Try again with the shrubs for a fence line

.Where did the shrubs I planted go again?.

I knew the grass was getting long.  I was to mow around the shrubs that I had planted on Thursday.  That is as soon as I had time off work and could also get the lawn mower and clippers down to the Hazelwood South Hall.

however I turned up on Wednesday last week to begin raking under the shrubs next to the gun clubs fence line and noticed that the shrubs and grass had all been mowed down.  There were no sticks, plants or anything except mowed grass.  The Calistamon that was so beautifully flowering was gone as well.

The next night at a Gipp's Guide meeting a discussion took place.  I asked for help in lining a next shrub bed with bricks carried over from the "brickery'  I had noted that the earth area that some party goers had lit a fire in was not mowed over.  Instead this eyesore was carefully mowed around.  The Brickery was left too.  Logically If there are bricks the lawn mower man will not tamper with them.  However if there is obviously long grass in one area strip then by all means mow it over.  There could be something of value there! This time I intend to really well bang in the wooden poles deep into the ground.  Lace the area with read and white warning tape [means do not enter this area].  The new shrubs will have already been planted to make use of this rainy period that we seem to be experiencing.

So in two Thursday's time there will be bricks in place and hopefully time to rake up the leaves from the other shrubs and mulch the new shrub area as well.

Creating a campfire dash

The following chemicals used sparingly are able to create a really great 'WoW' effect.  But remember campfires are unforgettable for other reasons too.  Just a little of the chemicals goes a really long way. 

It is better to halve the amount you think you need.. at least twice. Just so that you are more controlled with what you are doing and the audience that has little ones does not become so scared that campfires are a means of fear and mental torture in the future.

1. Strontium chloride produces bright red flames
2. Magnesium sulphate (Epson Salts) gives white flames
3. Calcium chloride for blue flames.
4. Copper sulphate (blue vitrol) has a green flame
5. Thallium (Alum- used in pickle making) has a bright green flame
6. Baron salts (borax -20 mule team borax in the laundry aisle) has a yellowish-green flame
7. Potassium sulphate mixed 3 to 1 with potassium nitrate will show off a violet flame
8. Boric Acid for deep red flames

• Mix the dryed red, white and blue pine scales and have a patriotic fire!

Most of these chemicals are available in the grocery store or pharmacy. Strontium chloride is used in aquariums so check your pet store for this one.

Parts on a tent names

Although this diagram is of a canvas tent many names are the same. 
We have found that when the Guides are use to using the names the instructions are easier to give - both for the leaders and the Guides to one another.  Not everyone can understand sweeping hand gestures accompanied with put this end in that thingy, no not that one... over there.

With minimum names learned there is maximum confusion and frayed tempers flare easily.

Job descriptions

On any given type of camp there are job description Guides Lines.  Variations occur when the participants age, experience and type of camp.  Add to this the objectives behind having the overnight stay / camp in the first place.

The Patol Roster

Overnight stays last for twenty four hours... no longer. On this overnight stay there were to be two Patrols. On this occasion the roster aligned with the main meals.  The Patrols swapped jobs after each main meal. 

When organising the Duty Roster two things were taken into consideration.

• there was a wide age range [7 to 14 year olds].
• Some had had several overnight stays - others had had none.

There were three main job categories.

• Occupational Health and Safety.
• Hostess
• Cook

Should one patrol finish their duties they had to go and help another patrol finish their duties as well  This carried on until all the duties were accomplished.  Then the next activity would begin.

Know who is expected

On this inside overnight stay the following were attending.  The list was displayed where everyone could see it.

In this list the participates were listed according to age.

Display a menu

Illiminating weight.

Carrying extra weight than necessary is not a good idea.
So here are some hints on what to do.

•  Using a large chux cloth 
•  cut into half
•  then one half cut into a 1/3 and 2/3]
• One for a towel, a washer and a tea towel.
• Plates and cups
• plastic is better than metal as they
• are lighter in weight
• do not pass the heat on.
 
• SWEET THINGS ARE SUPPLIED IN THE MENU. BY BRINGING EXTRA SWEETS, CHIPS AND THINGS YOU ARE FILLING UP THE SHARE BUCKET. THESE THINGS GET USED IN THE UNIT PROGRAM AT A LATER DATE... OR THEY GO IN THE OUT BIN!.

Overnight Packing

Normally what is packed is

• 1 x normal hat.
• 1 x coat
• 1 x jumper
• 1 x change of top
• 1 x change of underwear
• 1 x trousers { in hotter months 1 x shorts]
• 1 x pair of socks
• 1 x spare of shoes

over cold months

• 1 x gloves
• 1 x beany

Personal things

• hairbrush
• 1 x elastic bands
• 1 x washer
• 1 x towel
• Sunscreen
• Toothbrush
• toothpaste

Dilly bag

• Plates
• dinner
• bread
• bowl
• Utensils
• knife
• fork
• spoon
• teaspoon
• tea towel

 Bedding

• 1 x sleeping bag
• 1 x inner bag
• 1 x ground sheet
• 1 x pillow case

Torch

• rechargeable batteries.

Teddy bear

• small that stretches from the base of your hand [writst] to the tip of your fingers.  No bigger.

Now there are things not to take. Remember that extra weight is not an option.

A recycling plastic bag us

On camp we mix the cooking ingredients in a plastic bag as we try to not take excess baggage and weight.

Light weight tents to be pitched

In many ways light weight tents care and useage is the same as using any other shelter area. The safety rules are the same. Essentailly do not endanger yourself, others or the environment.  Common sense is not enough though.  Leaning the basics is nore than putting up a tent.  There are things to do while lookiing out for other things. Then there is practice, more practice and a dash of old wisdom along with common sense is close to the mix that is needed.

Plans for Septeber 2010 Overnight Stay

• Opening ceremony
• Emergency site procedures
• Make a camp Flag pole [from scratch] -to be used at future camp activities
• Start on camp flag to be used at future camp activites.
• Lunch
• Make tripods and camp gadget shelves.
• Make afternoon tea
• Put tents up ...
• Kitchen Fly (outside)
• Sleeping tents (inside)
• Hike and BBQ (may be fish?)
• Prepare Dinner
• Tate Kitchen fly down!
• Dinner
• Campfire
• Cook breakfast with the buddy burner
• Closing Ceremony

Overnight stay change of date

Septembers overnight stay has had a change of date.  Now the first week of September 25th /26th.  Beginning at 10am Thursday til Friday 10am.  Need this time as kitchen flys must be erected and struck several times before evening.

Need is also for a few more people who have Guide Police Checks and also their Working With Children cards.  Must fill out Associate member form and send to Melbourne before the date of Overnight Stay.

Introducing a Buddy Burner.

A Buddy Burner is a cooking appliance made up from using two tins, some cardboard and melted wax.

The heat is gained by covering up and open flame with a can that in height is approximately a third bigger than the small tin can which is housing the wick.  The size above the 'wick' tins top is important as the air circulation is needed to keep the flame alight.  Suffocation of the flame on the wick causes a smoky mess [or that does not cook the food as the flame struggles to keep alight.

Be warned that while in use and immediately after All the cans get extremely hot.  A Buddy Burner is not something that is used in a drought or on high fire danger days. 

However when there is cooking needed to be done on a trip that has a lot of rain and inclement weather about as long as the 'wick' does not get overly wet using the buddy burner is a good idea. The cooking surface is the top of the upturned larger can or as in this photo a biscuit tin lid.

A third can, saucepan etc may be added to the top of the upside cooking surface down can.  Although experience has shown that the surface can should have both top and bottom ends removed [leaving a cylinder] and then have a pot surface to cook directly on top of the openings.

Another method involves placing thin steel bars through the tin can.  Then placing a billy on top of these bars. However the soot on the side of the cooking 'pot' may be hard to get off unless you have soaped the cooking container.

What recipes are able to be used on the buddy burner are varied. All it takes is practice and patience.

Tent and Gadget Overnight stay Campfire songs and plan

Planning the campfire program for the otent and gadget overnight stay is progressing okay.  Different songs selected have been brought to Guides and yes we have had a meery time keeping out of tune but making a lot of noises.


Campfire opening
100 years of Guiding
My Favourite things


Guide Law Song
Oh bring back my leader to me


Song of the bins
Kookaburra Sits on the old Gum tree
Oh I had a little chicken but it

Countdown Cheer
Make new friends
Go well and go safetly
Invitation to evening Tapps

Not sure if Alice the Camel should be squeezed into this program.  We'll see.

Have yet to make up the booklets and that's a next weeks job. .. once I've located graphics to use so the program pages are not so boaring. 

[Also need to have the printing of the overnight stay forms done to]

Overnight stay April 2010 evening activities

Evening activities planned from 7.30 first night overnight stay April 2010

•  Promises and reaffirmations with Bubbles 
• Rac Wac hike,

the emu bob

Where ever there are people there is rubbish.  So at the end of an activity, event, camp, or what ever the things left behind by the people must be removed and disposed of.

An emu bob has every person available holding a bag for rubbish that is found.  When the signal has been given every one walks around (hopefully in an orderly manner) picking up bits or rubbish. There usually is something really nice at the other end of this duty for special people. With all the bits bound to be found everyone is bobbing up and down like an Emu.  Hence this activity is called and Eu bob.

An extension of this activity is Clean up Australia Day that occurs on the first Sunday of March each year.  One of the founders and principle characters with Clean up Australia Day is a Guide.  Wonder where she learned and practiced for moving from Emu Bob into Clean Up Australia Day and now Clean up the World campaigne.

See a little bit of 'Rubbish' can take you a long way..

Program for Over night stay [Food and the four World Centers]

In the morning the older Guides patrol will be meeting at Churchill Shopping Center (Ritchies IGA) at 10am.  Sticking to the shopping list they are going food shopping for the over night stay. Having taken the Food to the Hazelwood South Hall they will then sort it out, pack it away and leave for home.

The overall program for the overnight stay.

1pm of day one.
Arrive at the Hazelwood South Hall.

• Medications and forms to be handed to the adult First Aider.
• Any sweets, cakes or brought in edibles are to be put in a bucket in the kitchen.  These items will be shared by all at a later time.  NOTE any other edibles that are hidden and in the positation will beopened and turfed out by that Guide. Not returned..
• 1.30pm 
• Raising of the Flag/s ceremony.
• Leaving packs and bags in one collection point area everyone works out where the camp areas will be inside the Hall are to be. 
• Everyone then sets up the tents, the bags etc get placed [but nit unpacked] into that patrols tent.
• The Cooks Patrol goes to the Kitchen receiving information and their patrol Duties Program from the Qm. The OH & S Patrol see the First Aider for their OH & S Patrol Duties.
• Other camp set ups will then occur.
• Cooks to make afternoon tea.
• 3pm  Afternoon tea.
• 3.30 pm Activities.
• Wide game this time consisits of small continus activities through out the overnight stay
• 6pm Dinner.
• 7.30 pm evening activities
• 9.30 Supper
• 10. bed

day two

• 7am Up
• 8am Breakfast
• 10am wide Game Activites.
• 12 lunch
• 1.pm Closing Ceremony
• Emu Bob

What is a Patrol Activity

Patrol activities help the Guides further develop within their peer group.  In order to actually 'do' an activity their must be several things happening at once.

Firstly their must be registered members of Guides participating.  Friends may attend sometimes.  (Up to three times then they must be a member to do any more visits to Guides programs and / or Patrol Activity visits - inclusive. The activity must be interesting, challenging and fun.  Something to be talked about and shared.

Having something special occurring keeps the friends interested in what you are doing.This way the friends will want to join in on the planning too.

Patrol activities are overseen by adults.

Patrol activities are not always held at Guides. These adventures can be to all sorts of interesting place, events, activities and services. Sometimes Patrol Activities can be something that is a small part of something else happening.  Like doing the food shopping before a come or cook out. Supporting a friend with a sport endevour, Going to the pictures together.  Going shopping anyway even hiking in the bush.

So you can see that to achieve a Patrol activity

• Management of any activity is a learned art.  
• Management of people has many different variables.
•  Time management is a different senaro altogether. 

Volunteers on camp

Hi there.

After 19+ years it was rather strange for me to see someone else in the same predicament I was as a mother of a young girl.

Yes I probably was as weary then as you are today. It was for this reason that when we moved down to this area and our oldest actually started camping through girl guides that I became involved as a parent on the camps that both daughters of our were attending.  A good and positive side to protecting our own young I felt then and still do now.  I thank you for your open feelings.

When you are ready there is a way around this predicament you find yourself in.  Yes I hated having the feeling of 'betwicx and between'. You know what I mean.

The simple way of satisfying all is choosing to staff on the camp activities.  Simply you fill out the Guide Centers Police Check and a seperate Working with children's check which takes several months.I notify Guide Center that you would like to volunteer.  The volunteer coordinator phones you and you confirm your restrictions on volunteering.

You then work as a team member for just that/those activities of which you have a voice in their design, implimentation etc.

Note: there are restrictions re males attending camp/overnight stays. Some parents have issues with the opposite sex being involved.

I actually found that I got a great amount of laughter, fun and rejuvination from the camp team volunteering I did.

Overnight stay has changed it's dates.

The planned overnight stay based on the theme 'FOOD' has changed it's dates. Now the days are Thursday to Friday of the second [possibly the first] week of the April School Holidays 2009.  To be confirmed by next week.

• The basic program has been sorted out. 
• The Patrol Duties teams are worked out. 
• Each Camp Patrol has colors and a name.
• The pre-camp work , overnight stay's activities and outcomes will benefit the Guides who attend the Ev Graham competition at the end of this year.
• Patrol Leadership skills and structure is being worked on.
• Basic camp craft skills will be shown and reinforced with practice over several of these overnight stays through out the year.
• Basic Patrol management and governance challenges are being shown, discussed and worked through.
• The basic cost of $20.00 each participant goes into a very full camp schedule.

Not an over whelming response for overnight stay March 2010

March 19th 2010 there is planned an overnight stay.

Activities 

                 include making their Promise  for several Guides. Some craft from four World Center Counties.           Researched while at the Library on the 18th.[patrol activity] and while attending the Multi Cultural Festival Saturday 13th march 2010

Night activities, 

                 Making Bubbles on the reserve under lamp light,  Guides Own, 

Acomodation was inside.  In Tents.

Food            - from Four World Centers.
                             - Dinner setting reflecting the different Countries.
  

Camping is not just going there and setting up tent, mucking around and going home.  There is a lot of pre-planned and post-camp work that goes into activities like this.

Theme: Food overnight stay March 2010

Held at the Hazelwood [South] Hall starts at 5.30pm Friday 19th  to noon Saturday 20th March 2009.

NOTE THE DATES for this overnight stay HAVE NOW CHANGED.

Rely on family own transport or organise car pool.

Minimum of six registered Girl Guides. 

 Cost of $ 20.00 PER GUIDE PARTICIPANT is to be paid for by Friday 12th march 2010

No extra sweets, chips, biscuits, or other muchies to be taken down.  Believe me the partipants will be buzzy and full.

You will need warm cloths, include a change of socks [warm ones and a beanie] extra pants and bedding if accidents still occur.

Tents, team work, camps, and life skills learned on the Hazelwood South Reserve

The Hazelwood [South ] Hall is right next to a public reserve. The Guides of the Hazelwood and Churchill Girl Guides use this reserve area to practice putting up tents. Although the Hazelwood [and Churchill] District has both moder lightweight tents when leadership and team training re camping is required the older canvas kitchen flies and canvas tents come out for erection.

When the Region camp qualification camp, the Ev Graham camp, is run the Guides rope off an area in which to physically view where they have planned to utilize their camp equipment on the site size requirement.

Team work is important as without a semblance of planning, order and working together the camp moral is deemed low enough to close the site.

When working with outdoor camp site plans a large area is required while the Guide are kinesthetically shown so that the patiently learn the skills required.

Source: naturemoms.com via Susan on LoveIt