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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 09:48:12 AM
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Rebecca Wetzel (becsbecaw, #8348) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner Level Wild Game Merit Badge!
“In Michigan, we have many types of wild game. We have venison/white-tail deer, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, turkey, and duck and a few others. In the northern parts of state, you can find black bear and elk as well – though they have a lot more regulation around hunting them which involves a lottery system.
The proper way to handle game meat is to first field dress them – removing the vitals shortly after the death. It is important to get the carcass off the ground and hanging, and to use clean utensils during dressing. One of the most important things for wild game meats is to pay attention to the temperature. You do not want the meat the freeze and you also do not want the meat to get to warm. I have been hunting wild games for 7 years now and have a lot of experience with handling the meat.
Every year the Michigan Department of Natural Resources publishes a hunting and trapping digest that goes over all the regulations for a given year, as well detailed digests for fishing, deer, bear, elk, turkey, fur, and waterfowl. Recently, the laws and regulations around hunting deer have been rapidly changing due to the spread of CWD – chronic wasting disease in our wild white-tail deer herd. Because of these changes, it is even more important to take the time to read the full digest prior to the hunting season. I've been hunting for 7 years and went to college for a degree in fisheries & wildlife, and so I am very familiar with the laws in Michigan concerning wild game.
Venison is our primary meat source year-round.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 09:49:05 AM
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Rebecca Wetzel (becsbecaw, #8348) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Intermediate Level Wild Game Merit Badge!
“I have successfully completed a hunter safety program back when I was first getting into hunting. When I first started hunting, I had my own hunting licenses (a requirement in Michigan) and went with my husband who was my mentor and teacher. I still hunt with him, but I also hunt alone now.
I have been hunting for 7 years now – and we always make a lot of jerky out of our venison meat.
Our favorite marinade for jerky is a black pepper seasoning mix and we dehydrate our jerky on our Pitboss pellet grill/smoker.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 09:50:37 AM
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Rebecca Wetzel (becsbecaw, #8348) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Expert Level Wild Game Merit Badge!
“I have been hunting for 7 years now and buy my hunting licenses every year. I have harvested a lot of deer now, and always follow proper care in the field while dressing out the animals. We choose to take our deer to a local processor instead of completing the work ourselves – though my husband has processed his own deer before in the past. The cost of having a deer processed for you is about $60 around us, and it is worth it since we both work full time jobs and have a lot of other things keeping us busy! I have received a full tour of the processing facility and learned about how they store the deer in a cooler and age them, how they cut the deer, and how they make specialty products like sausage and jerky.
When we take the deer to a processor, if you leave the hide on, it is a cheaper price because the processor will sell the hides for their own profit. We do not use all of the parts of the animal since the processor is the one cleaning, cutting the meat, and packaging it for us – but we do save some of the vitals like the heart and liver for a friend who feeds their dogs on a natural and holistic diet.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:10:48 AM
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Deidre Malcom (Sweetsmom, #8353) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Herbs Merit Badge!
“I can identify rosemary, cilantro, dill, sage, and basil. Basil can be used in Italian meals and Cilantro may be used in foods with flavors from the Southwest.
They are yummy :) I really love the flavor of fresh herbs.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:11:30 AM
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Deidre Malcom (Sweetsmom, #8353) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Gaining Ground Merit Badge!
“We started a compost area and then had to move it and contain it to keep the dogs out. The chickens are proving to be very helpful in adding to the heap! We had this started before I joined the Sisterhood and have had it more than 3 months. HOWEVER, our paddock area is full of manure and hay that is composting and going to add to the farm quite a bit. When our tractor arrives we will have a huge head for the chickens to scratch and spread!
So far so good. We do not have enough to do what we want yet.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:12:09 AM
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Deidre Malcom (Sweetsmom, #8353) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Birds Merit Badge!
“I researched the endangered birds in our area. We happen to live very close to a wildlife refuge. The website said we have 6 species on the Federal endangered list and 17 on the state list. We also have 29 on a migratory concern list. We have over 30 breeds of warblers that migrate through our area. They had a list of 300+ birds we can find in the area so I printed it out and am starting a file with photos and details of the birds so I can identify them.
I'm excited to get our binoculars out as well as my camera. We have 15 acres of wild land on our property. I hope to find good places to sit and observe. I'm also planning to visit the wildlife reserve and potentially schedule times to observe birds. There is hunting in the area so I need to make sure we can be where we can see the birds.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:39:27 AM
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Candy Hogan (tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Quilling Merit Badge!
“I spent 3.5 hours playing with different sizes and the tightness of the coils. I layered the pieces to make it more dimensional. It was fun.”
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MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:46:26 AM
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Candy Hogan (tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Entrepreneurial Spirit Merit Badge!
“I developed a business plan to include my cover page and company overview. Next, I composed my business description and who my target customers will be. Then I determined my relative market size, demographics and what my marketing plan will be. I decided my product pricing and what my start up costs will be in relation to my targeted profit margins. I figured out who will be on my management team, how we will meet our start up deadline and that all start up costs will be provided by me and no financing is needed. There will be some onsite land improvements needed, no permits, but a business resale license is needed.
It was good to create a business plan.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:47:49 AM
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Candy Hogan (tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Water Management Merit Badge!
“I researched the benefits of planting natives and the ones that I would like to put in my garden would be Moonshine Yarrow, Winifred Gillman Blue Sage, Hummingbird Sage, Southern Sword Fern, Holly hocks, poppies, Love In A Mist, and Bush Anemone.
I did a soil separation test and I have a sandy loam soil.
The best time to water is early morning or evening to reduce the amount of evaporation due to heat.
Deep watering is where you water the plants to 6 inches deep or root depth, for trees at leat 8-12 inches deep.
It was good.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 10:48:36 AM
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Candy Hogan (tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level Water Management Merit Badge!
“For the soil quality and the effect on water absorption and retention you need to look at soil degradation, the processes, the factors, and the causes.
Two ways to improve soil quality are mulching and cover crops. Also there is creating permanent plant beds and pathways, do not till the soil, but just shovel the spot to reduce wind disbursing of top soil, add organics to the soil.
Best materials for mulching are: wood, bark, grass, hay, straw, paper.
The best ground covers for my area are: wheat, rye, clover, veatch, lentils, beans, peas, flax, radish, and mustard.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:11:35 AM
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Sallie Dee Walker (Sallie Dee, #441) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“Although I have practiced using my own bags at the store for years, the stack that I kept in the car were all falling apart with missing handles, holes and stains. I was reluctant to use them because they were so tattered. For this merit badge I committed to finding a new collection of bags to use at the market. In the interest of following our budget and in the spirit of using what I already had, I searched the house for suitable bags to put into service. I ended up finding seven tote bags in a variety of sturdy materials and one market basket! They all fold up nicely and store inside the basket in the back of the car!
I'm so happy that I challenged myself to find bags that work for the task that I already owned in materials that can easily be washed when dirty, look presentable when using in the store and will help me focus on the shopping task at hand! I’m pleased the budget was honored and many things previously stored in the totes were sorted out and organized in the process!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:13:27 AM
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Terry Steinmetz (teryouth54, #3600) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Farmgirl Jubilee Merit Badge!
“I read on the official sight of The Queen Elizabeth about her Diamond Jubilee Celebration. I looked up the definition of " jubilee " in my old dictionary. I sat at my glampsite to think about how I would celebrate a jubilee.
I found the definition of a jubilee to be a time of rejoicing. I have participated in our church's 50th jubilee and several 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversary celebrations.
Events that happened at Queen Elizabeth's jubilee were as follows: a week of celebrations including parades, boat parades, people filling the Buckingham Palace parade route, waving flags, sending "well wishes" to the Queen and the Royals.
After sitting at my glampsite, the ideas I figured out will be on The Farmgirl Connection.
Can't wait to celebrate my 10-year jubilee of being officially in the Farmgirl Sisterhood this summer.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:14:42 AM
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Nancy Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I've collected and placed six reusable shopping bags in each of our two cars. I use them every time I shop, and my husband is getting better at remembering to use them, too! I'm totally committed to using the bags as I feel that it is necessary to cut down on plastic usage in our home.
So far, using the bags has really helped! We're not bringing home 4 or 5 plastic bags a week from grocery shopping alone! With all of the other opportunities to reuse our bags, I would say the we have totally cut out 7 to 10 plastic shopping bags a week!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:15:41 AM
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Nancy Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I researched and typed answers to the questions for the Intermediate level. I enjoyed reading and reviewing the elements of our government.
It turned out great! I reviewed some things that I already knew and read about things that I knew but had forgotten about. The number of Senators was interesting because that number is based on population. I had forgotten about that point. I had also forgotten that Senators and Representatives serve different terms.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:16:25 AM
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Nancy Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I had a great time researching and typing the answers to the eleven questions in the Expert Level! I learned some interesting things along the way in this level.
I learned that John G. Roberts, Jr. is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I also learned that it took our Government six changes before the number of nine justices was settled. There have been 17 Chief Justices and 103 Associate Justices in the history of the Courts.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:47:55 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Unprocessed Kitchen Merit Badge!
“I chose to recreate the protein bars that my husband likes to take to work for morning tea. The Carman's Protein Bars contain the following ingredients: Nuts 33% (Peanuts, Almonds), Plant Protein Blend (Soy Protein Crisps [Isolated Soy Protein, Tapioca Starch, Salt], Organic Pea Protein Crisps, Soy Protein Powder), Caramelised Sugar Syrup (Glucose, Golden Syrup), Seeds 9% (Pepitas, Sunflower Seeds, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Almond Butter Compound 9% (Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Milk Solids, Almonds, Emulsifier [Sunflower Lecithin], Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavour), Chicory Fibre, Sunflower Oil, Peanut Butter 2.5%, Natural Flavours, Sea Salt.
My recipe for "Healthy Honey Muesli Bars" contains: organic sesame seeds, puffed rice (or sometimes I use puffed quinoa), gluten free organic rolled oats, organic coconut, organic sunflower seeds, cultured butter, raw honey, organic crunchy peanut butter, organic coconut sugar. I then add whatever nuts or dried fruit I might have left over in the kitchen. This time I added organic cashews and pistachios.
I made the recipe in a slice pan and, once set in the fridge, I cut it into bars so that my husband could include them in his lunchbox. We both enjoyed them!!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:48:37 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Recipes Merit Badge!
“I love collecting recipes and have done so for many years. My husband would probably say that I'm somewhat obsessed with recipes. My mother and Grandmother have always been amazing bakers. We would often come home from school to a kitchen filled with gorgeous aromas wafting out of Mum's old wood stove. We started to learn to cook as soon as we could stand on a stool and reach the kitchen counter. So, naturally I have a lot of my mother's treasured recipes, but I was also fortunate to inherit many of my Grandmother's recipes when she passed away. Before she passed away, she would often write letters to me when I was away at University and she would always include a recipe in the envelope. My Grandma was an amazing cook, but she often created a recipe from off the top of her head. She didn't always have a recipe to follow and if she wrote it down, it was a very brief description written on the back of an old envelope or in the cover of an exercise book - sometimes including terms like a "handful" of this or a "pinch" of that. It was anyone's guess how big the handful was, so some recipes have had to be tested and modified a few times. I also learned what a gill was (4 US fluid ounces or 5 British fluid ounces). She often used "good dripping" or lard in her recipes. And I have also learned about Parisian Essence which was basically a caramel sauce used in gravies and sauces and other recipes to darken the colour. She also used cochineal (red food colouring made from the Latin American beetle). She would often leave you guessing as to the temperature to bake the recipe, sometimes referring to a "quick" oven or simply "bake in oven". Regardless, she won competitions for her recipes. I have an old newspaper article where she won first prize for her Tomato Soup recipe.
Here are a few examples of recipes from my Grandmother's collection. I have been typing them up to save them. She had often written them in pencil, so they are starting to fade over the years. She also had them written on all sorts of paper from an old envelope to an old school exercise book.
Sponge Roll
3 fresh eggs, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup cornflour, 1 tsp cream of tartar, 4 tbsp boiling milk, ½ tsp baking soda. Beat eggs and sugar 15 mins; add four and cream of tartar, sifted together, then soda dissolved in boiling milk. Bake in quick oven.
Dark Cake
Take 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ lb butter. Mix well together, then add 1 cup each of currants, raisins, and a little candied peel, ½ cup treacle, 3 eggs and a little milk, 1 cup dark sugar and spice to taste.
Birthday Cake
2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups butter. Beat together to a cream, 12 eggs, add one at a time and beat well, ½ cup black treacle, 6 cups mixed fruit, 2 cups plain flour, 2 cups SR flour, ¼ lb cherries. Bake 2 ½ hours in a hot oven.
Silver Cake
½ cup butter, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, whites of 6 eggs, 1 tsp Prices extract of orange. Gold cake is made the same way only add yolks of 6 eggs instead of whites and lemon instead of orange.
Plum Pudding
1 ½ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 tbsp good dripping, 2 small eggs, ½ tsp soda, ½ tsp cream of tartar, 1 tbsp lemon peel, 1 cup raisins, ½ cup sultanas, ½ cup currants, 1 tsp spice.
No Coupon Pudding
Allow 1 cupful each of breadcrumbs, mashed bananas, raisins or sultanas or mixed fruit, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tbsp cold water, and 1 egg. Mix the crumbs, fruit, and bananas together, break in the egg; dissolve the soda in the water and mix in the other ingredients; steam in a basin for 1 ½ hours. For a large family it would be necessary to double the amount.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:50:15 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Recipes Merit Badge!
“I decided to make a recipe book using an online program that allows you to incorporate your own family recipes & photographs. They also have recipes on the website that you can use and pictures that you can include. I decided to do this in order to preserve many of my Grandmother's old recipes. I made the books for myself, my sister, my mother and my auntie.
I really enjoyed creating the recipe books and the online program made it really easy. My sister, mum and auntie liked seeing the family photos included throughout the book. I have included a photo below of the inside. My recipe book is called "Cindy's Kitchen Classics.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:51:27 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I researched the questions listed pertaining to the U.S Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
What is the Supreme law of the land? The Constitution;
What does the Constitution do? The Constitution has three main functions. First it creates a national government consisting of a legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch, with a system of checks and balances among the three branches. Second, it divides power between the federal government and the states. And third, it protects various individual liberties of American citizens;
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are they? We the people;
What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution? The Bill of Rights;
Name two rights or two freedoms listed in the First Amendment? Freedom of religion & freedom of speech;
What did the Declaration of Independence do? By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence.
Name two rights in the Declaration of Independence? Life & liberty;
What is freedom of religion? This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
What is the economic system in the United States? The United States has a mixed economy. It works according to an economic system that features characteristics of both capitalism and socialism. A mixed economic system protects some private property and allows a level of economic freedom in the use of capital, but also allows for governments to intervene in economic activities in order to achieve social aims and for the public good.
What is the “rule of law”? Rule of law is a principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are: Publicly promulgated, equally enforced, independently adjudicated, and consistent with international human rights principles.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:52:19 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I researched the questions pertaining to branches of the U.S. Government.
Name the three branches of government? Legislative, Executive & Judicial;
What keeps one branch of government from becoming too powerful? The Checks and Balances system provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. The Checks and Balances System also provides the branches with some power to appoint or remove members from the other branches.
Who is in charge of the executive branch? The President;
Who makes the federal laws? The Congress;
What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? The Senate & the House of Representatives;
How many U.S. Senators are there? 100;
Name one of your state’s U.S. Senators and one of your state’s U.S. Representatives? I no longer live in the U.S., however, when we were living there, we resided in Olympia, WA, so I chose Washington as my State to research. Patty Murray (Senator) & Suzan DelBene (Representative);
What is the term of a U.S. Senator? 6 years;
What is the term of a U.S. Representative? 2 years;
What is the term of the President? 4 years;
Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? The President;
Who signs bills to become laws? The President.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:53:09 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I researched the questions pertaining to the U.S. Government and judicial system.
Who vetoes bills? The President;
What does the judicial branch do? This branch of government is charged with the interpretation of laws and the administration of justice;
What is the highest court in the United States? The Supreme Court;
How many justices are on the Supreme Court? 9;
Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? John Roberts;
Under our Constitution, some powers belong solely to the federal government. Name two? The power to regulate the mail & the power to print money;
Under our Constitution, some powers belong solely to the states. Name two? Education of inhabitants & responsibility over property ownership;
Who is the Governor of your State now? I no longer live in the U.S., however, when we were living there, we resided in Olympia, WA, so I chose Washington State – Jay Inslee;
What is the capital of your State? Olympia, WA;
What are the two major political parties in the United States? Democratic & Republican;
What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? Nancy Pelosi.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2021 : 11:54:00 AM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level International Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“Being an Australian citizen, I thought it appropriate to research the Australian government system and share what I have learned.
What is the current form of government of this nation?
The Australian or Commonwealth Government is the federal or national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The Australian Constitution of 1901 established a federal system of government. Under this system, powers are distributed between a national government (the Commonwealth) and the six States (The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory have self-government arrangements). The Constitution defines the boundaries of law-making powers between the Commonwealth and the States/Territories. The Parliament is at the very heart of the Australian national government. The Parliament consists of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General) and two Houses (the Senate and the House of Representatives). These three elements make Australia a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
What is the general structure of the government?
The legislative branch, the federal Parliament, is made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The House of Representatives has 151 members, each representing an individual electoral district of about 165,000 people. The Senate has 76 members: twelve from each of the six states and two each from Australia's internal territories, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. The Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is represented by the governor-general.
Section 51 of the Constitution provides for the Australian Government's legislative powers and allocates certain powers and responsibilities (known as "heads of power") to the Federal Government. All remaining responsibilities are retained by the six states (previously separate colonies). Further, each state has its own constitution, so that Australia has seven devolved Parliaments, none of which can encroach on the functions of any other. The High Court of Australia arbitrates on any disputes which arise between the Federal Government and the states and territories, or among the states and territories themselves.
In addition, Australia has several territories, two of which are self-governing: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. While these territories' legislatures exercise powers devolved to them by the Australian Government, the Parliament of Australia has the authority to override their legislation and to alter their powers. Australian citizens in these territories are represented by members of both houses of the Parliament of Australia, abiet with less representation in the Senate. Norfolk Island was self-governing from 1979 until 2015, although it was never represented as such in the Parliament of Australia. The other inhabited territories: Jervis Bay, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, have never been self-governing.
The third level of governance is local government, in the form of shires, towns or cities. The councils of these areas are composed of elected representatives (known as either councillor or alderman, depending on the state). Their powers are devolved to them by the state or territory in which they are located.
Proposed laws have to be agreed to by both Houses of Parliament to become law. The two Houses have equal powers, except that there are restrictions on the power of the Senate to introduce or directly amend some kinds of financial legislation. The Governor-General has a role in the legislative process by assenting to Acts. The Parliament also authorises the Executive Government (often simply called the government or the Executive) to spend public money by agreeing to government proposals for expenditure and taxation, scrutinises the administrative actions of the government and serves as a forum for the debate of public policy.
Another function of the Parliament under the Australian system is to provide from its membership the members of the Executive Government. After a general election the political party (or coalition of parties) with the support of a majority of members in the House of Representatives becomes the governing party and its leader becomes the Prime Minister.
The composition of the House also determines who will form the official opposition. The party (or coalition of parties) which has the most non-government Members in the House of Representatives becomes the opposition party and its leader becomes the Leader of the Opposition. The opposition has the officially recognised function, established by convention, of opposing the government. The opposition is an essential part of Australia’s democratic system of government. While the government has, by definition, the support of a majority of Members in the House of Representatives, the system of voting used for Senate elections gives greater opportunity to minority parties and independents, and the government often does not have majority support in the Senate.
Identify the basic doctrines and ruling bodies of this government?
The Constitution of Australia establishes the Federal Government by providing for the Parliament, the Executive Government and the Judicature (more usually called the Judiciary)—sometimes referred to as the ‘three arms of government’. However, some of the central features of Australia’s system of government (described as parliamentary, or responsible government) are not set down in the Constitution but are based on custom and convention.
Parliamentary government means that the Executive Government comes from within the Parliament; responsible government means that the Executive Government is responsible to the Parliament. This is the central feature of a Westminster-style government following the United Kingdom model—in contrast to other systems of government where the Executive is quite separate and not directly answerable to the Legislature—for example, in the United States of America.
Political theory recognises three powers of government—the legislative power to make laws; the executive power to carry out and enforce the laws; and the judicial power to interpret laws and to judge whether they apply in individual cases. The principle of the separation of powers is that, in order to prevent oppressive government, the three powers of government should be held by separate bodies—the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary—which can act as checks and balances on each other. With parliamentary government the legislative and executive functions overlap, as the members of the Executive Government—the Ministers—are drawn from the Parliament. However, in the Australian system there are still checks and balances between the Executive and Legislature—Ministers are subject to the scrutiny of other Members of the Parliament led by an officially recognised opposition. In addition, the Executive does not necessarily control both Houses of the Parliament.
What is the economic system in this government and who are its international trade partners?
The economy of Australia is a highly developed mixed economy. As of 2020, Australia was the 13th-largest national economy by nominal GDP (GDP:Gross Domestic Product), 18th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP, and was the 25th-largest goods exporter and 20th-largest goods importer. Australia took the record for the longest run of uninterrupted GDP growth in the developed world with the March 2017 financial quarter, the 103rd quarter and marked 26 years since the country had a technical recession (two consecutive quarters of negative growth). Its GDP was estimated at A$1.3 trillion as of 2020.
The Australian economy is dominated by its service sector, comprising 62.7% of the GDP and employing 78.8% of the labour force in 2017. Australia has the tenth-highest total estimated value of natural resources, valued at US$19.9 trillion in 2019. At the height of the mining boom in 2009–10, the total value-added of the mining industry was 8.4% of GDP. Despite the recent decline in the mining sector, the Australian economy had remained resilient and stable and had not experienced a recession from 1991 until it eventually did in 2020.
The Australian Securities Exchange in Sydney is the 16th-largest stock exchange in the world in terms of domestic market capitalisation and has one of the largest interest rate derivatives markets in Asia. Some of Australia's large companies include Wesfarmers, Woolworths, Rio Tinto Group, BHP, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ, Macquarie Group, Telstra and Caltex Australia. The currency of Australia and its territories is the Australian dollar which it shares with several Pacific nation states.
Australia's economy is strongly intertwined with the countries of East and Southeast Asia, also known as ASEAN Plus Three (APT), accounting for about 64% of exports in 2016. China in particular is Australia's main export and import partner by a wide margin. Australia is a member of the APEC, G20, OECD and WTO. The country has also entered into free trade agreements with ASEAN, Canada, Chile, China, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the United States. The ANZCERTA agreement with New Zealand has greatly increased integration with the economy of New Zealand and in 2011 there was a plan to form an Australasian Single Economic Market by 2015.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2021 : 1:14:11 PM
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Rebecca Wetzel (becsbecaw, #8348) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Embroidery Merit Badge!
“I taught myself how to embroider. I did this by buying a kit that came with a guide and the design already printed on the fabric. It is easy to learn something and get started when a kit comes with everything you need! I learned how to do the backstitch, satin stitch, couching stitch, split stitch, French knot, straight stitch, running stitch, lazy daisy stitch, and the turkey loop stitch. While the kit came with basic how-to guidance on each stitch, I watched YouTube videos to really learn. I practiced each kind of stitch before I completed the design included in the kit.
I really enjoyed learning how to embroider! I made a pretty picture that I will hang in my home office. I'm excited to start stitching more designs and to start embroidering all of my Farmgirl Sisterhood badges. I got better as I went, but there is definitely room for improvement! I'm going to do a couple more flower kits to finish my little embroidery gallery wall in my home office before I start doing my badges or towels and wall hangings.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2021 : 1:40:51 PM
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Candy Hogan (tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Home Insulation Merit Badge!
“I finally got around to installing insulation above the front door. It was hard for me to get up on the ladder. It felt good to get it done.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2021 : 1:48:20 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6053) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level The Good, Bad, and Ugly ... Bugs Merit Badge!
“I researched both beneficial and harmful bugs that I've seen in my garden. I also researched various methods of organic pest control, including which plants to grow in order to encourage the beneficial bugs.
4 beneficial bugs in my garden (& plants that encourage their presence) include:-
Praying mantis:- can be found in all warmer parts of the world and are a strong predator. They are a solitary species that roam the garden no matter the plant species looking for unsuspecting prey that are all too often highly focused on devouring plant material. For an insect of its size, they are highly intelligent and will often gaze back at humans with an inquisitive set of large alien-like eyes! Mantis will prey on any soft bodied insect such as caterpillars, beetle larvae, ants, small spiders, small butterflies and moths, aphids and mealy bugs. The larger females produce an intriguing egg sack on plants that dry hard and brown of which up to one hundred tiny offspring emerge at the end of summer to begin their solitary lives from the get go. Although Mantis can be found on an assortment of plants, they seem to have a special fondness for the likes of Dill, Fennell and Goldenrod as these plants seem to also attract smaller insects which are easily pounced upon.
Lacewings:- The larvae that emerge will eat most garden pests - aphids, mites, whitefly and insect eggs. The larvae grow into translucent pale green moth-like insects. Lure helpful bugs like these to your garden by planting the kind of flowers they like - small flat flowers clustered together, so the pollen is easy to reach.
Lady Bugs:- There are over 500 species of Ladybirds found in Australia. Both the young larvae and adults eat pests. However, the larvae feed more than the adult does, doing more damage to garden pests. They eat aphids, mites and mealybugs. Plant goldenrods, asters, marigold, and fennels to attract them. Feed them well and they will not leave you.
Native Bees:- Native bees assist with pollination. They are attracted to Eucalyptus species, Westringia species, Hardenbergia violacea, Swainsona galegifolia, Leptospermum species and various herbs.
4 of the harmful bugs that I have seem in my garden include:-
Black Scale:- Feeding damage is usually minimal however sooty mould commonly develops on the honeydew excretions from the scale, disrupting photosynthesis.
Citrus Mealybug:- Major and frequent pest. Mealybug crawlers settle under the fruit calyx in early November. Later they move to depressions on the surface of the fruit or settle between adjoining fruit. Heavy sooty mould results, causing end rot and fruit drop.
Queensland Fruit Fly:- Major and frequent pest. Activity is greatest in warm humid conditions and is particularly important where tree-ripened fruit are concerned. Adults lay eggs ('sting') in the fruit and the larvae feed in the flesh. Affected fruit are readily recognised since rots develop rapidly and the skin around the sting marks becomes discoloured. Queensland fruit fly damage is more severe during mid and late summer than at other times. Large numbers of flies can be expected after good falls of summer rain; fruit flies become active after periods of rain or high humidity.
Aphids:- Adults and nymphs suck sap from plants and high numbers can result in yield loss by reducing pod set, pod fill and plant quality. Colonies often become evident by the distortion and discoloration (yellowing) of infested parts. Secretion of honeydew by aphids can cause secondary fungal growth, which inhibits photosynthesis and can decrease plant growth.
Some organic pest control methods include:-
* pruning and crushing the affected areas of the plant to prevent spread of the pest;
* garlic & chilli pepper spray (I found a recipe which combines garlic, chilli, vegetable oil, eco liquid detergent & water) - this spray is particularly helpful to eradicate aphids and mealybugs;
* white oil or neem oil;
* simple soap spray;
* netting fruit trees to prevent fruit fly (this also helps stop birds and possums feeding on fruit);
* Encouragement of beneficial bugs.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
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