AFTER Getting Started Training....
The number and complement of meetings, field trips, travel, etc varies widely among troops depending on many factors, e.g. Leader and Girl availability, Funds, etc. Refer to your Girl Scout Western Washington Getting Started training for information on your troop and how to run meetings. This page has information to supplement the Getting Started information, e.g. ideas on how to structure meetings as well as ideas on how to organization a year so Girls have a well rounded experience. Remember to be cognoscente of Girl Progression and encourage the girls to help planning as appropriate for their level!!!!
Getting your "Stuff" in Order
Now that you have all the Council Getting Started stuff complete, here are ideas on how to coordinate a successful year in Girl Scouting.
Leaders Learn to Delegate
Leaders have so much to offer though leaders should remember to use their skills to
complement each other, not conflict with each other. And, remember to Delegate to
people that are inspired to help with girls. Leaders/Co-Leaders play this fun game and
REALLY think about what to delegate to others and what to take on as Leaders.
Play this Give Away Game with your co-leader then decide what to keep/delegate!
Parent Involvement (part of the Leader Delegation)
To ensure a successful troop delegate tasks to the families, e.g. Mom, Dad,
Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles can all make great volunteers. Visit Girl Scouts Western
Washington for Parent Involvement ideas or our Service Unit Parent Involvement page.
Parent Meeting/Handbook
This meeting is optional though many leaders find it helpful to get parents together.
Be transparent with the troop parents by holding a simple parent meeting. Give parents
all types of wonderful information (e.g. why girls learn in an all girl environment, how their
girls can become strong leaders), inform them of the troop rules (e.g. drop off/pick on
time, discipline, etc.), review calendar for the year, and ask the families for volunteer
hours (e.g. 4 Hours for Her).
Sample Parent Handbook - Example 1 (PDF), Example 2 (PDF or Word)
Leaders Learn to Delegate
Leaders have so much to offer though leaders should remember to use their skills to
complement each other, not conflict with each other. And, remember to Delegate to
people that are inspired to help with girls. Leaders/Co-Leaders play this fun game and
REALLY think about what to delegate to others and what to take on as Leaders.
Play this Give Away Game with your co-leader then decide what to keep/delegate!
Parent Involvement (part of the Leader Delegation)
To ensure a successful troop delegate tasks to the families, e.g. Mom, Dad,
Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles can all make great volunteers. Visit Girl Scouts Western
Washington for Parent Involvement ideas or our Service Unit Parent Involvement page.
Parent Meeting/Handbook
This meeting is optional though many leaders find it helpful to get parents together.
Be transparent with the troop parents by holding a simple parent meeting. Give parents
all types of wonderful information (e.g. why girls learn in an all girl environment, how their
girls can become strong leaders), inform them of the troop rules (e.g. drop off/pick on
time, discipline, etc.), review calendar for the year, and ask the families for volunteer
hours (e.g. 4 Hours for Her).
Sample Parent Handbook - Example 1 (PDF), Example 2 (PDF or Word)
Guidance to Map your Year of Activities (ideas from Girl Scout River Valley Council)
Activity/Events in Skill Building Areas
As a leader, your question is often "how do I tie troop activities to leadership skills creating courage, confidence, and character?" This site contains suggestions (from other web sites coupled with guidance from experienced leaders) on incorporating Journeys, Badges, Awards, Field Trips, and Take Action/Community Service Projects to achieve the goal of girls with courage, confidence and character!
Many troops typically meet between 10 to 20 weeks per year (so often 2 times/month). Above is a chart of Activities/Events by Skill Building Area and Girl Scout Level to guide to planning a well-rounded experience.
Remember when selecting the badges include the girls in the decision making process. For example, a Daisy Leader may select the Petals/Journey to work on and the girls vote on which order. A Brownie leader may narrow down the selection to a few badges (that the leaders can support) then let the girls decide on the next badge.
If you have 10 meetings…recommend that your girls:
Visit our Resources-Daisy or Resources-Brownie pages page for ideas on how to complete a badge/journey.
Visit our Service Unit Calendar for to attend Service Unit hosted workshops and encampments.
Visit the Girl Scouts Western Washington for information on Troop Council events.
Many troops typically meet between 10 to 20 weeks per year (so often 2 times/month). Above is a chart of Activities/Events by Skill Building Area and Girl Scout Level to guide to planning a well-rounded experience.
Remember when selecting the badges include the girls in the decision making process. For example, a Daisy Leader may select the Petals/Journey to work on and the girls vote on which order. A Brownie leader may narrow down the selection to a few badges (that the leaders can support) then let the girls decide on the next badge.
If you have 10 meetings…recommend that your girls:
- complete a Leadership Journey
- from each of the other skill-building areas, earn a Badge or earn a Fun Patch.
- complete a Leadership Journey
- from each of the other skill-building areas, complete 1 to 5 badges or fun patches (see the chart for the recommended number of activities/events per skill-building area)
- participate in the Cookie Program Activity
- earn a leadership award, if applicable to your level, e.g. Leadership in Action (LIA)
- attend or hold a spring celebration event
- participate in a summer activity
Visit our Resources-Daisy or Resources-Brownie pages page for ideas on how to complete a badge/journey.
Visit our Service Unit Calendar for to attend Service Unit hosted workshops and encampments.
Visit the Girl Scouts Western Washington for information on Troop Council events.
Stuff and troop admin during the year
Group Agreement
Using a Group Agreement allows the troop (or any group) to agree upon acceptable behavior so people have a clear understanding. There are many types of Group Agreements though the Five Finger Group Agreement is simple for Daisy troops!
Group Agreements are often created at the first meeting of the year or some troops will just review their agreement from the previous year. Troops with older girls will also use more sophisticated Group Agreements when they start taking overnight trips.
Discipline (after the Group Agreement)
A Group Agreement can be a very helpful tool for managing girls in a troop. The Discipline Progression document, used by many troops in our Service Unit, addresses Group Management Techniques, Meeting Setup, and Conflict Resolution (DOC or PDF)
Using a Group Agreement allows the troop (or any group) to agree upon acceptable behavior so people have a clear understanding. There are many types of Group Agreements though the Five Finger Group Agreement is simple for Daisy troops!
Group Agreements are often created at the first meeting of the year or some troops will just review their agreement from the previous year. Troops with older girls will also use more sophisticated Group Agreements when they start taking overnight trips.
Discipline (after the Group Agreement)
A Group Agreement can be a very helpful tool for managing girls in a troop. The Discipline Progression document, used by many troops in our Service Unit, addresses Group Management Techniques, Meeting Setup, and Conflict Resolution (DOC or PDF)
End of Year Stuff
End of year meeting
Many troops hold a end of year meeting with parents, e.g. bring the paperwork to renew membership, discuss the upcoming year, parent positions for the upcoming year (e.g. get your Cookie Mom now), etc.
End of year paperwork
Visit the Service Unit end of year page for additional information.
Many troops hold a end of year meeting with parents, e.g. bring the paperwork to renew membership, discuss the upcoming year, parent positions for the upcoming year (e.g. get your Cookie Mom now), etc.
End of year paperwork
Visit the Service Unit end of year page for additional information.