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!

Code of Conduct

Girl Scout 
verb

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

As we begin to enter a new school year, we begin to prepare for the next troop year.  You may have already checked out our Sample Parent Letter for use at your first meeting, and this post is another little bit of house cleaning to get out of the way.

Whether you are a bright, doe eyed first time troop leader, skipping in your field of daisies, thinking, "Code of conduct? My girls would never need something like that!?!", or a leader who has been in the trenches and is looking for something to use to lay down the law from the start, this post is for you!

Find your copy HERE

Why should you utilize a code of conduct?

Girl scouts is fun. So much fun. And so very worth every step of planning, organization and frustration you might encounter.  Planning is important, though.  Which is why I LOVE this code of conduct. Laying out a code of conduct at the beginning of the year gives everyone a firm set of expectations.  Girls are more aware of what is expected, and parents are as well. It also gives you something to fall back on and point towards if someone is not upholding their end of the agreement. 

I like to hand this out with a copy of the promise and the law so parents, and girls, alike, can see how they track together.  I refuse to believe that *ANY* parent, guardian, or girl, enters into a membership with the GSUSA, with the expectation of causing trouble, or having un-Girl Scout like behavior.  But sometimes, poor choices happen.  

We are guiding girls through life's journey, and they are still small. And still learning.  Sometimes they won't make good choices.  Sometimes they won't be good friends. Sometimes they wont be respectful.  Sometimes they make mistakes.  This is something we, as leaders, should expect. It doesn't make her bad. Or naughty. Or any other negative connotation that *may* pop through someone's head when witnessing kids and teens make mistakes.  This agreement will give you something to gently point towards when reinforcing good choices and behavior and correcting poor choices and behavior.  

Parent's are ALSO guiding girls through life's journey, and they are not perfect.  Some parents just aren't interested in facilitating a good relationship between their girl and her girl scout troop.  This is *very* rare in my experience, and your council and service unit are great resources to help with that situation.  Some parents just don't know what is expected or needed from them.  And some parents just get a little over zealous, or emotional with things or situations that involve their girl scout.  After all - she is their daughter, and the apple of their eye. :D  All of these different situations will make use of the parent aspect of this agreement.  If you find yourself in a position to ask a parent to correct some type of behavior, it will strengthen your request, and give you a concrete point to fall back on.  

Lastly, leaders devote ungodly amounts of time towards their troops.  They work endlessly, through a labor of love.  They spend their own money. They invest their time and hearts.  We may be unpaid, voluntary leaders, but girl scouts is undeniably and inextricably entwined in our lives.  Periodically, or as needed, reading through the commitment you make to your girls can renew your energy, embolden you as a leader, and offer a pick me up when you are in down in the trenches.

I LOVE this code of conduct, and I use it as is - however, you may find yourself wanting to tweak it, or modify it a bit to perfect it for your troop.  As I often say - my form is your form - grab a copy of this form HERE or email me at Danielle.Poenisch@Hotmail.com, (Or just use the contact me form in the right hand column of this blog) and I can shoot you the original, editable doc so you can make it work perfectly for your troop too!

Let me know and leave a comment if you like this idea, or if you have an argument against this idea - I love to learn more about other opinions, and hear more suggestions!

Event Planning with DAISY's!

Every leader has to, at some point, plan an event.  The participation level of said leader should *theoretically* be minimal, however with the smaller girls, that can be a struggle.  They need a bit more guidance, and are really still learning what it means to plan an event.

Today I will discuss the technique I've found that works really well with my littlest girls, empowering them to plan their own events while giving me some control of the situation so we don't end up with girls planning a bridging ceremony complete with ponies, ice cream and helicopter rides lol!

When my Daisies plan an event, we break it down into 3 parts - beginning, middle, and end.  This is a pretty easy process for the youngest girls to understand.  We use meeting time to plan events, and I come prepared.

Most recently, we planned out bridging ceremony.  I use foam sheets for our planning - just because they are fun.  You could use anything from regular paper to a tablet - just as long as the girls can visually appreciate it.  The process will go smoother if they can SEE what they are planning.

I start with 3 pieces of foam sheets, and they look like this:

Once I get the three basic parts on their own foam sheet, I break down those parts individually.  I like to piece out 2 or 3 parts that can be specifically planned out for each portion of the event.  I also add a space for notes on the bottom - historically, I've learned my little ladies often have many *tips* or advice for me regarding the events we plan.




In terms of breaking down each portion, the example I am using in this post is our upcoming bridging ceremony.  The beginning section of this event planning was broken down into 3 parts - opening, Emcee, and short speech.  Since I have Daisy's, my girls are all 5 years old to 7 years old.  Some of them are great at coming up with options, or choices, and some struggle.  Because of this, I generally put two or three choices, and then introduce them as a choice to the girls. We discuss each one, and the implications, and then the girls take a vote on which they prefer.







Since the outline is already set up, its fairly easy to just highlight, circle or underline the choices the girls make.  I also open the dialogue up to any notes or suggestions the girls have - they are usually pretty entertaining, as well as helpful! The photo to the left is a great example of the finished product.






In the end, you have a three page outline that is simply written, and easy to understand for your event.  I generally make foam sheets in the same manner for other items that need planning as well - for instance, our bridging ceremony will be a potluck style picnic, so we have a sheet for sides/appetizers, and main dishes as well in a similar style.

As the girls age, I imagine this will evolve to them handling all of the details, but at this point in time, this is a really effective, and simple way to plan their events thus far.

We had a great time with this - not many things cuter than 5 and 6 year olds planning a bridging ceremony!  Tell me how your event planning went!

Sample Parent Letter for First Meeting

Girl Scout 
verb

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

Welcome to Girl Scout Daisy Troop # ______!

Your Daisy Girl Scout has joined a special group of young women on a memorable and unique path.  Girl Scouts have a long history of shaping and molding smart, successful, well rounded women.  I can't wait to share these experiences with your Daisy Girl Scout!

My name is [NAME] and I am the leader of troop #12345. I am excited about working with your daughter and look forward to spending time with her this year.

Schedule:
Meetings will be held on the first and third Tuesday of the month, at the elementary school at 123 School ln, Mytown, Mystate.

Snacks:
We are asking that each family commits to providing snack for at least one meeting.  If you prefer, you can choose a week, and make a $10 donation, and I will make sure snack is provided.

Parent Roles:

• Meeting Parents/Co-Leaders: We always need parents to volunteer and register to help out at meetings.  It is $15 for adults to register for girl scouts.
• Product Managers:  We have 2 product sales throughout the year.
• Fall Product Sales:  This parent will register as a volunteer, and take the fall product training and be the lead in our fall product sales.
• Cookie Sales:  This parent will register as a volunteer, and take the fall product training and be the lead in our fall product sales.
• Outdoor Certified Parent:  When we camp, or do activities outdoors that involve fire, we will need an adult who is a registered volunteer and has take the outdoor certification.
• Treasurer:  This is an adult who will volunteer and register. You will handle our finances, and keep parents and girls abreast of the balance in our bank account and let everyone know how money is being spent.
• There may be other roles that arise throughout the year - I will let you know if we need more volunteers.

All girls, leaders, co-leader, fall product sales, manager and cookie sale manager are required to register and clear a criminal background check. Other adult guardians and parents are welcome to register as adult Girl Scout members. Financial assistance is available; please contact me for more information. Applying is simple, and if there is any concern with cost, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Troop Dues:
**Add information about troop dues here - we dont utilize them for my troop, so it wasn't a necessary sections for us.**

Attendance:
I am aiming to build a cohesive group with a great sense of group identity.  For this reason, it is important that the girls attend as many meetings as possible.  If your girl is not able to attend a meeting, please let me know at least 24 hrs in advance.  Supplies are often purchased for the number of girls attending, and troop funds are precious so this will help us spend them wisely.  If there is an emergency day of, please text/call/email so that I am aware, and we are not left waiting for your girl to start the meeting.

I look forward to meeting each of you and if you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.

Name
Phone
Email

**Feel free to use this form, alter it, whatever you need to do to it - my form is your form**