Best Bets!  (Questions to leaders from Leaders)

"What is a good investiture/rededication ceremony that first and second year brownies could assist with? "

The Brownie Story is a great way for young Brownies to participate in their investiture ceremony. You read the story to the girls the week before the Investiture/Rededication and you ask them to go home and do a "Good Turn". Then you do the "Twist me turn me, show me the elf "ceremony with a mirror for the pond. The girls remember this forever and learn what scouting is about, helping others! I did this ceremony when I was a Brownie, my mom did this ceremony when she was a scout and I did this ceremony with my troop. To this day, my girls bring up the twist me turn me rhyme as they try to tie it into something they are working on.

Brownie Story http://1stmarhambrownies.netfirms.com/Toadstools/thebrowniestox.html Brownie Story with Actions & play http://www.scoutingweb.com/ScoutingWeb/SubPages/Browniestory.htm Brownie Tales http://www.sunsethills13-5.org/brownie_story.htm  ?submitted by Michaela L.

Go to Google and search Gorp Rededication Ceremony. This ceremony was one of our favorites!   -submitted by Heather C.

Have a friendship ceremony! Each girl outlines her hand on a piece of paper and then cuts it out. The have each girl write what friendship means to her on her cutout hand. The ceremony can consist of a friendship poem, and then have a board were each girl can put her hand on and tell everyone what her hand says, end the ceremony with a friendship song (Make new Friends). -submitted by Pam F-B.

?What are some fun ways to teach the younger girls about the Girl Scout traditions?" Fun ways? I think I asked this question once to a friend and she suggested at events to go around and randomly ask girls what the GS motto is, or the GS slogan is, and if they get it right, they get a pencil with the motto or slogan printed on it. I wasn't too sure that the pencil would be such great reward for remembering these two traditions but a different way to approach it. Some troops make GS Law bracelets to learn the law. A certain color represents a particular law. I spend a few meetings throughout the year going over certain traditions: Juliette Lows birthday/GS History, Thinking Day, Girl Scout Birthday and GS Week. My girls have gone over this so much that now enjoy being quizzed over it. I suggest going to: http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/Traditions/ScoutTraditions.htm to learn more about the GS traditions.    ? submitted by Michaela L.

Go to events like Thinking Day, use the fun activities in the program books and earn try its! -submitted by Heather C.

Have an older girl troop teach the younger girls the traditions. - submitted by Pam F-B.

Does anyone know of any FREE Field trips that we can take the girls on in the area?

The SJ Mounted Police tour is free. Also there are tours they can take around the community that tie intoearning Try-Its/badges etc. like touring a Vet office or fast food place. - submitted by Bonnie B.

Below are names and links to several places to go for free! - submitted by Pam F-B.

~ BucadiBeppoCampbell restaurant - http://www.bucadibeppo.com/locations/location.aspx?id=0599 ~ Don EdwardsSF Bay National Wildlife Refuge - http://www.fws.gov/desfbay/environ.htm#Fieldtrips ~ Health Ceramic Factory tour -http://factorytoursusa.com/TourDetails.asp?TourID=499&State=CA&Search=&CategoryID= ~ IntelVisitorsCenter - http://factorytoursusa.com/TourDetails.asp?TourID=298&State=CA&Search=&CategoryID= ~ Jelly Belly Candy Factory Tour - http://factorytoursusa.com/TourDetails.asp?TourID=81&State=CA&Search=&CategoryID= ~ Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory Tour - http://www.scharffenberger.com/factory.asp

San Jose Christmas in the Park is free. On Dec 16 at 2pm, there will be a saxophone band with more than 200 players (my daughter is in it) will play Christmas music for 1 hour and it?s also free. For those that play music or know about the saxophone instruments, it would be fun to see variety of saxophone sizes and styles. This Christmas saxophone band only plays once a year. The band members come from different part of the country. They practice in the morning and play at Christmas in the park at 2pm and at ValcoFashionPark mall at 5pm. Also the Intel museum is free, go to http://www.intel.com/museum/ for details. - submittedby Cam H.

I'm actually a new GS leader, but a veteran playgroup mom with lots of info on field trips with kids. I recommend http://www.homefires.com/fieldtrips/ as a good general resource. There are lots of other places not on this list, of course, that are discovered by word-of-mouth and individual research. - submittedby Susan B.

We took the cub scouts to Dreyers Ice Cream up in Hayward or Union   City. I think it was free and they got ice cream at the end. If you want to go a little farther their is always the Jelly Belly up in Fairfield. - submittedby Candy M.

If your 8 yrs or older- every third Saturday of the month- kids fly free at Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos- you can get the release forms on their web page- every time we go we always see GS and boy scout troops there. - submittedby Erin M.

I believe the BarbieMuseumin Mountain  View/Palo Alto was free and the girls loved it. Also the Youth Science Institute @ Alum RockPark. - submitted by Katy P.