Best The Bittersweet End of the Year....and a Freebie!

I'm ever relieved when the final service unit of measurement leader coming together comes together with goes inward June.  Our service unit of measurement ends the yr amongst awards, raffle prizes together with a mother-daughter H2O ice cream social.  Afterwards, I breathe a sigh of relief that at that spot is 1 less obligation to fence amongst together with 1 to a greater extent than Mon a calendar month that I tin bask summer!  I intend dorsum to Feb together with March when I toyed amongst the watch of belongings meetings during the summer.  I ever come upwards to my senses inward May together with realize that summers off are a practiced matter for our troop and a practiced matter for me!  Especially since the girls go hence much.

As always, I began planning our terminate of the yr awards together with political party inward late-April, early on May.  I was hence excited because this yr I had arranged a corking venue to produce a glow-in-the-dark party together with bonfire amongst all the troop families.  And hence my bubble burst.  None of the families were available on the same dates together with most weren't available whatever weekend inward June.  So nosotros went dorsum to the former mainstay of a puddle political party at 1 of the girl's houses during our normal coming together time. I similar to effort to larn my families together at the terminate of the yr because it allows me to abide by volunteer parents together with to highlight what the girls pick out done during the yr that parents may non hold out aware of.  But it's non ever possible.  Some parents volition nonetheless come upwards for pinning together with awards together with I'll pick out squeamish gifts for the cookie moms together with volunteers, only it's non quite the same equally a describe of piece of occupation solid unit of measurement party.  And definitely non what I had inward heed to tell goodbye to 4 girls (half our troop!) That brings me to unopen to other terminate of the yr phenomena:  losing girls. This yr 4 our of 8 of my girls are leaving, a brace who pick out been amongst me since Daisies.  

Even though I was prepared for this possibility, I nonetheless felt pitiable amongst every telephone phone together with email I received.  I sympathise each girl's reason(s) for leaving.  At our May coming together I showed inspirational Girl Scout videos to demonstrate the opportunities that are available to them when they span to Cadettes together with to remind them what they dear close Girl Scouts.  I too handed out "I can't expect to" patches amongst Spring registration paperwork subsequently showing them this video.  I tried to play it cool only I lobbied hard!  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brace of girls who were leaving turned into "maybes" together with that was plenty for me. 

I watch long together with difficult close having a troop of 4-5, non adding whatever girls adjacent yr together with peradventure doing to a greater extent than activities that are challenging logistically due to transportation issues together with adult security wise ratios.  But hence I watch close the girls on the waitlist together with those who volition hold out recruited inward the autumn together with decided I would add together to the troop.  Up until directly I've stuck amongst a formula of solely adding girls from our schoolhouse who all my girls (most who are plus 5 years) considered cordial together with a practiced gibe for the troop.  I pick out unopen to apprehension close going exterior their schoolhouse for novel girls, only I know that at that spot are girls out at that spot who demand troops together with who would brand wonderful additions to 1949.

So I spent my commons fourth dimension mourning, beingness sad, wondering what I could pick out done ameliorate to proceed my girls inward the troop until...a positive feeling came over me together with I realized that Girl Scouts taught them to intend for themselves, to hold out leaders together with to forge ahead without fear.  I believe their decisions to movement on were made amongst that spirit inward mind.  Go forth my sweets amongst courage, confidence together with character!

While preparing for the terminate of the year, I establish unopen to cute tumblers amongst straws at Michael's together with bought 1 for each miss (after shout for them their 3 favorite colors).  I hence filled the tumblers amongst their badges, patches together with cookie puzzle patches (along amongst a guide equally to how they gibe together).  I added a chalkboard label on each tubbler together with used a chalk pen to write each girl's shout on it.  I hence created a tag to impress together with add together to the straw poking out of the tumbler.

I've added the tags to the iamgirlscouts Teachers Pay Teachers store for complimentary download!  You tin observe them here.

Happy Summer!