Bluebird's Brownie Quest Project

I mentioned that I let the girls use World Thinking Day to work on Girl Scout stuff instead of "regular school."  Bluebird is working on her "It's Your World, Change It!" Brownie Journey, and had to pick out something in the community that she thought needed improvement, and then start taking steps to bring about the change.

She decided that she wanted to try and get signs posted on a running trail in our town.  We all know that the running trail exists because it runs alongside various roads throughout town, but we have no idea where it goes, no idea where to park to get on it, and no idea how long it is.  Seeing that Bluebird and Penguin want to train for a 5K later this year, they have their eye on that running trail.

Bluebird wrote a letter to our mayor.  In the letter she explained that she was afraid of getting lost on the trail and that she hoped the trail could have maps and signs put up along it so others would be more inclined to use the running trail.  She asked him to write back to her with his thoughts, and we licked the envelope and sent it on its merry way.

This morning, during Math, the phone rang.  The name on the caller ID was that of our mayor.  I normally just let the answering machine pick up during school, but...the mayor's name?  Curiosity was too much, so I picked up.

It was indeed the mayor.  And he told me that he had received the sweetest letter and that he knew Bluebird wanted a reply, but that he wanted to "do ya one better.  Would she be OK with presenting her idea at the city council meeting tonight?" 

Uh...what?  You want my nine year old kid to present an idea to the city council?  Well, this is Bluebird, who isn't afraid of any sort of social situation, so...yeah, she could handle that.

Mr. Mayor then said he'd meet us before the meeting to talk with her, and then we hung up.  I turned around and told Bluebird what was going to happen and she just beamed.  "Are you OK with that?" I asked.

"I'm excited, but a little nervous.  But it should be OK."  Brave girl.

I then phoned Michael to tell him that we had plans in the evening and just laughed at how surprised he sounded over the phone.

The rest of the day was shot.  She was fidgety and completely in her own little world, so I gave up after lunch and we talked about political processes and other related subjects while I did her hair and her nails and reminded her of social etiquette.



Bluebird and the mayor!

We arrived at City Hall fifteen minutes early, and the mayor was standing out in the lobby waiting for us.  We all shook hands and then he sat down on the stairs with her and explained how it was going to work and that he was going to read her letter out loud to everyone and then invite her up to speak.  She seemed fine about it all, so we went and sat down in the meeting room and watched people file in.

The meeting started with The Pledge of Allegiance (so glad I taught my kids that last year!), and then we sat through some business to do with our rodeo, and then we listened to various folks as they went up to the podium to discuss random things they were concerned about.

Finally (because ten minutes is an eternity to an excited little girl!), the mayor introduced her to the room, reading a bit of her letter and then inviting her up to speak.  There was a little confusion as she went up as we realized she wasn't tall enough to reach the podium's microphone, but someone snaked in another microphone that reached down to her, and she began:

So proud!  Good job, Bluebird!