TYPICAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
All events listed are for Barrington Girl Scouts and their Families
In a normal September - June scouting season, Barrington Girl Scouts hosts monthly town-wide events including trash clean-ups, hootenannies (sing-a-longs), book swaps, Thinking Day celebrations, Sweetheart dances, and more. Unfortunately, all of those events have been somewhat disrupted by the pandemic. Barrington still has active girl scout troops, and leaders are working on creative ways to connect our Girl Scout community . Here is a list of typical events. There are also opportunities to participate in Girl Scout functions through GSSNE; check out GSSNE Programs and Events here.
- September
- Unloading Pumpkins at St. John's
- Help move your pumpkins or decorate some pumpkins for a neighbor that could use a pick-me-up!
- Membership Registration on line at GSSNE
- Available on line all year; registration will link you to an opportunity catalog which shows are current openings in troops. The information will be updated by September 30.
- Unloading Pumpkins at St. John's
- October
- Fall Clean Up Event
- This is a great time for troops to organize a clean up the area near your home, or at a playground, in a park, on the bike path, at the beach.
- Magazine, Nut & Candy Fundraiser
- Troops have the option to participate in this Fall Fundraiser.
- Fall Clean Up Event
- November
- Hootenanny
- What is a "Hootenanny"? It's a Girl Scout Sing-a-long! We gather to learn and teach songs. Troops are encouraged to learn new Girl Scout songs (see resource page) to teach other Girl Scouts at a larger event or within your own troop. We traditionally collect food to support Tap-In at our Hootenanny, so it's a good time to donate some canned goods or other non-perishable food items to Tap-In to help our neighbors in need.
- Hootenanny
- December
- Cookie meeting for Cookie parents/organizers
- Leaders and troop cookie managers get all the information they need to plan their cookie selling season.
- Cookie Selling Begins
- Order taking has starts late December and runs until your troop's end date. Direct sales will start at the end of January and run through early March. Please contact your leader or cookie parent for any questions.
- Cookie meeting for Cookie parents/organizers
- January
- Annual Book Swap
- If you have a book you've already enjoyed and you're ready to move it on to a new home, donate it to Friends of the Barrington Library at their drop off or look for a Little Free Library!
- GSSNE Cookie Kick-Off
- GSSNE hosts a Girl Scout friendly Kick-Off event.
- Annual Book Swap
- March
- Thinking Day Celebration/WAGGGS
- In Barrington, we encourage each troop to create a country display and prepare a snack and/or craft from their chosen country. When possible to gather at a large event, individual scouts travel "around the world", visiting the displays, tasting a treat, making a craft, and getting a stamp in their passport before heading on to the next country.
- Thinking Day Celebration/WAGGGS
- April
- Sweetheart Dance
- A chance for Girl Scouts and their dads, uncles, grandfathers, moms or other loved ones to cut the rug--and to support Project Undercover, a program that supplies diapers, underwear and socks for children in need. For years when this dance isn't possible, troops are encouraged to collect donations for Project Undercover.
- Sweetheart Dance
- March-June
- Girl Scout Summer Camp Registration is open
- For a wide variety of options, click on this link (green when available) to see what GSSNE has to offer this summer for day camps and resident camps, as well as agreements with other Girl Scout Councils for camp experiences farther afield.
- Girl Scout Summer Camp Registration is open
- April
- Outdoor Day Event for Younger Scouts
- Older girls typically host an afternoon/evening event for younger Barrington Girl Scouts to learn some outdoor skills, songs, and crafts.
- Outdoor Day Event for Younger Scouts
- May
- Memorial Day Parade
- Everyone meets in front of the main entrance of BHS in the morning. In uniform (sash/vest, white shirt, plain shorts/pants/skirt) and good walking shoes. By tradition, Girl Scouts hand out candy gently to the townspeople gathered on the sides of the parade route (Lincoln/Upland Way/Barrington Ave/Maple Ave). The parade ends at the Town Hall. Scouts may walk with their troop or another troop if their troop isn't marching (but need to arrange that through their leader). Some years Girl Scouts are responsible for the flag ceremony preceding the Parade, also at BHS.
- Community Camping Event for Older Scouts -- TBD
- For our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Scouts! Older Scouts will run skill stations, then we'll all eat together over the campfire before sleeping in platform tents at Camp Hoffman. Participating troops will be contacted by their leaders with details. More information to follow as we know better what our options are in the spring.
- Memorial Day Parade
- June
- Spring Membership Drive
- Every year we encourage new scouts to join and new troops to start!
- Gold Award Ceremony
- A ceremony honoring the Gold Award honorees of Barrington.
- Town Wide Bridging Ceremony
- A simple, inclusive, outdoor Bridging ceremony at Haines Park at which all Scouts making a level change will cross the "Bridge" to the next level of Girl Scouts, and all Girl Scouts and Volunteers will be congratulated on another successful year of Girl Scouting. Everyone joins in an enormous Friendship Circle. Everyone is invited, including friends and family.
- Spring Membership Drive