Daisy Leaders Unite! Girl Scouts USA!

[RooRach0906]

Im not a Daisy leader but my sister is...I just wanted to tell you that Old Navy has really cute Girl Scout Shirts like they have a purple one with a Somoa (sp?) that says I'm a girl scout original... also a taglong one and thin mint one all with different sayings.. thought maybe some of you would like to know.
My sister got it for her daughter to sell cookies at the booth sale.

 

[RooRach0906]

I am the Sister,
My troop last year had 4 girls and they all came to my house to get the cookies. But this year I have a booth sale the day after I get the cookies. So i am having the parents get the cookies there. I have a troop of 9 with 8 of them selling cookies and one girl joined last night. I have been having issues with the girls participating in outside events so I figure if I combine the two I will have better participation.

 

[erika412]

Once again, I'm bumping this thread with more questions.

I posted last fall that I was going to be a coleader for my existing 1st grader's troop. I did that all year and it was a lot of fun. I also mentioned that no one had started a troop for kindergarten girls (I have current first grader and a current kindergartner). All year long we did not have a kindergarten troop.

I've decided to start up a troop for our girls next year who will be in first grade. They are starting from the beginning. I have to get all the petals done next year. Do I have to do the book too before they bridge to Brownies. Our school typically meets once a month I can't see getting it all done if I have to do both the book and the petals.

 

[TinaLala]

erika - first I applaud you for taking on a new troop and great job getting yourself organized now!! Second I would break tradition - Personally I don't think you can provide girls with a GS experience once a month! (again it's my personal opinion) You have to meet with your girls the amount of times YOU feel is right for YOU and YOUR TROOP! regardless of tradition! Third - I would get them use to working on the Journey program now because when they move up they HAVE to have completed it. I believe next session it starts. The journey programs aren't that bad and you can usually slip them in with activities you're doing with the petals without double dipping! I had first graders last year and we ran through the petals with no problem, it just takes some planning! WAY TO GO!

Ok so now I'm running to Old Navy to day to see if they still have the cookie shirts DD7 would LOVE them! I saw a girl with the Samoa shirt on yesterday and wondered where she got them - Samoas aren't Samoas here -they're Caramel DeLites!!

So we're doing some planning for next years on programs and I'm looking for ideas - what council provided progams were your favorite?

 

[FLAngie]

Congrats on moving up to leader! Many of the daisy & brownie troops in my area meet every other week, mine included. We seem to have enough time for everything. This year my 1st grade daisies completed both the journey and all their petals. Some meetings we worked on both petals and journey requirements. I would check with your council to see if the journey is required to bridge to brownies. It is still optional here. I know that many of the other troops are not doing the journeys yet. I have to admit that I was not impressed with the journey (It's your planet, Love it) Right now I don't plan on completing the Brownie journey after the girls bridge.

 

[TinaLala]

I have to agree I wasn't crazy about Brownie's Quest, but we figured we'd start it now so they would be use to it. Next year we're going to do the Water one because the girls will be 3rd graders and we're going to work on the science stuff. I think the tough part is no one has done them yet and there's no quick cheats (so to speak) on getting them done. We worked our magic and got them done, but I"m not wicked excited about them!

Question - how do you work with your other leaders to do activities you really want to do but they don't?

 

[FLAngie]

Question - how do you work with your other leaders to do activities you really want to do but they don't?

My co-leader is usually pretty good about letting me know when she doesn't want to to do things. I usually find another parent to be the second adult present or partner up with our 'sister' brownie troop. It seems to be working so far.

 

[erika412]

So what happens when I ask for parent volunteers and they won't do it twice a month? Then what?

 

[FLAngie]

Do you have someone that will be a co-leader for you yet? That would be my first suggestion. There is a troop at my school that does not have a co-leader, all the parents are required to help on a rotating basis. Depending on how many girls you have, Safety Wise requires you have two adults minimum. If you are going to need a lot of parent involvement, I would make sure the parents all know this up front.

If you do have a co-leader, then she/he and you should be able to work out what meetings and activities she is willing to go to. When I need extra parents I usually just ask them to commit to one activity at a time. I have some parents that have helped out a lot of times and some that I have only met once or twice.



I will pass along a little advice that I was given when moving up from co-leader to leader. Decide how many girls that you can comfortable handle and then limit your troop to that number. I started out with over twenty girls that wanted to be in my troop. I knew that I could not control that many girls and make the activities meaningful to them. I took the advice of another leader and limited my troop to no more than 10 first grade girls. Another mom volunteered to be a leader for the Kindergarten girls at the last minute. even though everyone said that they were too busy. We have been able to do a lot of activities, the meetings are not crazy, and the girls are learning a lot while having lots of fun. (I worried about that, but they have all early bird registered for next year.) I know another Daisy leader at another school that has 25 girls and she said she pretty much has play dates. I would imagine that when the girls get older and the leaders get more experience, higher numbers would not matter. I know that for me a smaller troop was better.

 

[erika412]

Yes, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. The co-leader said she doesn't want to come more than once a month. We are a private school troop and pretty much for as long as I know, the girls meet after school on the school grounds.

This year's Daisy troop has 30 girls (First grade only) and I'm expecting next year will be the same. I know it is in my right to restrict membership, but I'm also dealing with school politics and I have to take that into account. Sigh.

 

[FLAngie]

That is great to have so many girls interested! Have you spoken to your Service Unit Manager for some suggestions. You may need to have a parent meeting explaining the need for them to volunteer on a regular basis. Keep in mind that Safety Wise requires Daisy troops to have a minimum of two adults for the first 12 girls and 1 additional adult for each additional 6 girls for meetings. With 30 girls you would have to have 4 more adults at each meeting. Trips and camping will need even more adults. I know my council is really strict on this.

There are a lot of ladies here that have a LOT more experience as a Leader than I do. Maybe someone else has some ideas too!

 

[minniebeth]

Yes, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. The co-leader said she doesn't want to come more than once a month. We are a private school troop and pretty much for as long as I know, the girls meet after school on the school grounds.

This year's Daisy troop has 30 girls (First grade only) and I'm expecting next year will be the same. I know it is in my right to restrict membership, but I'm also dealing with school politics and I have to take that into account. Sigh.

I so understand about the school politics, but councils do have strict rules about safety-wise ratios, etc. My out is always to put it on the GS rules and guidelines, which as a leader you are obligated to follow for your protection and the girls' too. Do you have a school coordinator/representative for your serivce unit? Even though it is a private school, you should still have one (we do). That person should be the one helping you organize your structure especially when it is SUCH a large group. (I have 20 2nd graders, and I thought that was a lot!) If you do not have one, I would suggest talking to someone in your service unit for ideas.
Is it possible to break the 30 girls up into two troops?
I would strongly recommend that~
If not I would 1. communicate to the group that there are mandatory saftey guidelines to follow and communicate the adult/child ratio numbers.
2. Rotate parent volunteers like a pp suggested. If the people who are volunteering cannot make the meeting/activity for some reason, they are responsible for finding someone to take their place
3. Communicate that this is a volunteer program and that you cannot lead 30 girls effectively without support and help

If you can't get enough parents to volunteer, perhaps you could think about splittling the group in two and having the same meeting twice with each group so that you don't need as many adults with you. Less meetings for the girls, but more managable for you. We only met once a month as K and 1st graders and still got everything done.
The positive that you have going for you is that you are able to meet on school grounds and not have to transport all those girls!

Good luck, I know it can be challenging!

 

[TinaLala]

RooRach - thanks for the heads up on the t-shirts at Old Navy!! We snagged a Tagalong shirt for DD7 and a blue GS shirt with a rainbow for DD10. Of course then I went back and picked the up for the other, so now each girl has the same shirt. They had a Brownie shirt, but it was too much. The other shirts were on clearance!

 

[princessfionasmom]

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am a co-leader for my DD's Daisy group but next year she will be a brownie and will I be a co-leader again. When DD decided she wanted to join I was told they were at their max for members to leader ratio but if I wanted to be a leader they would be thrilled to have her so being the good mom I am I volunteered. It has been a great year and a fun thing for just DD and I to do. Thanks for the post about the t's at old navy, I am definitely going to get DD one for next year. I never pictured myself as a GS leader but I have to admit, I really like it!

 

[TinaLala]

princessfionasmom - Welcome! I think that's how we all became leaders! LOL! DDs wanted to join, but their troop needed a leader and surprise you're it! My friend volunteered me for DD7's troop - wasn't that nice of her, however two years later and I'm having the best time! I think th people you meet through GS are wonderful and he friends DDs meet could be lifetime friends!

DD10 is away camping with her troo this weekend and she was so excited to go! Anyone else going camping or have a scheduled trip with their GS troop?

 

[FLAngie]

Hey! We just returned from our service unit's Camporee yesterday. It was a three day event but since the Daisy troop was new to camping I only took them Friday afternoon to Saturday night. They were definitely ready to go home to their own beds Saturday night. Talk about some worn out girls. We had so much fun though! The theme was pioneer days and the girls play old fashioned games, made candles, soaps, pot holders, etc. We also went on nature walks, built bird houses, decorated hats and their sit-upons and SWAPed among other things. Cooking was another of their favorite things to do. So many of the girls have no experience preparing food and none of them had ever started their own charcoal fire before. They did everything start to finish with the adults only directing them.

I am off to Old Navy to look for tee's today.

 

[TinaLala]

FLAngie - that sounds like great fun!! I took my Daisies to Camporee last year and it was an Amazing Race theme. They loved it - they actually cried when I told them they had to go home. LOL!

How's everyone's bridging activies going so far? DD10 is bridging to Cadette this year and we're so proud of her! Finally finished her Bronze award and now she's working on her leadership pin.

 

[rina900]

Hi everyone! I'm bumping this up because I just signed DD up for Daisies and signed myself up as the co-leader for the troop. I'm pretty excited, but don't know what to expect. My training session is in August. Any advice?

 

[tigger51276]

I just found this thread...how exciting. Granted I will offically be a Brownie Leader as of this Saturday when my Daisy troop bridges. I have 13 girls and we only did one year of Daisies and will do 3 years as Brownies (if we don't all bridge then there won't be a troop available for my two 1st graders soon to be 2nd graders). They are very excited about bridging and getting their new uniforms. So much to do this week between making the desserts and getting all the girls new uniforms together (I volunteered to iron everything onto the new uniforms, i know shoot me now ) and picking up the bridge and who knows what else.

Can't wait to see what September brings as Brownies and if anyone wants any cool ideas for bridging Daisies let me know. I've got some great dessert ideas that include a flower pot dessert with a daisy candy lollipop to represent their past as having been daisies and then tons of brownies to represent their future as Brownies.

 

[tigger51276]

Hi everyone! I'm bumping this up because I just signed DD up for Daisies and signed myself up as the co-leader for the troop. I'm pretty excited, but don't know what to expect. My training session is in August. Any advice?

If you have a chance before your training, I'd go to the Girl Scout Store and get the books so that you have a chance to look through them before the Daisy training. Also this site has some great ideas for ways to help the girls earn their petals http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/subpages/DaisyPetalIdeas.htm
I loved the ideas and some of them I went with and others I made up myself.

Let me know if you have any questions. GS is such a great thing.