Meeting #9: Volunteering at Food Bank

You in Guiding: Be Involved in Your Community (YiG4)

Supporting Your Community

We went to our local food bank to help out for the evening. We started out by hearing a presentation on how many people use the food banks in Nova Scotia each year and how many are children and of all the ways Feed Nova Scotia helps the community. (YiG4#1)

Then we sorted through parsnips and onions that they'd received in bulk from farmers. We had to remove any that were rotten and repackage the rest into smaller, more manageable boxes. The girls had lots of fun with it and worked very diligently and got it all done before it was time to go.

It's always so rewarding to help out at the food bank, no matter what the task and the girls always seem to really enjoy it. (YiG4#3)

And this was our 5th year going as a unit, and Feed NS gave us a plaque, thanking us for our service!

And they're even all wearing their uniforms, more or less. 

Meeting #18: Food Bank Volunteering

You in Guiding: Be Involved in Your Community (YiG4)

Outing! We went to Feed NS and spent 90 minutes sorting food into various categories. They sorted 2 and a half pallets of food that will be distributed to families across Nova Scotia. The girls had a great time and worked hard all night. I always love this as a Community Service Project. (YiG4#3)

Meeting #8: Remembrance Day

You and Others: Learn How to Plan (YaO3)

You in Guiding: Learn About Guiding (YiG2)

Event Planning

6:30-7:00: Patrol time--We gave the girls evaluation forms so they could evaluate the planning and execution of the Halloween party we had. Party Evaluation form (Word doc) (YaO3#1, EP#4)

7:00-7:15: Horseshoe and discuss Halloween evaluation--We had the Patrol Leaders give us the comments and suggestions from their Patrols. With the size of our unit this year, we're trying to give the Patrol Leaders more responsibility and reduce the number of other girls who are talking. They had some good comments about the party--more than just sweets for food, games were fun, not enough supplies for the craft.

7:15-7:30: Guides in Wartime minibooks--I got this idea from Owl and Toadstool. Guider Lee Anne sent me the files that had the little pictures and the posters with all the information. She'll willingly share the files with other Guiders if you comment on her post or send her an email.

She also sent me a video on how to make the layered book we used. I got coloured  cardstock from the Dollar Store and they turned out really pretty! When they finished the books, they glued them into their lapbooks. (YiG2#6)

7:45-7:55--Discussion of Guides in wartime--Once they finished their books, we talked about what they learned.

7:55-8:15--Valentines for Vets (Guider Cara on the Brownies Meet blog has a great write-up on Valentines for Vets)--We gave them lots of supplies so each could make a Valentine that we could send to Valentine's for Vets. Since Valentines need to be sent early in January, this seemed like a good time to do Valentine's for Vets, with the war time/Remembrance Day theme.

We gave them preprinted verses that they could glue in the cards (we took them from the Valentines for Vets site), and a preprinted label that said "4th Hammonds Plains Guides" to glue on the back, and lots of stamps and stickers and pretty paper that they could use to decorate the cards with.

As we were starting to explain what we were doing, one girl asked, "Why do veterinarians need Valentine's?" Oops! We should have explained that first. :)

8:15-8:30--We had time to sing a few songs before we did our closing.

Meeting #29: Park/Roadside Clean-up

Beyond You: Learn about Our Environment (BY4)



You in Guiding: Be Involved in Your Community (YiG4)

Environmental Project (EP)


Another outdoor meeting! We met at a local park/playground and spent an hour collecting garbage in the park and along the roadside. We split the girls into 3 groups, and in one hour we gathered 4 bags of garbage, one bag of refundables, and two bags of recyclables. In each group we found that we had 1 or 2 really keen girls, 2 or 3 girls who worked fairly well, and 1 or 2 girls who were there but not that into it. Overall, though, they did a great job and I drive by the stretch of roadside every day and can see the difference from where we worked and where we didn't! (YiG4#4, EP)

Then we went to the park and played a game of Foxes and Rabbits. It was a great running game. We kept running out of something after about 4 rounds, but I believe that is how it was supposed to work. The game would probably last longer with more girls (we had 16). (BY4#4)

I think I like Quick Frozen Critters better, but it requires more equipment and set-up.

Then we had a snack and handed out their pottery from last month.

Meeting #11: Senior Center Visit

Support Community service badge

You in Guiding: Understanding the Promise and Law (YiG1)
You in Guiding: Be Involved in Your Community (YiG4)

This was our last meeting before Christmas. We met at a local Senior Center. The girls wanted to sing Christmas carols, and we prepared some to sing that everyone knew. The previous time we'd been to this center, the girl played board games with the seniors, but this was a different group who weren't really able to do that. We hadn't prepared enough Christmas songs to fill the time, so we sang a bunch of our Girl Guide songs too! (SC, YiG4#3)

We spent about an hour with them, and then they let us have a room so we could have a little Christmas wrap up party.

The first thing we did was finish up our Understanding the Promise and Law section. We had shoestring licorice and the girls practiced their reef knots. Each time they successfully completed the knot, they got to eat it! (YiG1#5)

Now they've completed everything they need to earn their first little square--You in Guiding: Understanding the Promise and Law.

Once programming was out of the way, we gave them gingerbread men, icing, and candy to decorate with and let them decorate cookies. A craft and a snack all in one!

After they ate their cookies, we gave them some blank Christmas cards to sign that one of our leaders is going to send to soldiers overseas.

And now we're done until after Christmas! Well, except for the planning, and I've already started thinking about the new year...

Meeting #10: Food Bank Volunteering

Support Community service badge (SC)



You in Guiding: Be Involved in Your Community (YiG4)

We took the girls to Feed NS, to help sort food at the Christmas warehouse. They are getting their Christmas hampers ready, so we bagged potatoes, apples, and onions. The girls worked hard for over an hour and we bagged and boxed lots of vegetables and fruit for families in our community and province. (SC, YiG4#3)