What should a NEW leader know? Part 2

Girl Scout 
verb

Being a Girl Scout is something you DO, and it is an EXPERIENCE that no girl should miss!

My posts thus far have largely been cultivated from my own on the job training, and gained knowledge, as well as research I have done online and in person.  *I* decided to try something a little bit different.  I created a google form, and asked leaders across the nation to contribute to it.  It had four (4) questions.  They were:

• What is the #1 thing you wish you knew as a new leader?
• What kind of leader resources would you find most useful?
• What is something you want to ask other leaders anonymously?
• Is there anything else you'd like to note here?

I received over 100 GREAT responses to this and am compiling them for general use for new leaders, seasoned leaders - really any volunteer that is looking for answers. THIS particular post is going to be what new leaders should know - part 1. 

The first season of scouting as a leader can be very hard.  I spent my entire girlhood as a girl scouts, and still was completely unprepared for the politics between moms, with dealing with difficult guardians, with knowing what exactly the service unit or council was there for - a slew of things.  So I want you to know - when you are there, in the trenches, and its not the unicorns and butterflies you imagined, there are many many MANY seasoned leaders out there that are rooting for you, cheering for you, and standing behind you.  We all want you to succeed.

Some answers were repeated time and time again by seasoned leaders, and I will highlight that when discussing those points!  Here is the next couple of items that ALL new leaders should know!

1. How much I will come to love each of my girls.
1. I LOVE this sentiment.  There are a lot of really cool parts about scouts - truly.  You get to help mold little minds into wonderful young women, and celebrate all of their achievements with them.  Often times, you meet GREAT mom friends (and I speak from the heart.  The five women I am closest to outside of family in this world are all moms of my current or former scouts.)  But the real jewels are the lovely young women you meet.  They have a way of finding themselves a place in your heart, and sticking there.  Enjoy it!
2. How to get parents to respond to emails in a timely manner...or at all.
1. This is one of the great questions of girl scouts.  Communication with parents is almost always a struggle in the beginning, and sometimes even after that.  In a day and age where communication is at our fingertips, and we can text/email/snap/call/facebook/[insert one of many other ways to communicate] almost instantly, it can be INSANELY frustrating trying to foster and preserve a good method of communication with your parents.  
2. There are a GREAT many of ways to communicate with your parents. 
1. A private facebook group - This works if you have younger parents who are tech savvy or invested in facebook. 
2. A google group - This is another option for a group setting where your parents can post questions and interact with you, without feeling forced to be on facebook.
3. Remind - this is an app that teachers use to communicate with parents - it lets you send out a mass text, but when people respond, the responses only come to you.
4. Shutterfly - This is a share site that a lot of teams/troops/classrooms use.  You can post reminders, calendars, etc on it.
5. GroupMe - This is a text app that you can use online or on your phone.  It is basically like a small private chat room or forum.  It allows for direct messaging, as well as being able to share photos and videos.
6. Rallyhood - Rallyhood is used by a LOT of councils and can be a very effective way to communicate.  You can coordinate calendars, share photos, split up tasks, etc.
7. Teamapp - This is an app used by many troops and teams.  It is basically a platform that helps you create a smartphone app that works for your group.  You can post schedules, reminders, push notifications, etc.
8. Scoutlander - This is a very popular tool for both girl scouts and boy scouts.  You can post calendars, blast emails, post photos and more. 
9. TroopTrack - This is a VERY comprehensive tool.  You can post schedules, rosters, record attendance, communicate and more.  The BIGGEST thing to note with this one is that there is a $100 yearly fee to use it.  It does off a 30 day trial, but it is a hefty fee to utilize this tool.
10. Email - Snail mail of the 21st century.  Theoretically, everyone should have access to this, and be able to use it.  
3. I have tried some of these, and my parents are definitely NOT all on the same page.  Facebook worked well with my last troop, but not this one.  Email is something we seem to fail at as a group.  Google groups was to email-y for my parents.  I *think* we are going to try Team App this year - I really like that you can send push notifications, so that's a huge draw for me!
   
   Have you tried one or more of these? Please share your experience with them in the comments - the more info we share, the more resources we have!
3. I wish I knew where to start.
1. Well.  Girlfriend. We all do. This was, hands down, the most common comment for what a new leader should know - where to start.  THANKFULLY - this blog is shaping up to be a great place to start (after your council training.)  There are a lot of GREAT resources here and I post more as I find or create them!  Here is a list of things you may find helpful in your early days:
1. Sample Parent Letter for the First Meeting
• A letter to hand out to your parents that will go over all of the ins and outs of girl scouts and your troop.
2. Code of Conduct
•  Laying out a code of conduct at the beginning of the year gives everyone a firm set of expectations.
3. How to Plan Meetings
• A guide on how to plan meetings, coupled with two free templates for your use!
4. What should NEW leaders know? Part 1
• Helpful information for new and seasoned leaders.
2. There will also be a post soon dedicated to this very topic - keep your eyes peeled!  There will be a post dedicated to this posted to the blog on September 3rd, 2016.
4. How to set rules, from dues to cookies, and trips, from day one.
1. This is important.  I don't care HOW you do it - just please please PLEASE do it.  This is something I learned the hard hard HARD way.  When I first became a troop leader, I was SO excited.  I was not given much support from my council in terms of recruiting, but I knew I needed more than just my daughter in my troop.  So I busted my butt to recruit (and there will be a post on this as well in the coming days!)  And in about a month, I had a sweet little troop of about 9 girls.  I didn't have a lot of guidelines.  I was pretty lax.  And here's why.  *I'M* a decent person.  I can read.  I am involved in my kid's life and extracurriculars.  I read emails and due dates.  I'm pretty responsible when it comes to my kids.  So I just assumed (you know what assuming does) that my troop parents and guardians would be similar.
   
   And halfway into the year, I was at the end of my rope, unsure what to do and how to proceed because I had not given my parents many expectations, and the few I did, I was lenient with.  Some parent's were like me - no issues.  Some were not.  One began to see me as a free sitting service - she went so far as to assume I would watch her child on school holiday without speaking to me.  One failed to let me know about some struggles her child had - and she dropped her girl off at a sleepover without letting me know that her girl had behaviors such as stealing.  And that is a hard thing to deal with when you have no heads up.  One parent demanded that myself and my co leader transport her daughter to meetings because she couldn't drive - she lived 2 blocks away.  One guardian legit got in my face, during a meeting, and raised her voice at me, telling me that she would turn product money in when she wanted, rather than when it was due.  In this time, when you are so excited to plan your year, USE ALL THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE, and be succinct in your expectations - give them clear expectations and be firm, and *most* will automatically just fall into doing it *your way.*  See #3 for resources, and a post dedicated to this will be posted on the blog on September 4th, 2016.
5. How to actually have meetings.
1. The best thing to remember here is that there is no one right way to have a meeting.  The FIRST thing you need to do is secure a meeting place.  Sometimes your council can help you with this, but more likely you will be on your own to secure a meeting place.  Here are some places that other leaders have found are great places to meet:
1. School
2. Church
3. Community Center
4. Some Chik-Fil-A plaecs will allow free use of their meeting rooms
5. Library
6. Service Unit or Council center
7. American Legion Center
8. Leader's home - many council's discourage this - it's probably best for this to be a last resort. 
2. The next thing to do is to determine when you are having your meetings, and go through the appropriate channel to obtain proper permission for your troop, then contact your parents.  And get planning!
3. Meeting planning isn't easy, but it isn't hard.  You can find a great post on the parts of a meeting here, and how to plan your meeting.
6. That fundraising doesn't truly fund your troop.
1. This one is specific to your troop.  I am here to tell you, that fundraising can ABSOLUTELY fund your troop, 100% of the time.  I've been a leader 3 years now, and I have not charged my parents dues, nor have I made a habit of reaching into my own pocket.   You DO have to be creative about this though. I will say - the second council I was in, I found this much easier, simply because they provided us with $25 to start our troop.  However, even without start up funds, you be really be successful.  Let me share some of the things we do to offset or alleviate the cost. 
1. FIRST thing we do each year - We created this as an activity to do as part of our Clover petal, since her standard is using resources wisely.  Here is a breakdown on how exactly we do it, but basically its an at home scavenger hunt.  My co leader and I make a list of the materials we need for the year, or first half of the year, and we give each girl a portion of the list - the list in my example we split 3 ways and then had 9 girls, so each portion of the list went with 3 girls.  That's fine since not every girl will have every item.  This really inspires a sense of respect for the items that your troop has, since many of the girls can remember when the item was personally theirs or their households.  
2. The next thing I will speak to are the events your troop does.  There are a LOT of awesome events that your council, and service unit will sponsor.  There are a lot of local things you can do - such as scout programs at museums and such.  These things all cost money, and so personally, with a new troop, I do these events in the second half of the year, after fall product sales, OR I speak with the parents and let them know it would be self pay.  That does not mean we don't do events in the first half of the year, though.  We do LOTS of things.  I love to scour the local activity pages - think your tourism sites, trip advisor, local event calendars, and school sponsored activities.  IF YOU NEED HELP OR DIRECTION IN THIS AREA, PLEASE EMAIL ME - I WILL HELP YOU FIND THE APPLICABLE SITES FOR YOUR AREA.  
   
   Some of the other events we do are tours of local government, police or fire stations, and something I did with my first troop of daisy's - that I loved, they loved, the community loved and parents loved was career day, once a month.
   
   Career day was with a different female professional in some capacity.  I sat with my girls, and asked them for a list of things they would like to do when they grew up.  These things spanned from check out girl to business owner.  And then I set about finding real women in these positions to speak to my girls.  I have never paid ANYONE to do this, and I basically ask them to spend 45 mins to an hour with my girls, talking to them about their career, the path they took to get there, and answer questions.  The community responds to this in a HUGE way.  And I mean HUGE.  We have seen many professionals over the years, but the most memorable were:
1. Flight Instructor
1. This was just cool all around - she was this very empowered, young woman who was in a field that we don't encounter on a regular basis.
2. Director of Marketing
1. This was fun because she really related it to a level the girls could understand.
3. Vet
1. This was one of THE COOLEST.  There was a female vet that invited us to her clinic.  She had her female assistants stay, and they set up the entire clinic with stuffed animals to simulate real things - an xray, getting weighed, on the surgical table, complete with IV, etc.  They went through and shared information about all parts of being a veterinarian.
4. Police Canine Officer and her canine partner
1. Hands down, the coolest woman that came to see us.  She was the first female canine officer in our area and she was so cool lol.  She came in alone, and talked with my girls about her position as an officer, and her path she took to get there.  Then she segued into the department starting a canine department and how she became involved with that.  Then she took like little black walky talky looking thing out and explained that it checked the status of her vehicle - whether it was running, doors were open, the temperature - and told the girls it was to keep her dog safe.  Then she went and got her partner, and did a demo with him.  She only does 2 of these a year, so we were very blessed that she chose to share with us. 
5. Scientist
1. *I* thought this one was very cool.  My husband is a scientist, and his superior at the time was female.  She was amazing - she planned experiments, brought supplies, and was a mom as well, so she was very able to get on the girls level.
6. Kindergarten Teacher
1. My girls really loved this one because this was one of their teachers - and they thought it was pretty cool to see her outside of school.
7. Accountant
1. This was cool because she had a lot of hands on activities for the girls to do.
8. Judge
1. The girls enjoyed this, and we got to go to the court house and view the judges chambers.
9. Council Women
1. Local politics were not discussed, but the ins and outs of her job as well as how she can promote and encourage and inspire change.
10. Stay at home mom
1. I found this particularly interesting.  Some of my parents - moms even, were pretty adamant that this was not a *real* job, and it didn't really have any skills of merit.  However, the girls found it pretty eye opening to see the amount of work, organization, and dedication that went into running a household and raising children.
7. 
   
8. You cannot please everyone.  There will always be someone who doesn't get the message, and you have to learn to realized that it is there problem - not yours. 
1. Self explanatory.  But make this part of your mantra. Repeat it often.  Work hard. be dedicated.  Do your best. LET THAT BE ENOUGH.

That's all for today's post.  It is only PART 2 of what leader's should know, and there will be more to come.  Definitely check out PART 1, as well!  I hope, as a new leader, you found this information useful.  I hope more seasoned leaders read along, nodding and also found something useful here.  If you have anything to add, or a different method for any of this, please comment on this thread and SHARE!

Remember - Girls can do anything they set their minds to...especially when given the right opportunities!

What should NEW leaders know? PART 1

Girl Scout 
verb

Being a Girl Scout is something you DO, and it is an EXPERIENCE that no girl should miss!

My posts thus far have largely been cultivated from my own on the job training, and gained knowledge, as well as research I have done online and in person.  *I* decided to try something a little bit different.  I created a google form, and asked leaders across the nation to contribute to it.  It had four (4) questions.  They were:

• What is the #1 thing you wish you knew as a new leader?
• What kind of leader resources would you find most useful?
• What is something you want to ask other leaders anonymously?
• Is there anything else you'd like to note here?

I received over 100 GREAT responses to this and am compiling them for general use for new leaders, seasoned leaders - really any volunteer that is looking for answers. THIS particular post is going to be what new leaders should know - part 1. 

The first season of scouting as a leader can be very hard.  I spent my entire girlhood as a girl scouts, and still was completely unprepared for the politics between moms, with dealing with difficult guardians, with knowing what exactly the service unit or council was there for - a slew of things.  So I want you to know - when you are there, in the trenches, and its not the unicorns and butterflies you imagined, there are many many MANY seasoned leaders out there that are rooting for you, cheering for you, and standing behind you.  We all want you to succeed.

Some answers were repeated time and time again by seasoned leaders, and I will highlight that when discussing those points!  Without further ado, here are the first couple of things that all NEW leaders should know!

1. How much time I would invest in it.
1. This one was repeated over and over again - it was included in probably 20-25% of the answers.  And I concur - it is SHOCKING how much time you invest.  But what is MORE surprising? Realizing that it doesn't (usually) even feel like work.  For many leaders, molding and guiding little ladies in their endeavors is a passion, and girl scouts is the perfect outlet.  You are intimately involved in the lives of your girls, becoming a mentor, a confidante - someone they trust. Someone they enjoy. So yes, it is time consuming. Sometimes it's a complete time suck.  But it is VERY rewarding.  You will find that you love your girls, and they love you.
   
2. Something else that came up was - I wish there was something for just average leaders.  But here's there thing.  There is NO SUCH THING as 'just an average leader.'  So maybe your girls don't earn EVERY SINGLE badge.  Or maybe you just don't have it in you to spend more than an hour planning meetings each week - pinterest just isn't your friend, and so you show up, the girls have fiun and you call it good.  Maybe you don't sell eleventy billion cookies, or go camping every weekend.  That doesn't make you average, or sub par.  As long as you love your girls, and work hard to make girl scouts a great experience for them, you are an amazing leader, and YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH.
   
2. How to keep everything organized.
1. Every leader does this differently.  My current set up is this: 
   
2. As you can see, my method is not the most organized.  I am a person who struggles with ADHD, and I find it easiest to have everything at my fingertips - when I find my focus waning, I can choose another item to work on easily.  Basically, I prefer to have all of my girl scout stuff in the same area, and then I choose what I need.  I have a 'craft corner' as well, and each week, I stuff what craft stuff I need into my scout bag to take to meetings.  THIS MAY NOT BE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU LOL!!  Something other leaders have mentioned finding great success in is using a bag meant for scrapbooking supplies, or (oddly enough) hair dresser or cosmetology supplies.  Something that looks something like this:
3. In the end, you'll need to figure out what works for you.  It will be a process.  It may take some time. Be patient with yourself, and try a few things out. You'll get there.
   
3. The more you let scouts get involved with the planning of meetings and camping early on, the more leadership skills they will gain. 
1. Girls of ALL ages are great planners.  The very young girls often need some guidance but they are ABSOLUTELY able to plan meetings and events, and to have some self empowerment in terms of decision making.  I DO find that with younger girls, it is easier for them to process it if you present an 'either or' choice.  Such as we are going to do such and such petal next week - we can do *this* activity OR *this* activity, and ask them to choose which to do.  I have a blog post on event planning with younger girls and how to help/guide them and to empower them to lead.  You can see that post here!  As girls get older, you can hand the reins over more and more to them until you are in the back seat and they are driving the meeting planning.
   
4. What the SU was, how they can help and that they had monthly meetings.
1. Your SU is your service unit and they are an extremely valuable resource for you!  Sometimes in onboarding, the information you receive isn't as comprehensive as it maybe could be.  A service unit is a subdivision of your council that includes girls, volunteers, parents, and community members.  It serves as a unit within the community to work together to achieve community and scouting goals.  Your service unit has a variety of roles they fulfill.  They recruit girls and volunteers, provide training, host activities and have a series of administrative duties, such as monthly meetings and identifying delegates.  You as a volunteer are expected to participate in your service unit, whether that is by volunteering on your SU, attending monthly meetings, attending trainings or even just networking.  Your SU is the go between with YOU and your girls, and the council.  Something that *I* think, and was reiterated to me by my membership specialist, was that leaders sometimes feel an overwhelming disconnect with their service unit.  This is nothing short of tragic.  But it is so easy to change - many leaders aren't completely aware of all of the help, training and service that a SU can provide, and knowledge is power.  When I posed this sentiment to my membership specialist, this was her response: "I think it starts with you and me and sharing this info with others.  I know that change is a hard pill to swallow for many of our volunteers (and council employees) across GSUSA, but if we can let go of how things used to be, sometimes we can share the joy of positive energy that makes the difference.  We can be the change we want to see."  And really, isn't that the crux of it? WE CAN BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE.  If you have any other questions or need information regarding your service unit, please please PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me.
   
5. I wish I knew how much flexibility there was, and there is no one *right* way to do everything.
1. This is so so so important for new leaders.  YOU can take the reins.  The girls can take the reins.  Things do NOT need to be completed just as described in the journeys, or girl guides.  You have such leniency - many of the books in girl scouts offer a specific way to complete the steps to a badge. And this is a perfectly acceptable way to obtain your badges.  However, sometimes you might come across something and think, wow that's lame. OR think, wouldn't it be so much cooler to do something like x,y and z? And that's the beauty of girl scouts.  You can change it up as much or as little as you like!  And remember, there is NO one *right* way to do anything - as long as you meet the general requirements, you have plenty of flexibility and empowerment to something your troop genuinely enjoys.  Some of the ways we completed our Daisy work is here.  Some of the ways we completed Brownie work is here.
   
6. There were MANY comments from leaders who are clearly frustrated and exasperated, to the effect of parents not wanting to help, not reading correspondence, and a general feeling of uselessness for them.
1. I think it is important to speak to this.  Please don't underestimate your parents.  Sometimes, parents suck. They just do - that's the reality of it.  You don't know their lives, and there may be more going on than what meets the eye.  Or maybe they truly just suck.  Either way, you don't know, so do yourself a favor and assume and err on the side of forgiveness and understanding.  Now - it is SO important to be clear and succinct when dealing with your parents.  Give them clear, and easy to understand expectations at the beginning of the year.  You can see the parent letter I use here.  Parents are your greatest resource during the scouting year.  There are a lot of roles that they can fill - cooking mgr, fall product mgr, treasurer, drivers, etc.  The most important thing to remember when dealing with your parents is that sometimes they just don't know how to bridge the gap.  They may want to help, but not a the level or capacity they *think* you expect. They may not want to step on toes. They may not even realize you *need* help!  What I find works best in terms of parent involvement is to jot down what I need from parents.  My current list looks like this:
• Fundraising Ideas
• Drivers for overnight
• Outdoor Skills training
• Brownie lead
• Daisy lead
2. My way to approach this is to select TWO (because someone may say no, or fall through) parents that I feel will be able to help out in these areas.  I selected more involved parents for the leads, less involved for the fundraising ideas.  I will approach the primary person for each of these roles on my list, and privately (in person or on the phone) speak with them, and basically implore them to help lol.  I am honest, and let them know that I can't do it all (no matter how much I'd like to) and that their participation will offer a more rounded, easily enjoyed experience for our girls, and that is really everyone's goal.  This approach allows parents to see roles in a smaller light, and makes them less overwhelming. It's pretty easy to say yes when someone comes to you and says, listen, I need 5 age appropriate fundraising ideas in 2 weeks.  Can you take some time to jot some down? To that same point, it is pretty easy to turn someone down when they say, I really need you to chair the troop fundraising. Parents WANT to help - they just need guidance.  Also, remember to make sure you are IN PERSON (if possible) or on the phone.  It is much harder to say no when presented with having to turn a person down to their face. 
3. The other conflict leaders frequently experience is trouble in paradise.  Dissent, disapproval, frustration or any other number of emotions you may encounter with the parents of your girls.  A resource my own council gave me, and that I find SO incredibly helpful is the F.A.I.R. method when talking to parents.  
4.  I have expounded on this previously in my blog, and you can find further information on this method here.
5. Lastly, if you are being harassed, threatened, demeaned, bullied, etc by parents, and are unable to self resolve it, please please PLEASE reach out to your council. They will step in and help you.  Trust. I have personal experience with it, and if you have questions on my experience, feel free to email me!
   
7. Girls sometimes have a SHORT attention span - be prepared, and be flexible to keep them engaged.
1. My last piece of advice for this post is about keeping those little ladies involved.  This is pointed more towards the smaller girl scouts, but it can sometimes happen with older scouts as well. Just be flexible and understanding - they are generally very excited to be at girl scouts and to be with their friends and sometimes have a hard time reining that in.

That's all for today's post.  It is only PART 1, and there will be more to come.  I hope, as a new leader, you found this information useful.  I hope more seasoned leaders read along, nodding and also found something useful here.  If you have anything to add, or a different method for any of this, please comment on this thread and SHARE!

Remember - Girls can do anything they set their minds to...especially when given the right opportunities!

How to Plan a Girl Scout Meeting

Girl Scout 
verb

Being a Girl Scout is something you DO, and it is an EXPERIENCE that no girl should miss!

As we zoom towards the new year, many leaders are already in the trenches, planning meetings, and holding meetings.  For some leaders, this comes naturally - and for some...it's a labor of love.

Everyone does it differently.  But there are some parts of the meeting that are pretty standard.  There are typically six parts of a girl scout meeting.  Those parts are: 

1. Start up
1. Otherwise known as pre-meeting activities. These are the things one sets out to occupy girls as they arrive, until it is time to start the meeting.  They vary with age - for instance, I set out coloring pages for my Daisies.  Cadettes, or older girls, may not need anything set out, as they can usually handle entertaining themselves.  This may also be a good time to have girls vote on things of importance - like which badge do you want to work on next, or and upcoming trip - please select your top three choices so we can discuss the most popular ones as a group.  This should be simple, and easy to pick up - AND - if you make this part FUN, it is a great incentive for girls to arrive on time!
2. Opening
1. This is the official call to order for your meeting.  Everyone does this differently, but it should be something to bring the girls together.  In the past, I have gathered my girls in a circle, and we've recited the promise.  However, historically, girl scouts have started their meeting with both a recitation of the promise, as well as a flag ceremony.  I have neglected to do this, because of an incorrect assumption that it was pretty time consuming.  I recently chatted with another leader at length, and she really delved into how her troop handles a flag ceremony, and it literally took TWO minutes.  So, we will be adding that this year.  Some other suggestions are starting with a song or game.
3. Troop Business
1. I am a big fan of troop business.  This is when I collect forms, and I suppose if you collect dues, you would do this at this time as well.  You can touch on old business - 'Just a reminder girls, permission forms are due next week.  Cookies start Jan 12th.  Etc.'  Any simple decision making or planning is done at this point as well.
   *I have found, in discussion with other leaders, this is the most common section to be dropped when it comes to meeting planning.*
4. Activity
1. This is self explanatory.  The activity portion is when you will handle the crafts, badge work, etc for the meeting.  This is the meat of the meeting.
5. Clean up
1. This is self explanatory.  This is time designated for the girls to clean up and put the meeting space back the way it was before they had their meeting.  Girl scouts always leave a place looking cleaner than they found it.  It is important that all of your girls are involved with this step, and many troops find kaper chart to be useful for these tasks.
6. Closing
1. This signifies the ending of the meeting.  It is a great time to reiterate the girls accomplishments during the meeting, and let them know what to expect in upcoming meetings.  It is also a great idea to do some sort of feel good activity.  Some troops like to sing a song - my troop does a friendship circle complete with a friendship squeeze.

Now that we have all of that hammered out, some people find it useful to use a template to plan their meetings.  Personally, I like to use a laminated paper that I can write on with dry erase markers, then erase and use again for the next meeting.  

To find a copy of the form I printed and laminated (helloooooo Fedex!) so that I could reuse often, please click here!

Some leaders prefer a paper copy they can write on, and save.  Some like to hand these to the girls to run their own meeting, and lets be honest.  Some leaders prefer a cute, well organized meeting planner that is not only useful, but also makes them smile.  

If you are that leader, please click here to find a copy of a meeting planning for that a fellow leader has created and shared with all of us to use.  And while you use it, give a little shout out to Angela Brooks who has been so kind as to share with all of us.

As always, my resources are your resources.  Please feel free to use these as you find useful.  You will never find a fee, or a link to Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers for the resources found on this site - leaders devote enough time and effort to their girls - no need to reach into your pocketbook as well.

Did you use these planners? How did they work for you?  Do you have another awesome resource you use for planning? Comment and let me know - the more information we have, the merrier!