2014 April-June

Monday is the cake auction, please let Lisa know if you are coming (March 24, 5:30pm, Millikan high school, potluck bring a main or side dish please, no desserts needed)

April meetings: 9th and 30th at the council 6 to 7pm. we will be getting ready for Grand Council Fire, the kids will be learning a short speech they will do at the ceremony and this year they host the Camp Fire Law song, singing in front of everyone and teaching the hand signs.

Saturday May 3rd Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center nature walk. We will meet at the Upper Back Bay in the Interpretive Center parking lot at 10am. We can do a self guided tour of the center, they have a short movie we can watch and then take a walk together around the back bay. It is very hot and dry there, unless we have some june gloom, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes, hat, sunscreen and water.  I plan on being there about an hour 1/2 but we can stay as long as everyone would like.

Sunday May 4th  Grand Council Fire at the council, more details to come. This is a formal camp fire event which means the kids must be in uniform, dark blue pants, white polo and vest. jackets are ok, shoot for red, white or blue if possible. The kids will be out in front of everyone leading a song and reciting a short speech so pay close attention to how they look please. Remember parents pick kids up at the lodge after the ceremony, the kids will be excused first.

Wednesday May 7th is our parent meeting to go over registration, Spring Camp Out, summer events and answer any questions you might have. Please no kids at the parent meeting.

Friday May 16 to 17 is the Spring Camp out and pancake breakfast. We will discuss this at the parent meeting.

Wednesday June 11th is our last get together this year, we are signed up to attend the Ropes Course/Challenge at Camp Shiwaka, starting at 3:30 it is a 4 hour event. There might be a fee for each child, some of the fee will be paid from our candy sale earnings, I will let you know before the event. This is a very special, very cool course and is designed to help groups learn trust and to handle challenging situations. Fear of heights is addressed and the staff is highly trained to work with groups of kids. Local fire fighters have used our course, it is that good so i hope everyone can attend.

Camp Shiwaka is August 11 through 15, Lisa and I will be running camp this year, we will discuss this more at the parent meeting.

March-June

I am planning a field trip to the Peter and Mary Muth Center in Upper Back Bay for the spring, please let me know if Saturday or Sunday mornings work better for your family. I am shooting for April or May, should be a couple hours for a visit and walk.

We have the pancake breakfast tickets to hand out, the spring camp out is Friday May 16 to Saturday May 17 this year, please mark your calendars. We are planning a parent meeting for Wednesday May 7th (no kids please) so we can get registration for next year done, plan spring camp out and plan for Camp Shiwaka. I am hoping to lead camp this year along with Lisa instead of paying a youth counselor so we will need a few parent volunteers to help us that week. It's super fun and most parents find it a really unique experience to hang out with the kids all day.  We will also decide on our end of year party for the June 11th meeting.

Cake auction is Monday March 24th, more details to come

Grand Council Fire is Sunday May 4th, 6pm at the flagpole

Meetings: April 9, April 30, parent meeting May 7, end of year party June 11

Candy Sales

We have a meeting this Wednesday Jan 8 from 6 to 7pm at the council. We will be working on our Sparks Champion projects and have an art lesson. Nick is signed up for snacks for this meeting.

The candy sale kick off is Monday Jan 13, 5:45 to 8pm at Millikan High School ( 2800 Snowden Ave 90815). This is a potluck so everyone needs to sign up for a main dish, salad, dessert, drinks or paper goods. Bottled water is preferred as it is not too messy to clean up. Please sign up at tomorrows meeting for a dish or paper goods to bring. I will have the sign ups for the bank and store candy sale dates at the kick off event. Please make sure you copy the dates correctly and check the blog often for any changes to the schedule. If you don't show up for a sale, especially a good location, that means someone else will miss out on selling so be mindful of what you sign up for. Marie Newton will be helping me with the bank deposits this year, every week you need to coordinate a drop off with her so we can be sure to get all the money in the bank in a timely manner. I will add on as many sale date/sights as you need, don't worry if you don't get all the spots you want in the beginning. There are always people who give back good sights toward the end, so I can sign up for more as we go. Please don't wait until the last minute and tell me you are stuck with a ton of candy. If you communicate with me I will do my best to help you get rid of it but I work full time and have two kids selling so I am super busy. Candy sales start officially on Friday Jan 17 and end Feb 16. All money needs to be turned in by Monday Feb 16 so we can do a final deposit Tuesday Feb 17. I will organize the tables, chairs, posters, sale box this weekend and have them available in front of my house when the sale starts. Please bring back the tables/chairs etc immediately after each sale. Sometimes we need them for another sale right away and it is hard to track down who has what and where. It is a great idea to have your own little table/chair set up you can use your own. I have done that for several years and it has been much easier not worrying about tracking down the table/chairs each time.

I will be picking up the candy this Saturday at 10:30. Please come by and get your candy around noon if possible, I don't have a lot of storage space so I need to get the candy distributed asap. If you can't make it on Saturday, let me know when you can pick it up so I am home when you come by.

Jan 29 meeting at the council 6 to 7pm

Obstacle course, Cinnamon Ornaments, Pizza making, Kiniya 2013

Fall 2014

Monday Oct 14 is the Neighborhood Association Bingo night at MIllikan high school cafeteria. Arrive by 5:45 in uniform please. This event is catered: Mexican food (burritos, tacos and enchiladas)

Kiniya is a ceremonial campfire we have in November that celebrates our service to the community. Each year we choose a project or an organization to support. We have spent several years supporting the Los Cerritos Wetlands, helping to restore and save our local wetlands, which we will continue to do in the spring with other groups in the neighborhood association. Our Kiniya project this year will be to gather and donate gently used shoes. Start cleaning out your closets and asking family/friends to save their shoes for you. More information to come soon, just wanted to give you guys a heads up.

Oct 23 meeting, we will be celebrating Halloween with some fun food and creepy crafts. We have several badges to hand out as well.

Each year we ask each family to pay $75 in dues to help offset the cost of patches, events and craft supplies. Please make a check out to Camp Fire and turn it in to me at the next get together. It is really hard to run a group when we have little or no funds so I am eager to get our bank account up and running so I can purchase beads, patches etc. thank you!!

Saturday Oct 19 Halloween carnival: each kid will work a one hour shift (4, 5 or 6pm) Lisa has a schedule you can check out at the bingo night. I will be there at 3pm to set up (I have two groups to set up) and will be there the entire time. Remember to wear your costume and bring friends and family too! I have the jack o lantern fishing booth for us this year again. Let me know if you have a booth idea you are dying to do instead and we can do it as well.  The more booths the better!


Rocket Cats Booth Times

4:00 to 4:30  emily ---nate noriega

4:30-5:00  carly------ethan

5:00-5:30---nicolas---conner

5:30--6:00----natalie --alyssa --jacob caspers

6:00-- 6:30       nate merryman--aliyah

6:30---7:00   lizzie and munroe

May June wrap up

Thank you to everyone who came to Spring Camp out, it was a great success! We had tons of food and the kids had a great time too.

Pancake tickets: we still need pancake ticket money from Ethan, Jacob, Aliyah and Isabella. Get it to Lisa ASAP so we can turn it in, we are already late. thanks!!

Next meeting is Wednesday May 22nd at the council from 6 to 7pm. Please bring pancake ticket money, Shiwaka forms and check please if you still have it. We will have next year's registration form for you to fill out (it's super easy) and need a $20 check so we can register our group ASAP. We collect dues in the fall.

Last meeting will be June 5th at Lisa Gonzales' house for a pizza party! yay!!

Camp Shiwaka, we have a great turn out so far for camp, the kids are going to have a great time. Session one is June 17 through June 21: schedule is Monday -Wednesday 9am to 3:30pm, Thursday 2pm with overnight sleepover, Friday camp ends at 10am. Please get your sit upon and ditty bags ready, kids will need a water bottle kept at camp all week, sunscreen, hat and bug spray. There is an aluminum can drive Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so start collecting now. For the sleepover, kids need a sleeping bag/pillow/pj's/toothbrush and toothpaste. Remember no electronic devices at camp (camera is ok but it may get dirty/broken). Also, only closed toe shoes with tall socks (lots of stickers out there at camp) and clothes will get dirty!!!! There are supplies at the council store but they run out so get there soon!

Thanks! See you Wednesday May 22 at the council

Leslie

April/May 2013

Next meeting is Wednesday April 17th at the council  6 to 7pm

Art Workshop Showcase Friday April 19th

Rancho Los Cerritos visit Saturday May 4th from 1 to 4pm (free!! siblings welcome)

Grand Council Fire Sunday May 5th 6pm, Must be in uniform, flashlight, sit-upon

Sprint Camp Out at Camp Shiwaka Friday May 10 to May 11 with a pancake breakfast Saturday morning.