Terrific Tips for Leaders Part 2
Contents
What Every Daisy Girl Scout Should Know
What Every Brownie Girl Scout Should Know
What Every Junior Girl Scout Should Know
The Little Green Hen - a Fable
Beyond Ziplock Baggies - Creative Ways to Hand Out Badges and Patches
Ideas from the Internet for Getting Help for Leaders
Forms to Help Organize Meetings and Trips
Want to go back to Terrific Tips for Leaders Part 1?
What Every Daisy Girl Scout Should Know:
DURING HER YEAR AS A DAISY EVERY GIRL SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:
- LEARN THE GIRL SCOUT WAY
- ___Know and understand the Girl Scout Promise
- ___Learn the Girl Scout Laws
- ___Be invested into Scouting
- ___Know the handshake, quiet sign motto and slogan
- ___Begin to understand the meaning of the World Pin and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
- EXPLORE THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP
- ___Learn about our flag
- ___Participate in a flag ceremony
- ___Learn ways to respect the rights of others
- HELP MANAGE HER TROOP
- ___Take part in planning discussions and activities
- ___Help make plans and decisions
- LEARN AND ACHIEVE
- ___Take short trips to gain new experiences
- ___Receive recognition for accomplishments (Petals)
- EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS
- ___Have several outdoor meetings/activities
- ___Take a hike
- EXPRESS HER CREATIVITY
- ___Make something for herself or others
- ___Have a song or game as part of each meeting
- ___Act out stories, songs, and situations
- SHARE IN THE GIRL SCOUT COMMUNITY
- ___Do activities with other Daisy Girl Scouts
- ___Do activities with older Girl Scouts
- ___Learn about the Brownie program
- ___Participate in service unit events
What Every Brownie Girl Scout Should Know:
DURING HER YEARS AS A BROWNIE EVERY GIRL SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:
- LEARN THE GIRL SCOUT WAY
- ___Know and understand the Girl Scout Promise
- ___Know the Brownie story
- ___Be invested into Scouting and be rededicated each year
- ___Plan an investiture for new Brownie Scouts
- ___Know the Brownie insignia and what they mean
- ___Know and use the handshake, slogan, motto and quiet sign
- ___Understand the meaning of the World Pin and the World Association of
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
- EXPLORE THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP
- ___Learn about our flag - its history and symbolism
- ___Participate in a flag ceremony
- ___Plan a flag ceremony
- ___Share her heritage (religion, culture, traditions and ways of living)
- ___Learn ways to respect the rights of others
- HELP MANAGE HER TROOP
- ___Take part in a Brownie Ring to discuss plans and activities
- ___Help make plans and decisions
- ___Help decide troop dues and rules
- LEARN AND ACHIEVE
- ___Participate in at least one activity from each aspect of Girl Scouting
- ___Know and understand the Girl Scout Laws and practice them.
- ___Take short trips to gain new experiences
- ___Receive recognition for accomplishments
- EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS
- ___Have several outdoor meetings/activities
- ___Take a hike
- ___Learn the eight outdoor skills
- ___Cook out
- ___Have an overnight experience
- EXPRESS HER CREATIVITY
- ___Make something for herself or others
- ___Have a song or game as part of each meeting
- ___Act out stories, songs, and situations
- SHARE IN THE GIRL SCOUT COMMUNITY
- ___Do activities with other Brownie Girl Scouts
- ___Do activities with older Girl Scouts
- ___Learn about the Junior program and fly-up
- ___Participate in service unit events
What Every Junior Girl Scout Should Know:
DURING HER YEARS AS A JUNIOR EVERY GIRL SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:
- LEARN THE GIRL SCOUT WAY
- ___Know and understand the Promise and Law; be able to share their meanings
- ___Participate in an investiture or rededication ceremony
- ___Plan an investiture or rededication ceremony
- ___Plan and participate in a Scout's Own
- ___Know the history of Girl Scouting
- ___Know Girl Scout traditions and participate in celebrating them
- ___Understand the meaning of the World Pin and the World Association
- ___Know and use the handshake, slogan, motto and quiet sign
- ___Plan and participate in Court of Awards ceremonies
- EXPLORE THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP
- ___Plan and participate in several indoor and outdoor flag ceremonies
- ___Plan and participate in a community service project
- ___Explore varied cultures, religions, and ways of living
- ___Demonstrate the relationship between the Law and citizenship
- HELP MANAGE HER TROOP
- ___Take an active part in patrols and Court of Honor or other forms of troop government
- ___Participate in the selection of girl leadership for troop and/or patrol
- ___Make decisions regarding dues and troop money
- ___Make decisions regarding troop rules and procedures
- ___Receive support from leader regarding decisions
- ___Develop and use a kaper chart for meetings and activities
- LEARN AND ACHIEVE
- ___Learn new skills by earning badges
- ___Participate in activities to earn the Signs
- ___Participate in at least two activities from each aspect of Girl Scouting
- EXPAND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE
- ___Participate in many outdoor meetings
- ___Plan and participate in one or more camping experiences
- ___Increase outdoor skills - fire building, cooking, hiking
- ___Learn basic information about the natural world, its ecology and preservation
- ___Practice the eight outdoor skills
- EXPRESS CREATIVITY
- ___Create art items for herself or others
- ___Use dramatic or choral skills in a presentation
- ___Learn songs and games; teach them to others
- ___Learn several useful home arts
- SHARE IN THE GIRL SCOUT COMMUNITY
- ___Share activities with other Junior troops
- ___Participate in bridging activities with Cadette troops
- ___Share skills with younger troops
- ___Participate in service unit events
The Little Green Hen, A Fable
(Author Unknown)
Once upon a time there was a Little Green Hen that had a Girl Scout Troop. She
had an Assistant Leader and a lot of mothers with this troop. One day, the Little Green Hen found she needed a Badge Manager for her troop. She asked Susie's mother, but Susie's mother said, "No, I am far too busy with the PTA." She asked Janie's mother, but Janie's mother said, "No, I'm far too busy with my Bunco club." She asked Kathy's mother, but Kathy's mother said, "No, I'm working so we can buy a big screen TV." "All right" said the Little Green Hen, "I'll do it myself," and she did. But, she was so busy handling the badge records at several meetings that they never did finish their Christmas Service Project.
Then one day, the Little Green Hen found she needed a Cookie Manager for her troop. She asked Susie's mother, but Susie's mother said, "No, I'm far too busy with my church circle." She asked Janie's mother, but Janie's mother said, "No, I'm busy redecorating just now." She asked Kathy's mother, the Kathy's mother said, "No, I'm working so we can buy a snowmobile. "All right" said the Little Green Hen, "I'll do it myself," and she did. But, she was so busy handling the Cookie Sale that they didn't finish planning for their overnight at spring vacation and so it had to be canceled.
Then one day, the Little Green Hen found she needed a Finance Manager. She asked Susie's mother, but Susie's mother said, "No, I'm busy working on the school referendum." She asked Janie's mother, but Janie's mother said, "No, we're going to Spain." She asked Kathy's mother, but Kathy's mother said, "No, I'm working to buy a motorboat for the summer." "All right" said the Little Red Hen, "I'll do it myself," and she did. But, she was so busy making finance calls that she couldn't keep up with the badge records, and so they had to cancel the Court of Awards.
Then it came time to re-register the troop. Susie's mother said, "I don't think the Little Green Hen is a very good leader because they never did finish their Christmas Service Project." And Janie's mother said, "I don't think Janie will stay in Girl Scouts because they didn't go on their overnight." And Kathy's mother said, "I don't think Kathy will stay in Girl Scouts because Kathy didn't get her badges."
And the Little Green Hen said, "I won't take the Girl Scout troop for another year because I can't do it all myself." And she didn't!
Beyond Ziplock Baggies - Creative Ways to Hand Out Badges and Patches
This is a compilation from many different contributors, so there is a fair bit of repetition, but there are also lots of great ideas!
Beyond Ziplock Baggies
Ideas from the Internet for Getting Help for Leaders
Getting Those Troop Supplies
Have a birthday party for the troop -- around Juliette's birthday -- and ask each girl to bring something for the troop supplies -- send home a list of needs -- and don't refuse that box of used crayons, or the half jar of glue that were left over last spring from the girl's school supplies. This idea even works great for stocking the troop first aid kit or rounding up troop camping equipment..
Getting Help
Remember to ask your troop parents to help you out - ask for concrete assignments. Think of it like being asked on a date. If you were asked on a date are you more likely to respond if someone asks specifically and personally with a planned date in mind? or if they stand in the back of the room and yell "Hey, anyone want to go out with me?"
***Call your Service Unit Manager or Troop Consultants or MDD and ask for help.
***Call the older girls within your service unit - Cadettes and Seniors must earn service and leadership hours. They can do everything from be extra hands at a intense meeting to plan and carry out a meeting for you.
*** Try using council and service unit events to supplement your scout program so you do not have to do all the planning.
***Call the local chapters of the Kappa Delta alumni or the local active Alpha Phi Omega chapter (check at local universities for these organizations) and ask them to come do a program for your troop so that you don't have to plan them (Both have a mandate to work with Girl Scouts - see below).
***Make meetings-in-a-box (meetings that are low/no material ideas that you can use when a meeting flops or you are short on time and need a quick way to fill that hour) and set them aside for later in the year. Replace them as you use them.
To contact Kappa Delta Sorority:
Kappa Delta is a sorority which is willing to help out Girl Scouts.
You can visit their web site at Kappa Delta Sorority
or click here to contact the sorority by email: Kappa Delta Sorority
or snail mail address:
Kappa Delta Sorority
3205 Players Lane
Memphis TN, 38125
(800)536-1897
They can give you information for your local area.
Sources for Cheap or Free MaterialsLumber/building supply stores usually have a 'scrap pile' of scrap pieces of wood that they will allow you to go through and take what you need for free. No guarantee on size, shape, type, though!
Salvation Army (and other similar places with 'used' stores) can also be a cheap source of supplies. We used pillows for our sit-upons and covered them in shower curtains which I bought real cheap at Wal-Mart. I got the pillows at Salvation Army for
either 25 or 50 cents each.
newspapers/printing places: many times they will give away their 'end rolls' - the ends of the rolls of paper which have a lot of paper left on them after being removed from the printing machines. Useful for large posters, murals, etc. May be used as a table cover, but sometimes too stiff for this.
coffee cans: any work place that asks employees to donate coffee. I asked my troop for coffee cans and that is where most of them got theirs! One leader who is an aide at a school left a sign up for them to save the coffee cans for her.
garage and rummage sales: I am always on the look out for things we can use! Puzzles for puzzle SWAPS and puzzle picture frames is one thing I have found. I am currently on the look out for a stuffed animal which would make an appropriate mascot as my troop would like to send a mascot out next year. Then, if something should happen and we don't get the mascot back, at least we won't be out of a lot of money that would have been spent on a new stuffed animal.
wallpaper and carpet sample books - some stores will give them to you, some want to sell them, but they can be used for many things.
Cardboard (all sizes) -appliance store - We have used this for several years to make our Christmas parade entry. We have made the Magic Schoolbus, a
gingerbread house, and the space shuttle.
Foam padding - carpet store - (for bucket situpons)
Home decorating places - wallpaper books (makes great covers for notebooks)
5 gallon buckets - construction sites, fast food restaurants
wood scraps - construction sites - (flower presses, blocks for boats)
Large tin cans - school cafeterias - (vagabond stoves)
Do something just for you!!
Stress Relief Sock
Get an old stretched-out tube sock and filled it with a huge amount of rice, put oh maybe 7-10 drops of lavender essential oil in it, knot it, and throw it in the microwave for about three minutes. Then wrap it around your neck. Well, let me tell you! The whole thing took me maybe 5 minutes to make and right now it is my #1 possession in life.
Forms to Help Organize Meetings and Trips
Want to get more organized? Need help preparing for troop meetings and trips? Check out the website below:
Troop Leader Planner
Note: The Trip Planner form on the website above does not conform to Girl Scouts of Tejas Council guidelines. You can find an adapted form in .pdf format by clicking here. You will need a .pdf reader like Adobe Acrobat to read it. A free version is available on the Adobe Acrobat website. Many thanks to Liz, who created all the great forms on the Troop Leader Planner website for revising her original event form just for leaders here in Tejas GS Council!!

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