Ronald McDonald House Ice Cream Social

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking.  "For the sixth straight year, Cincinnati Children's has been included in the US News Honor Roll of top pediatric hospitals. This year, Cincinnati Children’s ranked top 10 in all 10 specialties on this report."  

With these statistics, it's no wonder why families from all over the world come to Cincinnati, "seeking life-saving treatment for their critically ill children."  Ronald McDonald House has provided a "home away from home" for over 25,000 families of children receiving treatment at CHMC since the House opened in 1982.  To provide for these families, Ronald McDonald House depends greatly on an extensive team of supporters and volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to perform a variety of functions including daily house operations, planning game and craft nights, giving manicures and massages, making and serving meals, and providing snacks.  

Our Girl Scout troop has made several donations to RMH over the past few years.  We have delivered cookies that were donated by cookie sale customers and pull tabs that were collected by students in their school.  We had the opportunity to tour the House when we knew we were going to deliver these items in January of 2013.  Our favorite part of the tour was probably the large map in one of the hallways that shows the hometown of each of the guests staying in the house.  Quite impressive--the map and the tour!  We highly recommend scheduling a visit if you get a chance.

This year, the troop decided to use some of the money they earned from this year's cookie sale to host an Ice Cream Social for the families at RMH.  We scheduled our event on this website.  While RMH provides a list of guidelines for the Ice Cream Social, they also provide a link to the GFS Menu Wizard that helps estimate the amount of food needed for such an event.  

We were asked to bring enough to feed 50 guests in addition to those in our group.  They limit the group to 10 people.  We needed to be prepared to feed 60 people.  We determined that our budget was $100.  I compared prices at several stores to get the best deals.  Here is what was purchased:

ITEM                    SIZE                 QUANTITY               STORE              PRICE          TOTAL
Ice Cream             5qt                   3                  ALDI            $5            $15

Chocolate Syrup    85oz                  1                  GFS             $6.99      $6.99  

Sprinkles, Rainbow  25oz                1                  GFS             $9.29      $9.29

Mini Chocolate Chips  72oz             1              Sam's Club      $10.48      $10.48

Whipped Cream   (3) 15oz cans      1              Sam's Club      $7.66        $7.66

Cherries                 74oz                1              Sam's Club      $6.88       $6.88

Bowls                 (50) 6 oz             1                  GFS              $2             $2

Spoons                    100                1                 Walmart        $2.84       $2.84 

RMH patches        2"x3" patch         7                  RMH            $3             $21*
*Though these patches were expensive, we felt they were worth the money.  The girls will wear this fun patch on the back of their Junior vests for the next two years.
                                                                                        TOTAL:    $82.15
We saved money by taking napkins from home and using a vinyl tablecloth that I had saved from a previous function.  We would have been right on budget had I purchased the ice cream as planned.  However, I learned that week that ALDI had their 5-qt containers of ice cream on sale for $5 each.  I was so excited to save the troop this money that we will certainly put to good use in the near future.

 

Upon our arrival at RMH, we immediately began to set up for the event.  The girls helped spread out the tablecloth before agreeing on the order the toppings should be set on the table.  We had seven girls at the event.  Knowing that an adult would scoop the ice cream, they each chose a job (chocolate sauce, sprinkles, chocolate chips, whipped cream, cherries, napkin and spoon).  They decided to have one girl greet our guests and clear the place settings as sundaes were finished.  With help from the leaders, they were able to rotate jobs once during the event.   

Though we were prepared to feed 50 people, we only served about 20 guests.  Regardless, this was an incredible experience for all of us.  Two of our girls spent some time playing a board game with a 4-year-old patient.  He  thoroughly enjoyed making his own sundae--one that he wasn't able to eat because he can't swallow.  However, he was able to take a taste of the sweet treat, and he had the opportunity to make his own sundae, a privilege I know many kids take for granted.  

We laughed with some of the families and volunteers who came through our line, but that was not the case wit everyone.  There is one couple I will never forget.  They entered the dining room minutes before we were going to pack up to leave.  Our girls offered them a sundae, and they gladly accepted.  When the girls asked about their topping preferences, the mother said, "Just make us whatever you think will taste good.  We have had to make too many decisions today."  Her husband concurred.  It was a reality check.  I like to think our joyful group of smiling girls were a bright light for some of these families who are facing some really dark times.  I imagine these girls will want to continue to spend time at RMH.  Maybe they will choose to host a snack time during their first year as Juniors?  What a great way to combine a service project while also satisfying a step for the Simple Meals badge!  I will keep you posted on their decision.  Thank you for reading.

To the Next Step... Bridging to Brownies

Well, as Sharpay sings in High School Musical, "we've arrived because we stuck together."  For the past two years, our sweet group of girls has been working together to earn their Daisy petals.  They completed the two required bridging steps earlier this spring by hosting an Ice Cream Social.  The first step is to "Pass it On."  The girls in our troop shared their experiences as Daisy Girl Scouts with younger girls who may one day wish to be a Daisy.  The second step is to "Look Ahead."  The girls in our troop arranged time to spend with Brownies who described to us what it is like to participate in Girl Scouts at the next level.   

Our troop participated in a Bridging to Brownies badge workshop offered at a local park.  For a nominal fee, a Park Naturalist guided the girls through this program.  They completed about two-thirds of the requirements for the Outdoor Adventurer badge which was previously offered as a Brownie Try-It.  The girls discussed how to dress for the weather.  They planned what to take on a day hike, and they prepared a trail mix.  During a hike through the woods, they participated in a Touch, Smell, Listen exercise.  We scheduled an informal bridging ceremony immediately following the badge program. 

We gathered around a 15-foot bridge that crossed a beautiful creek that cut through the middle of the park.  I welcomed everyone and thanked them for joining us for this special occasion.  I had fully intended to begin the bridging ceremony by reciting the Girl Scout Promise and the Pledge of Allegiance. I wanted to share a brief version of the Brownie story before introducing each girl and allowing her to repeat the rhyme (see below):

     In England, many people tell stories about little people called Brownies.  They look a little bit like elves.  The old folktales say that Brownies would sneak into houses at night to do chores for people while they were asleep.  To find a Brownie, you had to hike into the woods and ask the Wise Old Owl.

The owl would tell you to walk to a nearby pond, turn around three times and say,

“Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw…” When you looked into the water, you would see your own reflection.  You could then finish the rhyme:  “Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and there saw MYSELF.” 

This story is a fun way to show you that you don’t have to wait for someone else to

make things better.  You are Girl Scouts who are working to make the world a better place.

Unfortunately the mosquitoes were eating us alive.  I was trying to hurry, and to be quite honest, I forgot my initial plan.  We did announce each girl individually, and they walked across the bridge.  As each girl bridged, she received a gift bag that included her Brownie membership pin, the Bridge to Brownie Girl Scouts Award (the rainbow patch), a membership star for the year with the blue Daisy disc.  They also received a gold Anniversary Membership Disc which represents being a Girl Scout during the 100th Anniversary.  I included a small slip of paper in each bag that explained the meanings of the recognitions.  The gift bags were purchased from Dollar Tree (3 for $1).  The Daisy Girl Scout stickers were purchased from Michael's, using a 40% off coupon.  The Daisy stickers were also purchased from Michael's with a coupon.  I happened to have the sheer blue ribbon and the royal blue tissue paper in my stash of craft and gift wrapping supplies. 

I was SUPER excited to present each girl with a handmade plaque to commemorate their year(s) as Daisy Girl Scouts.  I was inspired by this pin on Pinterest.  I purchased the unfinished wooden plaques at Michael's for $0.99 each.  I used a 40% off coupon to buy the 8oz bottle of Cobalt Blue Apple Barrel paint that is originally priced around $4.  I also used a coupon to purchase the white paint pen that costs $4.  I found the multi-colored Daisy ribbon at JoAnn Fabric.  Of course, I used a coupon for this purchase as well, saving $1.75.  I had a bottle of Mod Podge (8oz--gloss) on hand.  A bottle will cost between $3 and $4.  Taking into account the cost of all supplies required to make this plaque, I spent less around $2 to make each one. 

We invited all the families to attend the bridging ceremony.  We encouraged them to bring a picnic dinner so we could celebrate the troop's graduation to the next level of Girl Scouts.  There are so many different ways to recognize your troop's accomplishments.  I would love to hear about your bridging ceremonies.  Thanks for reading! 

At each meeting we take turns assigning kapers. That's a fancy way of saying chore.

If you have spent any time with girls in Kindergarten and 1st grade, you know that "No one knows fancy like Nancy."  A kaper is a fancy word for chore.  A kaper chart "can be used to clarify which individual...is responsible for completing a specific job" (angelfire).  Such charts ensure that everyone in the troop plays a part in the meeting.  Shortly after our recruitment meeting, I searched the Internet for kaper chart ideas.  My favorite descriptions were found on scoutmom.net while my favorite images were seen on Google.  I combined several ideas and sketched three kaper charts on paper to show to our young troop.  I introduced the idea of kapers to the girls by discussing Fancy Nancy and her love for big fancy words.  During that meeting they voted for their favorite chart which is pictured here: 

I LOVE to scrapbook, so I have some tools that made crafting this kaper chart a cinch.  I used the Creative Memories Jumbo Circle Pattern to cut out an 11.5" circle from a 12x12" piece of white cardstock.  This could easily be done by tracing a large plate and cutting the paper with scissors.  I then mounted the cardstock on a piece of cardboard that was cut to the same size.  I divided the circle into ten pieces before assigning each slice a job with a black permanent marker.  The possibilities of specific kapers you could include on the chart are endless.  This Girl Scout site may also be helpful.  I used my Cricut to cut out the 3" blue scalloped circle (Mini Monograms cartridge) and the 2.5" white flower (George cartridge).  I used a .5" circle punch to cut the yellow center.  Then each piece was glued in the center of the chart.  I wrote each girl's name on a wooden clothespin.  These clothespins are clipped onto the kaper chart before the beginning of each meeting.  

We have 10 girls in our troop which explains why we have 10 different jobs on our kaper chart.  However, there may come a time when someone misses a meeting or we may not sing a song or play a game during a meeting.  Sometimes we may have an activity that requires more than one helper.  We simply adjust the chart to fit our needs for the specific occasion by skipping over a job on the chart or by clipping more than one clothespin on another job.

For our Kickoff Meeting, the first girl to arrive at the meeting (who was not my daughter) had the job of assigning kapers for that meeting.  I placed her clothespin on the "kapers" section of the chart.  The clothespins are stored in a zippie bag.  She was instructed not to look in the bag as she pulled out the next clothespin.  This pin was clipped to the "buddies" section.  She continued to clip each successive pin onto the chart in order around the circle.  I recorded who was assigned each job.  The girl responsible for assigning buddies for this meeting would then get to assign kapers at the beginning of the next meeting.  This way everyone had the chance to do both of these jobs as the year progressed.

Descriptions of the other jobs are as follows:

PROMISE--leads the troop in reciting the Girl Scout Promise

PLEDGE--holds the flag while the troop says the Pledge of Allegiance

CODE--reads the Daisy Code that was developed by the other leader of our  
     troop:
     D     Do unto others as you would have done to you.
     A     Always be respectful of others and our surroundings.
     I      I use my inside voice.
     S     Speak when it is your turn.  Listen when it is not.
     Y     You are the most important part of Daisies.  Have fun!
SHARE--is first to share her answer to a question asked to the troop.  This
      helps them get to know each other.  For example, we asked them their
      favorite ice cream flavor at the Ice Cream Social meeting. 
SONG--chooses which song to sing
GAME--chooses the game to play or goes first if game has been determined
HELPER--passes out supplies or helps clean up
CLOSING--chooses how to close the meeting.  Our girls LOVE the friendship squeeze, so she starts the squeeze. 

I hope this post serves as a springboard for you as you help your girls decide on a kaper chart that best fits the needs of your troop.  Our girls enjoy leading their meetings by being responsible for a specific job.  Please feel free to share your kaper chart ideas here.  Thanks for reading!