Service Unit Spotlight:
Crawford County Girl Scouts 642Debbie Parker, Service Unit Manager
"SPREAD THE BREAD" Crawford County Girl Scouts (Service Unit 642) "Spread the Bread" over the 2007 Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. Spread the Bread is a global grassroots "community" bread-giving initiative that encourages people, especially our youth, to bake any kind of bread and spread that bread to honor our heroes and to help those in need. The bread is wrapped with love and tied with notes of gratitude, hope and inspiration. With a simple recipe, anyone can "bake a difference."
The Girls of Crawford County with the assistance of
their troop leaders baked 271 loaves of bread, 10 dozen biscuits and 12 dozen hot rolls. The bread was donated to the elderly in the community, pastors, local sheriff and police departments, EMT’s, local fire departments, grandparents, school faculty, and local food pantries.
A big thank you to all the troops and adults who participated in this wonderful service project! A special thanks to Phyllis LaCroix, Hutsonville, for chairing this event.
Troop/Group Spotlight:
Group #2492 - Kansas Grade School
Amy Hopper
SU 622 Eastern Coles County
Group 2492 was formed in October by when it was learned that a former leader had moved suddenly leaving the 25 girls with no leadership. Group 2492 is the only Girl Scout opportunity available to the girls in Kansas, which is a small rural community at the western edge of eastern Coles County. Mr. Strickland, principal of Kansas School, graciously offered a meeting place. Amy Hopper, currently a student at Eastern Illinois University, has volunteered to assist with leadership of the group. She brings many years of River Bluffs Girl Scout experience and enthusiasm to share with the group.
Group 2492 currently has 13 girls in grades 1
st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 9th which is a challenge at times. The group functions in patrols so girls can earn level- appropriate awards; the Brownies earned 4 Try-Its, the Juniors 2 badges and the 9th grader earned 1 interest project patch. Nine girls participated in the cookie sale and all the girls made holiday cards for service personnel as a service project.
Girls and parents were thrilled to learn that Amy will continue as leader along with several parents who have agreed to help.
Special thanks to Amy for ensuring that the girls of Kansas, Illinois, have the great experience of being a Girl Scout!
Membership Extension Programs Spotlight: Adventurers
The Adventurers Program is an in-school cooperative program of Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council, local school districts, Boy Scouts of America – Okaw Valley Council, and special education teachers. Adventurers give special needs students the opportunity to be a Girl Scout and earn awards. This program is designed to provide both girls and boys in self-contained special education classes an increased desire to learn, a sense of belonging and an opportunity to contribute to their school and community.
With the assistance of the Membership Development Manager for Extension Programs, special education teachers serve as the leaders for troops and conduct troop activities during the school day for forty-five minutes to one hour per week. Teachers use this program and the Girl Scouts resources build self-esteem, knowledge and natural gifts of each child. The teachers in this program really make it come alive with their compassion, support and skills.
Adventurers has served girls and boys in the Cahokia/Dupo School District (collaborating with Okaw Valley Boy Scout Council) and at Hazel Bland Promise Center in East St. Louis. Currently, Adventurers serves girls and boys at Illini Elementary School in Fairview Heights.
For more information on the Adventurers Program or how to have this program incorporated in your child’s school district, contact Carolyn Brooks at 618-692-0692/800-345-6858, x 101 or cbrooks@riverbluffs.org
