Camp Scherman- Camp Like a Girl!

I just got back a few days ago from taking four girls in my troop to Camp Scherman. For those of you not in Girl Scouts; Camp Scherman is a 700 acre camp in the San Jacinto Mountains owned over 40 years by Girl Scouts of Orange County, and loved by Girl Scouts all over. I have met women who say that Camp Scherman gave them some of the best memories of their lives. Some even said it changed their lives in such positive ways that it made them better people. This weekend was no exception, we all had a great time. At camp there is a song that I love. It's called simply "The Scherman Song". I would give writing credit if it was in the song book that I have, but sadly it is not. So I apologize quoting it here without giving credit to the songwriter. This line sums up the feeling you get at camp;
"You can feel the joy of living everyday.
The peacefulness and solitude
and the memories that we share,
give us strength to face the time
when it's goodbye we'll have to say"
I got up early every morning just to see the sun rise and hear the wind whispering in the trees. Yes, when it is silent you can hear the wind in the trees and it does sound like whispering. It's very cool. (And no I'm not hearing voices in my head!) I heard little animals (I hoped) rustle in the trees, saw deer running across the hills, and got that elusive feeling that I was part of something special. The girls felt it too. Getting ready to leave I always hear at least one girl say they don't want to go, that they love Camp Scherman.
"Where the cactus meet the mountains
and the mountains touch the sky
and the sky's the bluest blue that it can be"
Camp Scherman is in the mountains but we are in a desert too, so there are lots of cactus and yucca amongst the oaks and pines. The rocky terrain is perfect for the rock climbers. Red rock is beautiful. The girls had a fun time "rock scrambling" with Salamander.(All the leaders have camp names- I'm Stitch) Camp is high enough not to have smog so the sky was clear and beautiful. "Where the pine trees smell like Butterscotch"; There is a type of pine tree there and the bark smells like butterscotch or vanilla. I was excited just like a little kid the first time I found that tree. Each time a girl goes to camp it is different, so it never gets old. There is something for everyone.
Camp Scherman is a wonderful place for girls of all ages to safely test their limits, grow in confidence, make new friends, learn leadership skills and have a new experience every time they go. Camp Scherman, unfortunately, is facing the same financial problems as everyone else in this economy. All the camps were not filled last year so they cannot afford to put on a full camp schedule this summer. There was talk of closing, but I am glad to see that is not happening; yet. Leaders, parents- please send your girls to camp. I know money is hard for everyone, but this camp is too important for girls everywhere to lose. Support Camp Scherman. My troop is doing it's best. Don't miss out on this special place. I will end my rant with the chorus of my favorite song.
"Where the road's a little dusty
and the trees a trifle few
But the beauty's there
and the fresh clear air
and the friendships that you knew
The freedom of the forest
lets your soul breathe deep and long
And a part of me will always be here
Singing Scherman songs"

Camp Scherman here we come...

Well I am as ready as I'm gonna be. I'm taking a few of girls in my troop to Camp Scherman this weekend. Camp Scherman is a place girls remember their whole lives. I have had so many adult women tell me how much fun they had there and what it meant to them. I hope my girls have the same experience and memories. I know it is a special place. I can feel it. This camp is a rodeo theme which honestly isn't my favorite, but I will get past that and do-si-do my way through it. Line dances and all. I am looking forward to the decorating of the cowboy hats and the fashion show after. Should be entertaining. I do love crafts.
More when we get back. I will be away from the internet for three days. OMG!!!No cell signal either. Just like in the old rodeo days. :) Roy Rogers are you out there with Trigger?

Pay it Forward

Cassandra and I watched the movie "Pay it Forward" the other night. After crying together because the movie seemed so unfair, we talked. She wanted to know what the point was, because at first she couldn't see how anything was good about such a sad movie. We analyzed how many people's lives were really better because of one boy and then she "got" the movie. There is really something to the idea that one person can change the world. Olive Crest says they make the world a better place "One Life at a Time". Being a staff at Olive Crest, I have always wondered if I even make a difference in the lives of the kids I work with. Mostly I have to live on faith; believing that something I did will make one kid or another, if not happy, a more successful adult. I hope that with Girl Scouts too. Being a leader of a troop I rack my brains to come up with new and fun ways to earn badges and do community service and always am left feeling like I have tried too hard to be a teacher and not be just a fun leader. Where is the magical place where the girls learn wonderful values and have a great time doing it? I have to have faith with that one too and hope that the girls will feel empowered enough in the next few years to make the troop what they want it and transition away from my planning to theirs. Then I will feel like I have accomplished something.
I am going to try to do the little things that I can today to help people and contemplate on some bigger ones that I can do. The point in the movie was that for it to really work, the thing that you did, had to be hard. That's what really made a difference and made the system work. We should all Pay it Forward everyday. I am investing in youth and hoping they will become good adults that can take care of the world (and me too) someday. Your thoughts?

I'm not fat, I'm fluffy

New Years Resolution #3- Lose weight!!! I would love to be able to believe that it is just fluff, but that fluff is starting to pour over the edge of my pants and make my legs look like cottage cheese.(which I actually like, but not on my legs)
Exercise is the key I know. I have started to do Wii fit with my daughter. Fun but it looks very silly when you do a hula hoop with no hoop to hula. Nothing like gyrating your hips while standing on a Wii fit plastic board. Tiring though so I hope it is doing something. Hiking is good too. I plan to do that more again soon and also the gym. I am promising myself.
Well, no matter how hard I want to do well I will still rationalize by repeating the mantra "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy" over and over. Making excuses is something I do well. Will that use up calories? I hope so.

Out with the old- in with the New Year

Good morning to 2010. My first thoughts were OMG look at the mess in the kitchen. No great epiphanys, just a need to clean up the party from the night before. Great party! We played rock band badly, sang horrible karaoke songs, ate tons of food and laughed a lot. The candle that burned down so low that wax went everywhere seemed like the representation of last year melting away. Too corny? Ah well- I did have a couple of apple martinis and my brain is a little fuzzy. So here I sit and contemplate the Christmas tree that needs to come down and the Girl Scout activities I need to plan. 2010 is gonna need to be different. I need to make some changes; in my job, my attitude and take better care of myself. As I grow and make positive changes I can hopefully be a better mom, wife and all around person. What I need to change the most is the way I look at things. I have a family that loves me, great friends, a job, a house and even a cute dog, yet I am not satisfied somehow. That doesn't seem right. I should be at peace with the world and yet I want more. More travel, more money, more something else that I can't even figure out- it's just out there like the gold ring on the merry-go-round, just out of reach. That's what I need to reach for; my gold ring. Figure out what it will take to be a happier person and in turn be a better person for everyone around me. OK so I found New Years Resolution #2- be a happier person. But first I need to take down the Christmas tree.