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Orientation to Brownie Girl Scout Leadership

Welcome to the exciting and fulfilling world of Brownie Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council thank you for volunteering to bring Girl Scouting to your community.

During this on-line study you will learn to:

• Choose behavior management strategies for typical troop/group situations based on knowledge of girl development
• Recognize the steps involved in Brownie Girl Scout troop/group government
• Become more familiar with the Brownie Girl Scout program, including uniforms, Try-Its, patches, pluralism and ceremonies
• Recognize the parts of a meeting and activities appropriate to each part
• Experience using Girl Scout resource materials

In addition to this web page, you will need: Safety-Wise, 2000 edition The Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, 2000 edition Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, 2000 edition Try-its for Brownie Girl Scouts, 2000 edition Safety Wise is available from your Membership Manager. The others may be purchased at the Council Shop.

If you have questions, please call Sue Hoyt your Membership Manager at 1-800-338-5248 x. 1603. This page does not take the place of a formal training, but for those leaders living in remote areas will help to bridge the gap between the time you start your troop and the next training opportunity that is convenient.

The Girl Scout Program helps girls practice the fundamentals of the Girl Scout Movement. By working in small groups with adult leadership, girls experience activities and adventures developed around their needs and interests, helping them develop to their fullest potential, and increasing their understanding of the community, each other and themselves. In the Girl Scout Program, girls grow, learn and have fun by making decisions, doing and discovering for themselves!

Program interests that support the four program goals can be found in section H page 19 of The Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Handbook Contents. Each of these chapters discusses basic information or concepts and supporting activities for the information presented.

ADULT ROLE MODELS

Adults in girl Scouting serve as positive role models to girls and make sure the values of the organization are kept strong and made "real" to the girls. All adults who work with girls or are present at Girl Scout activities adhere to the adult behavior standards in Safety-Wise regarding possession, use or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Adults who use tobacco products are expected to refrain from such use in the presence of girls. A Girl Scout adult needs a sense of humor! Encourage fun, spontaneity and creativity. Relax and enjoy the girls!

HOW TO START BEING A LEADER AND LIKE IT!

There are literally dozens of ways to do almost anything in Girl Scouting, and each can be as right as all the others. So relax and have fun! The following suggestions will help you with everything from getting acquainted with parents, to gathering membership registration information, to figuring out how much adult assistance you'll need and who can provide it.

GIRL ADULT PLANNING

Let the Girls Plan It - Keep the girls involved in decision making. If you do not know how to do something (or even if you do), ask the girls how they would do it. If there is no clear danger to life, limb or other folks' property, let them. Share the load when it comes to decision making. It's their group and you are there to help them. For a while they won't believe you're for real, but stick with it! Keep your sense of humor and have fun. The sky will not fall if a meeting sounds and looks like an amusement park fun house now and then. Shift from "Mom Gear" to "Friend Gear". If you are a mom, you will need to shift gears a bit. Love the girls, and worry about them sometimes, of course. But you are not their parent. You are their friend.

Resources: Get The "Let's Look it Up" Habit

The handbook, the Leader's Guide, Safety Wise and other Girl Scout books are like encyclopedias; they are terrific reference sources, so when a question arises, you can say "Let's look it up!"

Learn and Grow by Doing

The girls (and leaders, too) can try anything and learn from what does not work almost as much as from what does. What a great gift-to provide a place to learn from mistake without the penalty of being marked a failure.

What’s so Special about Girl Scouting

Girl Scouting is contemporary. For more than 90 years, we have kept pace with the lives of girls and women in a changing world.

MEETING WITH PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

Adult Meetings One of the most important ways to rally adult support is to meet with parents/guardians at the beginning of the Girl Scout year. It is important to meet with parents as soon as possible. Your neighborhood chair can help you plan the meeting.

• Adult meetings help you:
• Organize a troop committee and possible troop sponsorship.
• Meet parents and other adult family members.
• Learn about family expectations for the Girl Scout experience
• Talk about plans for the year.
  Show families how they can help.
• Collect registration money.
• Gather information

Leader Assistance

For an effective overall troop program utilize the following for the support you may need:

• Co-leader/Assistant Leader
• The girls
• Parents
• A Troop Committee
• A Sponsoring Group
• Community Partners
• Girl Scouts of Columbia River Council
• GS, USA
• For a meeting that runs smoothly, pre-planning is helpful:
• Consider convenience of meeting place and time, especially for parents who work outside the home.
• Announce the meeting via phone calls, mail or a note sent home with the girls.
• Invite the girls to the meeting too-parents are more likely to attend if their daughters are also invited.
• Plan a few activities for the girls.
• Bring support supplies, like masking tape, large sheets of paper, felt tip pens, name tags and attendance sheets.
• Include the current issue of The Promise and Law with handouts.
• Consider having refreshments.
• If you'll be conducting registration during your meeting, ask parents/guardians to bring their girls' immunization records, health insurance provider names/addresses, doctors and dentist names/numbers and a $10 national registration fee. 

AT THE ADULT MEETING

At the meeting:

• Summarize the Girl Scout story (or ask a service team member to do so)
• Purpose of the program
• Benefits their daughters will experience
• The Promise and the Law
• Investiture and rededication
• The girls' part in program planning

• Discuss troop finances (national registration fee, troop dues and start-up fees).
• Provide information to parents about Opportunity Fund, national dues, and how to contribute to "Family Giving".
• Discuss Girl Scouts' health and safety standards and the need for parental consent forms, permission slips and health information/emergency medical authorization forms. Let them know leaders will be taking training to ensure the troop program is safe, fun and purposeful.
• Talk about your troop's potential activities, when/where you will hold meetings and special events, field trips and camping expeditions that may be in store.
• Encourage family members to volunteer their talents 
• Distribute membership registration forms; encourage parents/guardians to complete all forms before they leave.
• Let the parents/guardians know how to contact you in the future and let them know you will be keeping in touch with them throughout the year.

Tips to Know!

1. Save your notes from your adult meeting. You can use them to bring up to help the parents of new members who join later in the year.
2. Remember: It is important to complete the registration process in a timely fashion.

TROOP FINANCES AND MONEY TIPS

Making sense of your troop's dollars and cents can be easy to do by following the tips below. Discussing Troop Finances

Each troop member provides her own:

• National membership fee
• Troop dues
• Camp fees for resident or day camp
• Personal belongings, including uniforms and handbooks

The troop usually pays for:

• Program supplies (craft items, etc.) 􀂙 Troop equipment
• Troop camp fees
• Pins, badges and recognition
• Troop dues paid by girls

The amount of dues is decided jointly by the girls and leaders and should be set at a figure which everyone can afford. Expenses to be covered by dues should be agreed upon in advance. Troop/Group funds should be kept in a bank. Keep troop finance report up to date from day one. All leaders at each level are responsible for keeping the troop finance report, logging every income and expense-including registration monies. One copy must be given to the Neighborhood Chair by May 1, and one copy is kept for troop records. Make records available to parents upon request.

Troop Funds Can Cover Troop Materials
Leaders may use troop funds for materials directly benefiting the troop (i.e.: books, craft supplies, required leader training, etc.) All materials become troop property.

Troop Funds' Primary Source: Cookie and Troop fund Raising. These sources are intended to provide enough money for most troop activities. Girls should not spend an inappropriate amount of time on money earning projects to support their planned program.for ideas on Fund Raising.

Girl Scouts May Not Raise Money for Other Organizations .They may, however, raise money for the troop, then spend the money providing services to another worthwhile organization. Any organization receiving help or gifts from the troop must adhere to the principles of Girl Scouting.

Girl Scouts Cannot Endorse Products For example, Girl Scouts cannot raise funds by hosting home parties that sell merchandise.

Girls Should Help Decide Expenditures Troop funds belong to the troop, and girls become progressively more involved in planning as they move through each program level. Brownies Girl Scouts collect dues; troop treasurer keeps dues records Leaders handle funds, and the girls and leaders determine dues amount. Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts collect dues, determine dues amount and keep dues records As girls grow older, they are encouraged to take more and more responsibility handling money. However, regardless of age level, leaders are responsible for maintaining the troop finance report. Troop Money-Earning Activities must comply with Safety-Wise It is ok to raise additional money for worthwhile projects. Follow the procedures listed under Standard 28 and 29 in Safety-Wise. Troop/Groups may not engage in other fund raising activities during Cookie Sales.

Troop Money-Earning Activity Must Be Approved.
For money-earning activities that are not council-sponsored programs, Neighborhood chair approval and Membership Manager approval, as well as parental approval, is required before beginning the activity. Troops must also participate in the Cookie Sale to participate in other troop money-earning activities. Get approval from your Membership Manager before asking local businesses for money or product gifts. Approval is imperative because the council raises funds from many of the same local businesses they should not be approached twice by two different sources.

BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT BEHAVIOR

A knowledge of how girls develop will lead you to have realistic expectations for behavior and skill levels. Though each child develops at her own rate, most pass through the same stages. Read in The Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS, pages 19-21.

Go With the Flow Using your own knowledge of Brownie aged girls and what you've learned from the reading, do the following exercise. Match these characteristics of Brownie Girl Scouts with the numbered suggestions for troop/group program delivery below the characteristics.

___Like familiar games and procedures.

___Display poor eye/hand coordination.

___Express feelings freely, often in extreme vocal or physical form.

___Are good listeners but have a short attention span.

___Have a strong need to know they are being treated fairly.

___Are willing to take on responsibility. Are beginning to work well in groups.

___Are very imaginative and like to show off accomplishments and abilities.

___Want to know adult expectations.

___Learn by doing and by imitating.

1. Provide opportunities for working in small groups.
2. Provide a visual system to show fair distribution of jobs.
3. Carefully select motor activities (crafts, skill games, etc.) for ability to successfully finish.
4. Let girls know what you expect.
5. Use repetition in opening, closing, snack.
6. Provide opportunities for appropriate emotional expression.
7. Keep discussions and directions brief.
8. Provide opportunities to be self-reliant as an individual and as part of the group.
9. Provide a lot of open-ended activities and time to share.
10. Present activities so a girl can "do it herself" and follow your example.

Read in Safety-Wise, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, pages 17-18 and LEADING THOSE CHALLENGING GIRLS, pages 19-21.

1. List 3 ways to help a girl fell good about herself. 
2. List two ways to help girls solve their own conflicts.

Parent as Leaders

Often leaders’/co-leaders’ daughters are members of the troop/group. They are usually very proud of mother or father being a leader, but can have trouble sharing their parent with the other girls. This is often acted out as misbehavior to get mom’s or dad’s attention. Leaders sometimes treat their daughters as daughters and not Girl Scouts. They expect too much or too little of her. She always is expected to clean up after the other girls have left. If there isn't enough to go around, she loses out. She always gets chosen. She needs to be treated just like the other girls.

Some Helps

1. Let your daughter know you understand her mixed feelings of pride and jealousy.
2. Have your co-leader deal with your daughter. 
3. Have your daughter call you whatever the other girls do during Girl Scout activities.
4. Expect your daughter to live by troop/group rules during meetings, not home rules.
5. Don't tell your daughter about things you've planned that the other girls don't know. 
6. Effective girl planning will help the entire troop/group have ownership of the program.
7. Set aside some special, non-Girl Scout time to spend with your daughter.

GIRL/ADULT PARTNERSHIP

Girl/adult planning is a very special and unique part of the Girl Scout program. It provides an important opportunity for girls to make their own decisions and carry out their plans while benefiting from adult guidance and facilitation.

Troop/Group Government

The Brownie Girl Scout Ring is the traditional form of troop/group government for Brownie Girl Scouts. It is a circle in which each girl shares in planning, problem solving, and decision making. Sometimes a vote is needed to make a decision. Sometimes large troops/groups may wish to divide into smaller units for discussion. These are called circles.

You can help girls learn the skills used to make decisions by doing the following in the Brownie Girl Scout Ring:

• Encourage girls to speak up about their ideas and to take turns expressing their opinions. Your guidance may be needed in working through ideas.
• Use pictures, charts, handouts and other concrete materials to increase involvement.
• Keep the Brownie Girl Scout Ring discussions short. Young girls cannot sit too long, especially after school.
• Use the Brownie Girl Scout Ring for troop/group management: planning and deciding, making up the budget for an activity, making rules and assigning jobs, electing officers and committee members.

Read in:

• Safety-Wise, GROUP PLANNING AND BUDGETING, pages 22-28;
• The Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, TIPS FOR LEADERS, page 31;
• Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, YOUR BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT TROOP OR GROUP and TROOP MONEY, pages 38-41.

Six Steps in Girl Planning

This exercise will take you through the Six Steps of Girl Planning. In it you will have to think as both the leader and a Brownie Girl Scout.

1. SHARE IDEAS WITH OTHERS. Brainstorming is a simple kind of discussion used to collect ideas. There are a few simple rules.

• All ideas are welcome without criticism. (The analyzing will come later.)
• The wilder the idea the better. (Ideas can be toned down later.)
• Quantity of ideas is what is needed. (Quality can come later when ideas are sorted.)

List 5 ideas for a field trip for your troop/group.

2. LISTEN TO OTHERS. Allow each girl to have her say. Brownies may enjoy using a talking stone or stuffed animal. A girl may only speak when she is holding the talking stone or animal.

3. AS A GROUP DECIDE WHAT TO DO. Now is the time to discuss the ideas. You, the leader, can help by asking certain questions.

• Can any of the ideas be combined?
• Do we have the money to carry them out?
• Do we have enough time to do this?
• Will we need to learn any new skills?

Ways To Vote:

• Raising hands
• Each girl votes for two ideas
• Mark choice on a piece of paper
• Postpone until following week if there is a lot of controversy.

4. MAKE A PLAN. Using one of your ideas from your list, list the steps you need to do to carry out the project. Be sure to include jobs for the girls and parent helpers. (STEP, WHO SHOULD DO IT, WHEN) Brownie Girl Scouts should work as one group or, if a large troop/group, can divide into smaller circles that take different parts of the project and plan in detail. Each circle is led by an adult.

5. CARRY OUT THE PLAN. (Not to be done for this training.) When done in the troop/group, the girls do as much as their abilities allow. At this step girls can also be divided into circles to carry out their plan. Their responsibility increases as they gain experience.

6. EVALUATE. All large projects should be evaluated by the girls and leaders. Ask: What did you like? What would you change? Should we do this again?

Always try to state situations in the positive.

Think of two things you can do at your next meeting to encourage girl planning.

As girls get more experienced, they do more and more of the planning process and the leader does less and less.

BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT PROGRAM

Uniform

All Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, worldwide, may wear their country's Girl Scout uniform. However, it is not required for membership. Most Brownie Girl Scouts like to wear a uniform. If money is a concern, jeans, a white blouse and the sash or vest make an appropriate uniform. The sash or vest is the most essential part of the uniform since it is where insignia and awards are placed. All official (national) insignia and awards are
worn on the front of the sash or vest. All council and program patches are worn on the back. Uniforms may be purchased at the Council Shop, through the Girl Scout catalog, J. C. Penney's catalog, thrift stores, and garage sales. Other items shown in the Girl Scout catalog are available at the council shop.

Read in: Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA, page 13; Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT INSIGNIA, pages 26-28; Safety-Wise, STANDARD II, page 68.

click here to see how the insignia should look on a sash

click here to see how the insignia should look on a vest

Insignia For ideas on presenting insignia read Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, CELEBRATING WITH A CEREMONY, page 22.

THE BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT PIN Traditionally, the pin is given to a girl by her leader at an Investiture or Rededication Ceremony. The pin is put on over the heart, upside down, with the admonition that the girl's parent's)/guardian's) will turn it right side up when she does a good deed.

WORLD ASSOCIATION PIN The pin indicates membership in the international organization WAGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts). It is the largest organization for girls and women in the world. The pin may be presented anytime after registration. A particularly appropriate time for presenting this pin is while the girls are taking part in World Friendship or Thinking Day activities.

MEMBERSHIP STAR AND DISC One year of membership is defined as having been registered at any time during the program year, October 1-September 30. Each girl receives a star and green backing disc.

HANDBOOK HUNT: BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT HANDBOOK

A handbook hunt activity is a good way to get girls acquainted with the book. Younger girls could do one chapter at a time or a picture hunt. Find the page number or information asked for below in each chapter of the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook.

1. BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS When did the first Girl Scout meeting in the United States take place? Hint: Juliette Low Album
2. TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF Find information on the food pyramid. What type of food should we eat the most?
3. FAMILY AND FRIENDS What are two things girls can do to help their families grow strong?
4. WHAT’S OUT THERE? What is one way to make a troop trip focused?
5. PEOPLE NEAR AND FAR Find directions for games from Brazil and Sweden.
6. BECOMING BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS How many activities are required to earn the Bridge to Brownie Girl Scouts award?

HANDBOOK HUNT: BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT TRY-ITS

Try-Its are grouped in the same categories as the chapter headings in the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook.

1. What is the purpose of a Try-It?
2. Why do Brownie Girl Scout activities consist of more than Try-Its?
3. What is one way to help girls not be overly competitive about Try-Its?
4. Select one Try-It you think your troop/group would enjoy doing. Choose four activities from the ones listed. Figure out the way you will accomplish each activity and how many meetings it will take using a 45-minute major activity time.

Each activity may be applied to only one Try-It. You should keep a record of troop/group progress on the BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT TRY-IT RECORD SHEET. It is available on-line by clicking the pin. You will also receive TRY-IT sheets from your Membership Manager. Try-Its may be awarded any time after completion.  A girl who is absent for an activity may complete it or a substitute at home. A note signed by a parent is sufficient proof. Remember to have fun with Try-Its. They are there to give a structure to Brownie Girl Scout exploration. They are awarded for participation, not performance. Try-Its are non-competitive.

Patches and Unofficial Awards

Unofficial awards are those that are designed by a local Girl Scout council or fun patches from the Girl Scouts Catalogue. All unofficial awards are to be worn on the back of the sash or on other clothing (jackets, hats, etc.) They are usually given for participation in a neighborhood or council activity or service project.

Bridging This rainbow Bridge to Brownie Girl Scouts patch is earned by girls in their last year of Brownie Girl Scouts. Some neighborhoods conduct a bridging ceremony for girls moving to the next level of Girl Scouting. Ask about a Bridging Ceremony at a Neighborhood or Leader Meeting. This is an insignia that will be transferred on to a Junior/Cadette/Senior sash/vest.

Brownie Girl Scout Wings This insignia symbolizes that a girl was a Brownie Girl Scout. They are usually distributed at the bridging/fly-up ceremony. This is an insignia that will be transferred on to a Junior/Cadette/Senior sash/vest.

THE BROWNIE MEETING

Review format of a Brownie Girl Scout meeting in Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, PLANNING TROOP MEETINGS, pages 22-29; Review the meeting plans in GETTING STARTED WITH BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS.

Tips and Traditions

BROWNIE GIRL SCOUT TRADITIONS In the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook there are Girl Scout Special Ways (pages 18-21), Brownie Smile Song (page 15), and ceremonies. These give girls a feeling of sharing something special, a sense of belonging to a group outside their family, and a link to the past.

SNACKS You and the parents need to decide whether to include snacks as part of your meeting or only at special times. Most troop/groups who meet after school have snacks first. Evening meetings usually end with a snack. The food should be healthy. Try to avoid crumbly foods, like cake as they are hard to clean up. Be sensitive to financial resources of families and dietary restrictions. A snack container (can or box) is a good idea. The girl takes it home the week before her turn. On it is a note letting parents know how many to provide for, what type of food to send, and a big thank you.

SPECIAL DAYS (birthdays, holidays, school events) Decide whether or not to celebrate these days taking into account each family's religious, ethnic, and financial preferences. Girl Scout Special Days provide opportunities for special activities and celebration. Make your decision at the beginning of the year and be consistent.

FIELD TRIPS Read in Safety-Wise, Planning Trips with Girls, pages 44-60. In our council Brownie Girl Scouts are allowed to take field trips anywhere in the council.

CAMPING All camping must be led by a Council Trained Adult who has completed the Advanced Outdoor Skills Training. Ask you membership manager how to become certified. You also must have a trained and certified First Aider with the group.

SUPPLY BOX Get a sturdy box to keep troop/group/group items in. This box should be at every meeting. In it keep:

• first aid kit                                      tape (masking and Scotch)           rope
• health forms (girl and adult)               glue or paste                              playing cards
• crayons, markers, pencils                   yarn                                         list of songs and games
• scrap paper                                     scissors                                    construction paper
• brown bags (sandwich and grocery)     Frisbee                                     newspaper

With the materials in the box, you can make many things with little preparation, such as: paper bag puppets, costumes, masks, paper airplanes, snowflakes, rubbings, pictures. Read in: Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, ACTIVITIES IN A PINCH, PAGES 37-54. Note the activities are grouped in the same categories as the chapter headings in the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook.

EVALUATING
Girls should evaluate major activities, with your guidance. Always try to be positive. Ask:

• How did it go?
• How was our plan?
• What might we do differently?

Leaders should evaluate if the troop/group is experiencing a balanced Girl Scout program.. Using the Four Program Goals (Guide for Brownie Girl Scout Leaders, page 7) as a guide, you and your co-leaders should look at your troop/group program two or three times a year and see if the troop/group is doing activities that promote growth in all four goals. This kind of self-evaluation helps you to best to serve girls. Any question about meetings can be brought to your Membership Manager.

As part of the pre-trip planning, it is always best to review with the girls the precautions, possible hazards and potential problems. A review of Buddy Plan procedures is always a good idea. Such procedures as the buddy check signal, what to do if a buddy pair is separated from the group or if a buddy is injured are always worth repeating.

The Buddy Plan helps a Girl Scout live the Promise and Law: doing good turns, helping others, being a sister to other Girl Scouts. The Buddy Plan ensures the safety of our girls. The Buddy Plan is also an approach to personal safety that can be used all our lives. No matter what our age, it is often just safer, more secure, more reasonable not to go somewhere alone. The Buddy Plan the Girl Scout uses is good practice in developing reasonable precautions she can utilize in later life.

• Check Safety-Wise
• Leaders contact place, get name of contact person and make arrangements (date, time, meeting place, restrictions, restroom accommodations).
• Leaders write confirming letter to place stating the arrangements agreed up
• on, size of group, program and any questions.
• Arrange for the necessary number of adults to go with you.
• Arrange transportation, if necessary.
• Arrange for any equipment needed.
• Collect money, if necessary.
• Determine the appropriate clothing.
• At least two weeks ahead of time prepare and send home permission slips.
• Check with place one week before going.

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Last modified: 09/06/04.