PiperValley

2010 Spring Meeting

Sign-in 6:45 for 7-8pm planning session

TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010

Christ the King Church in Bloomington

"RETRACTION!" We misspoke at the Spring planning session with regards to first aid training. We'll have a first-aid healthcare professional on-site --you need only being the first aid kit and have health forms handy in your troop gear throughout the Piper weekend!

2010 August Meeting

Sign-in 6:45 for 7-8pm update session

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2010

Christ the King Church in Bloomington

PIPER VALLEY is an outdoor experience for registered Girl Scouts (who enter 5th grade and up in Autumn of 2009 in the Bloomington, Richfield, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Savage areas of the Girl Scout Council of Minnesota & Wisconsin River Valleys.

In celebrating outdoor camping skills, ALL meal preparation and cooking are entirely outdoors. Troops share fire pits and picnic tables. Program includes activities in nature, sports, outdoor skills, and crafts. Meet other Scouts with similar interests, and have fun!

WHEN: September 17-19, 2010 RAIN OR SHINE!

WHERE: Camp Greenwood near Rockford, MN. Read your Leader Resource Guide or Program Bulletin for travel instructions. Most troops bring bottled water, as the water from outdoor faucets is not too tasty. Plan to bring coolers to refrigerate your perishable foods.

TRAINED VOLUNTEERS: Every troop must have a minimum of two adults with their troop at Piper. Of all adults planning to attend Piper, we recommend all adult volunteers go to the first meeting. Only one adult is required for the summer update session.

For any troop to participate at Piper, EACH troop needs one of their adults on-site to be Council-certified in Outdoor skills: Visit the Council Website and clcik to the training link to learn the 4 outdoor training levels. Read how ABC training covered 1234 training classes, or call the Council Office for training dates in your area: 763-535-4602.

REGISTRATION: Your troop registration form, choice of activities form, and your non-refundable site fee ($15 per person) are due on or before June 1, 2010.

Registrations are taken ONLY by mail (or if necessary, drop-off at Margo's home - 3107 W. 135th St., Burnsville, MN 55337) no later than June 1. Ambassador troops have registration priority, then all others in the order received toward the total camp count.

If a troop cancels before the summer update meeting, and we are able to slide a waiting troop into your place, your troop will work a repayment plan with the troop taking your place. Might be advisable to have girls pay (rather than use troop funds) if you're not certain whether all girls return to Scouts in Autumn. We fill camp first with tenters, and with so much space at Camp Greenwood, we've never had to turn any tenters away.

PAPERWORK: A complete registration packet is your registration form, program choice form, and a troop check. If your registration packet is missing any piece, the packet will be returned to you, and you will delay your place in line for the camp count.

Any registration received after the June 1 deadline goes on a wait list. Any troop without an adult or leader at the Spring planning meeting will be dropped from attending Piper Valley. Any troop not having an adult or leader at the Summer update meeting is dropped from attending Piper. The leader(s) or adult(s) attending these two meetings also need be in attendance during the entire Piper Encampment.

COST: $15 fee applies to each girl and each adult. Fee covers program materials, patches, secures grounds, buildings, and sundry expenses related to organizing the event. Each troop is responsible for its own food, gear, transportation, and often items for craft projects (i.e.: T-shirt for tie-dying; egg crate for firestarters; coffee cans & lids for kick-the-can ice cream).

EQUIPMENT/GEAR AT CAMP: Each troop provides tents, cooking equipment, sleeping bags & other personal gear, food and beverages. Though potable water is available on-site, there's a strong iron taste, so most troops bring drinking water in gallon jugs. Consult the Safety Wise handbook regarding suitable equipment for this event.

NO INDOOR COOKING: There won't be any indoor food preparation or cooking. If directors learn that cooking takes place indoors, your troop will be asked to leave. Troops SHARE cooking area, and troops SHARE fire scars. Don't bring firewood from home; there's plenty of chopped wood on-site, and plenty of wooded areas for collecting kindling.

SATURDAY BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER: Yes, breakfast is offered again this year. The sponsoring troop presents their fundraiser at the Spring meeting; registration and money (monies separate from camp fee) is collected at the Summer meeting.

SILK SCREENING: Expect a selection of colors and designs from which to choose your silk-screened memorabilia: Bring T-shirt, sweatshirt, pillowcase, canvas bag, or similar large, flat apparel to camp. Items are silk-screened beginning midday on Saturday, and returned to campers on Sunday before end of camp. Guidelines for silk-screening is outlined at both Spring and Sumer meetings. We've paid for the ink, you provide the item, and volunteers give of their time and talent --so there's not any fee for silk-screening. Enjoy your Piper Valley keepsake!

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES FORM: Saturday is made of four program activity sessions --two in the morning, and two in the afternoon. On your Program Activities form, mark your top six program choices (with #1 as your first choice) in EACH of the three camp activity categories: crafts, skills, and outdoor/nature/sports.

You may also drop an activities session for a TROOP TIME with which to work on outdoor cooking entries, lip sync performance, medallion hunt, troop badge work, or hang out. Adults with their troops are still responsible for Scouts during this time. OR your troop may decide against a troop time altogether, while other troops decide on two troop times and give up an activity in one of three categories.

OR your troop might omit an activity session to instead complete a service project at Camp Greenwood. Whatever your troop decides, please indicate your choice on the Program Activities form.

Note: There is not a service project planned for the 2010 Piper.

AMBASSADOR SCOUTS: Ambassadors have the option to sign for activities individually or as a troop. If an Ambassador troop participates in activities as individuals, then EACH Ambassador should complete an activities form naming their interests. If an Ambassador troop particpates as a group, then only one Program Activities form is needed. Ambassador leaders/adults can choose to do an activity as well --and their choice doesn't have to match with your Scouts.

HISTORY: Piper Valley originated in 1967, and was named after the theme of the recruitment slogan "Follow the Piper." This was a song sung by Debbie Reynolds that accompanied the recruitment effort.