Now that some of our girls are getting older, we decided it was time to start looking into beginning a program for the middle school aged girls. The Little Women Hospitality Program looked perfect, but we needed to make a few changes as we want it to spread through all 3 years for the girls. We will be using the program but also coming up with things that we feel are important as well.
We chose the name Wild Flowers from one of St. Therese's writings:
"He set before me the book of nature; I understand how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet."
The following information regarding Little Women Hospitality Program can be found here
What is Little Women Hospitality Program?
A Fun,
Flexible, Faith-filled Catholic program for young women!
Little
Women Hospitality Program is a Catholic program for girls ages 10 and up. This
program teaches the virtue of hospitality through classic literature, spiritual
insights, the Catholic faith, and hands-on experience. The girls earn charms
for a bracelet or necklace as they learn new skills. A great follow-up and
supplement to Little Flowers Girls' Club!
The Little
Women Hospitality Program, developed by Ann Milligan Callaghan, is a two-year,
Catholic girls', ten-month program that aims to teach young ladies the various
aspects of hospitality. Each month, the girls learn a new skill or
"charm" as up-and-coming hostesses, young women, and Catholic
mothers.
The ten
skills in:
Year I are as
follows: cooking, cleaning, setting and clearing a table, manners and
conversation, preparing a room for a guest, writing correspondence, bringing
hospitality to others, sewing and dressing modestly, putting on a tea party, and
running a book club.
Year II are: laundry,
care for the elderly, personal cleanliness, tradition, art and beauty, interior
decorating, public speaking, gardening, friendship, and hosting a picnic.
Using
scripture, literature, skill practice and field trip suggestions, the program
helps the girls become confident and gracious hostesses. It is filled with
wonderful stories, heroes, saints, and practical skills that will enrich the
lives of the girls as they learn to grow into women.
First
Year Charms:
Earn one each month as
you learn a new skill! Collect your “charms” on a chain bracelet or necklace.
Each charm corresponds to a lesson and skill covered per month in the club
meetings and manuals.
Individual Charms:Cookie
Jar (Cooking) Button (Cleaning) Spoon (Setting and Clearing a Table) Circle of
Friends (Table Manners and Conversation) Log Cabin (Preparing a Room for a
Guest) Pencil (Writing Correspondence) Pineapple (Bringing Hospitality to
Others) Sewing Machine (Sewing and Dressing Modestly) Teacup (Planning a Tea
Party) Book (Running a Book Club)
Second Year Charms:
Earn one each month as you learn a new skill!
Collect your “charms” on a chain bracelet or necklace. Each charm corresponds
to a lesson and skill covered per month in the club meetings and manuals.
Individual Charms: Jeans (Laundry), Wheelchair
(Care for Elderly), Hairbrush (Personal Cleanliness), Candy Cane (Tradition),
Painter’s Pallet (Art and Beauty), Picture Frame (Interior Decorating), Drama
Masks (Public Speaking), Watering Can (Gardening), Friendship Star
(Friendship), Picnic Basket (Hosting a Picnic)
This is how we plan to spread it out over 3 years.
Year 1
Topics
|
Year 2
Topics
|
Year 3
Topics
|
Cooking
|
Hospitality
- Oct.
|
Hosting a
Picnic - Oct.
|
Clean a
Room
|
Sewing
& Modesty - Nov.
|
Art and
Beauty - Nov.
|
Set &
Clear a Table
|
Laundry -
Dec
|
Interior
Decorating - Dec.
|
Epiphany
Party
|
Epiphany
Party - Jan
|
Epiphany
Party - Jan.
|
Table
Manners & Conversation
|
Care for
Elderly - Feb
|
Public
Speaking - Feb.
|
Preparing a
Room for a Guest
|
Personal
Cleanliness - Mar
|
Friendship
- Mar.
|
Correspondence
|
Tradition -
Apr
|
Gardening -
Apr.
|
Plan &
Prepare a Party- Tea Party
|
Plan &
Prepare a Party- Tea Party - May
|
Plan &
Prepare a Party- Tea Party - May
|
Book Club
|
Book Club -
end May/ beg June
|
Book Club -
end May/ beg June
|
Costs:
Annual
Fee (pays for any supplies) $25
Student Manuals (each) $5.95
1st year: Bracelet with charms $22.95
2nd year: 10 Charms Pack $19.95
Student Manuals (each) $5.95
1st year: Bracelet with charms $22.95
2nd year: 10 Charms Pack $19.95
Year 1 Meeting Dates (2nd Mon. each month):
Sept. 21 (tentatively) - Informational Meeting
(Little Flowers & Wild Flowers)
|
Oct-
Jan 11 - Read Book for Book Club (Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott)
|
Oct. 12 (Columbus Day) - Cooking
|
Nov 9 -
Clean a Room
|
Dec 14 -
Set & Clear a Table
|
Jan 4* -
Epiphany Party (combine with Little Flowers) Wild Flowers will help with crafts & games
|
Jan 11 - Book
Discussion & Cookie Making
|
Sat., Feb 6
- Frost & Decorate Cookies with Little Flowers
|
Feb 8 -
Table Manners & Conversation
|
March 14 -
Preparing a Room for a Guest
|
April 11 -
Correspondence
|
May 9 -
Plan & Prepare a Party- Tea Party - Discuss & decide on menu/ favors/
place/ etc.
|
Fri., May
20 - Sleepover with Little Flowers
|
June 6* -
Tea Party- Final Meeting (changed it to
1st Mon. in June because of summer starting)
|
* Note
schedule change
We plan to start the program in the Fall and already have at least five girls who are planning to join. We will also start advertising it in the bulletin in the coming weeks to give other families time to look into joining as well.
I look forward to being able to write about our new adventures in the Fall. Prayers would be appreciated.
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