GIRL
SCOUT SCRAMBLE
This is from Sooz in Abnaki Council"
Stations:
Using a compass vs. GPS: I asked one of our local
surveyors if they would be interested in coming to the camporee to teach the
girls how to read a compass to the point that they can take location readings
accurately then explain what a GPS is and how you use it. Also to explain the
accuracy of a GPS vs a compass.
Photo album/autograph book craft project: this
project was actually found on line at http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/gsphoto.html
How to lay a
campfire, campfire cooking: We have someone (actually my Dad!!) who is going to
show
the girls how to lay the logs, ignite, and maintain
a campfire. He is also going to show the girls how to correctly cook over a
fire as well as the differences between cooking with a camp stove, a reflector
oven, and a backpacking stove.
Story telling with the "mystery bag": Each
troop attending is going to be asked to bring 4 totally unrelated items (exa:
toothbrush, cooking pot, screwdriver, and a rock which will all be labeled with
the troop number) to put into a "bag" (probably actually a box). Each
group (they are rotating in
groups of about 30 girls) needs to pull out 8 items
out of the box then make up a story to tell during the campfire that uses each
of those 8 items. It can either be using them as a prop or saying the word
during the story. Each story needs to be no longer than 5 minutes and has to
use EVERY girl in the group.
Mock crime scene (girls figure out "who done
it"): The Penobscot County Sheriff's Dept. is going to set up their crime
van, do some basic explanations on collecting evidence then they will let the
girls go into a
"crime scene" that the Sheriff's put
together. The girls need to use their heads and what they learned at the crime
van to "solve" the crime.
Game Wardens & animal recognition, etc.: The
local Game Wardens are going to come and teach the girls how to recognize which
animal made which track as well as leaf recognition and some outdoor basics on
being safe in the woods. (Especially
during hunting season!)
Cooperative Games Group Session: One of our Leaders
is going to lead the entire group of girls (upwards of 300 if we fill up!) in
different cooperative games. She works with "displaced" children
(can't think of another descriptive word, sorry!) and has lots of experience
dealing with children who need to learn to work together. Thought this would be
a very good large group activity as we can pull individual groups out so they
can make their s'mores before the actual campfire begins.
Bonfire (Saturday Evening): Just a normal bonfire
where we sing camp songs, the groups do their stories that they made up earlier
. We make the s'mores before the campfire so the girls can take their time and
safety is not such a large issue with upwards of 300 girls trying to get to the
fire! This way, it's only about 30 and much more manageable for their leaders!Scouts
Own (Sunday Morning): We have a troop that volunteers to do a quiet morning
ceremony (actually it is kinda like a church service without the religious
terminology). They make up their own ceremony or they can use one already done
by someone else.
Jaws of life demo & discussion: The local fire
department is going to come and bring the Jaws of Life as well as a junked car.
They are going to show the girls what's involved in extracting a person out of
a vehicle with the Jaws of Life. They are also going to talk about the ways
children can distract their parents while they are driving (nothing TOO
intense, don't want to scare the children, just make them aware of it).
First aid - using what''s around you: The local
EMT's are going to come to tell the girls what they can do if they are out in
the woods hiking or camping and need to do first aid. Things like using a stiff
branch and tube socks to make a "cast" to stabilize a limb.
Packwagon Scramble: This is the tough one to
explain. But here goes: The Packwagon Scramble is actually a Boy Scout event
(at least usually!). We did it for the first time last year at the first
camporee.
The game begins by each troop/group beginning at a
different station. The stations are set up like the spokes on a wagon wheel
with the contact person standing in the middle of the wheel. You are given a
card with the different stations in the order you are supposed to go to each
station listed on it.
Each station gives you points depending on how well
you did at that station. You will need at least one helper per station. The
stations can be totally different from each other, patriotic (fold a flag,
recite the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.) or physical (archery or obstacle course)
but there are usually at least 10 stations. The girls, along with a leader,
begin at their "home base" and run (NOT walk!) pushing or pulling
(depending on which end they are on) a wagon that is used during some of the
stations. They answer or do whatever is necessary at that first station then
run past the contact person in the middle and tell them their score for that
station. They then run back to their "home base" where another group of girls from their group goes to
the next station. (We try to have two teams per group at least so the girls can
rest and prepare for their next station.)
It doesn't matter if you are the first group done as
the places are awarded by the points and not on how quickly your group is done.
We award first, second, and third places. You can probably contact your local
Boy Scouts to see when they are doing one
next and go watch. That's what I did first. Made more sense to see it than to
read about it. The girls LOVED it! They had a blast. We do it as the very last
activity before the closing ceremony.
That way they are tired and not quite so noisy on the way home.