Thinking Day 2000

This year's Thinking Day focus was Native Americans. Our guest,Mr. Rick Harrison of the Osage tribe, entertained us with Native American Song, History, Culture and Dance. He told us of the Eagle feathers and porcupine quills that adorned his headdress, and taught us the Friendship Dance and the Snake Dance. He turned the entire group of Girl Scouts into a giant snake that wound and wove around the entire room.

Then it was off to stations of creations and games. There were five stations, each of which offered some type of native american activity. We created sand paintings, a tradition of Native Americans in which a sand painting is created and a person who is thought to be inhabited by evil spirits sleeps upon the painting. The evil spirits are drawn into the painting and in the morning the painting is burned. We made gods eyes from yarn and sticks (a favorite of this old girl scout), and played Native American Games. We strung beads (even bear claws) on strings that we hung about our necks and had Native American symbols painted upon our cheeks. We sampled Native American foods that ranged from nuts and berries to Buffalo Burgers and Corn Bread. We built Native American homes, teepees and adobe huts, igloos and lodges. It was an afternoon filled with many activities and an introduction to many new things.

Many thanks to Cheryl Beard for all her hard work in planning, organizing and carrying out such a huge undertaking. More thanks to Troop 1680 for the flag ceremony, Troop 3067 for the closing ceremony and Troop 600 for all the work in communicating with the Troops on the Cheyenne reservation in North Dakota.

Funds collected on Thinking Day will be used to benefit the Troops on the Cheyenne reservation. In addition School supplies were collected for the children on the reservation. Thanks to everyone who made a contribution to the Julette Gordon Lowe Fund and to everyone who made a donation of school supplies.