Youth Activities – January Issue
As adults it is our responsibility to teach, nurture and mentor our children. As Ladies Auxiliary VFW
members, part of that includes fostering a sense of citizenship, love of our great country, and respect
for those who won our freedom and continue to protect it.
The only way we can live up to our responsibilities is to get involved with the youth in our
communities. Get involved with Youth Sports, Scouting, Boys and Girls Clubs, church groups, school
classrooms, etc. You never know, while you are there you might find your Outstanding Young
Volunteer of the Year!
Arizona has 2 Girl Scout Councils that cover the state. To get involved simply give the council in your
area a call, talk with them about your talents and they will find a place for you to volunteer. The
Councils can also help you find girls eligible for Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. These awards are
available FREE of charge to Auxiliaries.
Arizona Cactus Pine Council Sahuaro Girl Scout Council
(602) 253-6359 (520) 327-2288 or (800) 331-6782
council@girlscoutsaz.org programa@suhuarogsc.org
Girl Scouts' Highest Awards
Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards
In 1980, Girls Scouts introduced the Girl Scout Gold Award (for Girl Scouts 14-18) as its highest
honor, along with the Girl Scout Silver Award (for Girl Scouts 11-14). To receive these awards, girls
must meet requirements that help them prepare for, and complete, a special project benefiting their
communities. Based on requests from Junior Girl Scouts (ages 8-11), the Girl Scout Bronze Award
was introduced in 2001. Today these three awards are a highlight of the Girl Scout experience.
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts, focuses on a 14- to 18-year-old Girl
Scout's interests and personal journey through leadership skills, career explorations, self-
improvement, and service. The Girl Scout Gold Award was updated in 2004.
The Girl Scout Silver Award symbolizes an 11- to 14-year-old Girl Scout's accomplishments in Girl
Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.
The Girl Scout Bronze Award recognizes that a Junior Girl Scout has gained the leadership and
planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her
community.
Some deadlines are fast approaching for our youth to be recognized for their accomplishments:
Outstanding Young Volunteer
Student deadline – February 1
Department deadline – February 15
Youth Supporting Our Troops
Department deadline – March 30
Please continue our Tradition of Caring by recognizing hard working children in our state with the
awards they deserve.
As of October 31, 2007 which is the last report I have received from National, Arizona Auxiliaries have
raised $2687.12 for the Snowball Express. If you have not sent in your donation please do so ASAP.
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Youth Activities – December Issue
The Christmas Season is the perfect time to work with the youth in your community on Youth
Supporting our Troops. Children can sometimes become focused on receiving and I would like you to
turn that around and focus them on giving. Giving of their time and talents to support military
personnel and their families. Helping with parties for the families, sending cards, drawings and letters
to deployed service men and women, and packing care packages are just a few ideas. Girl Scouts,
Cub and Boy Scouts, church youth groups, classrooms can all join in our efforts to Support our
Troops. Contact your local military installations for other ideas and contact information on local
Family Readiness Groups. Please work with your Veterans and Family Support Chairman too!
If you have not made your donation to Snowball Express yet PLEASE get it in the mail today.
Donations are to be sent to the Ladies Auxiliary VFW National Headquarters earmarked for Snowball
Express.
Happy Holidays to all of you!
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Youth Activities – November Issue
November is the VFW’s Veterans in the Classroom month. It is a great time to introduce Citizenship,
Patriotism, and our beloved veterans to the youth in our communities. There are appropriate
activities for kindergarten through college.
Start by contacting local teachers, principles, and ROTC instructors. Once your date, time, and grade
level are set begin planning the presentation. For kindergarten through grade 2 you might recite and
explain the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem with them. Award the students with a
certificate. There are numerous children’s books available that promote Patriotism that can be read
to a class. Patriotic coloring pages, word search puzzles, etc can be found online. One of my favorite
Internet sites is www.enchantedlearning.com.
For grades 3 – 5 an idea would be reading the “Ten Short Flag Stories” and going over flag etiquette
and “Fun Flag Facts”. A good book to use in the classroom is “Knowledge in a Nutshell on America”
that is available from the VFW emblem and supply department. Puzzles and games work well with this
age group. Grades 6 through college might enjoy a speaker on “Life in the Military” or becoming
involved in the “Veterans Oral History Project”. Outlines for these programs are in the VFW “It’s All
about Service” and on the National VFW website.
More information and ideas for Veterans in the Classroom can be found in the VFW “It’s All About
Service” guide, at www.vfw.org, www.ladiesauxvfw.com, both the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary VFW
emblem and supply departments, and numerous Internet sites.
Please give this program a try. I promise that you and your veterans will find it very rewarding as well
as your students. Don’t forget to invite your students to your Veterans Day Celebrations and Parades.
I know many of you are holding fund raisers for Snowball Express and others have made donations
from their general fund. Thank you all for your generous support of this program. Our Tradition of
Caring is really shining through! Please keep up the good work and get those donations sent to
Ladies Auxiliary National Headquarters by December 1! The families of those brave Americans that
gave the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve this vacation
opportunity. If you know of a family that qualifies to receive this free trip please have them go to www.
snowballexpress.org. They can click on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and there are step by
step instructions.
The Patriot’s Pen student deadline has now passed. Please be sure to get your entries judged and
on to your District Chairman as soon as possible.
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Youth Activities – October Issue
Outstanding Young Volunteers. Are they going to magically appear at our front door? Do the youth
in our communities even know we exist much less what we have to offer them? Unless we can answer
yes to these two questions our job is to go out and find them. The question then becomes where!
First let’s look within our own organization. As younger members join the VFW and ladies Auxiliary,
many of which have young families, there may be candidates for the Outstanding Young Volunteer of
the Year in our own ranks. Check out the Jr. Girls units too.
Scouting offers us a great opportunity to interact with youth that give back to their communities.
Earning a Girl Scout Bronze, Silver or Gold Award as well as the Boy Scout Eagle Award requires
community service. Scouts make great candidates for the Outstanding Young Volunteer of the Year.
Boys and Girls Clubs as well as 4-H Clubs may also be a great source for entries.
School Principles and Teachers can also help with our search. They spend 8 hours a day
surrounded by youth and usually notice the kids that are active in their communities. Look for
Outstanding Young Volunteers in your Adopted Classrooms.
Talk about the program with your Auxiliary Veterans and Family Service Chairman. If she is working
closely with the area Family Readiness Groups there may be a great candidate within their
organizations.
Our area VA Hospitals host youth volunteer programs. Contact the Volunteer Service Coordinator,
give them the information, and get their input on the participants in their program.
Churches, other civic organizations, charity organizations, etc. can all help us find young people trying
to make our world a better place.
Deadline for participant entries is February 1, 2008. Each Auxiliary should have received an
information packet and entry form from me. If you need more information please go www.lavfwaz.org
or contact me at 520-219-1184.
Continue our Tradition of Caring; go out and find Arizona’s Outstanding Young Volunteer of the
Year.
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Youth Activities September 2007 Issue
Although it is still HOT here in Arizona I want to take your mind to a cooler place and turn your
thoughts to the Snowball Express.
What is the Snowball Express you might ask. Well in a nut shell: The purpose of the Snowball
Express, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, is to help create new memories and a few days of
joy for lives that have been shattered by the loss of their fallen hero (parent). It is America's chance
to give a gift of gratitude to the children and spouses of those men and women in the U.S. Armed
Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11.
The Kick Off for the ’07 Snowball Express will be on November 30 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim.
The venue will showcase a “Hollywood Celebration of Freedom’ with headline Gary Sinese. The next
day will be a party at the Oakley World Headquarters and shopping. On December 2 all families will
receive a park hopper ticket to Disneyland and the California Adventure.
Besides this holiday event, the Snowball Express hosts support groups in 2 states and will hopefully
expand nation wide. The Snowball Dream Machine, patterned after the Make-a-Wish Foundation, has
already fulfilled several children's dreams.
What a great opportunity we have been given to participate in this wonderful program. In our
Tradition of Caring, please hold a fund raiser or make a donation from your general fund to support
the Snowball Express. Send your checks directly to National Headquarters and earmark them for the
Snowball Express. Each Auxiliary donating $100 or more will receive a special citation.
For more information on Snowball Express please feel free to contact me or go to www.
snowballexpress.org
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Youth Activities July – August 2007 Issue
Now is the time to get started on your Patriot’s Pen promotion. Plan your program, get your packets
ready to take to the schools, and submit your press releases to the newspapers, radio and television
stations.
Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students enrolled in private or parochial schools. We
cannot depend on the teachers at our public schools to promote our program for us. However,
teachers are a valuable resource. Get the information to them as soon as possible. Be sure that
they know how the program works and the awards that are offered to the students. Charter Schools
have become very popular here in Arizona. Don’t forget to include them in your presentations as well
as home schooled students.
The Internet can be a valuable resource for you. You can get information on Home School
Associations in your area, Charter Schools, and in some instances get directly to the teachers in
public schools. Don’t forget to put the information up on your Post/Auxiliary website. Put fliers and
posters up in the schools and nearby businesses where teens hang out.
This years theme is “Why I am an American Patriot”. Essays must be typed in English and be 300-
400 words in length. Please inform your participants that they can in no way identify themselves in
the essay. This includes having their name on the essay. The essay must be submitted with the
entry form attached. Entries will be judged on Knowledge of the theme, Clarity of ideas, and Theme
development. Complete rules are on the student brochure.
A packet of information that included a brochure, press release and other information was given to
each Auxiliary and District at the Leadership Conference. A copy ready Patriot’s Pen brochure was
also included in the “It’s About Service” packet that your Commander received so you can copy your
own brochures or they can be ordered through the VFW Emblem & Supply Department.
If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 520-219-1184.
Chrissy Harlan