July 17, 2009
Workshops, retreat hosted for Catholic Girl Scouts
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Lois Schenk and Mary Lou Bradley.
Workshops for Catholic Brownies and Juniors will be held during September at two locations in the Diocese of Evansville.
- St. John the Baptist Church, Newburgh, Sept. 19, 9 to 11:30 a.m. For Brownies (not First Graders) and Juniors and one of their parents. Register by Sept. 14.
- St. Mary Church, Ireland, Sept. 26, 9 to 11:30 a.m. For Brownies and a parent. Register by Sept. 21.
- St. Mary Church, Ireland, Sept. 26, 1 to 4 p.m. For Juniors and a parent. Register by Sept. 21.
At the Brownie workshops, books will be handed out to be taken home for the girls and parents to work on at their home and/or as a group. There will be a workshop for parents explaining the guidelines on filling out the book as the Brownies begin to work on five of the required eighteen activities at their workshop.
The Brownie book will take an additional nine to 10 hours on average to complete and includes activities for groups and families.
Each troop or group will need to have a coordinator who will organize at least two get-togethers, gather the workbooks to be signed by the parish designate and returned to one of the following addresses by April 1, 2010. They will then be able to receive their emblem at a Mass with Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger on May 16, 2010.
It is suggested that only third grade Brownies work on this religious endeavor, but second graders can begin work if their parents so desire.
The Juniors will receive their books once counselors have completed a required certification form.
The counselors must also be Girl Scout members and have completed the Diocesan child protection/safe environment program.
The counselors/attending parents will have a workshop which explains the guidelines as the girls are having their workshop to begin working on activities.
The girls’ finished books will be due on April 10. They will receive their emblems at a Mass with the bishop on May 16. The Junior book will take about 15 to 20 hours on average to complete at home and working as a group. This book may take up to two years to complete and can be started any time while the girl is a Junior, but must be completed before the Girl Scout moves up to the next level in Girl Scouts.
A parent (or another designated adult) must attend a workshop with their daughter.
The cost of the Brownie and Junior workshops will be $5 per Girl Scout which will help pay for the cost of the book. All checks should be made out to the Catholic Diocese of Evansville.
Checks for the Brownie program may be sent to Lois Schenk, 2940 Fox Hollow Ct., Evansville, IN 47715. For information call (812) 437-4165.
Checks for the Junior program should be sent to Mary Lou Bradley, 3333 Cobble Field Dr., Evansville, IN 47711. For information call (812) 479-1874.
Please include the Girl Scout’s name and troop number, name of the adult attending with the girl, and a phone number along with the location that has been chosen. The Juniors should include their counselors’ names and addresses, if known. E-mail questions to loistom_1969@in-sightbb.com.
The Catholic Committee for Girl Scouting wants all Catholic Girl Scouts to have the opportunity to work on these emblems of their faith, so if for some reason a troop or group cannot make one of the above dates, please contact Lois or Mary Lou to set up a date and time that will work for your troop.
A Retreat for Girl Scouts 14 and over will be held in conjunction with the Venturing Crews. It will be held tentatively on November 7 and 8 at Old Ben Boy Scout Camp. A Girl Scout does not have to be working on a religious emblem to attend the retreat. All interested should contact Lois or Mary Lou for more information.
Counselor training of the Marian (for Cadettes) and the Spirit (for Seniors) will be Sept. 19. From 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, New-burgh, and Sept. 26 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary Church, Ireland. Girls, parents and counselors need to attend one of these meetings. Please contact by mail, e-mail or phone Lois Schenk or Mary Lou Bradley (information above).