To kick off the school year, our principal allowed our troop to host a Bake Sale during Open House. By holding the event prior to the the first day of school, we did not have to get permission from the School Board. I did make sure to get permission from Council. I was told they generally approve fundraisers if the girls are offering a product or service to the customers. Our Council provided paperwork for us to distribute throughout the evening to girls interested in joining Girl Scouts.
Prior to the Bake Sale, we made some signs. We also displayed photos from past troop events and activities on a large piece of poster board. This allowed potential Girl Scouts to discover some opportunities they could have if they joined a troop.
I asked the girls to each bake something to be sold at the Bake Sale (with an adult's supervision, of course). If Brownies are working on the Snack badge, a Bake Sale easily satisfies Step 3: Try a Sweet Snack. If Juniors are earning the Simple Meals badge, they can complete Step 4: Create a Delicious Dessert. We had quite an array of sweet treats: Brookies, lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, rice krispie treats, and M&M cookies. My favorite baked good might have been the cupcake that was inspired by the school's mascot. The "Cougar Cupcake" was a vanilla cupcake topped with buttercream, filled with strawberry jam, and baked in a red cupcake liner to match the school colors. The cougar paw was made with a mini Oreo cookie and four chocolate chips. Super cute!
The girls earned over $130 in two hours! This money will be combined with a portion of the profits from the 2016 Cookie Sale, and the girls will plant a garden this spring for veterans and their families staying at the Fisher House in Cincinnati.
S'MORES FEST 2015
In early September, a neighboring Service Unit hosted a FREE S'mores Fest event at a nearby state park. Several years ago, our Daisy troop attended a Council-sponsored S'mores Fest Recruitment Event at one of the Girl Scout campgrounds. We had fun, so I registered our girls for this event.
Upon our arrival, the girls gathered in a circle to play an ice breaker. Each girl was asked to say her name and tell the group what she brought to the picnic. The item had to begin with the first letter of her name: "My name is Laurie, and I brought lemonade." Because there were some younger girls in attendance, each girl was only asked to say her own name, what she brought, the name of the person to her right, and what she brought. If older girls are playing, it's fun to try to repeat the name and item for each person in the circle.
The girls were divided into three groups by troop, and they rotated through three different stations: s'mores, songs, and games. The older girls hosting the event had lists of games and songs, and our girls were asked to choose between two games or songs, depending on the station. They had enough time to play a couple of games and sing a few of songs at these stations. There were enough ingredients available to allow each girl to make two s'mores.
Getting Girl Scouts together from across the community was the goal of this S'mores Fest, but what a fun way to recruit and register girls! If you are hosting your own S'mores Fest, you may consider having a registration table and paperwork available for girls interested in joining a troop. Based on my observations, the success of this event is highly dependent on the weather, available shelter, the number of girls in attendance, and the number of volunteers willing to help. Looking forward, if enough help is available, it might be fun to include a craft station. Years ago, our girls made God's Eyes with lollipop sticks and yarn. This could be relatively inexpensive to try at S'mores Fest, especially if the event is held outdoors. Two small sticks can replace the lollipop sticks, and the host only has to provide the yarn.
When the weather doesn't cooperate, the event could be held at a local civic center or church. While roasting marshmallows over an open fire would not be possible in this situation, you can still provide a s'mores-inspired treat. I invite you to check out this post for s'more mini cupcakes that would be perfect for an indoor event.
This month our troop will be learning all about the art of glassblowing. Please check back soon to read about the experience!
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