We had a pizza and swim party in June, went to
Camp Carousel in July, and started meeting early in August to
finish our Bronze Award work by the end of September. Most of
our troop returned and we’ve bridged the rest of the girls
to Cadette status.
Leilani, Troop #8069
We are planning a pool party in late June for our Brownies
to get together, hang out, and have fun!
Troop #14031
We plan to go to Build-A-Bear, making teddy bears for the
Houston Fire Department’s program to comfort children
who are rescued from house fires. We will coordinate the donation
with uniformed
fire fighters at Build-A-Bear, so the bears can ride the fire
trunk to the station, while waiting for their new homes. (Alexa
Van Keuren suggested this idea and the troop voted to proceed.)
Kathy Godell French, Troop #12266
We always get together in the summer for a campout or a lock
in of their choice.
The girls love getting together and visiting and having some
fun over the summer.
Kim, Troop #7010
We meet twice a month and whoever is available shows up.
It’s just for fun.
I print the schedule in May so the families know what to expect:
tour the Blue Bell ice creamery, meet at the local pool for
swimming and lunch, a children’s theatre, tour the Ronald
McDonald House/turn in our soda pop tabs, a Teddy Bear tea
party, meet at movie theatre, shop for uniforms at the Girl
Scout shop, or blueberry picking.
Diana Searcy, Troop #3843
No meetings after school lets out, but the girls vote on
summer activities and use some of the their earned cookie
money to fund them. We have one summer activity in June and
one in July. After school starts in August, we start our troop
meetings back up.
Faith Hinklin, Junior Troop #10122 |
Our group meets once a month in the summer to
do fun activities. One month is usually a service project, one
month is an
outing, and then in August we have a pool party with all parents
(forms signed; behavior contracts agreed to and signed). The
girls try to attend the same session at summer camp. In the
past we have offered special programs for the girls such as
earning the God and Me religious award.
Cassie Pitman, Group #25008
In our group, the Brownies and Juniors take the summer off.
I use that as my time to take any interesting trainings and
plan for next year. But I actually meet more often with the
older girls (one Senior
and two Cadettes). With no school work or sports to deal with,
this is when they have time to accomplish a lot of things.
Ellen E. Millman
Hold one or two try-it/badge/STUDIO 2B sessions over the
summer. Pick a couple of fun, summer oriented projects to
work on and those who are available will already have additions
to their vest/sash before the new year. Start a tradition
of doing something as a troop a couple weeks before school
begins. Our troop always goes ice skating thanks to a volunteer
in
our troop that spends a lot of time at the rink. As the girls
get older, hold a meeting around the time that school starts
up and get them to plan the year including their first “real”
meeting for the year.
Jill B. Oliver
We take a break from meetings, but go to Summer Carousel
and the water weekend
at Camp Casa Mare in August.
Ronda Richardson, Troop #7289
|
Our troop has met at a local swimming pool with other troops,
where a swim coach teaches water safety. We eat pizza and enjoy
the fellowship of our friends. We have also taken trips to the
movies and bowling.
Lynne Marucci, Troop #12516
Leader constructs an annual “Summer Fun Pack”
with low cost/no cost events in the GSSJC area. (ex. Home
Depot’s first Saturday of every month free workshops,
library programs, HBU Doll Museum, free zoo day on the 4th
of July, Michael’s workshops, etc.); use of coupons
from local merchants for pizza discounts, ice cream, etc.
and include these in a large envelope for each girl and distribute
them at court of awards each year in May; and we do one fun
get together with families during the summer! This “program”
has been quite successful with our troop and allows for no
pressure opportunities for the girls to stay connected during
the summer around vacation and sport schedules.
Pamela Okosun, Junior Troop # 3157
The girls have tons of work to do during the school year.
Their days are long. The summer should be theirs. I love the
idea
of keeping them in touch with the girls and Girl Scout laws
but activities should be kept short and sweet, summer separates
school and fun. The school year is filled with rules, homework
and early bed time. Summer is fun and games and off to bed
late. A few fun outings to bring the girls together is perfect.
Maybe two or three times during the summer is a good way for
the girls to stay connected yet still have their summer off.
Martha Trosclair, Troop #10916 |
Days
are getting longer and warmer. Soon, another Texas summer will greet
us with a vengence! To meet or not to meet in June, July, and August.
That is the universal question for all Girl Scout leaders! Although
there are many leaders who take a well-deserved three-month hiatus,
some troops remain very active throughout the summer. Other troops
meet occasionally, to keep girls interested and connected during
the summer months. A big “thank-you” to the leaders
who shared their strategies to maintain the girls’ zeal for
Girl Scouting over the summer: