Pondering after the Camporee

We survived the Girl Scout 100 Year Camporee this weekend at Camp Kiwanis in Mahomet!  I must say the weather could not have been better.  The girls complained about it being hot on Saturday, but really it was nice.  We didn't freeze at night, and there was plenty of shade and breezes during the day. We had 12 girls and 4 adults go (Thank you thank you Rachel, Trish, and Jennie!)  I think I'm still processing the whole experience because I honestly can't say whether it was a trip worth it or not.  Of course yesterday I couldn't process anything because I spent most of the day in a sleep-deprived stupor.  The first night I did not sleep at all and both mornings girls started stirring at 4:30 (that's when birds wake up apparently) and were up by 5:30-6.   I do apologize to anyone I tried to speak to at church because I probably didn't make much sense.  Anyway, here are my observations post-trip:

1. Girls don't get outdoors enough.  They really do enjoy being in the woods. (even if those woods are never out of ear-shot of a major interstate)
2.  Silly songs are always a hit.  Pre-tween girls often try to act like they are all grown (which I think to them means they are teenagers) but sing a silly song and they turn back into the children that they are, which is nice.
3.  Tent camping is fun and nice, but a mattress in a cabin is much nicer, even if it is just laid on the floor and there's no air conditioning (I did say the weather was nice)

4.  Consideration for other people has to be taught young and constantly.  So many little things we do affect other people and consideration of that is really a mentality, not a series of unrelated behaviors that can be corrected on a weekend.
5.  Do we (girls) really have to be scared of all bugs?  The ones that can bite, I get, but ALL of them?!
6.  Knot tying is really cool!  We learned 5 knots this weekend and I must say I will be excited when I have the occassion to use one.  Although by then I may have forgotten them, but I do have a resident Eagle Scout to help out in just such situations.
7.  I love to see a girl try something new and find out they are good at it!  Some girls get so little honest praise for things that they do well at, whether they haven't had opportunities to find things they enjoy and are good at or no one is there to praise them for it.  I love the look on their faces when someone else notices a skill, talent, or trait in them that is praiseworthy!
8.  I need God to constantly fill me with grace and wisdom to deal with behavior in other people's children that can be extremely frustrating.  I can not do this on my own, because my ugly self comes out U-G-L-Y!  Especially when sleep-deprived. 
9.  Sewing is a skill everyone should have at least rudimentary knowledge about, boys and girls.  Being able to thread a needle and sew a button back on or sew up a hole really does come in useful.  I'm thankful that they girls got to sew this weekend, take home something they sewed, and have a very useful skill for the future.  Some girls who had never sewn really surprised me with how well they sewed.  Of course I should say thank you Mr.Thomas, the art teacher at Bottenfield for having everyone in 2nd grade embroider their names on sack cloth.  That intro. sure did help!
10.  Girl Scouts really is a neat organization.  It's really cool to see girls getting exposed to so many experiences and opportunities they probably wouldn't have outside of Girl Scouts.  The combination of history, tradition, and sisterhood really makes Girl Scouts stand out among other groups for girls to me.  It's neat to know that girls from all over (this weekend was just our service area) can get together and have common experiences, like already knowing the same songs, games, or ceremonies, is so special.  It really helps give the girls a sense of belonging and commoradory that I think it missing for a lot of them outside of Girl Scouts. 

So in retrospect, I guess it was worth it.  Yes I spent much of Saturday extremely frustrated, but I saw a lot of good things too.  And I realized some planning necessities for future troop camp outs. (For girls that have never camped with us before, parents will have to accompany)  I have to remember that what you have not been taught, you can not be expected to know.  I can only try my best to teach, model, and show compassion.  I was not my best at that this weekend, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me next time.  :)