WANT TO BE A GIRL SCOUT?

CALL

1-800-338-5248

Orientation to Junior Girl Scout Leadership

Welcome to the exciting and rewarding world of Girl Scouting. The Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council thank you for volunteering to serve girls.

During this self directed learning you will:

• Experience using Girl Scout resource materials.
• Choose behavior management strategies for typical troop/group situations based on knowledge of girl development
• Decide on a form of troop/group government that promotes girl leadership opportunities for your troop/group
• Explore the Junior Girl Scout program, including uniforms, badges, patches and ceremonies
• Recognize the parts of a meeting.

Besides this web-page you will need the following resources:

• The Guide for Junior Girl Scout Leaders
• Junior Girl Scout Handbook and Badgebook
• Safety Wise

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.

1. Developing self to achieve fullest individual potential.
2. Relating to others with increasing understanding, skill and respect.
3. Developing values to guide actions and provide a sound decision-making foundation.
4. Contributing to society’s improvement by using abilities, using leadership skills and working co-operatively with others.

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 “give” 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, one to the Membership Manager by June 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.

JUNIOR GIRL SCOUT BEHAVIOR

Characteristics: A knowledge of how girls develop will keep your expectations for behavior and skill levels realistic. Though each girl develops at her own rate, most pass through the same stages. Read WORKING WITH JUNIOR GIRL SCOUTS p. 50 in The Guide for Junior Girl Scout Leaders. Go With the Flow Using your own knowledge of Junior Girl Scout age girls and what you've learned from the readings, do the exercise "Go With the Flow."

Match the numbered characteristics of Junior Girl Scouts with the lettered suggestions for troop/group program delivery.

1. Friends change often
2. Strong need to learn to do things. 
3. Physical changes beginning; often confused, moody and emotional.
4. Family still important.
5. Willing to take on responsibility.
6. Hard workers on their own project.
7. Learning to handle more complex activities.
8. Great belief in being treated fairly. 
9. Beginning to work well in groups.
10. Very imaginative and like to show off accomplishments.
11. Hard to calm down after activity and get to work
12. Group and clique oriented.

1. Provide opportunities for working in small groups.
2. Guide to skills that can be demonstrated.
3. One activity may utilize more than one skill.
4. Provide a lot of opportunity for girl planning.
5. Include family members in some activities.
6. Rotate group members often and include everyone.
7. Provide a lot of opportunity to work with different girls.
8. Exciting games or active projects need to be at the end of meetings.
9. Provide opportunities to be self-reliant as an individual and a group.
10. Devise methods to ensure fairness.
11. Provide understanding, information and support.
12. Provide a lot of open-ended projects and time to share.

JUNIOR 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. Junior Girl Scouts are not as eager to wear a uniform as Brownie Girl Scouts. Girls should be encouraged to wear a badge sash or vest as, this is where their recognitions will be displayed. Jeans, a white blouse and the badge sash or vest make an appropriate uniform. (However, this is not an official uniform.) Uniforms may be purchased through the council shop, Girl Scout catalog, thrift stores, and garage sales. To see a complete uniform. Read about the JUNIOR GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM AND INSIGNIA, p. 16 in The Guide for Junior Girl Scout Leaders.

INSIGNIA

All official (national) insignia and recognitions are worn on the front of the Junior Girl Scout sash or vest. (A girl's Try-Its from Brownie Girl Scouts may go on the back of her Junior Girl Scout sash or vest or she may decide to leave them on her Brownie Girl Scout sash and keep it as a souvenir.)

GIRL SCOUT PIN - Junior Girl Scouts may choose 1 of 2 pins. She may wear the traditional trefoil or the profile pin. Only one pin may be worn at a time. It is strongly recommended that each girl be given only one pin. If a girl already has one of these pins, it is not necessary to give her another. Traditionally, the pin is given to a girl by her leader at an Investiture Ceremony.

 WORLD TREFOIL PIN - This pin indicates membership in the international organization WAGGGS (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 at any time after registering. A particularly appropriate time is while the girls are involved in Thinking Day or World Friendship activities during February and March.
The World Trefoil Pin is worn above the Girl Scout Pin. Girls who were Brownie Girl Scouts may already have this pin. The Trefoil Pin shows you are part of a worldwide movement of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The blue stands for the sky. The gold stands for the sun. The trefoil stands for the three parts of the Girl Scout Promise. The base of the trefoil is shaped like a flame, which represents the love of humanity and the flame burns in the hearts of Girl guides and girl Scouts around the world. The line in the middle of the trefoil stands for the compass needle that guides us. The Two Stars stand for the Promise and the Law.

MEMBERSHIP STAR AND DISC -- The one-year membership is defined as having been registered at anytime during the Girl Scout year--October 1 - September 30. Each girl receives a star and yellow backing disc.

JUNIOR HANDBOOK The Junior Girl Scout Handbook is designed to be used by the girls. Many of the activities can be done by a girl herself or with a few friends.

Safety-Wise. Safety-Wise provides the guidance needed to guide girls through experiences that are educationally sound and safe. To ensure the safety of Girl Scout troop/groups, each leader receives one copy of Safety-Wise.

Earning Awards. Earning awards gives Junior Girl Scouts the feeling of pride and accomplishment that come from completing a badge, service activity or leadership project. Encourage the girls to take time to enjoy their activities.

Badges There are 104 Junior Girl Scout Badges designed to gain knowledge, learn and improve skills, explore careers and make a difference in their communities.

There are also four Junior Girl Scout Signs. Each sign signifies specific achievements as a Junior Girl Scout.

Bronze Award The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn. It shows you have made a promise to help others, improve your community and world, and become the best you can be.

TROOP/GROUP GOVERNMENT

Troop/group government includes sharing ideas, deciding as a group what to do, carrying out plans and evaluating. Read about the three choices for Junior Girl Scout troop/group government in The Guide for Junior Girl Scout Leader, pp. 32-33.

Patrol System The patrol system is the most widely used form of troop/group government for Junior Girl Scouts.

GETTING STARTED IN PATROLS

Soon after your troop/group members are invested, you will be ready to begin using patrols as a troop/group government system. The patrol system is a Girl Scout "tradition". It is used worldwide as a way for girls to make and carry out plans for troop/group activities of all kinds. However, the town meeting and the executive board are two other forms of troop/group government that can be used. It's all right to experiment with each form of government before the troop/group decides which one they want to adopt as a permanent way of conducting business.

HERE IS AN OUTLINE FOR ORGANIZING AND USING PATROLS:

Meeting 1 Tell about patrols. Girls can read about patrols on pages 25 in their handbook. Explain that you will divide into patrols at a meeting soon.

Meeting 2 Begin selection of patrols. Try one of the following methods:

1. Number off. Put ones in one patrol, twos in another, etc.
2. Grade level. Separate names by grades and draw from each grade level so each patrol has a mixture of grades.
3. Colored slips of paper. Girls draw slips of paper and all like colors form one patrol.

Some girls will be disappointed, and friends may not want to separate. Explain to girls that patrols may be regrouped later and that they can work with their friends in activity groups.

Meeting 3 Have girls form into patrols selected last week and:

1. Elect patrol officers such as patrol leader, assistant patrol leader, treasurer.
2. Select patrol names (Flowers? Trees? Birds? Animals? Silly phrases? Nonsense words?, etc.)

Meeting 4 Have girls meet by patrols and plan part of next week's meeting.

1. Opening Patrol 1
2. Game Patrol 2
3. Closing Patrol 3

(Rotate these weekly) Meet as an entire troop/group and elect troop/group scribe (secretary), troop/group treasurer and any other jobs needed.

Meeting 5 Opening by patrol assigned last week. Meet briefly in patrols so girls can plan next week's assigned activity. Activity -- game led by patrol assigned. Closing by patrol assigned.

Meeting 6 Meet in patrols, take dues and attendance. Discuss badges in patrols. Let each patrol pick two they would like to do as troop/group badges this year or discuss ideas for troop/group activities; ask each patrol to list two they'd like to do as a troop/group this year.

Meeting 7 Hold open "Court of Honor" (see below) (Patrol leaders, assistant leaders, troop/group scribe and troop/group treasurer meet with leader presiding. Remainder of troop/group attends as observers, but do not speak or vote.) Court of Honor chooses which badges or activities suggested by patrols will be adopted.

COURT OF HONOR

The Court of Honor is a vital part of the patrol system. It is the group that makes decisions for the whole troop/group. Its members include all the patrol leaders in the troop/group, the scribe, the treasurer and the troop/group leader. Each patrol leader represents her patrol faithfully at the Court of Honor. This means that, since all the patrol leaders attend Court of Honor meetings, every troop/group member is represented. This is what the Court of Honor does:

• Plans interesting troop/group programs based on ideas submitted by the patrol leaders.
• Makes up ideas for activities and submits them to patrols through the patrol leaders.
• Hears reports on patrols given by patrol leaders and committee chairs when appropriate.
• Makes arrangements for patrol leaders to learn new things to teach their patrol members.
• Sometimes arranges for girls from different patrols to work together on special interests.

The Court of Honor can meet before or after regular troop/group meetings or at other times convenient to its members. Meetings last anywhere from 10-30 minutes. Meetings can be short and include quick reports, reminders of responsibilities or adjustments of plans. Every 4-6 weeks, the Court of Honor should meet to fill in details of plans for the month ahead and consider ideas and suggestions for future plans. The Court of Honor thinks over the ideas. Are they good? Will they be fun? Will they work? How can we make them work? Even the best idea needs planning and work to come true. This is a skill you can help girls learn. Now and then an open Court of Honor meeting is held so that everyone will understand how the system works so they can be ready to participate when it is their turn.

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO GET GIRL INPUT AND MAKE DECISIONS

BRAINSTORMING: A sudden burst in inspiration.

1. No judging during brainstorming session.
2. Don't think about money, cost, time, space.
3. Aim for quantity -- lots and lots of ideas.

AFTER ALL THE IDEAS ARE LISTED:

1. Sort out ideas according to: a. Immediately usable b. May be usable if developed c. Not usable
2. Choose from the "immediately usable" and "may be usable" lists.
3. Make plans.
4. Save the other ideas to discuss another time.

MAKE A STAND: If you're having trouble getting girls to participate in group discussion or coming to a decision, try Make A Stand. Everyone has to make up her own mind and physically get involved. Everyone must get up and move to the designated section of the room representing her choice.

1. The stations are places around the room.
2. As a discussion aid, label stations by ideas or topics.
3. As a voting aid, label stations by idea, "Yes, No, Undecided" or "Agree, Disagree, Undecided."

To reach consensus, you keep talking until everyone is happy and standing in the same place. Consensus means everyone can accept this decision instead of majority rules. In consensus everyone wins. It is a creative activity as new alternatives are constantly suggested until everyone is satisfied.

WAYS OF VOTING: Making choices helps girls develop decision-making skills.

1. "All in favor go to this side of the room. All against go to the other." This is good to use if girls have trouble sitting still.
2. Raising your hand.
3. Using different color squares of paper, chips, stickers, etc., to indicate preference.
4. Written ballot.

CIRCULAR RESPONSE: A way to let everyone participate and keep the discussion focused on a specific subject. The group sits in a circle. Each one chooses one of the ideas up for discussion, even if it is the same as another's choice. Go around the circle and give each member a chance to have her say. If someone doesn't want to talk she should say, "Pass".

SEALED ORDERS: When the troop/group has a BIG decision to make (where to take a trip, a money-earning project, etc.) take the time to get the facts needed to make the decision. Give small groups of girls SEALED ORDERS -- directions sealed in an envelope. Directions might be:

1. To find specific facts or resources necessary to making an informed decision.
2. Prepare a short skit presenting the facts.
3. To list all the ways you can think of to do something.
4. To make suggestions for the agenda of the decision-making discussion.

CLOTHESLINE: Ask the group to write ideas for what they want to do and hang them on a line with a clothespin. Next, write all the places they can do these things. Hang this list. Make one more list naming with whom they can do these things. Hang this list. Let them walk around and talk about how to combine them until something sounds really good. (For badges, list all the badges girls are currently working on and combine any three into a possible project.)

CALENDAR OF WORK Once activities have been chosen, the troop will need to make a calendar showing when they will be carried out. Help the girls list the activities that they might do, and show how much time each activity will take. Some activities may take up only part of a meeting, while others may last through several meetings. When your troop/group is ready, fill in calendar for these activities. Start with dates you have chosen for special events, like a Juliette Low birthday celebration.

KAPER CHARTS Kaper charts are an important tool in making the patrol system work. The troop/group kaper chart lets each patrol know its responsibilities for meetings and events. The patrol kaper chart lets each girl know her responsibilities. to see how to make a Kaper Chart.

Home | En Español | Calendar | Cookie Exchange | F.A.Q. | Thinking Day | Program Levels | Parent Participation | Suggestions | Resources | Liability Release | On-Line Training | Troop Fund Raising | Forms

Last modified: 09/06/04.