Teddy Bear Picnic 2009 program

In the lead up to the 2009 Teddy Bear picnic the Unit had included the following:

• Making bear out of balloons
• Inviting ther CFA to the Hazelwood South Hall
• had made origami animals.
• Coloured in pictures of bears.
• Taking ID photo's of the Teddy Bears attending.
• making a fundraising "best Teddy Bear " vote.
• Planned the menu.
• Practiced BBQing.
• Made no bake biscuits to take along.
  
• Read, then made up their own Bear Stories.
• Learned Teddy Bear songs to sing while on the Rac Wac.
  
• Included the event as part of the Rac Wac 2009.
• Sewn Teddy Bear Puppets.
• made cloths peg Teddys for the fridge.
• Created invitations for the day - these went home pegged to the clothes peg Teddy.
  
• Tried to organise the transport.
• had worked on first aid (just in case)
  

different table setting to create for meals

At times we have created ourselves, or sat at professionally done table settings for different events.

These events have been at :

• late night suppers,

• buffet meals,
• formal table settings,
• Japanese table settings,
• finger food
• smorgess board
• hostessing by the plate and requesting refreshment types.
• picnics formal or impromtue,
• around campfires
• sitting on the ground at camp

There are basic Guide traditions and ettiquete that we have shown all the Guides over time. As the Guides learn one thing another is shown. From making the table settings to suit the occasion, to how to eat, pass food, cut meat, handle knives and forks, use fingers, wash hands, communicate, basic table manners, to hosting, serving and doing the dishes.

Tea cup biscuits

Since teddies need a 'cuppa of tea' for refreshment and they do not want to get wet these little cups were made for all. The Guides actually had their drink bottles too.

Teddy in car biscuits

The ingredients where simple, the Guides had fun. The older Guides enjoyed themselves emensilly as they 'showed' the younger ones how to create and orgastrae the teddies into their cars. Somehow I think there were less actual cars than planned.

Playdough reciepes

We have used several different recipes for playdough. Everyone it seems brings with them an updated version. So we've started a list of them


What You Need:

1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cooking salt, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, food colouring
Activity:

Mix the flour, water, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan over medium heat until thick. Allow the mixture to cool and then add the oil and knead well over a floured cutting board or similar. Divide this blob evenly into as many colours as you'd like to make. Add food colouring to each ball until it is just the colour your child is looking for. That's it! Allow the children to let their imaginations take them away.

Choosing governace

Governance is about having the choice to choose, then knowing what to do with this choice.  All levels of Guiding are shown different processes for the same thing. 

  The 7 to 9's are called Dolphin Patrol.  We already have the Koala Patrol for the 10 to 13's.

We played Hop-Scotch. And we did some more of the Columbia badge. 

Some more Guide revieved their sashes and some badges.

There were
Special Badges - 100 year celebration, Jota/Joti,  2 round badges called Build a better World, Discover your Potential.

Some Guides got their Explore: Freiendship badges.

We are nearly finished some others too. They are

Explore: Our World, Life Skills,Guiding, Outdoors, Arts

Some have started their Explore: Faith Awareness and their Explore: Health and Fitness and Science and technology badges.

And we have also begun the :
Challenge Badges: Girls, Rope, Food, Fire, Hands, The Arts.

Theres one called the Bridges over to Argetina and we have started that too.

Recieving that first badge.

When Youth members receive their first Sash it is important to them.  Then when they receive the first badges there is a positve wow factor.  Everyone present feels like they too are getting their first badges all over again.

In Novemebr  2009 two members received their sashes.  Also the badges that had been achieved to that date.  Besides the Patrol Badge some were special badges, while others were Explore and Challenge badges.

These badges were awarded today:
Patrol Badge: Koala

Special Badges: 100 years of Guiding badge.
     
Explore: Friendship, Guiding, Outdoors, Science and Technology, The Arts, Guiding. There are skill more to come by the end of the year.

Challenge: Food.

These youth members are so close to finishing other badges that they will be surprised early next year when they realise how close they were to receiving them.

 

For now though the challenge is to have these ones sewn on before we return next year[ January 20th 2010]. Now they are learning how to sew them on. Then they have finished the challenges towards their Create Hands Badge!!  I am sure that they will share and commiserate with learning to  hand sew with other people. Glad the badges are safety pinned in place.

Egyptian Sesame Cookies (Semsemia)

When reading the GiA (Guiding in Australia July Vol 18 no 6 this is what we were told:
Egyptian recipes often utilise lentils, chick peas and other pulses. Lamb is the basic meat used. Vegetables are popular and garlic is an important ingredient in many Egyptian dishes. Citrus fruits, peaches, pomegranates, grapes, melons and bananas are locally grown. You might like to try this easy Egyptian dessert recipe in your Unit.

We then had to work out the weights and measurements- and we cheated here as we had an old lb/oz and metric weighting scale. The Guides and I just converted it from one side to the other. Then they had to weight everything twice. The conversion was more fun at one stage that the cooking. Then of course came the talk about very hot substances, the crackle and pop test and general cooking safety.

Someone did get over anxious with the peanut butter a few years later when we retried the recipe. Very sticky they were. And they stuck to the top if the mouth with too much peanut butter.


Sesame Cookies (Semsemia)
A tasty dessert. You can increase the peanut butter a little to
make it softer and more appealing to kids. Too much peanut
butter, however, makes the cookies too soft to handle.
Ingredients
1 Ib. ( 475 grams) sesame seeds 8 oz. honey (225grams)
3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon rose water 1 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

Method
Brown sesame seeds slightly in the oven or on the stove top. Set aside. Mix hiney, peanut butter, rose water and caramon in a saucepan. Cook on a low heat until it bubbles. Stir in the seasame and the walnuts. Spread in a greased 9 x 14 inch [23 x 32cm] (or similar size) pan to cool. To serve, cut into diamond shapes.

Organising meals.

Keeping up to date with these changes means that the guide Leaders are always checking up on what foods we eat and don't eat when they are helping the Guides organise a menu for a dinner, camp or other activity.

We cook meals too

Cooking a meal for the family following a recipe.

This was a meal that was a stew. Very nice it was.

Nov 18th 2010

 We know what  we are calling Rebecca ...it is Butterfly.

Then we voted on somethings.  The 7 to 9's are called Dolphin Patrol.  We already have the Koala Patrol for the 10 to 13's.

We played Hop-Scotch. And we did some more of the Columbia badge. 

Some more Guide revieved their sashes and some badges.

There were
Special Badges - 100 year celebration, Jota/Joti,  2 round badges called Build a better World, Discover your Potential.

Some Guides got their Explore: Freiendship badges.

We are nearly finished some others too. They are

Explore: Our World, Life Skills,Guiding, Outdoors, Arts

Some have started their Explore: Faith Awareness and their Explore: Health and Fitness and Science and technology badges.

And we have also begun the :
Challenge Badges: Girls, Rope, Food, Fire,Hands, The Arts.

Theres one called the Bridges over to Argetina and we have started that too.

Playdough

Great recipe for teaching kitchen safety even with the youngest of Guides.  However best done on a camp or all day activity as the dough needs time to cool down before use.

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cooking salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• Food colouring

Mix the flour, water, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan over medium heat until thick. Allow the mixture to cool and then add the oil and knead well over a floured cutting board or similar. Divide this blob evenly into as many colours as you'd like to make. Add food colouring to each ball until it is just the colour your child is looking for. That's it! Allow the children to let their imaginations take them away.

Edible Finger Paints.

Even the older Youth members still enjoy using this paint mix.  They however use it for other adventures.

• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 cup of cornflour
• 3 cups cold water
• Food colouring

Stir sugar and cornflour together. While stirring, slowly add water and heat over medium heat until mixture thickens. It will thicken further when it cools. Divide into four containers and add food colouring. Dip in.

Sitapon

Ever think what your going to do with that tatty looking foam padding that used to be comfortable under your sleeping bag?

Is there an area that is about 30 cm square?  Good.  Having cut this to shape this will be your light weight camp sit-upon.

Sneeking in a pillow for camp.

Some people can manage without a pillow at camp, others can not. You can make a pillow by putting your spare clothing inside a pillow case and resting the case on your shoes. This method is hard to sleep on. However you know where your clothes for the next morning are, there's less ferreting about for them, and then you may be in the front of the shower line in am.  Also if emergency arises grab and run.

You can also get blow-up plastic ones which are light and small, or, you might like to just take a pillow with you. If you take a pillow be sure that it is protected from the weather. Put it into a garbage bag sealed with an elastic band until you use it at night.  I found these uncomfortable as when in deep sleep i moved around my head 'thonked' on the ground.  Then someone laughingly told me not to blow them up very much at all.  Since that time, and when I remember to pack this pillow things have gone okay for my poor head and misbegotten ears.