Trail Tamers”. 

4 years ago – the city started the Neighborwoods project providing street trees to area subdivisions – the city only completed 2 of the 3 promised years – I AM WRITING a GRANT and as part of my Gold Award project and COMPLETING THE 3^rd YEAR! Another 500 street trees.

I am working with Bruce and Jim to run the first “It’s My Park Day” during Family Volunteer Day in November – where each park will be adopted by a group of volunteers who will mulch trees, remove invasives, plant native trees and do a trash pick up!

Finally, I will continue to train other teens thru the Eco-Inspiration Coach training – last year I trained 50 youth – 10 lived and went to school in Pflugerville.

Since the dissolving of the city Arborist position and the minimal use of the Tree Care advisory board, the trees that the city invested in during the last 4 years, need their own Lorax. 

We need someone to speak for the trees; we need someone who will make sure that the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on trees in the last 4 years are not wasted because of it not being a

"priority" to elected and appointed officials.

It's time to make the RIGHT choice for Parks and Rec commission, not just the way it has always been.

In the words of the Lorax,

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

                               

Girltopia - Session 4 - Choosing to Take Action

Choosing to Take Action

I know that I want to make a difference.  I know that our community falls short when it comes to meeting the needs of teens and girls in the parks and recreation department.  I feel that we also have a real need for someone to get the attention of the adults.  To make them aware of the educational needs of the community as it relates to the environment.

Having been involved in the community with the annual Nature Pfest (a project with the school district), this is the only opportunity we have to teach kids about nature. 

I have tried to post signs about ecological restoration projects I have worked on completing.  I am trying to get more storm drain tiles.  It has been frustrating and feel that I have to be in a different position to really make something happen.

I applied to be the student representative for the City of Pflugerville Parks and Recreation Commission.  On June 26, 2012, stood in front of City Council and told them WHY they needed to choose me.

See Session 7 for the transcript of my presentation.

Girltopia - Session 5 - Advocacy - What Would You Do?

           Advocacy was a foreign word to me. My mom tried to explain it but I still did not get what it meant. Then my mom had a great idea, I could watch the movie Erin Brockovich. Now this movie definitely is not G rated, nor is it PG, but it is a great movie. It taught me about what advocacy was, through a movie about a true story.

            In this movie Mrs. Brockovich is determined to help a small town, living next to a large company, get what they deserve. She was not a lawyer, nor did she fully understand how court and jury worked. But she stood up for these people anyway.

            Through this movie I learned that advocacy is standing up for someone or something through an important cause, no matter the cause. And now that I know what advocacy means, I can truly say that the Lorax was a true advocate.      

Girltopia - Session 6 - What Do Leaders Sound Like

What do leaders sound like?

            After going to the Girl Scouts first headquarters and learning about the beginning of GS, and Juliette’s vision for the girls of America. I got started on thinking if Juliette ever had a vision for all girls everywhere? So the question is, what do you think Juliette Gordon Low would have envisioned as a perfect world for girls?

            I think she would have seen girls be treated as well if not better than men and boys. A better education for all girls everywhere, a better life for those with withering hopes of having a stable one. And most important, an equal respect from everyone. And Girl Scouts, in my opinion, has provided that for those that join. 

GirlTOPIA - Session 2 - What's on Girls' Minds?

During this journey we are to explore different types of creativity.  I am going to explore photography, poetry and maybe songwriting.



No fear, equality, respect

A vision that I see

And a dream that I expect

Will come a reality

Where beauty is forgotten

And wisdom is valued

Where makeup is considered rotten

And where peace replaces feud

Where girls are seen amongst the boys

Where we can talk and discuss

Conversations everyone enjoys

Free from prejudice and free from cuss

A girl utopia is what I envision

And what I believe is possible

A place where I can make a decision

Because in a utopian world there is no obstacle

We can make it a place for all girls

A place of refugee and peace

Make the utopia as perfect as pearls

Where boys amongst girls will cease

GirlTopia - Session 2 - What's On Girls' Minds?

Create-it

            As part of this journey I am supposed to express my thoughts of a utopian world for girls through a creative media. While some girls would sketch a drawing, or plan out a painting, my passion lies elsewhere. I will be expressing my thoughts on a utopian world for girls through poetry and photography.

            Sometimes where you are isn’t necessarily a utopian atmosphere. But evidently friends can help change that. Before I met Grayce I never really was into writing. But she demonstrated positive peer pressure by encouraging me to write and write often. We started out with short stories. Then I changed and decided to try poetry and Grayce helped me. She would always give me positive and constructive feed back. If she found a place that could use improvement she went out there and said it.

            I feel that Grayce made my poetry world a utopia and now whenever I write I feel happy.

Girl Topia - Session 1 - What's It All About? Visonary

Walt Disney was a visionary. He thought of ideas that at first people thought seemed crazy and unattainable. But he turned those people the cold shoulder and did what he thought was right.

One of the ideas of his was EPCOT, or Experimental Prototype of Tomorrow. EPCOT was Mr. Disney’s idea of a perfect city. He worked hard on it; he pitched speeches and ideas to his fellow workers. He made detailed maps on his idea… one map he made was even on a napkin!

His idea was a great idea… a utopian city, were everyone is cast in a beautiful living style. But inevitably, he died before he could execute his plan. His fellow workers and even his brother tried to work it out. But they had a difficult time.

What would it have been like? If Walt Disney hadn’t died before EPCOT was made, would it have been a success or a failure?

1947 - Tree Badge

Last week I enjoyed a trip to Savannah and to Orlando.  I had a chance to meet Girl Scouts from around the country.

As I finish up various IP's from Savanah - think about Girl Scout history -- I enjoyed looking through the 1947 Intermediate Girl Scout Handbook that we aquired for our own family archieves.  My grandmother was a Girl Scout and she used the 1947 version of the handbook.

My next goal is to actually find this badge :)

Here are the things that I think I have done to earn this badge:  I had to finish 10 of the activities.

1. - This year I have identified, out of doors, fifteen different trees
2. - I know how to plant and care for a young tree
3. - I know how to properly cut a branch off a tree, and how to care for a tree's wound
4. - I know which of my fifteen trees are hardwood and softwood
5. - Plant trees
6. - Identify, in your community, the kinds of trees and shrubs that attract birds
7. - I have learned some of the bugs and deseases that a tree can obtain
8. - I know where to get sticks for a camp fire
9. - I am making a bow out of Ash Juniper, it is not to be painted, and it shows the grain of the wood
10. - I know by sight five trees that bear fuit and nut that is edible

Family Legacy Badges

Over the last several months I have worked very hard to earn the IP's that my mom earned while she was an older girl  scout(184-1987).  It has been fun - so much fun I have asked her to get extras of those badges for my daughters and for my younger sister.  Since I don't know how many girls I will have or my siblings -- we agreed to get enough for 4 girls in the next generation to get our "family" legacy badges.

So if you are trying to figure out WHY you would want any of the retired badges -- think about it.  Were you a girl scout?  Are their badges that both you and your daughter have earned?  My sister is a brownie and she is so excited to get the Junior and Older girl IP's that we have purchased for her to earn. 

I really wish I could earn the ones that my grandmother had earned as an Intermediate Scout with the 1947 handbook - -but, I don't want to pay 10.00 - 60.00 for one of the badges.

My mom has written letters to the "future" girl scouts in our family and made copies of the badge requirements.  I am really excited about our family legacy badges and wanted to share the idea with other moms/aunts and grandma's -- or future grandma's.

Sarah Young

sarah@discovergreenyel.org

http://www.100actsofgreen.org/

http://journeysummit.blogspot.com/

Session 9 & 10 - Celebrating the Circle of Sisterhood

            Making my Brownie oven, and making a brownie, the bridging ceremony

When I heard that my troop was going to hold a Court of Awards Ceremony, and Bridging ceremony, I knew that I wanted to help with the bridging ceremony for the Daisy's to Brownies. Because ceremonies are a big part in Girl Scouts. And when I was searching for the perfect Brownie Bridging ceremony idea, I found the cutest little ceremony script. I call it the, Brownie Baking Bridging Ceremony. Because you are supposed to “bake” the Daisy’s into Brownies.

   So I had to make an oven…this was the hard part. I tried to find instructions on how to make one but found none. Then my mom came up with a BRILIANT! idea. We took an old cardboard, three leaf display board. Cut a little “oven door” in the front, I made some knobs for the “on” and “off” as well as a temperature knob. Then, ta da, I made a Brownie oven!

The script was also a hard thing to find, but I found one. After I tweaked it a little bit, I was finished. I had the oven, and the script, and I also had to make two little brown paper bag Brownie Vests for the two Daisys that are bridging. It was a fun process and I can’t wait for Sunday to come, because I love to see Girl Scouts getting excited about being a part of the Sisterhood of Girl Scouting.   

This celebration will be important to all of us.  We each have apart in the ceremony - it has been a wonderful year working with these younger scouts - watching them smile and get excited as they learn a new "Girl Scout" way.  I have enjoyed working with them on Thinking Day and talking about Girl Guides - of course making smores. 

Although my sister is in the troop - I feel like I have 15 sisters and I love it.  Thank you Ms. Jen and Ms. Kim for allowing me to come along for the trip.

Session 8 - Making sisterhood your story

            I am finishing this amazing journey, and it was a fun one. Leaning about myself and others, and what a true friend is. As my last part of this journey I am reading a biography on Juliette Gordon Low, and it is quite an interesting book.

            When I started reading it, I thought about how much fun it would be to do a two person “play” on the life of Juliette Gordon Low. So reading this biography has more than one purpose, this book is going to help me write my script. I have decided to have my sister help me in the presentation of the play. She will be portraying Juliette as a child and a teen, and once the time has come for her to get married (Juliette), I will finish off her “life”, and talk about all the interesting things she’s done as an adult…including founding Girl Scouts!

            As well as reading this book, I am also going to be going to Juliette’s house in less than a week! I’m excited to go because this can help me more with my “research”, though I would hardly call it that. I would call it more like a treasure hunt, each fact, a beautiful jewel.

             My goal would be to perform this twice in the next year -- once in December at the council Candal Lighting event and again at ACC in March as part of Women's History Month.  Now if I could only find her "hat"  -- I love the hat she wears as part of her uniform.

Session 7 - Sisterhood Knows No Boundaries

Advocacy - some folks are paid to be an advocate, others just do it because it is the right thing to do.  Last month - the movie "The Lorax" was released.  I went with my sister on opening day.  As I reflect and think about this part of the Journey - I realize that The Lorax was an advocate - he would have been a GREAT Girl Scout.  My mom serves on the city of Pfllugerville Tree Board and in definately an advocate for youth involvement in the community.

It has been a year and a half since Pflugerville dissolved the Arborist position. And since then there has not been good maintenance of the trees of Pflugerville. There are many I see that need to be remulched, or unstaked, or de-gatorbagged. No one in Pflugerville is willing to step up and speak for the trees.

But I will. I decided to become Pflugerville’s Lorax. And to do so, I have applied for the Pflugerville Parks and Rec commission, so that I can speak for the trees where it counts - with those who make the decisions. I want everyone to know that having an Arborist is very important and that dissolving the position completely was a very bad idea. The trees need a speaker, and I will be able to help.

Session 1: GIRLtopia: What’s It All About? - Top 10 qualities, values, skills, or talents

Session 1:  GIRLtopia:  What’s It All About? - Top 10 qualities, values, skills, or talents

Visionary – one having unusual foresight and imagination

Top 10 qualities, values, skills, or talents

1. Good communication between two or more people
2. Quick to listen and slow to speak
3. Ability to bend the rules
4. The ability to inspire others
5.  Follow their thoughts regardless of what others think
6. Dedicated to the vision
7. In it for the life
8. dreamer – someone who can dream beyond the ability of others
9. lifelong learner
10. Well established sense of right or wrong – moral compass

Session 1: GIRLTopia: What is it all about?

                This journey is a chance to imagine a perfect world for girls.  I will e creating this vision thru “art” – which for me is photography and poetry. 

            As I look toward my “vision” I am working on an IP called Global Girls. This badge is an old one so it has been discontinued. I am very glad that my mother found this badge for me because it has helped me see that around the world, not all girls are treated as “respectfully” as they are in the US.

            Working towards this badge has “enlightened” me about the issues going on in third world countries such as Afghanistan and India, and their actions toward, not only women, but girls. I learned while working on this badge that in Afghanistan the people there marry off women at such a young age. Most girls are married off at age 8, and then when they reach puberty age such as 11 or 13, they are transferred from their family’s home and village to their husband’s home and village.

            It is not illegal in Afghanistan to marry off girls at such a young age, but in India it is. The law says that the a girl cannot marry until she is 18, due to health issues and diseases that can be obtained if married and exposed to sexual intercourse before they are physically ready for it. But even though the law says so, the people still marry of six year olds and eight years olds. This happens mostly for “family honor” or it is done to mend a feud between families, or even because a man will pay money to marry a young girl. The ceremony of “binding” is done usually in the wee hours of morning when others are asleep. Many people are caught, but not many stay in jail. In both countries this is the decision of the fathers, brothers, uncles – basically the men of the family.  The girls and mom’s have NO say in the decision. Men in third world countries live like kings, while the women have to strive to survive under them.

            As a senior scout – creating a vision of a Utopian society for girls – I feel that if more girls and women around the world are educated about how other girls/women live that it will make it easier for women in those countries to work on getting their own voice.  I feel those countries would benefit from female leaders and those girls would have a voice.  I even added my voice to the WAGGS violence against girls campaign.  http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/take_action/violence -- “In an ideal world for girls, the world will be more ideal for everyone.”

            In the girl “book” for GirlTopia – they refer to Juliette Gordon Low as a True GIRLtopia Visionary --  “I want to appeal to every Girl Scout,” she said, “to  . . . help to make a newer and better world.”

            If you would like to learn more about this subject through this badge, go to http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/Documents/Global%20Girls.pdf 

Session 6 - Mission Sisterhood Journey

As I wrap up my Mission Sisterhood Journey – I am working on Sisterhood Knows No Boundaries, Making Sisterhood Your Story and Celebrating the Circle of Sisterhood all at the same time.

I found the best way to learn about Sisterhood and boundaries was to look at where we have been in the last 100 years.  In the past two months I have visited two different “Girl Scouting through the years”, exhibits. The first one that I visited was following the 100^th Anniversary at the Texas Capitol – we went to the George Washington Carver Museum, and it was a rather interesting one. It had some of the different uniforms, the handbooks, the badge books, and even some of the merchandise. Then there was a wall dedicated to women that made a difference in the Central Texas area that were Girl Scouts. One of my favorite ones that I read was on Etta Moore, partly because she is currently the CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Texas, and also maybe because I know her. I enjoyed the museum and the exhibit.

            The other exhibit that I went to was the small one at the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Program Center. It was smaller, but it was also very interesting. I enjoyed looking at the different uniforms, thinking, “wow why don’t we still have those?!”. I also enjoyed, again, looking and comparing their handbooks and badge books to my own that I currently have (I have the new orange senior badge book as well as the old one). One thing that I will always remember from that exhibit would be the Swap Hat. That hat was full of Swaps; there was not an empty square on there anywhere! I even saw a mouse trap on the hat, what a crazy swap. I also enjoyed looking at the “Edge” exhibit, looking at where it is, and where it started. And one of the reasons why I thought it was interesting was because my mom started the program. I encourage other Girl Scouts to also visit this exhibit. 

One Journey at a Time?

Who says you only have to do one journey at a time? As I am finishing up the Mission Sisterhood journey, I am rapidly beginning the next journey Girltopia. As part of my beginning of Girltopia I have to research and write about a couple of female artists.

Juliette Gordon Low was not only the founder of Girl Scouts, but she was also an artist. Juliette loved art; she did many different types of art as well. She sculpted and painted. A famous painting done by Juliette was her self portrait.

I do not know much about Juliette Gordon Low as an artist, but I am going to visit her home in eleven days. While I am there I will learn and study her life as not only a scout, but also a painter, and sculptor. I wish to create a painting that portrays scouting throughout the years, and I hope that while I am there, I learn a little more about her time period, and her important role in Girl Scouting.

As well as studying and learning about Juliette’s life and era, I will also work on 4 IP’s that you are only able to work on and earn in Savanna, Georgia. IP’s such as Daisy’s neighborhood, and Savanna’s safari. I look forward to this trip, and I will post about my experience, what I learned and what I did.

Mission Sisterhood - Session 5 - Fit for the mission

This journey has helped me in my friendships and “acquaintances” but also with my health and physical well being too. This journey has encouraged me to start my day early and to end my day early.  When I started this journey -- my goal was to start rock climbing with my cousin on a weekly basis.  I am still planning to do some outdoor rock climbing this fall - there are three trips I want to do.  I realized that I don't have the upper body strength I need to make that happen.

            One of the things that I have to do for Mission Sisterhood was a fitness log. For the past few days I have been getting up at 6:00am, and doing my exercise until 6:30am, and by the time I’m done with breakfast and walking the dog (6:30-7:00) and piano practice (7:00-8:00), by 8 ‘o’ clock I’ve started my math. And most days by 1:30pm I’m done with work for the day.

           I am doing pushups, situps, pull ups and will start an upper body workout next week doing three different types of pushups.  I think I need to find some finger exercises too.

            Doing this each day has made me a pleasant person to be around. Meaning that I go to bed early because I’m tired and then get up early because I’m rested. Then for the rest of the day I feel good because I’m getting things done because my morning was productive.   
     I am also working on my friendships.  I realize that sometimes this means I actually have to pick up the phone and call someone.  Or I might need to plan a time to get together.  As a homeschooler - it is WORK to keep and make friends.

Mission Sisterhood - Session 3 -- Movies with my sister and looking at friendships

This weekend I decided to watch 2 movies with my sister -- we watched the movies and talked about the friendships.  It was interesting -- I chose Bride Wars and she chose - Jungle Book.            A good friendship is a healthy relationship between either two or more people. After watching Bride Wars…I started thinking about what kind of friendship I have with various people. Bride Wars portrayed a strong “bond” between two women that is ruined momentarily by jealousy. But a “bond” that is this strong does not stay broken for very long.

            The friendship that Liv and Emma have is a sister like friendship. Always there for each other, and they really care about each other in a sister like way. But when one of them screws up the friendship plummets. But in the end, both forgive each other…even if on turned the others hair blue…or turned the other into an orange person. Meaning that the sistership (sister like friendship) that they have is a strong one that can’t be broken.  

             The Jungle Book is a classic and original Disney movie. This movie portrays a friendship between a bear…and a boy. This friendship started out as an apprenticeship I guess, Baloo was going to teach Mogali the “Bear necessities” to help Mogali survive in the jungle. But through time Baloo and Mogali grew to be inseparable.

            The friendship they shared was like no other. They where always with each other and Baloo was almost like a “father” to Mogali. That’s just how far their friendship got, it got that deep. During the movie many things happen to Mogali that Baloo has to save him which strengthens their friendship even more.

            But in the very end, when Baloo fought Bagheera, that’s when Mogali finally found out just how much he needed Baloo.  

Mission Sisterhood - Session 2 & 3 -- What makes a good friendship?

A good friendship is a healthy relationship between either two or more people. After watching Bride Wars…I started thinking about what kind of friendship I have with various people. Bride Wars portrayed a strong “bond” between two women that is ruined momentarily by jealousy. But a “bond” that is this strong does not stay broken for very long.

            I think that one to three very strong friendships is better than…say five or six “aquatinences”. It’s better to have something personal with a few friends than to have virtually almost nothing with quite a few. Because you’ll always know that your “strong” friend will always be there for you…when your “aquatinences” you can’t rely on completely.

            I would say that I have at least one really good friend, while I have quite a few… “friends” that don’t really have anything in common with me, but I enjoy to being around them. When you can tell that a small friendship has become something more…something personal and stronger is when one of the two…or more people in the friendship start to rely more on one another. 

The Year of the Girl

The year of the girl

100 years of being strong

From learning what’s right

And learning what’s wrong

100 years of being proud

Of being heard

And being loud

The songs they sing

The things they do

Will affect both, me

And you

The badges

The patches

And the Journeys too

Teach them new skills

And new things to do

If only everyone else

Was a Girl Scout

Then the whole world

 Would work together

And know what being heard is all about

           

                        Sarah Young

                                    Troop 1587

Mission Sisterhood Session 2- Different types of Friends

            With this section I will gain a better understanding of the importance of various types and levels of friendships. I will discuss the different friendships in books to help  understand different friendships and how they build the characters.

            A Separate Piece is a great book that portrays a rather one sided friendship. A friendship between two boys, Phineas and Gene. Gene is a lonely, introverted individual, while Phineas is a taunting, daredevil athlete. Phineas enjoys challenges but hates to be outdone. Gene is a smart student that follows Phineas in fear of being picked on. Together they make a rather strange pair, but together they are also very different. Phineas is very defensive over Gene as if he was his own brother. Gene follows Phineas and learns about going for the big and trying things even if they seem too difficult. So alone they are just regular students, but together, they form a strange, but perfect friendship. 

            In the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy there are many strange friendships, but the one that I can most distinctively say is a friendship relationship is the one between Katniss and Gale. Gale, an 18 year old boy that is the oldest of a family of…many, hunts, which provide food and money for his family. Katniss, a 16 year old girl that is also the oldest of a family of three people, but it only seems that it is a family of 2, because of her mentally ill mother. But she hunts as well, which provides food and money for her family. Gale and Katniss have been friends for four years; they started out as hunting buddies, and then turned into hunting companions. Gale was a snare sensation, while Katniss was a good shot, as well as a scavenger. And as their friendship grew, they shared all they knew about the woods, and even shared the spoils. So their friendship kept them going, it helped them provide for their family, but it also kept them healthy mentally. They listened to each others rants about the Capitol, and gave constructed feedback on everything that came in their way. Their friendship was more than just a walk in the woods; it was a friendship that meant life or death, not only for them, but for their family as well.

            So friendships come in many shapes and sizes. And people who have completely different interests can form a completely different, but interesting friendship. And now that I have knowledge of different relationships, I can start to unravel the friendship relationships that I am affiliated with.  -- My next post will be about what kind of friend am "I".

I am working towards my Mission Sisterhood journey pin, and I am excited to say, that part of the journey is going camping with my cousin who I am working with to get this journey.  What does this have to do with a GS Journey?  Part of the Journey is to keep eachother physically and mentally healthy.  That is what we are doing.  We are planning to do more hiking and rock climbing as our fitnexx.

We will be leaving tomorrow morning to her ranch in Dripping Springs. Not only is this a good time to talk about Girl Scouts, but it also gives me a chance to practice backpacking before I go to Ghana this summer, as well as work on some more IP’s. We will be “backpacking/camping” for almost two days, so about 30 hours.

We’ll be going hiking, we will be gathering plants, cooking, writing, drawing, talking, so we’ll just be connecting with nature, while having a good time. I will get to practice outdoor cooking, and plant identification and gathering on the trip. I was going to teach myself to fish, but decided that I’ll just wait until I learn properly. But the part that I am waiting for is getting to sleep under the stars.

I will be bringing a journal, I won’t have many entries, but whatever I have in it, I will make sure to type and post.

Mission Sisterhood - Journey #2 - Post 1

Journey #1 - Sow What -- check out http://sarahsowwhat.tumblr.com/

Journey #2 - Mission Sisterhood - This 10 part Journey is designed to help girls create their own definition of sisterhood, identify issues and to TAKE ACTION.

This is the first post for Journey #2

Unlike my last Journey that I did on my own -- I am excited to embark on this journey wtih my cousin Joanna.  It will be much easier than talking to myself. 

 Joanna and I sat down and discussed what we thought “sisterhood” meant to us. We both agreed that “sisterhood” meant more than just being sister related to someone, but decided that it meant to have a sister-like relationship with say a different family member or friend. For example…Joanna and I have a sister-like relationship; I do things with her, which I wouldn’t do with friends or other members of my family.

We also had a discussion on body language, and different ways that people that have this “sisterhood” relationship would communicate with each other.

1) Body Language, such as what that person does with their arms and legs. They could make a sequence of movements that only their friend that they share this “bond” with can understand. 2) Texting, texting is also another form of communication that friends use, and use regularly. 3) Passing notes, now this form of communication is usually done, in class, or by code, and you just hand them an envelope one day when you see them. 4) Snail mail, I’ve only ever done this a couple of times, its effective, and fun, and a great way to communicate with fellow friends. 5) E-mailing, I do this form quite often, it’s a great way to communicate, although it takes away the anticipation of getting a letter, or the fun feeling you get when you get to pass notes between one another. But still it is a way that lots of teens use to communicate with. 6) Calling, this is also another popular way of communication, it is used quite often, although I don’t do it as much as I would like to it is a great way to communicate with friends that live far away, or fairly close. 7) Talking online, I have done this a couple of times with my friends, and a few times with my dad, it is an okay way, in my opinion, to communicate, it often lags, and has holes in the way that your able to communicate. But many people enjoy communicating through say, Skype, Google plus, and other things of the like. Then there is my most favorite 8) Talking face to face, this is my all time favorite way to communicate with friends because it is most effective. When you do other types of communication such as texting you lose vital keys of infliction such as your facial expression, or the emphasis on a word, or a gesture with the body that can only be seen when you are face to face.

So these are the things that we talked about, and things that we discussed.

Why another blog?

Check out my other blogs: Sow What Journey http://sarahsowwhat.tumblr.com/

 

http://www.100actsofgreen.org/

As a homeschooling Girl Scout I am often doing my Journey's as part of my school work. Which means that I have to plan and implement them myself.

I have been asked to share this with others. My first blog was with the Senior Sow What Journey. Since I plan to earn 5 other Journeys -- this will be the site for all information.