Briarglem Starflight Club Community Service Field Trip May 1, 2010 Claremore Veterans Hospital with the Modern Woodmen of America The Club Members handed out Crossword Puzzle and Word Search Books (and candy)
The Modern Wooden of America met us at the Veterans Hospital in Claremore, Oklahoma. They had a cart full of beautiful Crossword Puzzle and Word Search Books for us to hand out to the Veterans who were in the Hospital. While we were driving to the hospital we talked about what a Veteran was and what the Veteran had done for our country. for the Door Prize. Caitlin was given a catalog from which to order the prize of her choice. Then the Modern Woodmen group showed us all how to hand out the books to the Veterans. Our leaders had brought some candy in a basket for us to hand out to the Veterans along with the books. Christopher s father is in the army now. In fact, Christopher will be moving to New York next week because his father has been stationed in New York. We talked about how Veterans had helped make our country safe. Erline Lowther is one of the Modern Woodmen. She had a door prize and Caitlin s name was drawn 2
Some of the Veterans were in the hallway rolling around in wheel chairs. Others were in their beds. Sometimes we had to run to catch them before they rolled their wheelchairs out of site. It made us feel really good when they would look at us and smile and say, Thank You. We thanked each one of them for their service to our country. Our guide at the Hospital was Mr. Bert who had a therapy dog named Clyde. Clyde loved to catch a cloth frisbee when we threw it. Clyde loved to be petted and played with. All of the Veterans knew Clyde, also. Mr. Bert and Clyde took us to the Veterans on the first floor and then we took an elevator up to the second floor. The Veterans all smiled when we came up to them. They also loved the candy we had to give them. 3
Sometimes the Veterans offered to pay us for the books but we told them we weren t allowed to take money from them. We loved the Veterans, and we felt like they loved us. Some of the Veterans had been in the Army, some in the Air Force and some in the Navy. They all had lots of stories to tell us. Some did not want the books, but nearly all of them wanted the candy. 4
Sometimes we would ask them which branch of the military they had been in and they enjoyed telling us which war they were in. Some had been in World War II, some had been in Korea and some in Viet Nam. They all had a story, and somehow we grew when we heard their stories. Some of them could talk and others could not. But all of them could smile, and wink their eyes at us and enjoyed our gently wrapping their fingers around the candy, and placing the books in their arms. It always made us smile, and we were very careful not to be too loud because some of them were really sick. 5
Sometimes we had to look to see where the next Veteran was. Sometimes just two of us would take a book into their rooms, if they were really sick. They always smiled. Christopher is looking at the birds, and Kitty is looking for the next Veteran to give a book and candy to. The hospital was very pretty. There were fish (one was named Sarge), and birds in beautiful cages. The Veterans enjoyed the birds and fish and so did we. 6
We all got to look at the Finches in the beautiful cage. They were so happy and bright. There were lots of windows in the hospital, and outside there was a beautiful lake. Glorianna is pushing the cart with the books on it. We had a lot of books to give out, and we got on the elevators to go to the second floor. 7
Then we had gone to every room in the hospital and we were going to get on the elevator and go back down to the first floor. Before we left we got in a circle and sang our Camp Fire Wish, and Make New Friends But Keep The Old. Everyone loved our singing, and all of the Veterans, nurses and doctors clapped for us and said, Thank you. We got in the Elevator and thought we were going to leave. The hospital was very big. We would walk around the entire floor, which was a circle, with Mr. Bert and Clyde the Therapy Dog leading us. Bert was always happy, and Clyde loved everyone. One Veteran sang a beautiful song to us. It was a song about us - about the Camp Fire Group handing out books to the Veterans. He really sang beautifully. Everyone clapped, and we asked him to sing another song. 8
The lady said that if we saw someone with a Therapy Dog we should never attempt to pet the dog without asking the owner, because the dogs were very protective. Liberty Bell was so smart that she could even do the laundry - put the clothes in the washer and take them out and put them in the dryer. She could then put the clothes where they needed to be put - she couldn t fold them down, or hang them up, but she could get them washed and dried. She also knew if the person she belonged to needed help and would get help for that person. In the parking lot there was a lady who asked us if we would like to meet the Therapy Dog named Liberty Bell who was the Therapy Dog for her husband who was in the hospital. We said of course we would. Liberty Bell had been trained in the Womens Facility in Huntsville, Texas. When the women earned enough points they could have a puppy to train to be a Therapy Dog. Liberty Bell was very smart. She would do everything the lady asked her to do, like Sit and Wave 9
Liberty Bell could do so many things. It seemed like she could almost talk to us. Her owner said that sometimes Liberty Bell played with Clyde at the hospital. Liberty Bell and Clyde are friends. Liberty Bell s owner told us that last Halloween when the children knocked at the door, Liberty Bell would wave to them through the window. 10
We were all Camp Fire ladies and gentlemen at McDonalds. We did not want to disturb anyone and we knew we would be examples for all of the other children to follow. Then we all went to McDonalds and had a Happy Meal. The toy in the girls happy meal was Mermaid, and the boys got a race car with a shark in it. Kitty wanted the car instead of the mermaid. We all had a choice. 11
Cha Cha had a Blackberry, and Caitlin got the GPS up on Cha Cha s Blackberry. Caitlin s mother had a Blackberry so she knew how to use it. We enjoyed out meal at McDonalds, and then we all got back in Ms. Linda s and Cha Cha s cars and went on to the Lilac Festival. We all were hungry and were happy to get our Happy Meal with the toy. There was no playground at this McDonalds, but we enjoyed the toys we had. We stayed in the our groups. Ms. Linda had four Camp Fire people in her car, and Cha Cha had four in her car. We stayed together with Linda taking the lead because she had a GPS in her car. The group in her car could see the map of how we were supposed to travel. 12
The Gamma Kappa Sorority had an Arts and Crafts area and everything was free. They even gave us plastic bags in which to carry our crafts home. They were very, very nice. The wind was really blowing and it looked like it was going to rain. We got to park very close, however, and the first thing we saw was a group of men running model trains. They were really happy with their trains, and we were happy watching them. 13
Sometimes we had to take a moment to dance, as there was a band playing all the time we were working on our crafts. Kaylin stopped a while to swing to the music. We started out by painting or coloring wooden trains which we could keep. We were all careful to put our names on the crafts we made. Kaylin, Kola and Glorianna were working hard on their trains. They were very proud of them. 14
The wind kept blowing and it started to rain. The Craft booth had been in the street but they had to move it into a store front because of the weather. We were safe working on our crafts out of the rain and wind. Daniel and Christopher worked hard on their trains, and Saraka was really concentrating on her project. 15
Then it really started raining hard. I guess that s why the Festival was not so crowded. There were the blown up Jupiter Jumps and a play area, but all those things cost money. The rides on the small train were $3.00 per person. Some of the Club Members had money to spend, but told Cha Cha they didn t think it would be fair if they participated in the play areas when others could not, so no one went to the play area, even when it stopped raining. There were lots of children there, but there was enough room for everyone. Sometimes we were doing different things. Kaylin, Kola and Daniel worked on their trains while the other members were doing other things. 16
There was so much to do at the Arts and Crafts table and the Gamma Kappa people were so friendly and nice. Kitty and Saraka are working on Mothers Day Cards. Daniel and Christopher are working hard on Mothers Day Cards, also. 17
Glorianna had her face painted with a beautiful butterfly. Kola was proud of the macaroni necklace he had made. 18
Saraka was proud of the heart painted on her face. Caitlin was proud of her face painting. Caitlin helped the leaders with the group. She is a Briarglen Adventure Club Member, and had a tremendous way of talking with the Starflight Members and all adults. We were happy Caitlin came with us. Caitlin used the money her mother had given her for fun to buy her mother a pair of beautiful earrings. She said, My mother will be so proud of these. (And her mother was very happy with the ear rings.) 19
A Gamma Kappa member helped Kola make Mothers Day Cards. He was very proud of them. 20
Christopher was proud of the dragon painted on his face. Daniel loved his face painting of an allegator. 21
And Kaylin smiled at the paintings on both her cheeks. Also Christopher had a spider painted on his hand. 22
The play room looked like a castle, and it had beautiful dolls to play with as well as a giant floor puzzle. Kitty was proud of her painted cheek, and found a play room in the store with all of the dolls next to the Craft table. The lady in the store was happy to have the kids play in the play room. 23
Ms. Linda loves to dance and she got the Club Members out to dance with the band. The band was playing great music, and the rain had stopped Now it was time to dance. 24
Everyone loved to dance with Miss Linda. Saraka and Kaylin loved to dance, too. 26
We stopped for a while for a picture of this wonderful Starflight Group. On the back row is Glorianna, Kola, Christopher and Daniel. On the front row is Cha Cha, Saraka, Kitty, Kaylin and Caitlin. We were about to say Good Bye to Claremore and head for Broken Arrow. We had had a wonderful time. Kitty, Kola and Saraka kept time and had lots of fun. The rain had stopped, and we were going to leave the Lilac Festival and go to a covered play area at Carls Jr. in Broken Arrow, because we still had some time together. 26
This would be Christopher s last meeting with the Briarglen Starflight Club. His mother and dad promised to mail their address in New York to Cha Cha so they could be pen pals. Christopher is going to look for a Camp Fire Group in New York and maybe one day we can take a field trip to visit him. In the meantime, we will be so proud to have one of our members living in the big city of New York. Also, this summer Kola is going to be moving to Virginia, and Caitlin is moving to Arkansas. We have lots of opportunity next year to have pen pals in New York, Virginia and Arkansas. Won t that be exciting!!! We had about 45 minutes to play at Carls Jr. in Broken Arrow before we had to leave for home. Christopher and Daniel are putting on their shoes before we leave. All of the children agreed that Carls Jr. was the more fun than anything on the field trip and asked Cha Cha if they could take another field trip to Carls Jr. Another Briarglen Starflight Field Trip had ended. This one was special, because it was a Community Service field trip. Everyone felt proud to have helped the Veterans, and their leader, Cha Cha, was extremely proud of this group of leaders. We have come a long way together. Today we all grew to about 10 feet tall. The Briarglen Starflight Club thanks everyone for helping us go on this May Day Community Service Field Trip. 27