Owl Prowl 2011 - "A night at the library"

Who: Registered 4th Grade & Older Girl Scouts

What: All night activities, including crafts, games, swimming, snacks, dancing and/or movie.

**Please note that again this year, the event will be a NON-SLEEPING event.

When: Saturday January 29, 2011 until Sunday, January 30, 2011
- 4th – 6th grade troops will be assigned arrival times between 8 and 8:45pm
- Troops will leave the event by 6 am on Sunday, January 30, 2011
Why: - An all night event filled with fun and good times
- Recruitment and retention of Girl Scouts
- A way to showcase leadership abilities & to help obtain service hours
- A time for girls and adults to get acquainted and share ideas
- A chance for girls to have some freedom, while in a safe and secure environment

Where: Liberty Community Center/Middle School
1600 South Withers Road, Liberty, Missouri
Cost: $14 per girl – includes program, food and patch; plus $10 per troop administrative fee. This fee will be paid for by the troop if they participate in "Cookies for Christmas". See the entry below for more info.


Schedule of 4th- 6th Grade Events:
8 - 9 pm – 4th – 6th grade troops arrive
9 pm-3 am – 4th – 6th grade swimming (assigned times)
9 pm-3 am – Various activities throughout facility
10 pm - 2:30am – Food Area Open
3 - 3:30am – Popsicles in Middle School Commons Area
3:30 - 4 am – All Participants in the Middle School Gym for Teen Girl Recognition and Special Announcements
4 - 6 am – Various Late Night Activities – including sports, dancing, movie, and games

NEW THIS YEAR:
Longer Swim Times: Year after year, the girls request longer swim times on their event evaluation forms. This year we are going to attempt to accommodate this. In order to accomplish this, we will have to increase the # of girls that swim per time period. Instead of an average of 80-90 girls per swim period, we will have 120-130 girls per swim period. This is still within the capacity of the pool (170 girls). We hope that everything will go smoothly, but ask for your patience as we try to make this request happen for the girls.

Service Project: In keeping with the library theme, we are asking everyone to bring a gently used book that will be donated to Children’s Mercy hospital or schools/shelters that are in need of books.

OWL PROWL CHECKLIST:
Registration: Ensure all registration forms are completed properly Leaders name, email address and phone number are on the Summary Form Attach Check payable to Girl Scouts Keep copy of Flyer for future reference Keep copy of registration and summary forms for additional girls Contact Leslie Myers if you have any questions: e-mail gstroop74@gmail.com
Coming To and During the event: Eat dinner before arriving – only snacks are served Arrive as a troop-no individual drop-offs Individual girls cannot check into the event No sleeping bags Watch out for your buddy Have a great time!!

Adults – FREE without Food Card; $3 with Food Card
ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Registration: November 13, 2010, 9 -11 am – LIBERTY COMMUNTIY CENTER – BLUE ROOM

“A NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY”
Are you interested in designing this year’s theme patch and t-shirt logo?
If so, have your leader bring your drawing to Owl Prowl Registration on Saturday, November 17th from 9 - 11 am at the Liberty Community Center, 1600 S Withers Rd, Liberty, MO 64068. Our theme this year is “A Night at the Library”. The Owl Prowl Committee will review all submissions and notify you of the choices.
Troop # Service Unit #
Leader’s Name, Email Address & Phone #:
Girl’s Name, Email Address & Phone #:

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
1. Copy the individual registration forms as needed. Have the parents or adults complete, sign and date the forms. Using the individual forms, complete the summary form. Total the money due on the summary form and make ONE troop check payable to GIRL SCOUTS for the total amount.
2. You must register 1 adult for every 8 girls, MINIMUM of 2 adults per troop for 4th – 6th grade troops. YOU ARE LIMITED TO THE MINIMUM # OF ADULTS REQUIRED IN SAFETY CHECKPOINTS. Up to 16 girls – MAX 2 adults, 17-24 girls – MAX 3 adults, 25-32 girls – MAX 4 adults. The adult ratio will be enforced so the maximum number of girls may participate. Your troop must provide 1 adult pool watcher at the time your troop swims and must arrange for adult supervision outside of the pool area for any girls not swimming.
3. Bring the PROPERLY COMPLETED registration forms to the Liberty Community Center – Blue Room on Saturday, November 13th from 9 – 11 am. Please note that this will be the ONLY scheduled time registrations will be accepted. All forms and money will be checked before you leave, so please allow ample time. A pay telephone will be available if needed. You may want to bring a cell phone with you to eliminate the need to use the pay phone. There will be several people set up to process the registrations, but there could be a waiting line.
4. PROPERLY COMPLETED registrations will be processed in the order in which they are turned in. SPACE IS LIMITED TO 1000 (INCLUDES BOTH GIRLS AND ADULTS) AT THE EVENT DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS – when the maximum capacity is reached, registrations will be put on a waiting list.
5. You will receive a confirmation packet emailed by December 31, 2011. It will contain an equipment list, check in time, swimming time, roster and door arrival cards. ADULTS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO WORK AT THIS EVENT. Adults will be given their work assignment the night of the event. It is IMPERATIVE that you show up at your assigned time and place so that all the adults may enjoy spending time with their troop. If you cannot make your assigned work time, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Without the volunteers to help at each of the work assignments, this event would not be possible.
WHAT IF….
- The event is full and we are not able to place your troop.
- Your troop will be placed on a waiting list. Your check and registrations will be held in case there is a cancellation. Your check will be returned if we are not able to work your troop in.
- A girl can not go after you register her with your troop OR a girl wants to go after your troop has registered.
- You can replace her with another girl from the same troop.
- There will be NO refunds.

Additional registration information and helpful hints: All registrations will be turned in at the Liberty Community Center – Blue Room in person. By having the leader wait while the forms are checked, any missing information can be highlighted, the leader can call the parent to get the needed information, and the troop registration can be processed. We are hoping this will cut down on frustration, while still allowing the registration committee to ensure the safety of each girl and adult attending the event. This will also eliminate any registrations being lost or delayed in the mail. We also realize that there is a potential to have long lines waiting to turn in the registrations. We will have several people at the community center to check the forms. We hope to be able to keep the lines moving and not have anyone wait for an unreasonable amount of time. Again, if all leaders have checked the forms prior to turning them in, the process will go smoother AND quicker.


CONTINUING THIS YEAR:
Optional Food Card for Adults - Every year, the Adults have had the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of Owl Prowl and enjoy treats in a hospitality room (which contains food that all leaders bring to share with others). Many times the adults never make it to the kitchen to enjoy the food that has been bought and prepared for all attendees of the event. Because of that, much food gets wasted. In order to cut down the waste, adults will not be given a food card to eat in the kitchen unless they pay the additional $3 fee (the regular registration fee has been eliminated for adults unless they opt for a Food Card). There always seems to be more than enough food/drink available in the hospitality room that nobody should go hungry or thirsty. This year, the Food Card will get you – Hobo Stew, Popcorn, Ice Cream Sundae, 4 Sodas.
Past experience has shown that girls in the 4th grade and above are able to stay awake, alert and enjoy the event to the fullest. So, this year, we will continue to limit the event to Girl Scouts who are in the 4th grade or above. Troops that are comprised of multi-grade levels will only be able to register the girls who are in the 4th, 5th or 6th grade. We hope this will continue to give the younger girls a fun event to look forward to and help ensure that it is an enjoyable experience for the girls and their leaders.

In light of recent events, we have looked closely at our security procedures and are making a change to the check-out procedure. When you arrive at the event, you will again receive a troop packet. This year, included in the packet will be a checkout form for each girl attending the event. If an adult picks one girl up early, the leader will need to have that adult sign the form stating that they have picked the girl up and indicate the time. The form will be given to the person monitoring the Middle School door prior to the girl being allowed to leave. If the entire troop leaves together, the leader can indicate on the top form that everyone in the troop is leaving, indicate the time they are leaving and sign the form. Each individual form will not need to be filled out and signed if the entire troop is leaving at the same time. We hope this will continue to ensure the safety of the girls attending the event while keeping paperwork to a minimum.

TROOP ACTIVITIES:
Times will be scheduled for 4th – 6th grade troops to swim. If the troop selects to leave before 3:00am, we may not be able to schedule the troop to swim.

AFTER HOURS (4:00AM) CRAFT ACTIVITY:
Girls and adults wishing to participate in the After Hours Craft Activity are asked to bring an old pair of adult jeans. Also if troops can bring larger scissors for their troops use during this project, it would be greatly appreciated.
The event is FREE for adults. You may purchase a patch for attending this event for an additional $1. Please make check or money order payable to “Girl Scouts” and turn into troop leader along with this form. Please note this is a non-sleeping event.

In order to reduce the amount of food that is leftover at the end of the event, adults will no longer be given a card for food that is available in the kitchen. The Hospitality Room will still be available to all adults. You may purchase a Food Card for the event for an additional $3. The food card will get you – Hobo Stew, Popcorn, Ice Cream Sundae, 4 Sodas.
Do you wish to purchase a food card (circle one): YES NO
For Junior Troops Only: During our troop swim time, I will be a (circle one): Swimmer -or- Pool Watcher
***Adults wanting to swim in the deep end must pass the swim test*** Swim Level - Beginner or Advanced
We sincerely appreciate your help with this event!

Cookies for Christmas

Troop 966 was selected to participate in a cookie pilot project called “Cookies for Christmas” This program is in response to the numerous customers who would like Girl Scout cookies in time for the holidays – not in time for their New Year’s Resolutions.
The troop will be ordering up to 50 cases of cookies to be sold during the month of November. These will be direct cash/check sales. This will be in addition to the orders that will be taken for January delivery.
Fortunately for the troop, this opportunity couldn’t come at a better time – OWL PROWL TIME!!
If the entire troop attends Owl Prowl, the cost would be $248. If the troop orders and sells all 50 cases the profit would be $330. Can you see where we’re headed with this?
Here is the troop’s first opportunity to have a lesson in earning money! Not asking mom and dad to foot the bill, but to truly earn their own $$$$.
There will be two different opportunities for the troop to “earn” their way to Owl Prowl. Participation in one of the two events will be required to attend Owl Prowl. Participation is encouraged even if they are not going to attend Owl Prowl.
Option #1 - “Christmas for Cookies” wagon sales: November 6th (rain date November 13th). Each troop member can team up with one or two other members of the troop (and a parent or two for safety), pick which neighborhood they would like to sell door to door, and decorate a wagon. The wagon must have “Cookies for Christmas” displayed and decorated in a Christmas fashion. Deidra will then meet each team at their selected drop off spot and give them their cookies to sell. Deidra will be available all day to deliver additional cookies to the teams as needed. Photos will be taken of the decorated wagons and there will be a vote at the December meeting for best decorated wagon and that team will receive a prize!
Option #2 – Booth Sale. The “Cookies for Christmas” cookies cannot be sold at any retail business (Girl Scouts does not want to compete for holiday sales), but they can be sold at other locations such as sporting events, school events, etc. Please contact Deidra if you have a suggestion for a booth sale in November.
The cookies will not be available until November 6th. Cookies may be sold to friends, family, neighbors, etc as long as supplies last (first come, first served basis).

Bank Acct. Info

The troop has decided to use troop funds to pay for the various fun patches and programs through out the year. This will help them gain financial independence - one step closer to running thier own troop! If troop funds run low the girls will host fundraisers (in addition to cookies sales). They will also vote on all events that will cost money. There are a few rules that will have to be followed: If a troop member signs up for an event that requires pre payment and then does not attend that event she will be required to refund the troop prior to attending any other events. Due to the troops limited funds, Any events that are exceptionally costly (over $15 per person) will need to be funded by the troop member not the troop. The Troop Account balance will be available in the newsletters and blogs so the troop can make informed financial decisions and the ability to budget for future expenses. The 2010-2011 starting balance is: $449.72

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park & Historic Site

Watkins Mill Tour - Oct. 2; 11 am - 4 pm

The three-story woolen mill near Kearney, Missouri is the only 19th century textile mill in the country with its original machinery still intact. We will tour the mill and the historic home on the farmstead.

11 am - Meet at Dickinson NorthGlen 14 to carpool (parking lot close to N Brighton)

11:30 - Picnic lunch at Watkins Woolen Mill. The picnic area is behind the Visitor Center. Bring your own sack lunch and drink.

12:15 - Watch video in the Visitor Center

1 to 3 - Tour Woolen Mill and House (1 hour for each tour)

3:30 - Activities at picnic area:Make butter, wash clothes using a washboard, make ice cream.

Cost for scouts is $1.50 each to be paid by the troop.
Cost for parents is $3.00 each to be paid at Visitor Center.

Please contact Deidra or Karen to RSVP. (We need a headcount of parents who will drive and attend the tours.)

If you can provide a crank ice cream freezer or other supplies, please contact Karen M.(dinner rolls, jam or jelly, ice cream toppings, heavy whipping cream to make butter and ice cream).

Directions from Kansas City, Missouri: Drive east on 152 Highway. Turn onto northbound I-35 in Liberty. Continue north on I-35 for 15 miles, exiting at Hwy. 92 in Kearney (Exit 26). Turn right onto eastbound Highway 92. Continue east for about six miles. Turn left (north) onto Route RA. The Watkins Mill State Park entrance will be on the right off Route RA (after about 1 mile). Watch for the signs to the Mill (about 3 miles once in the park). The roads in the park are not named, so do not print MapQuest directions!

Cadette Uniform Information

The complete Troop 966 Cadette uniform is:

Vest/Sash
Council Patches
Troop Number
American Flag
Tab w/ GS Pin and Trefoil Pin (5 year Pin if you have one)
Year Discs
Bridge from Junior
Lightening Crest
Brownie Wings (if you earned them)

Uniforms are optional - The extra insignia listed above is optional also . If you only desire to purchase the minimum please purchase the bold items.

Uniforms can be purchased at Hy-Vee or at the council office in Raytown.

Cookie Sales begin Oct. 30!

It’s almost cookie time!

Cookie sales will begin on Saturday, October 30, 2010.

Cookie Delivery to Customers: January 4 – 31, 2011

Community Booth Sales: January 7 – 30, 2011

Cost: $3.50 per box

More information will come through your Service Unit Product Sales Manager and Troop Training during September and October.

2010-2011 Updates

The first meeting will be on September 9th, 6:30-8 pm. Sandy Borgeson, once again, was kind enough to reserve her church, Fairview Christian Church, for our use - we are so lucky to have such a wonderful facility to meet at! Meetings are currently scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. With Middle School comes more opportunities for the girls - which means busier, sometimes hectic schedules. This year, to accommodate these busy schedules we may decide to meet only once a month. This will be up for discussion, Troop and adults, at the first meeting.

#2 - Girl Scout Advisers - In Cadettes, the leaders are referred to as Advisers. This year the Advisers are Deidra Romey and Carol Edwards. Carol Hagan has retired from Girl Scouts. Make sure you thank her for her 6 wonderful years as troop 966's leader!

#3 - Registrations - The first meeting will be registration night. Please be prepared to complete the necessary paper work and update any medical info, (doctor, dentist, etc). Please bring a copy of your insurance card. Please bring $12, check or cash, for registration.

5th Annual Dog Walk Festival September 18, 2010

It's a Dog-a-Palooza of a day! Celebrating people and their dogs. One mile walk, vendors, food, contests, demos, raffles, pet adoptions, PURE FUN!

Junior Girl Scout Troop 966 earns their Bronze Award

Recently Junior Girl Scout Troop 966 earned their Bronze Award by completing multiple service projects for the Parkville Animal Shelter.

The troop collected donations for the Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter during pet adoption events at PetCo in North Kansas City in February, collected gently used towels and blankets in donation boxes that they decorated and made pet treats and beds for the dogs and cats at the shelter. The girls also held a “Smooches for Pooches” Valentine event at a troop meeting where the girls brought treats for the animals at the shelter instead of Valentine treats for each other.

The Bronze Award is a prestigious honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. The Girl Scouts’ national website notes that the Bronze Award is a leadership adventure that helps girls develop confidence.

The Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter’s primary mission is to humanely house, care for, provide medical treatment for, and find permanent homes for the abandoned and stray dogs and cats from Platte, Clay and, to some extent, surrounding counties which have come under our care. The work of the organization is carried out almost exclusively by dedicated volunteers and is financed through donations and fund raising events.

Cadette Vest

Annual Troop Campout - May 22 to 23

The 2010 Troop Campout will be at Camp Daisy Hindman from May 22 to 23. We will meet at Chapel Hill Elementary at 11 am on May 22. The campout ends on May 23 at noon. The campout is for the Troop #966 Girl Scouts and their parents. The cost is $10 per adult, troop members are free!

At the May 13th troop meeting, Camping Coordinator Don Hagan will help the girls plan the activities and meals for the campout.

Don will also help the girls earn Cadette outdoor badges during theh campout. There will also be a special campfire celebration and bridging ceremony at the campout. Come celebrate the girls Bronze Award accomplishments and transition
from Juniors to Cadettes!

Come enjoy camping in the great outdoors in permatents and tents, hiking through beautiful forests, delicious campfire cooked meals, a spectacular multi-flavored cobbler buffet, smores around the campfire, and great company!

Bridging to Cadettes

The next step in Girl Scouts is the Cadette level for girls in grades 6 - 8. Here’s what the Girl Scout website says about Cadettes: Girl Scout Cadettes participate in Girl Scouting in many ways. Under the guidance of a trained adult advisor, girls mix and match activities and resources to suit their needs while giving back to their communities. They connect with each other and build self-esteem and confidence in their skills as they work on a range of projects and gain life experiences.

Here’s what a scouting website said about why a girl should become a Cadette:

"Top Ten Reasons to Become a Cadette - (A list for Parents)"
10. Provides a positive place for adolescent girls. Adolescents go through significant physiological, intellectual, emotional, and social changes. They constantly compare themselves to others, and their peer group is extremely important. They are caught between the demands of their parents and teachers and the expectations of their friends. A positive peer group such as Girl Scouts can help!

9. Fosters positive self esteem Girl Scouts helps each girl learn about and express her talents and skills. Each girl is accepted as she is-strengths and weaknesses-and is helped to set realistic goals.

8. Offers positive women role models. Cadette Girl Scouts have opportunities to work with many women in different careers and see first hand all the choices they have.

7. Encourages diversity and pluralism Girl Scouts is an organization dedicated to diversity and pluralism. Girls are taught to respect different attitudes and faiths, as well as value their own cultural identity and beliefs.

6. Gives girls opportunities to contribute to society Providing service is always one of the foundations of Girl Scouting.

5. Provides a safe place to discuss issues.

4. Offers girls a chance to work on activities that interest them personally. Cadettes work on "interest projects" and have many more choices than they did as juniors to hand pick those activities which excite them.

3. Leadership opportunities: Cadette Girl Scouts are able to take leadership roles by being program aides for younger scouts, leaders-in-training, counselors-in-training, and eventually, as senior scouts, troop assistants.

2. Wider Opportunities: Cadette Girl Scouts have opportunities to travel to other states and countries as part of what Girl Scouts call "Wider Ops". The skills they gain and the friends they make will last a lifetime.

1. Troop activities are a fun (and safe) way to spend time with friends!

Day Camp July 2010

SU 607 will host The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sash Day Camp on July 27-30 at the Wilderness Retreat Center in Lawson. Bus service is available. Registrations will be accepted until April 23. For more information contact Jen Harris at (816) 216-6303 or e-mail jenharris607@gmail.com. This camp covers the following schools: Antioch Middle, Briarcliff, Chapel Hill, Davidson, Lakewood, Meadowbrook, Northgate Middle, North Kansas City High, and Oakwood Manor.