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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 12 2006 at 2:51pm | IP Logged
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Some hs moms locally are getting ready to form a Little Flowers group for our dd's. We are going to be involved, mostly because we used to be a Girl Scout family and miss having it. I know a good Catholic mom who once shared with me that her dd's experience with Little Flowers was boring, almost schooly rather than fun. I don't have my books yet. I'm hoping it was just this one mom's experience and that the program itself is not boring???
I really want to make this work for my dd's. Ds is very involved in Boy Scouts and they really really want to have something for "only girls" too.
Have you had positive experiences? What kinds of things did you do to make the most of the program? Can you offer us any suggestions on starting up?? I'd be so grateful for any help you can offer.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Christine
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| Posted: July 12 2006 at 3:27pm | IP Logged
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I lead (used to co-lead) a Little Flowers Girls' Club. I have heard positives from all involved, save for two families. As the girls in these two families have gotten older they have tended to lose interest in attending the meetings. I have heard that this is typical of girls starting around age 10 (sometimes a little older). From what I have been told, girls in this age group tend to want to be able to socialize more when they get together.
I have tried to keep a balance introducing the saint and virtue, letting the girls visit during snack time, letting them chat as they work on their crafts (we have tried to come up with worthwhile crafts), and giving them a chance to play either with an organized game or simply swing, etc. outside.
Only one girl has left our group. We originally wanted to limit the group to 12, but we have 20 girls (ages 5 to 12) and others who would like to join. I already know of seven girls who will be Little Flowers starting in the Fall of 2007 (we will begin again at that time). It has been a very positive experience for us.
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Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: July 12 2006 at 6:10pm | IP Logged
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Christine wrote:
| I have tried to keep a balance introducing the saint and virtue, letting the girls visit during snack time, letting them chat as they work on their crafts (we have tried to come up with worthwhile crafts), and giving them a chance to play either with an organized game or simply swing, etc. outside. |
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Just what Christine said......
And, a few other things.....
My Emily started at age 10 and she has loved it. We had never done Girls Scouts, so the whole concept was new and exciting. The rest of our group ranges in age from 6 to 10.
We just started a Blue Knights group that meets at the same time and place as Little Flowers. We asked a high school boy to lead it and it is fantastic, imo! I only wish we would have started at the same time as it looks like the virtues match up each week/month.
Because many of the families we do it with had little girls in the 4 and 5 age range, we have a group for them that we call The Rosebuds. They wear the sash but do not have a book or earn patches. They receive a little silk flower on their sash just for being at the meeting and completing their craft, etc. Very, very simple, but the little ones seem so proud. The mom who leads it tries to coordinate the theme with the theme of the church - like with June being dedicated to the Sacred Heart, she did something with hearts.
These groups don't all meet together - they spread out in my house and yard - somehow it works! And, there are even littler ones playing in the backyard with the extra moms!!
We meet only once a month. This has turned out to be a great schedule. The moms are supposed to help with the workbook activities (memorizing the scripture, etc.) during the month. I don't think I could keep up if we did it weekly, so the once a month is nice.
At the beginning I tried to have a service type project to do at each meeting. The older girls really liked this. The first meeting we made snack bags for homeless children (juice box, granola bar, applesauce, napkin, spoon, and stickers). In November we decorated big boxes and filled them with food the girls brought for needy families for Thanksgiving. We plan to visit a nursing home which is run by Carmelite nuns and have the girls (and now the boys) wear their sashes and vests.
We love it! Hope this helps.
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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Bookswithtea
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Thanks everyone. I appreciate the help.
__________________
Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: July 19 2006 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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I just borrowed the Wreath I material from a friend. I thought there would be craft type ideas in the member's manuals, but all the activities seem to be mostly memorizing, writing short reports, and other noncrafty type things. I fear my dd is going to think that this is a cover up for school. 
What kinds of activities and crafts have you done to make this a fun experience for the girls? Do you use the Tea and Luncheon manual? How many of the activities for each petal do you require the girls to complete before giving them their badge? Have you ever changed the requirements or made up your own?
Do you start and close your meetings the same way all the time? Do you have special ceremonies for awarding the patches?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Christine
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| Posted: July 19 2006 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| What kinds of activities and crafts have you done to make this a fun experience for the girls? |
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We've made sacrifice beads, decorated canvas bags, napkins for our tea, pincushions, Rosary/Sacrifice bead boxes, bird houses, bird feeders, Heaven bracelets, St. Lucia wreaths, decorated wax pillar candles with wax, etc. We have had a mini-Catechism Bee where the teams traveled from place to place as they answered questions correctly. We have played Saint Bingo. We often take traditional games and tie them into the saint or virtue somehow.
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| Do you use the Tea and Luncheon manual? |
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No
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| How many of the activities for each petal do you require the girls to complete before giving them their badge? |
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We have the girls complete one activity per year of age with a maximum of 8 activities needing to be completed and/or the child's mom could determine when her child had earned a badge. Next time around the girls under 8 will need to complete 3 activities and the girls over 8 will need to complete 5. I occasionally think of an activity that covers a badge activity. In addition, if a Little Flower participates in our bake sale, etc., then they have automatically earned 2 activities towards their badge.
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| Have you ever changed the requirements or made up your own? |
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Yes
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| Do you start and close your meetings the same way all the time? |
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Usually
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| Do you have special ceremonies for awarding the patches? |
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Yes, we have two Mother/Daughter Teas during the year. The badges are awarded during the tea.
At the beginning of the year, we go to some Rose Gardens and then down to the beach. We focus on St. Therese and do a craft that relates to her or the group in general in some way. The children eat lunch together, play, sing songs, etc.
__________________
Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: July 19 2006 at 11:23am | IP Logged
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Hi Books,
Our meetings basically follow this schedule:
3:30 - Snack/Social time
3:45 - Gather for song (from the CD) and prayer
4:00 - Short Lesson (following the manual)
4:15 - Craft (time varies)
4:45 - Service Project (time varies)
5:00 - Closing Prayer
I really like the CD and think it is worth buying. It sets the scripture memory for each lesson to music. I also have the Craft Companion book which is great for me because I am craft-impaired! But, I did come up with one of my own that has turned out to be my favorite! I bought very simple, small vases at Michael's (I think the were $2.00) and the girls just glued paper tissue squares all over it to make it looked stained glass - they are beautiful. That was done along with several other projects to help the girls create a home altar. Another craft that came out nicely and was from the book was the mosaic of St. Monica. I copied and enlarged a black line drawing of her and the girls glued in all kinds of small beans, lentils, and seeds to make a mosaic.
We pretty much follow Christine's guidelines for awarding the patches, but I just have the moms sew them on before each meeting - I may rethink that as the ceremonies sound lovely. When I work with my own girls during the month on the activities, especially with my younger one, we do some orally so the writing is not overwhelming.
I thought Little Flowers would take the place of our almost non-existent formal religion lessons because they are fairly involved, but truly it is more of a girls club for fun and friendships.
I would really like to do some field trips or service projects where the girls (and now the boys) can wear their sashes and vests. That is my next plan.
__________________
Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Little Flowers Girls Clubs???
