New Girl Scout Leader to 3rd grade brownie troop?

Question

I just became the new leader for a brownie troop, and just as the fun things were getting started. I got a job full time and now I have to do weekend meetings. I need some ideas for saturday meetings, getting the girls parents to actually bring them to the meetings and to be involved. I think that when i let them know i cant do the meetings after school the troop is going to be only my daughter. Please help me I need some serious help. I also need cool troop games and cheap craft ideas.

Answer 1

I know being a troop leader can be a lot of work. If you don't have one you should have a co-leader who can help plan. I would send a note home or call the parents and explain that due to a new job it won't be possible for you to hold meeting after school. Come up with other options such as later evening meetings and weekend times. Ask the parents to help their daughter select and plan for one of the meetings. Have them come up with the crafts and activities to do for that meeting. If parents seem reluctant to help out then ask if anyone would be willing to take over the position as leader.

As for suggestions on crafts and activities try scoutingweb.com It's packed full of resourses. There's also a link for the try-its' http://server.ellenbecker.net:4271/Try%20Its.htm This will give additional suggestion for particular badges. Remember they don't have to do exactly what's in the books but they need to get the general concept and meet 4 points to earn the badge.

Answer 2

I am not a troop leader but my daughter is in a girlscout troop and our leaders are wonderful! 1st of all, if possible, maybe you could still hold the meetings during the week, but later in the day, say like 5:30 or so. Also, you don't have to have a meeting every week- our troop meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month. As far as activities, our leaders use the handbooks that give specific ideas for crafts. Last meeting, our troop earned a badge and they did nature stamping with leaves, sticks, etc... and they also made picture frames using craft foam. There are TONS of ideas too on the girlscout website. I hope this helps. I am sure it will all work out for you as far as the schedule goes. Try to get the other moms involved too so you don't end up with all the responsibility!

Answer 3

I am my daughters troop leader, and this will be our 4th year. I wouldn't trade any of the moments we've spent together with our troop. It's not easy, Girl Scouts has so many rules and regulations that you have to go by that make it hard sometimes. We've had issues with parents not turning in cookie money, or parents not bringing girls to the meetings, but very few and far between. Most of our parents are great and help with everything we do. I have invested some of my own money, but not that much. Your local girl scout council should have some great things for you to look at and help decide what to do about patches, trips, activities, etc. Good luck!

Answer 4

I am not a troop leader but my daughter is in a girlscout troop and our leaders are wonderful! 1st of all, if possible, maybe you could still hold the meetings during the week, but later in the day, say like 5:30 or so. Also, you don't have to have a meeting every week- our troop meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month. As far as activities, our leaders use the handbooks that give specific ideas for crafts. Last meeting, our troop earned a badge and they did nature stamping with leaves, sticks, etc... and they also made picture frames using craft foam. There are TONS of ideas too on the girlscout website. I hope this helps. I am sure it will all work out for you as far as the schedule goes. Try to get the other moms involved too so you don't end up with all the responsibility!
Yeah what she said.

Answer 5

Poll the parents and see which day/time is best for their schedules. You may lose some girls, but you also need to work.

My daughter's Daisy troop met the first and third Saturday from 9 to 10:30am. Craft and snack was rotated among the families. Get the others to help out. You aren't running a day care; this is a chance for parents to bond with daughters.

Keep on Scoutin'

Answer 6

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Women don’t want to feel as though they are completely responsible for your happiness and that is what it feels like when the other person has no outside interests. Men who are overeager or jump when the woman says jump are the ones who are more likely to end up in the friend zone. This doesn’t mean that you should play the game of not calling for a few days; it means that you should set healthy boundaries until you both naturally find a spot for the other in your lives.

Answer 7

Try www.scoutingweb.com, or macscouter.com for fun ideas. There are loads of other sites - just search for Girl Scouts or whatever you need.

See what day works best for parents - it might not be Saturday mornings (w/ soccer and other activities) - it might be later on a weeknight or on Sunday evening.

3rd graders should be making some decisions on their own - let them VOTE on which try-its to do, and what activites to do to earn each try-it. Find their interests and let the girls lead.

Additionally, this is when many troops start camping, so you need to see what training your council requires. (In my council, outdoor training is only offered in fall or late spring, so if you decide in Feb to go camping in May, you're out of luck on training). 3rd grade is also when a lot of fun overnights (at museums etc) start, and you'll need training for that.

Finally get your troop parents involved. You'd be amazed at hte skill sets that your parents have - they could teach a skill, run a try-it workshop or just help w/ the day-to-day administration of the troop (bookkeeping, etc).

Don't be afraid to ask your troop service coordinator or service unit manager for help - that's what we're here for. If your council offers "honor troop" or "super troop" awards, get a hold of the application form - it basically tells you what you should be doing (tryits, service projects, cultural events, outdoor activities).

If this is a new troop, start w/ GS Ways try-it. It's a nice introduction to scouting, then go w/a fun try-it, then back to Her Story or another historical Juliette Low based try it, just to get the girls familiar w/ the history of scouting. Try one of the cookie try-its in the month before your cookie sales start.

Keep an easy indoor tryit on tap for winter - I like Games Around the World, or Senses (one active, one not). Both are easy meetings for those weeks when it just won't come together.

One more idea - if you rotate snack duty, get a med sized tote box (RubberMaid or similar). Decorate it with garish stickers and your troop number in BIG letters. Send it home w/ the girl who has snack duty next. Trust me, her parents will be HAPPY to fill that thing and send it back, just to get it out of their home!

Answer 8

I'm a girl scout leader as well. If you held the meetings early enough in the morning on Saturdays, you might have some luck. Saturdays didn't work for us, because most of our troop's parents work.

Answer 9

some troops meet Sunday afternoon about 4

Answer 10

Cooking is a good ideaMaking cards for Christmas or other celebrations is another idea.Suggest to the parents that they might like to carpool occasionally if saves on fuel.You can go always go walking,chocolate makingis what our girls are going to do next week.Doing things like pampering for busy mothers or the girls themselves.If the mothers have any special talents they can show the girls would be helpful. Good luck.