(no subject)

[the_rck]

The informational meeting for the Girl Scouts didn't give me much. The odds of Cordelia's school having a Daisy troop for this year seem very low (unless I want to lead it which I think would kill me). There aren't leaders available right now for any level of Girl Scouts at the school. The next closest elementary school has more leaders and interested girls than it can handle and so won't take transfers even if the logistical barriers can be overcome.

The primary logistical barrier that the organization's considering is timing. A meeting that begins right after school lets out would be half over by the time girls from another school could get there. I could, in theory, get Cordelia to after school meetings at another school because we'd have more than three hours to make the trip, between when her half-day kindergarten lets out and when a meeting would start. It's only in theory, however, because I can't commit myself to that trip, not without some backup.

I did sign Cordelia up for a Rec & Ed class that will meet Tuesday evenings at her school. It was cheap, only $29 for six half hour classes. It's martial arts for 4-5 year olds (with a liberal interpretation of the age range). The listed instructor PKSA. I can't find anything much about them online. I guess I'll just keep my eye on how it goes. I would hope that somebody running a class listed as open to those between the ages of three and a half and six and a half would have some flexibility and experience with small children, but...it's Rec & Ed. You get the teachers you get.

I'm mainly hoping for a regular activity that will use up some excess energy, let her be around other kids for a little bit and give us an idea as to whether or not she might like that sort of class in a more formal environment. (She loved gymnastics but was scared of some of what she was asked to do. That instructor was great about not forcing kids. If I could drive, I would seek out more classes taught by him.)

The first class is next Tuesday. I suppose I'll find out more then.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yeah...in order for my daughter to do it, I had to be a co-leader for two years. It was...yet another item to juggle in a horrific schedule.

[the_rck]

I have time to give. I could help out at the meetings. I just can't run a troop. I can't handle the responsibility without breaking. There are a lot of things I can do, just not that.

I think the organizer was really hoping that I could run a troop. She was very interested in me until I made it clear that my disabilities prohibit it. Trying to explain that certain types of stress can make me suicidal is hard. Suicidal depression is hard enough for many people to understand if they haven't experienced it. Suicidal anxiety is even harder.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

That is quite true...and I wonder if we just saw the reason why she's not finding leaders. It sounds to me like you made it clear enough that you'd volunteer time and effort, but to be a worker under someone who likes leading--but needs workers.

That's how most of these troops get put together these days, because most women work, unlike the old housewife days. That's what we had, and I've heard of here and there: one mom is in charge of cookies, one of meetings and crafts/badges, one of administrative stuff, another of field trips (organizing drivers, and tickets, etc) and that makes it work. My job was the meeting/crafts/badge person.

[the_rck]

I think I was the only parent from our school at the meeting (there were a couple of women who didn't speak English very well who might also have been. They didn't say one way or the other where I could hear). I don't know if other parents from the school went to other meetings and have no way to find out. I suspect that there weren't many, if any, because this was the third of the four meetings (each was a different night and at a different school) because she really didn't seem to think there was much interest at the school.

I think that she felt that, if she could find one dedicated, organized parent, she could start from there to build a troop for our school. She just needed somebody to do the recruiting, organizing and such, to take responsibility for it all. The rep said that she's the organization's contact person for something like six elementary schools. I expect that there's only so much that she can handle for each school.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

It could be. From my experience, though, the best results come out of putting teams together. Who knows what those women were thinking? If a poster had been put up saying a troop was forming, bet they would have showed up, daughters in tow.

Well, it's early days for the kiddo. Maybe it will happen later.