October, 2020

A Note From the Founder –  Troop Updates

by Kerry Cordy

It is fall once again and a new school year has begun.  Unlike past years, many of our troops have lost their meeting locations thanks to COVID -19 restrictions.  As a result many have shifted to meeting either outside, on Zoom, or in private homes.  Many of our troops have closed completely.  As a result, we need to get an update on all active troops and ensure that all participating girls have current memberships.  Lisa Peasha, our membership coordinator, will be sending out emails to all troop leaders in a couple of weeks.  Please keep an eye out for them and make sure to respond.  We want to make sure that those no longer participating remember to cancel their auto-renews and that those that are still active in Frontier Girls remember to keep their registration up to date.  We rely on membership fees to stay in business so it is important that all girls who are participating are properly registered.  We greatly appreciate any assistance in this matter.

 

CHRISTMAS SALE!

25% Off

All current gift items and shirts are 25% off through Christmas. While supplies last!

We will be removing all gift items and shirts from our in-house inventory after the first of the year and moving them to an on-demand warehouse.  While this will mean these items will ship separately from badge orders after Jan. 1, 2021, it also means we can offer a LOT more designs and fun items.  If you are looking for a great deal on a Christmas gift for your favorite Frontier Girl or leader, now is the time to get it as the sale is limited to stock on hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Ways to Make Homeschooling Fun During COVID

by Kerry Cordy

As “two weeks to flatten the curve” has become long term rotating lockdowns and stay at home orders, many schools across the nation have gone to online distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Zoom has become the new classroom. The teacher teaches, the students listen and attempt to absorb, but in distance learning there is little room for creativity and fun.   The teachers do their best, but it is difficult to get kids to participate and engage through a computer screen.  Whether your child is participating in remote distance learning or you are a homeschool family operating independent of any school at at all, these ideas should help you find joy in the learning process.

Click Here to Read the Entire Article

All-in-One Troop Websites and Badge Tracking

Frontier Girls has partnered with TroopTrack, an all-in-one space to track all your troop functions from badge earning, to fundraising, to calendars and communication.  You get your own troop website with both public and private pages.

TroopTrack is a software that takes the hassle out of managing your scout group. One tool does it all. Whether you are a leader, parent, webmaster, treasurer, advancement chair, or any other member.  TroopTrack saves money, headache, and most importantly time.

With the official companion app for TroopTrack now you can take TroopTrack everywhere your adventures take you! The TroopTrack Mobile App has full TroopTrack functionality. You can use TroopTrack Mobile Apps together with your TroopTrack account to record attendance, update awards, manage members, send emails, upload pictures and more.

Troop Track is not affiliated with Frontier Girls, but is a wonderful supplemental product that works great for our program.  They offer a free 30 day trial if you want to test them out!  Be one of our beta testers and have your voice heard on how to improve Troop Track specifically for our program.

 

New Badges Posted

Potato Chips, Sculpture

Troop 122 Finishes 10th Year

by Elizabeth Simmons, Leader Troop #122

 

It was NOT what I planned. Our 10th year as a troop was supposed to finish with scrapbooks, slideshows, and celebration of 10 years as Frontier Girls and 7 with our Quest Boys. COVID changed that.

But because it is 2020, we still managed to meet via Zoom from April through August. We completed the Paper Crafting and Costume Design badges as a troop.

I managed to drive by everyone’s home to pick up paperwork for badges completed at home. (I highly recommend the MapQuest route planner https://www.mapquest.com/routeplanner to make order of multiple stops.) I ordered the badges and we planned for celebration. For families that could gather, we had a court of awards with plenty of social distance. We served individually packaged ice cream and drinks. For families that could not, I delivered awards and badges.

Through it all, our families were also working at home on badges and awards.

  • Sydney L earned her Dolphin Life Skills
  • Emma P earned her Penguin Outdoors, S.T.E.A.M., Life Skills, Fruit of the Spirit, Liberty, Pink Garnet and WOW!
  • Avery P earned her Otter Leadership, Outdoors, S.T.E.A.M., Life Skills, Fruit of the Spirit, Liberty, Topaz and WOW! She also got started on her Dolphin work over the summer and earned her Make a Difference
  • Robyn V earned her Otter Discovery
  • Austin V earned his Dolphin Discovery in Quest
  • Kayleigh L earned her Otter Leadership, Liberty, Life Skills, Outdoors, S.T.E.A.M., Fruit of the Spirit, Topaz and WOW!
  • Lauren L earned her Penguin Life Skills
  • Additionally, Troop 122 earned 97 badges on their own over the summer!

We still have 3 of the original girls and 2 of the original boys.

 

Leadership Positions

As a new year gets started, it is time to assign leadership positions to your girls. Frontier Girls provides a great opportunity for girls to work together as a team as well as to learn to take on leadership responsibilities.  In addition to badges and awards involving teamwork and leadership skills, all girls in grades 3 and up have the opportunity to serve in leadership positions within the troop.  These girls are essential pieces of the troop and are represented by a puzzle piece pin.   Positions are held for anywhere from 6 months  to 1 year, giving each girl enough time to learn and become proficient at the job, but switching often enough that all girls should get a chance to serve within 2-3 years.  Those girls who need to hold a leadership position in order to complete a gem award should be given priority.

Leader in Training

The Leader in Training is responsible for making sure meetings start on time. They should have a watch at every meeting and give quiet reminders to the Leader when it is time to start, have snack, etc. She is also responsible for keeping the girls occupied with songs or games if there is a lull in the meeting and the Leader is busy. Your leader in training should be trained in both the scribe and treasurer positions so that she can fill in if necessary. Finally, the Leader in Training is responsible for calling all patrol leaders with any important updates or information between meetings.

Scribe

The Scribe is responsible for taking notes at all meetings when business is discussed.  She is also responsible for logging in all badges and service stars earned.  An adult should always oversee this position to make sure it is done correctly.

 

Snack Coordinator

The Snack Coordinator is responsible for creating a snack rotation list and calling to remind girls when it is their turn to bring snack. If for some reason a girl cannot bring snack, it is the snack coordinator’s job to find a substitute.

 

Treasurer

The Treasure is responsible for reporting the current finances of the troop at each Leadership meeting. She should help prepare budgets for all events and activities. The Treasurer is also responsible for logging in all payments to the troop, these may include dues, troop registration, uniform fees, or payments for badges and awards. An adult should always oversee this position to make sure it is done correctly.

Care Coordinator

The Care Coordinator is responsible for praying for the troop at least once a week. She should have cards ready to sign for all special needs (illness, birthday, thanks, etc.) and make sure they reach the intended recipient. Finally, if your troop is participating in our Support A Soldier program, the Care Coordinator is responsible for packing and shipping all care packages. (The troop is still responsible for paying all shipping charges.)

Photographer

The Photographer takes pictures at all troop meetings and events. You may wish to have more than one girl serve in this position if you have a large troop. This ensures that there are pictures of every girl. Photographers may also be in charge of the troop scrapbook.

Reporter

The reporter is responsible for writing a troop newsletter as well as sending photos and write ups to the local media.  Reporters are also frequently in charge of the troop scrapbook or website.

Patrol Leader

The Patrol Leaders lead a patrol of between 4 to 8 girls and are in charge of making sure their patrol is ready for the meeting, completes their chores in a timely manner and that any younger girls in the group have a buddy to help them if necessary during crafts or games. Patrol leaders are also responsible for calling the girls in their patrol to pass on important updates or information.

 

Help Needed for Oregon Fires

from Troop 348 in Southern, Oregon

Troop 348 is reporting in from Southern Oregon. These last couple of weeks have been a lot – frightening, stressful, and heartbreaking are just a few words that come to mind. The Almeda Fire destroyed large swaths through our local communities of northern Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix. Our troop families are safe and all back in their homes. The church where we held our troop meetings burned to the ground. About 2357 residential structures were destroyed (including apartments, trailers and RVs). Some people lost both home and businesses. Many local business are gone. The Phoenix-Talent school district estimates 50% of their families lost their homes.

If any of you would like to help our communities, below I’m sharing a list of organizations taking donations. There is also the Phoenix Gratitude Wall, if you would like to write positive sayings or encouragement or draw cheerful pictures you can PM me for my address and I will put your good wishes up on the wall. If you would like to make blankets for kids impacted by the fire, contact the Project Linus coordinator for Jackson County, Oregon. Www.projectlinus.org or on FB look up Jackson County Project Linus.
Thank you in advance for any help or good wishes.
If you are able to, please consider donating money instead of goods. There is a phenomenon called “the second disaster” where communities affected by natural disasters, like our catastrophic fire, are inundated with material goods that they can’t use and have nowhere to put. People don’t need a whole wardrobe of clothes right now. Many of them have nowhere to keep it. They need access to housing and the necessities while they get back on their feet. People who lost their homes will be moving a lot in the next few weeks, they don’t need to be bogged down by stuff. Money gives people the flexibility to take care of their individual basic needs and rebuild their lives.
Here are a couple recommendations for general funds to donate to: the United Way of Jackson County and Rogue Credit Union. They are local organizations with impeccable track records. They’ve done this before. They don’t take a cut of the money and even supplement the funds. They are also quick to get the money back out to those who need it to survive. Your dollars go farther with smaller and more local groups.
Phoenix-Talent School District estimates that 50% of their families have lost their homes, and Phoenix Elementary School is placing that number closer to 80%. If you would like to contribute to a fund to help the families from Phoenix-Talent School District, send a physical check to: Phoenix Talent Fire Relief Fund, PO Box 937, Medford, OR 97501 (Please make checks payable to: Jackson County School District #4). Or you can send a donation via PayPal @AllanaDrossos, or Venmo @Allana-Drossos, and put “Phoenix Talent Fire Relief Fund” as the subject. 100% of these funds will go directly to the families.
Southern Oregon Education Service District is another highly reputable local organization that has been serving our community for years. They are tied into the migrant community and can get aid to them quickly and efficiently. You will have to write them a physical check as they don’t have an online donation site yet. Checks can be made out to SOESD Migrant Education. Mail them to 487 Rock St., Ashland, OR 97520.
Over 100 staff and 300 students in the Ashland School District lived in the path of the fire. The Ashland Schools Foundation has already distributed over $30,000 to local families in need. They are not done fundraising.
? Text ASSIST to 72572 to get a link to their donation page
?Mail donations to ASF, 100 Walker Ave, Ashland, OR 97520.
Please also consider contributing to the Walker Elementary community. Many Walker families have lost their homes. This includes teachers, staff, AND students. The school has been working tirelessly to support the community throughout the pandemic and they are continuing to do so for fire victims.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2020 Newsletter
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