You Gotta Have FAITH!

It rained today and got chilly. I suppose that would have been okay, but this was our final day of GIRL SCOUT It's Your Planet-Save It, Day Camp. Our plans included fire safety and fire building. In addition we had an outdoor Ecology exercise planned, as well as many other outdoor activities; including a cookout.

My phone rang early this AM around 7-7:30ish and the voice said "Do you think we should cancel or postpone the event?" I had put RAIN or SHINE on the permission slip, so this was not an option.

The Girl Scouts here in Richland County have been fortunate, our city has allowed us to utilize the Musgrove property for many Scouting programs. It has a house that we use for meetings and activities, so the Day Camp was moved indoors, sort of. We were learning about Ecology today, had a craft project, songs and then the fire building/safety activity which we had out in the garage, out of the rain and wind. Around noon it became chilly and many of the girls were not prepared with coats and they were cold! So again being indoors helped. Our cookout became an indoor meal prepared by the leaders and we were lucky to have a cooker and microwave.....clearly not camping gear but if you can't pass you gotta punt! The girls were able to eat in the garage area (it is more of an attached carport) and be "outdoors" and then we began the ecology lessons and crafts.

You never know what will happen with such a big change in plans, but you "gotta have faith" that it will work out. Youngsters are very adaptable and being inside, having to take off your shoes and sit in a circle to "learn" about ecology and not being outside, experiencing the lesson did work. Playing Little Sally Walker was one game they really wanted to play, but alas it really is not an indoor game because it is so loud and needs much room. Yet they had fun, of course songs always help, and we had such fun with them, I was able to recall many songs that I had learned at camp. I was able to share them and it did not matter if I had the greatest voice, we had fun and sang loud!!

One of our leaders passed away this year and in her memory we gave the Poison Ivy Spirit Memorial Award, to a girl in each age group that really followed the Girl Scout Laws in all that we did this week; it was interesting to see how the girls worked for this, it was hard to decide just who deserved it, but we chose two good girls.

We also had a "time out" room, just in case any girl needed to get back in control and although some did have to be reigned in, not one girl sat in the time out room. My husband thought this was quite liberal of me....NOT!

Many of my friends and family are surprised I am so involved in Girl Scouts since I have no children. I love it and I love all that it means. In this day children need the "basics" that Girl Scouts can bring to them. I also want to get past the "it is not cool to be a Girl Scout" once you get in Middle School, I "Gotta Have Faith" that perhaps what I am doing may bring girls with me in Scouts through Middle & High School, some of my former "girls" have followed me and even those that have not, do still keep in touch and seem to live the Girl Scout way that has been instilled in them. Perhaps with the way things are in the world today, being a Girl Scout will help them to better the world tomorrow. And yes, I do "HAVE FAITH" that they will.

Think about this; the children today will be at the helm tomorrow and if we get involved with them in positive ways now, our world will be a better place tomorrow!

Remember "YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH"!