Trailblazers

trailblazers

honor the past, embrace the future 

Camp Texlake  •  September 21-23, 2012

We honored the past, and now come embrace with future with fellow Girl Scouts as we prepare for the next 100 years of Girl Scouting. 

Trailblazers is an adult volunteer enrichment retreat weekend designed to encourage, enhance and enthuse Girl Scout adults with a transfusion of scouting spirit. It is time to have some fun with other leaders, get motivated for next year and come home with some inspiration ideas for your troop and service unit. Weekend event is open to all registered Girl Scout adults (male and female) and this includes leaders, co-leaders or other troop volunteers. 

weekend schedule

Friday

  • 6-7p.m.: Check in at Camp Texlake office
  • 7-10:30p.m.: Activities at Dining Hall
  • 8:30p.m.: Sing-a-long Fest
  • 11:00p.m.: Lights out, quiet in all Units

Saturday

  • 8-8:45a.m.: Saturday only Check in, Breakfast
  • 9a.m.-11:45p.m.: Workshops 1 & 2
  • Noon-6p.m.: Lunch, Workshops 3 & 4
  • 6:15-7:30p.m.: Dinner, Investiture/Rededication 
  • 8-10p.m.: Pool Party and Campfire
  • 11p.m.: Lights out, quiet in all Units

Sunday

  • 7:30-8:30a.m.: Optional early morning activity
  • 9:15-11a.m.: Breakfast, Unit Kapers, Closing with Friendship Circle

Registration & fees

  • Weekend: $55 includes four meals with two refreshment breaks (friday dinner not included), climate controlled lodging, four workshops with the option of two additional workshops, Trailblazers t-shirt, Trailblazers patch, Friday evening activities and Saturday evening pool party. 
  • Saturday: $30 includes Saturday lunch and dinner, four workshops with the option of one additional Saturday early afternoon workshop, Trailblazers t-shirt and Trailblazers patch.  

Registration deadline: September 15, 2012. Deadline for refunds and cancellations is by noon on September 13. Registration is now closed.

SWAPS CONTEST

Enter your SWAP into our contest Saturday morning before 9a.m. by stopping by the contest table in the dining hall. Voting starts 9a.m. through 3p.m. Contest prizes will be awarded at dinner. There are five contest categories:

  • Most Creative
  • Best Girl Scout theme
  • Trash to Treasure (use recycled item)
  • Too Much Time on Hand  (elaborate) 
  • Oldie but Goodie

Meals

  • Saturday only: Participants will be provided with lunch and dinner.
  • Weekend: Participants will be provided with Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday breakfast along with Friday and Saturday night snacks. 
  • Drinks offered will include water, lemonade, tea, coffee, milk and juice. Water coolers will be stationed in different areas. No soda will be available at camp so you are welcome to bring you own if you would like. We suggest writing your name on your drinks and storing them either in the Flora or Fauna refrigerators or in your personal coolers.  

luxurious accomodations 

  • Saturday only: Participants will use Starlight treehouse units to store any belongings, take a rest/nap, change clothes or shower if needed. This unit offers electricity and fans. 
  • Weekend: Participants will be housed in climate controlled buildings (AC) - Fauna, Flora, Suncrest. 
  • Fauna & Flora: Troop houses that offer 12 rooms in each building with each room housing a maximum of four persons. Each room has two single beds and one bunk bed set. Beds have mattresses and bathrooms with showers in each hallway. Each building is cooled with a central AC unit and workshops will be held in the community living areas. 
  • Suncrest: Unit has five true cedar log cabins that have six sets of bunk beds in each cabin with a maximum 12 person/ cabin. All beds have mattresses and each cabin has bathrooms with showers. Cabins are cooled with window AC units and fans. 
  • Males will be housed in one of the Suncrest cabins unless space is needed. Males may be moved to Tanda Treehouse if necessary. 
  • Attendees are asked to honor a noise/light curfew of 11p.m. - 6:45a.m. Those who wish to stay up late or rise early should go to the dining hall. To ensure everyone gets their well-deserved rest, violaters may be asked by Unit Leaders to go home after the third request to honor the noise/light curfew. 

The Trailblazers committee and facilitators look forward to helping you learn and develop new skills to share with your girls and to have a wonderful experience! Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gloria Romero or Maggie Fowler. 

workshops

Workshop 1 

  • Dreaming Lounge – want to just relax instead of taking a workshop? Bring some of your ideas for the future of GS and enjoy dreaming about "if I was a girl tomorrow..."
  • Leadership Essentials - Take advantage of your time at Trailblazers to get one of the required trainings for all new leaders and those moving to a new grade level. Come learn the essentials every leader needs to be successful. (continues through workshop #2)
  • Lego Robotics - Like a Challenge? Learn to build a Lego Mindstorm robot and program it to do simple basic tasks (continues through workshop 2).
  • Foto Fun - Take Digital photography to the next level. Learn what to do with all your digital photos and other fun photo activities. Take a nature photo walk.
  • Mosaic crafts - Use some recycled items and your imagination to create some wonderful mosaic crafts. (continues thru workshop # 2)
  • Dutch Oven Cooking - Come learn to cook in a Dutch Oven and how to care for cast iron cookware.
  • Knots – All Tied Up - Here is your chance to learn knots and how to teach them to girls.
  • Texlake's Challenge Course - Come have fun with some team building exercises that don't exceed 8' off ground. (continues thru workshop # 2)
  • Religious Awards - Come learn about the new Girl Scout My Promise My Faith award and other religious faith youth awards while also learning about religions around the world.
  • Understanding Teens -With the help of a professional, come get some understanding of current teen pressures & interests and how GS helps.

 

Workshop 2 

  • Leadership Essentials – (cont. from workshop #1)
  • Texlake's Challenge Course – (continued from workshop #1)
  • Lego Robotics – (continued from workshop #1)
  • Mosaic crafts – (continued from workshop #1)
  • Intel Inside - Come learn how to incorporate the Internet, apps, and technology into your scouting experience
  • Geocaching (GPS Fun) - Discover the thrill of Geocaching while using GPS technology to hunt for hidden caches.
  • Cardboard Box Oven Cooking -Cook a meal in a cardboard box? Learn to recycle a box into cooking equipment and how to use it.
  • Walking Sticks & Hiking Games - Hiking or walking outdoors lets you explore your surroundings and is good exercise. Enjoy making walking sticks to go take on your adventure while you learn fun games to play while hiking.
  • Archery - Discover your Archery skills without having to be Katniss in Hunger Games.
  • Dreaming Lounge – repeat of an earlier workshop

Workshop 3 

  • No = Yes - Learn ways to get parents and other volunteers to change "no" into "yes" to increase parent involvement.
  • SWAPS for Beginners - Not crafty or New to GS? Come learn some easy SWAPS to take back to your troop and get ideas for more.
  • Lego Robotics – Like a Challenge? Learn to build a Lego Mindstorm robot and program it do to simple tasks (repeat of earlier workshop, continues through workshop #4)
  • Brownie Science - Sample several Science activities perfect for Brownies. No lab coat necessary.
  • Troop Tshirts - Learn about different ideas for troop tshirts including what designs would need council/GSUSA approval. Bring a tshirt!
  • Get Your Skit Together - Learn some new skits and perform them. A highlight of Trailblazers!
  • Texlake's High Ropes Course - Don't let the girls have all the fun. It is your turn to do some self esteem building exercises that can be from 8' to 40' off ground using safety equipment. (continues thru workshop #4)
  • Girl Scout Ceremonies - Come learn about various Girl Scout ceremonies such as Scout's own, investiture, World Pin, Bridging, flag and campfires.
  • Water Aerobics - Need some exercise but the weather is hot? Come join us at the pool for a fun wet low impact aerobics workout.
  • Dreaming Lounge – repeat of an earlier workshop

Workshop 4 

  • Lego Robotics – (continued from workshop #3)
  • Texlake's High Ropes – (cont. from workshop #3)
  • Sing, Sing a Song - You don't have to be an American Idol singer to have fun learning songs to teach your girls. Come practice the best way to teach songs and learn some new tunes.
  • SWAPS for Advanced - Love crafts? Come learn some more advance type of SWAPS to take back to your troop. Share your ideas with others.
  • Junior Science - Sample several Science activities perfect for Juniors. No lab fees required.
  • Scrapbooking - Learn how your girls can record their wonderful scouting memories into some fun scrapbooks ideas.
  • PVC Lashing - Instead of using knots, rope & wood, come learn some lashing projects (wash stand, trash stand, flag pole) using modern PCV pipe and duct tape.
  • 1st year as Leader? - Come learn what to expect during your 1st year as leader. Includes the different events to look out for during year and other special info.
  • Have Scouts, Will Travel! - Come learn about GS travel ideas and requirements plus learn/share about different money earning projects.
  • Dreaming Lounge – repeat of an earlier workshop
  • Optional Saturday Early Afternoon Activities
  • TYVM = Thank You Very Much - 100 inexpensive ways for the creatively challenged to say "thank you" to volunteers
  • Texlake Hayride Tour – Hop on board for a Hayride tour of Camp Texlake. Camp is larger than you think!
  • Free Swim – Come cool off in the pool.
  • Texlake Trading Post – Come shop like a camper.
  • Free Time – Rest or explore Texlake on your own.

Optional Sunday Early Morning Activity

  • Morning Walk with Bill – Greet the morning with an invigorating nature walk with one of Trailblazers most loved Scouts – Bill Keienburg.