by
GSSJC Facilities Director
Bob Spaeth
Girl
Scout Camps
Agnes Arnold, Aranna,
Camwood, Casa Mare,
Misty Meadows, Robinwood,
Silver Springs, Whispering Pines
Readers can contact the Facilities
Department by calling Director Bob Spaeth at 713-292-0208
or
e-mail bspaeth@sjgs.org.
Grandpa Bob’s Brain Teasers
Answers to Grandpa Bob’s
Brain Teaser Review from the November/December
issue.
Which mammal is the smallest? (The bumblebee bat
is one inch long and weighs 1/20 of an ounce.)
Which animal is the tallest? (The
giraffe measures more than 19’ tall.)
Which animal lives the longest?
(The giant tortoise of the Galapagos Islands can
live more than 150 years.)
Which animal has the largest eye?
(The giant squid eye is 15” across. Larger
than a dinner plate.)
Which animal is the largest? (The
blue whale can grow to more than 100’ long.)
Which animal is the fastest runner?
(The cheetah can run up to 65 miles per hour for
short distances.)
Grandpa Bob’s Brainteasers:
Here’s another question
for you: How do lakes form? |
“THEY” said…
Have
you ever had someone, maybe your children,
say to you, “Well, they said it was
OK to do it.” I have heard this refrain
many times since I first became a member of
the GSSJC family about fifteen years ago now.
My experience has been that it is usually
a way of getting one’s way when the
answer to a question or request has been negative.
Sadly, it is sometimes the phrase that is
used when that rare individual appears who
just wants to do what they want with little
or no regard for right, wrong or safety.
I’ve had
some fun with the “They said…”
people when I’m approached in this manner
and flash my Council nametag that has THEY
printed on it. After I have identified myself
as THEY we most often have a good chuckle
and can discuss issues based on their merits
and not on trying to figure out who THEY is
or was.
Why share this?
Because if you have a question about camp
properties, or the amenities located there,
either positive or negative, feel free to
talk with me. It isn’t necessary to
invoke the mysterious THEY and waste time
trying to separate fact |
from fiction.
I really am interested in what those who use
the Council’s facilities think about
their experience and the suggestions you may
have on how to do something better or what
might be needed to support girl program both
present and future. So, let’s talk,
you and me. And we’ll leave THEY out
of it. Chiggers-itch
It’s
springtime and because this article was
helpful to some folks last year I’d
like to share it with you again.
Wouldn’t it be great to skip through
fields of wildflowers and roll around in
cool patches of grass like the people in
allergy medicine commercials? In Texas,
anyone that reckless doesn’t get out
much or is too young to know about “CHIGGERS.”
They aren’t
technically insects but arachnids, like
spiders and mites. Like their parasitic
tick cousins, chigger larvae attach themselves
to hosts. But contrary to popular belief,
they don’t suck blood or burrow under
the skin. Instead, they inject a tissue-dissolving
enzyme when they bite us. The chigger sucks
up the resulting |
goo through straw-like tubes,
or stylostomes, formed by a reaction from
our autoimmune system. The feeding continues
until the chigger is either scratched off
or becomes engorged and drops off. There lies
the rub and the scratch. By the time you realize
you’re infested, it’s too late–you’re
destined to itch for several days.
If you can’t
avoid areas where chiggers hang out, grassy
spots or damp, shady areas, experts recommend
some precautions. You can wear long sleeves
and stuff your pants in your socks. Insect
repellent containing DEET is good but follow
label directions closely. Permethrin may be
sprayed on clothing the day before going into
the woods but certainly not on your hat.
If you are bitten
by chiggers, shower and wash your clothes
immediately. The bugs may crawl across your
body for hours before chowing down, usually
under waistbands or socks and in armpits.
You can’t kill chiggers with fingernail
polish as one home remedy suggests, although
it does slightly relieve the itching for some
inexplicable reason. McAtee recommends antihistamines,
hydrocortisone, and cool compresses as better
bets to get some relief. |
New sailing shed at Camp
Casa Mare
Many,
many thanks to Frank and Patti Masaro for the
donation of a great new storage shed at Camp Casa
Mare. Not only did they donate it but they gathered
up a crew to install it. The shed is located next
to the present Sail House and will be used to
store the decorations used on the Big Boats during
the Christmas Boat Parade in Kemah each holiday.
The rugged individuals
who helped get things assembled and in working
order were Mary Beckman, Peter Pickett, Amie Friday,
Frand and Patti Masaro, and Doris Hyman. My thanks
too to Mike Mazurek who enlarged the slab so it
would accommodate the new addition. Thanks to
everyone. |