Welcome Aboard! Advice for New Girl Scout Leaders

Are you a new Girl Scout Leader?  Are you the helium-handed one who responded when the recruiter said that they needed a leader at your daughter's school or in your community?  Did you finally figure out that there wasn't going to be a Girl Scout troop for your daughter unless you started one?  Are you someone who didn't get enough Girl Scouts as a kid, so you decided to be a leader, even though you don't have a daughter?  It doesn't matter which (if any) of these is true, welcome to the club.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have (17 year volunteer). 

My first words of advice are "find a tribe".  A reliable co-leader you enjoy working with is worth her weight in gold.  A Cookie Mom who handles that whole project is priceless.  But don't stop there.  Make friends with other leaders in your area, whether at your school or in your Service Unit.  Do things together when you can.  Bounce ideas off each other either in person or in a closed SU facebook group.  Whatever problems you are facing, others have faced and while council trainers have to spout the party line, your fellow leaders will tell you what programming their girls have enjoyed, and what they have not. 


Next, I'll tell you to have fun.  If you are planning a meeting and wondering how you are going to hold the girls' attention, move on to something else.  Not every badge or Journey is right for every troop or every leader.  If you can't get excited about leading an activity, don't.  Either get someone more knowledgeable/enthusiastic or find another activity.  You do not have to read any of those stupid Flower Friends stories to your girls and I highly recommend NOT doing so. 

Daisies and Brownies are high energy creatures.  They are not going to come into a room and sit down and visit quietly with each other.  If they don't have something to do, they'll find something to do and it usually involves running around the room.  If you don't want that to happen, plan to keep them busy from the time they walk in until the time they walk out.  I usually have a coloring sheet, worksheet or play doh on the table when the girls walk in.  They sit down and start on it.  Then we move to the Pledge and Promise, followed by announcements and verbal teaching.  From there we move into our activities of the night and we finish with snack before our closing circle. That's another thing, find your routine.  Things work better when girls know what to expect.

Maybe you are much better at engaging the girls in conversation than I am, and if so, more power to you.  I can't keep my group focused on a group conversation for more than a few minutes, even if we are doing something exciting like planning a party.  Because of that, I keep discussions and leader talk to a minimum--and I keep an eye on the group when we are going that, and wrap it up if I'm losing them.

Facebook leader groups are a great place to find ideas, advice and support; however don't let them steal your joy.  Remember that no one is the perfect leader.  Suzy may have just posted the cutest cricut t-shirts ever that she led her girls to design and the create on the cricut--but she doesn't tell you that half the girls quit in the four weeks it took to make those shirts.  Mary may have posted the terrific Journey in a Day plan, but doesn't tell you that most of her girls throw their crafts away on the way out the door, they look so bad.  You are going to be better at some things than most leaders, and worse at others.  Some things will be important to you, and you are going to let other slide--and that's ok (as long as it isn't a safety issue).  Your troop is not going to be just like mine, own it and be proud. 

Just remember, if you and your daughter aren't having fun, you won't be back next year.  Focus on fun with a purpose and enjoy those girls and this program.