So You’re Starting a Daisy Troop…
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It’s back-to-school season, which means that back-to-school activities are gearing up for the year, as well. Joining a Girl Scout troop is a great way for your child to make friends, learn new skills in a fun and safe environment, and, of course, have fun!
Whether you are building a new troop from the ground up, or stepping in as a new leader, Daisies are the youngest level of scouting, so for them, everything about scouts is new and fresh.
I have been a volunteer with Girl Scouts for several years, and a leader for most of them. I have also split from an existing troop and started my own (not alone, mind you!). If any of these scenarios sound like you, keep reading for some tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the past few years to help your Daisy Leader experience go as smoothly as possible.
Get Familiar with the Volunteer Tool Kit
So, you’re ready to start a Daisy troop, and you’re ready to earn badges. How do you know where to start?
Check your council’s website for free resources for planning out troop meetings. All official badges have guidelines for earning them. The Volunteer Tool Kit (VTK) provided by some councils allows you to search by badge type, and plan out your meetings based on suggested options for each step within the badge. This resource is free for leaders, and, even if you do not follow the steps exactly, you will be able to see what is required, and tailor each piece of the badge to suit the needs of your troop.
Don’t be afraid to search for, and save ideas from other troop leaders as well. You may find a plethora of knowledge within your own service unit, so don’t be afraid to make connections and reach out.
Have a Routine
As we get into best practices for the actual meeting, remember that Daisies are little. They are still fully capable little scouts, but they thrive on routine, and often need space to get the wiggles out. The more hands-on your meeting can be for them, the better– after all, Girl Scouts is supposed to be girl-led!
Clear Expectations
Clear rules are important at any age, but especially when establishing a troop of small scouts. I’ve found that outlining rules with our troop, and having an agreement for parents and scouts to sign at the start of the year has been helpful in resolving and preventing behavior challenges. Scouts should all be aware of the rules, and should be able to help come up with rules and consequences as needed.
You may need to establish reminders to use the restroom before the meeting to minimize disruptions, and have clear plans in place to get their attention when needed (our scouts chose a specific clapping pattern that they repeat). If scouts have trouble raising their hand to speak, some troops have used a “magic wand” or “talking stick” that grants only the holder permission to speak.
Explaining why we have rules in place is helpful as well, and having the girls discuss the why helped them to step up as leaders during meetings later on.
Kaper Chart
Having a kaper chart, or jobs for the troop, is a great place to start. Think about your meeting space, and what you need to make it successful. Our kapers, which are assigned randomly and according to a chart, include:
Quiet Bridges, or two girls who make a “bridge” with their arms to start the meeting. When each scout passes under the bridge, they are magically quiet and ready to listen.
Leaders for the Pledge, Promise, and Law
Supply Helpers and Clean-up Leaders
The Friendship Fairy, who leads the friendship squeeze at closing
Goodbye Helpers, who ensure that everyone collects their projects at goodbye time
You can be as creative as you would like with the names for each kaper, but ensure that each scout has a job for each meeting, even if it means doubling up.
Be Realistic
Rules are important, but be reasonable with your expectations. As you get to know your troop, you will discover which types of activities hold their attention, or interest them.
Often times, I will take the suggested meeting plans and tailor them to be more exciting or beneficial to my troop. This might include changing a craft, or adding a field trip.
Some of the Daisy Journeys had storytime components. While the scouts loved listening to stories, it was unreasonable for them to sit still as we read through the stories for 15 minutes after a long day of school. One idea that worked for us, and that our scouts voted to continue, was to bring coloring pages that went with the meeting’s theme. They would color quietly while listening and would participate in the discussion with less pressure to sit still.
Have Communication Channels, and Know When to Use Them
Believe it or not, when I first started volunteering, I had no idea that some of our other leaders were unpaid volunteers as well. It’s no wonder that some parents would think that leaders are paid to do their jobs; after all, the amount of work, time, and knowledge that those involved with the scouting program put forth is incredible!
To avoid misunderstandings in general, I would suggest having a plan for communication. This might be a combination of apps, email, text, or in-person meetings. For example:
You might have a text thread or Whatsapp group for troop parents.
You might have a shared calendar/communication app, like Band or Rallyhood.
You might plan regular, routine meetings that involve parents, such as an intro meeting, and kick-offs for fundraiser seasons.
You might have a social media group for troop parents.
Whatever you choose, the key is to know which combination of channels works for your troop, and when each channel should be used. For example, an app notification, a text, an email blast, and a meeting about the same thing can be redundant and time-consuming. Have a source of truth for parents to check, and use the other channels to supplement. The app that we use for communication and calendar is not great for sharing large amounts of photos, so we have a social media group that is used mainly for photo sharing from meetings and events. However, the group is not typically used for updating about field trips or other important information.
Choose What Works for You
There will be many opinions, and many fellow leaders who do things a certain way. While there are certainly rules and guidelines, every troop is different, and there is no one correct way to lead a troop.
Lean into your strengths, and bring your unique skills to the table, and count on your co-leaders and troop parents to do the same. Encourage your troop parents to register as volunteers, so that they can help as needed. Field trips in town will likely have different adult to scout ratios, and having these volunteers cleared and approved will make things much easier when an extra set of hands is needed to help.
