Preparing a camp fire

Choose a theme and sort out the camp fire program 

• Learn the song selection [at least be familiar with.]
• My favorite camp things
• What about using the Yells, Chants, and camp fire games?

Know the campfire and flame safety rules.

Practice with marshmallows and candle.

Have activities in the dark.

Have alternatives for bad weather.

Make equipment to use at campfire

• Notice board with emergency assembly area on display
• Sign in / sign out book.
• Campfire song book each member.
• Making an entrance.
• Marsh mellow sticks.
• Water buckets.
•  Camp Blanket.
• Woodpile – graded.
• Musical instruments
• What about the campfire too?

Now just who is the target audience for this campfire.  Just the Guides as part of their program or a camp? Or the Unit or Adults such as the Gipps Guides too?  To be inclusive of friends and family? As a District event that is target to what audience.  The combination of the talents and skills learned by those preparing the campfire suggestions / evaluations made before, and who the target audience is strongly reflects the planning and management of the campfire.

Overnight stay.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW,,,,,,,,, THAT THE GUIDES HAVE PLANNED TO DO leading up to April 8/9th 2010..

1. Over night stay  starts 1pm on the 8th and finishes 1pm on the 9th April 2010.
2. The Hazelwood South Hall is at  790 Tramway Road, Churchill.
3. Cost: $200.00 per participant.
4. Theme: Food and Exploration of the Four World Centers.
5. Participate in the pre-camp /over night activities where able in a District, Unit or Patrol Activity situation.
6. Overnight stay colors organised.
7. The overall Program is comleted.
8. Sleeping accomadation:  Self standing tents …erected inside the Hazelwood South Hall. District owns these tents.
9. Kit list  to be printed out for next week. Guides to get used to packing their own bag please.
10. Each Guides own camp teddy not to be any bigger than the width of her hand.  Space on/in her kit bag is at a primium.
11. Guides have worked out the duty rosters.
12. Menu has been organised.
13. First aid kit has been sorted out.
14. Program been organised (yes) and is full of potential activities.
15. Guides Promise to be made
16. Older Patrol to meet at Churchill Shopping center for Quarter Master shopping list requirements.
17. The Objectives of the Food and Four World Centers Overnight Stay.
18. The Evaluation of the Food and Four World Centers Overnight stay.
19. Evaluation of the Hazelwood South Hall
20. The outcomes of the Food and Four World Centers overnight stay.

Governance makes camp planning fun

Camping is fun.

Often when the proposal of going to camp comes up the newer in experience Guides groan.  What ever their age, or experience, most people have been to camps where they have little in put, they are kept out of much of the planning. However the preordained activities are great, they have a ball, the relatives or school mates all try to outdo each other.  But from these experiences what have they learned? What skills have they worked towards and gained? Are the rewards what the person really was striving for?  or was the experience ” …just like any another activity!….Boring!!!”

Right from the first suggestion of a camp Guides of all ages in the Hazelwood and Churchill Units have much in put – after all it’s their camp.  Therefore the  Guides are shown how to organise a plan of action, decide on their theme, the menus, activities and the pre-camp activities are included into the normal program. Some of the things that are on the to learn or add practice list are standard requirement that the Leaders have a need to know the Guides understand how to do and when to use. These activities  may consist of focusing on different types of cooking rules, learning how to clean inside things, choosing a sleeping bag to purchase or borrow, erect and strike tents, care for the tents, bush walk, tie knots for commando and skills training activities, make tracking activities, read maps, make bed rolls secure, camp gadgets, camp site planning, camp program, flag pole, Campfire, Guides Own, entrance, cooking facilities, water gathering methods…..

Often the decisions are influenced by those with greater camping skills.  Experienced leaders mentoring the newer Guides, Parents, helpers and Leaders.

Governance is very much the Guides method of management choice.  Each camp then has very have made very clear goals and Guides lines to be planned around.  Depending on the experience and age of the Guides going on camp the steps taken are worked out in a way which is both a challenge and achievable. How the Guides will go about getting help as they work towards gaining what they have set out to do is different ,but the same , on each camp.  Some may use the experience for the Look Wide Badges, others towards their Peak Achievement Awards.  There are other things that they may work towards as well.

If the theme is an international camp they may include that years Jota / Joti as either a pre or post activity.  The camp may have a morse code night activity or two. Or there may be a State or Region sleep over.

On the “Other People” camp each Guide chose a country to look into. The Units Patrols were asked to choose a Guide Region.  [Western Hemisphere, Asia Pacific, European, African, Arab Nations, Russian, the Americana’s]  Some looked at their heritage for a county, others chose a country from school subjects. Patrols then put their interest forward as to which country they would work with.

The Patrols then chose the menus from various recipes supplied, activities and games from different countries represented, the decorations were posters that the Guides created about ‘their’ country.

Other camps the focus may be on outside camping under canvas.  Is the camp site to be in a controlled bush setting [ with toilets provided? or as an expedition?  What shelter and equipment do they need to learn and experience before they go on camp.  Whose transporting everything?

When organising of the camp whose doing what job? How many patrols? Where is the money to pay for the camp coming from? Is it Unit restricted? Age restricted ? Open to all.?  What about the Big jamborees?  The Region Camps?

The biggest hurdle the Guides face is a panic attack.  Will they look stupid?  Do they know anything?  Initially a panic attach on exactly what do they have to learn.  When they realise they have done so much each time they have come to Guides that are cross credited as training the Guides are initially “surprised”.  Then excited and smiling.  fear of the unknown starts to be removed.  New Challenges step to the front. That is why, from the start, Guide camps are learning stepping-stones and challenges made into fun.

Writing encouraged by http://www.clear-vision.com.au

Preperations for the end of year Formal Meal 2010.

The end result is that the 2009 formal meal is now a District Event. With help the 2010’s Formal End of Year Meal is now Saturday – December 4th 2010.

• Notice of the Formal Meal will be in the District Calendar on the web. The Units calender – which in turn are created by the Guides.
• Activities will be throughout the year.  ie  place mats, invitations, table decorations [mugwomps], serviettes, grace and vespers sheets, serviette holders, place cards … These will be stored in a large plastic container [somewhere in the office]
• Invites to family, friends and people who have helped throughout the year will go out weeks before to this meal. The invites will be hardcopy cards, posters and emails.
• RSVP needs to be received by mid November.
• Please send a suggestion or two of the meal preparation  you are to bring with the RSVP.
• Your RSPV will be confirmed to you by mid November.
• Confirmation of what part of the meal preparation your family has offered  to bring will be sent to you as well.
• The District will supply the meat varieties and preparation.
• All parts of meals to have the actual ingredients within them printed / written out.
  
• Please supply the recipe.
  
• The Formal wear is good clothes for those attending the meal.
• The setting of tressel tables is to be in a horse shoe .
• Decoration of the main area will begin at 10.30.  All decorations will be made prior to the day so that all needing to be done is to place them up and around.
• Activities for free time sorted out well in advance.  A kitchen fly for shelter set up on the day at the back of the office grounds.
• Kitchen fly to be in place for erection by 10.30.
• First Aid kit and safety preparations will be made prior to the event. [as per every event]
• A Risk Analysis  Plan (created for the event [as per every event])  is to be on display in the entry hall.
• Sign in book to be in the entry hall.
• Photo release forms to be in the entry hall for those who are not members of the Girl Guides {Associate Adult, Adult or Youth members]
• Photos taken will be sent to each persons email address if indicated they would like a copy of their/ their Guides photos sent directly to them.
• Meal will begin at 1pm.

We are in need of:

• a kitchen co-ordinator,   [position filled]
• a hostess/ host co-ordinator.
• a decorator co-ordinator,
• an outside activities person  {will be taught about kitchen flies]
• a craft / artist and music coordinator.
• a Public Relations person for the event.
• a Photographic co-ordinator.
• a clean up co-ordinator.

Please note the adult coordinators job is just to make sure everything is there. Every so often check on progress.  The Guides are able to run things from this point.