My juniors are planning to earn their bronze award this year. They all like service projects and doing things together (although my daughter said, "I can't wait until next year when we can go back to normal"). It is definitely setting the tone for the year. I am so glad I took the training this summer, though, so that it doesn't derail our year! Great ideas and hoiw-to's.

I gave each girl time to come up with ideas for the service project at our first meeting and put all the idea categories on a big piece of paper. I then gave each girl 3 little incentive stickers (the ones teachers use on charts) and let them go up to the paper a few at a time and vote. They could use their votes however they wanted. I had in the past used one girl, one vote schemes but I always wound up with numbers like 8 to 6 to 3. This way, I figured that if you didn't get your first choice, chances are you'd get your second.

Animals won by a landslide, with nature/environment and nursing homes in a tie for second.

We sent out emails to various organizations--in the end, we got positive responses from Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, the World Bird Sanctuary, and the APA. We're going to let the girls make a final decision at the October business meeting. I know what I want to do (a combination of the APA, which would be craft and sewing projects; and the World Bird Sanctuary because I love them). But they're juniors now and I keep my mouth shut!

They are going to do their junior aide badge and one of the other badges will be Wildlife. I guess we'll see if we go with Pet Care or Horse Fan or Plants and Animals when they come to a final decision. Oh, amd they want to do the Sign of the Star. Talent Show in February!

Even though my daughter worries that the Bronze Award will derail her year, it won't. We're doing plenty of fun things and earning pre-requisites without even trying that hard. I'm looking firward to how it progresses.