Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and charater, who make the world a better place.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Table of Contents About This Course ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1. Getting Started .......................................................................................................................... 5 Foundation and History of Girl Scouts .................................................................................................... 6 Girl Scout Promise and Law ................................................................................................................... 6 Girl Scout Leadership Experience .......................................................................................................... 7 How Can I Use the Leadership Outcomes with My Troop?..................................................................... 8 Girl Scout Brownies and the Girl Scout Processes ................................................................................. 9 Your Perspective on Leadership: Discover, Connect, Take Action ......................................................... 10 Chapter 2. Girl Scout Brownie Characteristics.......................................................................................... 11 Working with Girl Scout Brownies ........................................................................................................... 12 Cognitive Skills ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Gross Motor Skills .................................................................................................................................. 14 Fine Motor Skills ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Developmental Transitions of Girl Scout Brownies ................................................................................. 15 Chapter 3. Laying the Foundation for a Successful Troop ....................................................................... 16 Building a Positive Troop Environment ................................................................................................... 17 Self-Esteem and Girl Scout Brownies ..................................................................................................... 18 Promoting Self-Esteem in Girl Scout Brownies ....................................................................................... 19 What Girls Think About Leaders ............................................................................................................. 20 Showing Girl Scouts How You Feel ........................................................................................................ 21 Words of Encouragement ....................................................................................................................... 21 Rapid Review ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 4. Meetings .................................................................................................................................... 23 Meeting Logistics.................................................................................................................................... 24 The Girl Scout Brownie Meeting ............................................................................................................. 25 Meeting Component Ideas ..................................................................................................................... 26 Kapers.................................................................................................................................................... 28 Putting It All Together ............................................................................................................................. 29 Chapter 5. Decision Making ........................................................................................................................ 30 Troop Government — The Girl Scout Brownie Ring ............................................................................... 31 Progression ............................................................................................................................................ 32 Girl-Led .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Planning Process .................................................................................................................................. 34 Leader’s Role in Planning....................................................................................................................... 35 Community Service ................................................................................................................................ 36 Planning Calendar .................................................................................................................................. 37 Evaluation .............................................................................................................................................. 38 Evaluation Tools ..................................................................................................................................... 39 Rapid Review ........................................................................................................................................ 40 2

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Chapter 6. Management 101 ....................................................................................................................... 41 Preventative Behavior Management ....................................................................................................... 42 Tips to Prevent Problem Behavior .......................................................................................................... 42 Behavioral Intervention ........................................................................................................................... 44 Managing Your Own Reactions .............................................................................................................. 45 Problem Solving for Girls and Adults ...................................................................................................... 46 A Fair/Fair Method for Conflict Resolution .............................................................................................. 47 Guidelines for Redirecting Problem Behavior ......................................................................................... 48 Communication About Behavior Issues .................................................................................................. 49 Tips for Working with Girls ...................................................................................................................... 50 When and Where to Obtain Help ............................................................................................................ 51 Putting It All Together ............................................................................................................................. 52 Chapter 7. Support for Leaders .................................................................................................................. 53 Online Support ....................................................................................................................................... 54 Service Unit Support .............................................................................................................................. 55 Troop Committee and Sponsorship ........................................................................................................ 56 How Parents Can Help ........................................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 8. Girl Scout Program Opportunities and Traditions .................................................................. 58 Girl Scout Recognitions .......................................................................................................................... 59 Journeys ................................................................................................................................................ 59 Five Things to Know About Journeys ..................................................................................................... 61 A Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting .................................................................................................. 62 Badges ................................................................................................................................................... 63 Uniforms................................................................................................................................................. 63 Bridge to Girl Scout Junior Patch............................................................................................................ 65 Ceremonies ............................................................................................................................................ 65 Fall Product Program ............................................................................................................................. 66 Cookie Program ..................................................................................................................................... 66 What Are Your Resources? .................................................................................................................... 67 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................................... 68 Getting to Know You Games .................................................................................................................. 69 Songs .................................................................................................................................................... 71 Games ................................................................................................................................................... 72 Ceremonies ............................................................................................................................................ 74 Investiture Ceremony ............................................................................................................................. 75 Sample Girl Scout Brownie Investiture ................................................................................................... 76 A Girl Scout’s Own Ceremony ................................................................................................................ 77 Sample Ideas for Closing ....................................................................................................................... 79 Answer Keys .......................................................................................................................................... 80

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

About This Course

Congratulations on becoming a member of the unique and wonderful world of Girl Scouts. As a leader of a Girl Scout Brownie troop, you will help build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who will make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is the largest non-formal educational volunteer organization for girls in the world. Girl Scouts is a place where girls can truly be themselves, and in doing so, realize their potential.

In this self-study workbook, you will learn how to create a troop environment and construct activities that incorporate the elements of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This workbook is created and designed to help you learn about Girl Scout Brownies and to give you the tools you will need to be a successful leader.

Course Objectives

When you have completed this self-study workbook, you will be able to:  Identify physical, emotional and social developmental characteristics of Girl Scout Brownies.  Know the six steps in progressive planning with girls and effective use of troop government and girl/adult planning  Name at least three methods of evaluation with Girl Scout Brownies.  Know of at least five resources to support the delivery of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to the Girl Scout Brownies.

How This Course is Organized

Girl Scout Brownie Grade Level Training is designed to introduce you to the world of Girl Scout Brownies. This course is broken down into eight chapters, with a review and evaluation at the end. The workbook is your personal resource to use as you work with your troop. Please take notes and write down questions in your workbook. There is an appendix to this workbook with support materials. Although the workbook is full of good information, it is not your only resource.

To be a successful leader you will need to familiarize yourself with the Girl Scout Brownie Journey girl books and adult guides, Volunteer Essentials and the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting.

Submit Completed Forms

You will receive training credit for this course once the online registration/evaluation form has been completed.

Please submit questions to Training-GL@girlscoutsgcnwi.org.

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Chapter 1: Getting Started You will be introduced to the Girl Scout Mission, and how the three program processes from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience works in a Girl Scout Brownie troop.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Foundation and History of Girl Scouts Juliette Gordon Low was a strong, independent woman who looked beyond the traditional role of women. While living in England, she befriended Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts. It was through her knowledge of Boy Scouts that Juliette Gordon Low brought the idea of Girl Scouts to the United States. In 1912, her vision became a reality. The first Girl Scout troop was formed on March 12, 1912. Juliette Gordon Low had a vision for the Girl Scouts that included exposing girls to knowledge, practicing useable new skills and fostering positive attitudes about themselves and others.

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)promotes the development of values, which girls can draw on to help them resist some of the pressures of today’s society. Girl Scouting continues to evolve to meet the needs of girls. Activities may change, however, the fundamental premise and mission of the organization remains the same.

Girl Scout Mission

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

The Girl Scout Promise

The Girl Scout Law

On my honor, I will try To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

I will do my best to be Honest and fair, Friendly and helpful, Considerate and caring, Courageous and strong, Responsible for what I say and do, And to Respect myself and others, Respect authority Use resources wisely, Make the world a better place, and Be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Every girl and adult that joins Girl Scouts agrees to accept the Girl Scout Promise and Law. These words become the moral compass of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, so that every decision made in Girl Scouts is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Girl Scout Leadership Experience

The following are the outcomes from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. All activities and plans with the girls should focus on one or more of these outcomes. There are fifteen outcomes, with expectations describing what those outcomes will look like within the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

How do I know I am achieving the outcomes with girls?

Below are three areas of leadership for girls: Discover, Connect and Take Action. Girl Scout Leadership Experience will develop leadership in girls from these three keys of leadership. Under each key are indicators that will help you know when an outcome is achieved. Considering Girl Scout Brownies, what would each outcome look like for girls in the second and third grades?

Discover — Girls will understand themselves and their values, and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world.

• • • • •

Girls will develop a strong sense of self.

Girls develop positive values.

Girls gain practical and healthy life skills.

Girls seek challenges in the world.

Girls develop critical thinking.

Connect — Girls will care about, inspire and team with others locally and globally.

• • • • •

Girls develop healthy relationships.

Girls promote cooperation and teambuilding.

Girls can resolve conflicts.

Girls advance diversity in a multicultural world.

Girls feel connected to their communities, locally and globally.

Take Action — Girls will act to make the world a better place.

• • • • •

Girls can identify community needs.

Girls are resourceful problem-solvers.

Girls advocate for themselves and others, locally and globally.

Girls educate and inspire others to act.

Girls feel empowered to make a difference in the world.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

How Can I Use the Leadership Outcomes with My Troop?

Step 1:

Ask the girls and yourself, “How do these activities, events or plans fit into the GSLE Leadership Outcomes?”

For example, the girls want to plan a camping trip with another troop. Will this activity fit into the Leadership Outcomes and the indicators of the outcomes?

Ask:

• • • • Step 2:

Will the girls understand themselves and their values?

Will the girls use their knowledge and skill to explore the world?

Will the girls care about, inspire and team with others locally and globally?

Will the girls act to make the world a better place?

If the activities, events or plans fit into one or more of the Leadership Outcomes, do them! If they do not, brainstorm new ideas or find ways to alter plans to relate to the Leadership Outcomes.

Girl Scouting is a community-based youth program. Community-based youth programs are most effective when they give attention to long-term developmental outcomes, and these outcomes should be infused in all of the activities in the program.

Source: Designing Youth Development Programs: Toward a Theory of Developmental Intentionality, Walker, Marczak, Blithe & Borden, University of Minnesota

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Girl Scout Brownies and The Girl Scout Processes

As you may remember from the Volunteer Essentials course, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is the model that explains the Girl Scout program. In a sense, the engine drives all we do with girls. In the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, you will use three program processes as you work with your Girl Scout Brownies.

These processes are: 1. Girl-led 2. Learning by Doing 3. Cooperative Learning Consider these processes and how they work with Girl Scout Brownies. Consider the inner workings of a watch. A gear train is used to activate the hands of a watch. Each gear in the train must work together in order for the watch to keep accurate time. The program processes from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience are like a watch gear train, all working together for a successful troop.

Girl-led — It is important that Girl Scout Brownies recognize that they can grow up to be anything they want and that being female does not mean you are not capable. By allowing the girls to make decisions and lead their own experiences, this revelation will begin to occur. As a Girl Scout Brownie leader, you will use troop government (the Brownie Ring) and girl/adult planning as a way to have the girls take on leadership roles.

Learning by Doing — Experiential learning happens when a person engages in an activity, looks back on the activity critically, identifies useful insight from the evaluation and puts the results to work through a change of behavior in the future. As a Girl Scout Brownie leader, you will take time to ask girls questions about their experiences.

Evaluating through open-ended questions helps the girls Take meaning from their experience. Take time to ask questions in the beginning, middle, and end of an experience. You will be amazed at what you will learn, what the girls will learn, and how they will apply this learning in their Girl Scout troop and to their experiences outside of Girl Scouting.

Cooperative Learning — Cooperative learning happens when girls work in small groups and teams to accomplish goals. This will come about in a variety of ways with Girl Scout Brownies. It’s as simple as having a buddy on field trips, completing troop kapers in pairs, or having girls work in small groups to make decisions.

Cooperative learning will help the girls get to know one another, work better together, and will minimize cliques.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Your Perspective on Leadership

The Girl Scout philosophy on leadership: Discover, Connect and Take Action is not for girls alone. As a Girl Scout Brownie leader, you will embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal leadership as you work with the girls in your troop. Your role will help to shape the experience of the girls and other adults working with the troop, as well as expand your current leadership skills. Below are some questions to help you reflect on your perspective on leadership. Take a few moments and reflect on how through your life experience you have been able to apply the three keys of leadership in your own life. Flag this page, ask yourself these questions at the end of the Girl Scout year, and see if your answers have changed.

When you read the Girl Scout Law, which line means the most to you?

What new qualities and skills are you discovering on your Girl Scout quest?

What is the best experience you have ever had on a team?

What values and skills—your own power— make you uniquely you?

How did the team members connect to make it a great experience?

How does your volunteerism contribute to making the world a better place?

“There are so many things you do alone, but generally speaking, the ones you work on with others are more fun. One thing is sure — you want to be proud...and feel that you have accomplished something worthwhile.”

Why did you choose to volunteer for Girl Scouts?

What impact do you hope to have on girls?

Juliette Gordon Low

How is taking action with girls meaningful to you?

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Chapter 2: Girl Scout Brownie Characteristics Who are the girls you are going to be working with?

Even if you have a daughter, it is certain that each girl in your troop will provide you with unique challenges and rewards. If you have never worked with a group of children ages seven to nine, this chapter will help you to recognize the similarities and differences of the girls in your troop.

As you read, think of how you can use this information to help you set reasonable expectations for the girls and plan skillbuilding activities.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Working with Girl Scout Brownies Some Characteristics of Girl Scout Brownies Keep in mind that Girl Scout Brownies are in second and third grade, usually 7-8 years old.

Emotional

Girl Scout Brownies can be inconsistent in behavior and mood. They need a lot of praise and encouragement, and may react negatively to direction. They are very interested in the difference between good and bad, and do not like to try new things alone. Girl Scout Brownies like to work in groups, and like to help others. They are concerned about being accepted by others, and often have a vivid imagination.

Social

Girl Scout Brownies enjoy playing in groups and may begin to show independence from family. Girls of this age want to have many friends, but may have a “best friend.� You will begin to see your Girl Scout Brownies begin calling friends on the phone, and notice that they will begin to see both sides of an issue.

Physical

Girl Scout Brownies are very active, and are eager to learn and become independent. They can work or play in one place without fidgeting, and are able to do activities involving fine motor skills. Girl Scout Brownies have good hand-eye coordination. Girl Scout Brownies may begin to show the signs of puberty (and may be quite self-conscious about it).

Intellectual

Girl Scout Brownies are beginning to develop verbal skills and writing skills.

Many are beginning to read at a proficient level, and are interested in makebelieve and fantasy stories. Their attention span is no more than 30 minutes for an activity, and generally, they will need some action within the activity.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Cognitive Skills

Cognition means the mental process or faculty of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. Girl Scout Brownies are building their brains every day, learning how to reason and discovering the world. When you build cognitive skills, you are really helping develop thinking and language skills. Although these activities are simple, ultimately they will affect the girls’ ability to make judgments about behavior.

Ways to Build Cognitive Skills • One of the simplest ways to build cognitive skills is to read to the girls. When you read to the girls, they are able to build their vocabulary, question you about the meaning of new words and use their imaginations. Make sure to include some imaginative reading from time to time; it is a great cool down after a wild activity. Let the girls pick, bring in the types of stories they would like to hear or choose stories from the Journeys that relate to the activity or badge the troop is working on.

•

Whenever possible, encourage imagination and creativity. Old magazines are excellent resources for activities. Girls can select pictures from the magazines and paste them along a block of butcher paper.

This “picture story” is a way for young, girls to tell a story. As they grow, the girls can do the same activity, but this time using cut out words to tell their stories.

•

Plays and skits also allow girls to develop their imaginations, while also learning how to work in groups.

•

Play “Props.” Bring a wide variety of strange props and allow the girls to improvise uses for the props.

Remember Understanding what level of development the girls are at will shape your expectations. Girls this age do not yet have the capacity to reason as adults. Remembering this will help you to keep your cool as the girls do things that you find irrational or unreasonable.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Gross Motor Skills

Motor means “to move” and gross means “large group.” Therefore, when you are doing activities to enhance gross motor skills, you are helping the girls use large groups of muscles in their arms and legs. It is also an excellent chance to burn off some of that wonderful energy of youth.

Ways to Build Gross Motor Skills • • • •

• •

Start with very simple motor activities such as hopping, jumping, skipping, and climbing. Each of these movements works various muscle groups.

As you progress, keep movement fun and noncompetitive.

Find a place where the girls can see their shadows. Give them directions such as “Make your shadow wider, thinner, shorter or taller.”

Do the kangaroo hop — Have each girl hold a small item (bean bag, small ball, etc.) between her knees, then try jumping with her feet together. They can go backwards, forwards, sideways or any other direction.

Practice relay races with different motor movements. You can change movements every minute or so by yelling, “Hop, walk, run, skip, walk backwards or skip sideways.”

Have the troop make beanbags. There is a wide variety of tossing options (playing catch, trying to hit a target or beanbag hockey).

Fine Motor Skills

Small muscles in our hands enable us to tie, write, type, cut, snap and knit. When you strengthen these muscles, you are strengthening your fine motor skills. Young children must develop these skills.

Ways to Build Fine Motor Skills • • • • •

Fine motor skills can be developed by manipulating clay or play dough. By rolling, pinching and molding the dough, the muscles in the hands are strengthened.

Building tools, such as LEGO® toys, and drawing tools, such as Etch-A-Sketch®, are easy to use and help build muscles and confidence.

Have the girls create dot-to-dot activities and give them to each other to solve.

Collect pennies, let the girls sort, and count them. Putting the pennies into a coin bank is a simple yet effective strength-building activity.

Twisting and untwisting a bolt and nut pair is the equivalent of “cross training” the finger muscles.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Developmental Transitions of Girl Scout Brownies

Each girl you encounter will be different. They will come from different backgrounds, different family structures, and different socio-economic classes. Although the girls will be diverse, all children develop in basically the same way and share certain developmental traits with other children their age. If you understand the typical behavior for an age group, you may be able to determine what appropriate behavior is, and then decide the best solutions for interaction with them.

In addition to the characteristics listed below, all girls want to know that they are respected, loved and valued for who they are. Show girls that you care, and they will show you respect.

Beginning Independence Seven to nine year old girls are beginning to socialize with children their own age. They want friendships and enjoy playing together.

They also: • Are ready for a live-away experience.

• Have a longer attention span.

• Are aware of others and are willing to share.

• Desire acceptance from peers.

• Need close relationships with playmates.

• Are able to express themselves freely in art forms and play.

• Desire better skills performance.

• Are interested in group games and activities.

• Want everyone to obey stated rules and regulations.

• Strongly identify with own sex and age group.

Your Role as a Leader This new independence can also create some growing pains for you. When girls become more independent you will notice your role as their leader will change.

They begin to desire acceptance more from their peers instead of you. In addition, they want to: • Try new things and have a say in activities.

• Explore their world more. The meeting place is no longer a new and exciting place.

This is natural and healthy growth for girls. It is important to remind yourself to let go and let the girls be the drivers in their Girl Scout experience. Understanding this will maintain their interest and result them wanting to bridge to Juniors.

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Chapter 3: Laying the Foundation for a Successful Troop In this chapter, you will find guidance on how to set up a supportive and positive troop environment. Although much of this information may seem like common sense to you, please do not be tempted to ignore it or pass quickly through the pages.

This information should serve as a vital reminder that you are setting the stage for how your troop will operate. Your behavior, the way you treat the girls, your enthusiasm and your patience will be reflected in the girls.

Creating a positive troop environment is the first step on the path to an enjoyable and successful troop experience for both the girls and the adults.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Building a Positive Troop Environment

The environment that you create within the troop is vital to the development of self-esteem and selfconfidence of the girls. Creating a positive and supportive environment is also the first step to managing behavior. This is not always an easy task, but it can be done. Think of it as a construction project. Each of the hints below is a pillar that supports the troop environment.

•

Do not stress perfection.

Mistakes are a natural part of learning. Help the girls have a positive approach to taking risks.

Often, the planning and learning process is more important than the end result.

•

Listen to what the girls have to say.

Encourage the girls to listen to and accept each other.

•

Be sensitive to the differences in girls’ ethnic and cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, family traditions, social customs, and varying abilities.

If you are unsure about a topic, discreetly ask a girl or parent how she would like to address the issue.

•

Be a positive role model.

Remember that the girls hear every little thing you say. So, if you want to help them to develop positive body image, then don’t obsess about your own weight around them. If you want them to be kind to one another, be kind to them.

•

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Even if a girl behaves inappropriately, she is still human, and you set an example by how you treat her.

•

Encourage girls.

Help them to feel positive about themselves, their abilities, their skills, and their strengths.

•

Have fun!

Your energy and attitude is contagious. Be enthusiastic when working with the girls, even if the activity is not exciting to you. You may have a list of 101 errands and duties waiting for you outside of the troop meeting. Instead of worrying and being distracted, use the troop’s time together as an escape into the magical world of childhood.

•

Pay attention to what the girls are saying.

Take note of their dreams, desires, likes, and dislikes. Mention those things to the girls from time to time. It will amaze them that you honor their individuality.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Self-Esteem and Girl Scout Brownies

Self-esteem is a major key to success in life. Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves and our behavior reflects those feelings. The development of a positive self-concept or healthy self-esteem is extremely important to the happiness and success of children and youth. Self-esteem plays a big part in the behavior that a child exhibits, as shown by the chart below.

A Girl With High Self-Esteem Will:

• • • • • • •

Act independently.

Tolerate frustration.

Assume responsibility.

Offer assistance to others.

Take pride in her accomplishments.

Attempt new tasks and challenges.

Handle positive and negative emotions.

A Girl With Low Self-Esteem Will:

• • • • • • •

Avoid trying new things.

Be easily influenced.

Feel unloved or unwanted.

Blame others for her shortcomings.

Put down her own talents and abilities.

Feel, or pretend to feel, emotionally indifferent.

Be unable to tolerate a normal level of frustration.

Self-esteem develops in four basic ways: 1. Achievement Competence — Does she feel she does things well? Learning new skills helps improve confidence.

2. Success at Influencing People — Do others listen to her? Does she have an impact on others? When a girl is speaking, give her your full attention. Be encouraging.

3. Moral Worth — Does she feel good about her adherence to ethical standards? Look for opportunities to give girls positive feedback, such as when a girl struggles over a decision and makes a good choice.

4. Social Acceptance — Is she liked? Does she feel she fits in? Focus on the girls for whom compliments don’t come easily, because they probably need them the most.

Keep in mind that every girl wants to be viewed as skilled and unique — comparisons to others, even when favorable, will undermine that feeling. Children mature at different rates. While we can provide common themes for each age group, expect wide biological, social, and emotional variability among the girls in your troop.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Promoting Self-Esteem in Girl Scout Brownies

As a Girl Scout leader and role model, what you say and do has a great impact on every girl in your troop.

Here are some suggestions to help promote healthy self-esteem in all of your Girl Scout Brownies: When you feel good about what a girl has accomplished, tell her.

Often we are quick to express negative feelings to a child or correct a child. It is important to let each girl in your troop know when you are feeling good about her. They will store these statements up and replay them to themselves.

Be generous with praise.

Use what is called descriptive praise to let a girl know when she is doing something well. When a girl has done something well say, “Shelly, I really liked how you cleaned up the table. It really helped us in our business meeting. Thank you.” When you observe them showing a talent say, “Kiara, you showed great leadership in leading your Brownie Ring. You have strong leadership abilities.” Use praise to point out positive character traits. For example, “Jenny, you’re a kind person. I liked how you helped the new girl feel welcome and accepted in our troop.” You can also praise a girl for something she did not do, “Kathy, I really liked that you did not run during the game time. You are really trying hard not to run inside.”

Teach girls to use positive self-talk.

What we think determines how we feel and how we feel determines how we behave. It is important to teach girls to be positive about how they talk to themselves. Some examples of positive self-talk include, “It’s okay if our team loses today. We all tried our best.” “I can get this problem, if I keep trying.” “It makes me feel good to help someone else, even if they don’t say thank you.”

Teach girls about decision-making and acknowledge when they have made a good decision.

Girls make decisions all the time but often are not aware that they are doing so. There are a number of ways you can help girls become good at being better decision makers: • Help girls clarify the problem that is creating the need for a decision. Ask questions to understand what they are feeling and seeing in the situation.

• Brainstorm possible solutions.

• Allow the girls to choose the solution and help them see the consequences.

• Evaluate the results of the decision with the girls. Did it work well? Did it fail? If so, why? Reviewing and evaluating will help girls make better decisions in the future.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

What Girls Think About Leaders

Girls expect adult leaders to look and act like adults. This is so obviously true that sometimes we overlook it when we do activities with the girls. To most children and youth, adults are automatically “old!” Therefore, you aren’t really expected to be in the relay, or to climb the low ropes wall. If you participate graciously, up to your own physical abilities, and within the limits of being a good role model, the girls will be more satisfied.

In unscientific terms, girls of all ages do a good job evaluating adults. The girls in your troop will notice, and probably tell others, that you:  Know and like the girls, or don’t seem to have much time for people.  Are fair, or play favorites.  Listen to them, or talk too much.  Have a good time with the troop, or are nervous, tired or sharp.  Are strict, but fair, expecting them to do a good job; or are so strict that it is not fun, or don’t care what they do.  Help (let) them do things, or do everything yourself.

Girls will also be evaluating you when they talk about their troop. They may say things directly to you, to one another, or to people outside the troop. Consider what is behind the following comments: • We never do anything.

• Something new is always happening!

• We have already started on our trip plans.

• We spend so much time planning things we never get to do them.

• We waste time squabbling.

• We are trying to go on a overnight camping trip this year.

What does it mean when girls say, "We never do anything"? It might mean that the troop is inactive, and that the meetings are uneventful. Usually, it is not quite that obvious. It might mean that the troop does many things the leader wants to do, and not much of what the girls want. It could mean that most things are too easy, so girls have become bored, or too difficult, so that they feel unable to achieve. Details will differ in different situations. One thing remains true, regardless of details: Whatever the troop is doing, it does not match what the girls expected to do. Listening to girls, and looking for reasons behind what they say, will reveal many clues related to your role as their leader. The girls will be able to tell you what is right and what is wrong with the troop.

Girls expect from you: • Acceptance — They may survive a poor meeting place, or unimaginative activities or rejection from other girls, but they cannot endure being ignored by you.

• Fairness — They will forgive mistakes if they are sure you are trying to be fair.

• Sense of Humor — They want you to laugh with them, handle disappointments with grace and be able to laugh at yourself.

• Trust — They need you to believe in them and show willingness to let them try things for themselves.

They must be sure you will not betray their confidence.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Showing Girl Scouts How You Feel

Giving girls self-confidence and self-esteem happens many ways. You can show them how you feel by doing the following:  Smile and nod  Pat on shoulder, arm or head  Signal or gesture to show approval  High five  Laugh (with, not at) “If a girl lives with criticism, she learns to condemn.

If a girl lives with hostility, she learns to fight.

If a girl lives with ridicule, she learns to be shy.

If a girl lives with fear, she learns to be apprehensive.

If a girl lives with shame, she learns to feel guilty.

If a girl lives with tolerance, she learns to be patient.

If a girl lives with encouragement, she learns to be confident.

If a girl lives with acceptance, she learns to love.

If a girl lives with recognition, she learns it is good to have a goal.

If a girl lives with honesty, she learns what truth is.

If a girl lives with fairness, she learns justice.

If a girl lives with security, she learns to have faith in herself and those around her.

If a girl lives with friendliness, she learns the world is a nice place in which to live and be loved.”

Anonymous

Words of Encouragement

Girl Scout Brownies thrive on positive attention. They need to feel loved, appreciated and accepted. By using some of the phrases below for your Girl Scouts, you will find that they will start paying more attention to you and will try harder.

• You’re doing better • Yes • Right • Good • That’s right • Fine • Correct • Great going • Wonderful • Very fine • I like the way you do that • Excellent • I’m pleased (proud) of you • Marvelous • That’s good • Very nice • Wow! • Good work

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Chapter Three Rapid Review Are you ready to see how much you remember? Answer these questions. When you are done, check your answers against the answer sheet in the appendix.

1. What are three things that you can do to develop a positive troop environment?

2. Fill in the following blanks: A girl with low self-esteem will

trying new things, feel and

and blame

for her shortcomings.

3. A girl with high self-esteem will act

and assume

, attempt and take

and in her

.

4. Girls expect from you: A

F

S

T

5. Remember, self-esteem develops in the four basic areas seen below. Next to each area, write one thing that you can do in your troop to help build self-esteem in this area. Review page 18 for help.

Achievement Competence — Success at Influencing People — Moral Worth — Social Acceptance —

Do you remember at least five words of encouragement from page 21?

If not, turn back and look at the list again.

Although a simple concept, praise and encouragement are very important.

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Chapter 4: Meetings At this point, you have learned the history, mission of Girl Scouting and the need for a positive troop environment. Now it’s time to weave this information into fun, exciting and educational troop meetings.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Meeting Logistics

Many new leaders have questions about the logistics of their meetings. When you are starting out, some of the best advice will come from the other volunteers in your service unit, since they are familiar with your community. Keep in mind that the troop belongs to you, the girls, and their parents, so together you decide what works for the entire group. Here are some tips to get you started.

Meeting Frequency You can choose to meet weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. Many leaders start with bi-monthly meetings and make adjustments accordingly.

Meeting Times Many things, such as transportation, meeting space availability, and other obligations will dictate the time of your troop meetings. The two most common times are immediately after school and after dinner. Meetings usually last for an hour to an hour-and-a-half.

Meeting Locations Schools, churches, and community centers are the most common places for meetings. Convenience, safety, and resources should be considered when selecting a location for meetings.

Troop Dues Many troops support their activities with troop dues at each meeting. These dues typically range from 50¢ to $2 per meeting. Another option is to collect a lump sum of dues couple of times a year. This should be discussed at your parents’ meeting. However, you need to be sensitive to the economic realities of the families in your troop. The troop should also do troop money-earning activities, such as fall product and cookie programs, during the year to offset troop expenses. Also, remember that your troop can engage in field trips and activities that have little or no cost.

Troop Size The recommended size for a Girl Scout Brownie troop is 10–20 girls. (Some troops may have more than 20 members. Always ensure that the group meets the girl-adult ratio outlined in Volunteer Essentials.) Often, troop size will start very small and increase as new girls learn about the fun your girls are having. As a leader, your openness to accept these new girls into your troop sets a great example of “Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout.” Regardless of the number of girls in your troop, you want to make sure that you have plenty of adult support, in the form of co-leaders and parents.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

The Girl Scout Brownie Meeting

Each Girl Scout meeting provides an opportunity to explore new worlds and learn new skills. For this reason, there is no strict meeting agenda for Girl Scout Brownies. You do not have to worry about sticking to a rigid set of activities that may not appeal to your girls. Instead, the key is flexibility based on the needs and interests of the girls. You may have a meeting that consists of one activity and then your next meeting may have three activities. You are able to consult a wide range of resources for ideas and activities, including the girls themselves, the journey books, The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting and Program Essentials, electronically published annually by Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Over the years, research, tradition, and knowledge of what works with girls has created the following suggested model for a successful troop meeting. This model is meant to create a natural flow for the meetings and provide a “balanced diet” of fun, learning, responsibility and accomplishment. If you use this agenda for each meeting, the girls will feel comfortable because of the predictability of what will be included in each meeting. That predictability puts them at ease as they attempt new activities. The constantly changing nature of the activities and your response to their interests will prevent the girls from becoming bored.



Start Up Activity



Opening



Business



Activities



Clean-Up



Closing

Closing

Start Up Activity Opening

Business

Clean-Up

Activities

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Meeting Component Ideas

The Girl Scout meeting is set up to provide comfort, fun and challenges for growth. Each component of the meeting provides a chance for the girls to grow in some way. Below are some simple ideas to get you started.

Start-Up This is the “wait around” period before the meeting officially begins. This is a time to chat with and greet all of the girls and parents. Since you will be talking and setting up, the girls should have an easy, self-directed activity to engage their attention. Ideas include: • Drawing on a group mural about their week. 

Magnetic poetry (on boards or the back of baking pans).



Scavenger hunts through Girl Scout books.



People hunt (i.e. find a girl that speaks another language, find someone with the same number of sisters as you, etc.).



Play board games.



Practice knot making.



Discuss news or current events (the Internet or Scholastic News for Kids can help you find appropriate articles).

Opening A repetitive format for opening every meeting is a way of providing comfort and familiarity for the girls. The opening allows girls to know the meeting is officially starting, and focus and prepare for the rest of the meeting.

Tip: Making an agenda on a piece of poster board can help the girls know what to expect. As the girls progress, they can be in charge of preparing the agenda. Ideas for opening activities include: 

Girl Scout Promise and Law.



Flag ceremonies.



Songs.



Offer up an opening question and be the first to answer. Examples include:

• • • •

“If I won a million dollars, I would…”

“If I could change one thing about our country, it would be…”

“I am most thankful for…”

“I worry about…”

Business This is a time for special announcements, dues, attendance, making plans, kaper assignments, voting, deciding on activities and other troop business. This section of the meeting is very important for the girls because they learn how to lead, influence others, and communicate feelings and opinions. Little by little, allow the girls to take responsibility for more of the business of the troop. All of these skills are essential for the development of self-esteem and confidence. Troop government is used in this portion of this meeting and will be fully explained in the next chapter.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Activities During this section of the Girl Scout meeting, girls get a chance to build skills, try new things, explore their interests and work cooperatively with others. As the girls progress, you will begin to get insight into their interests. Make sure that you are always asking for their ideas and input. You will also pick up good ideas from other leaders when you attend the monthly service unit meetings.

Ideas for this time include: • • • • • • • • •

Interactive games Creative arts or crafts, including making sit-upons Preparing for a ceremony Activities from the Girl Scout Journey books Badges Physical games (to burn off energy) Pen pal letters Learn the history of Girl Scouts and Juliette Gordon Low’s life Learn about different cultures

Websites with additional ideas:

www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org www.gsusa.org

Clean-Up Clean-up is important because it teaches the girls about sharing responsibility, allows them to face the consequences of making a mess, and helps emphasize good stewardship. You can reinforce the practice of “leave things better than you found them.” You may have snacks earlier in the meeting or during this time.

Closing This is a time when you can emphasize the accomplishments of the meeting, remind the girls what is coming up, focus on personal goals, help girls feel part of a tradition and end on a calm and positive note.

Ideas for this time include: • Friendship circle and squeeze.

• Singing of Taps.

•

Sharing personal goals for the week ahead.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Kapers

A kaper is a job. A kaper chart shows the job and who is doing it. Using a kaper chart ensures that all girls will have an equal distribution of job responsibilities and this will limits disagreements about who gets to do each job. Kaper charts can be created in a wide variety of styles, from the very simple to the very creative.

The kaper chart below can be replicated using any theme.

Kaper

Group Name

Girls

Clean-Up

Dancers

Kathryn, Kim, Ling

Snacks

Singers

Kisha, Jenny, Lori

Opening

Painters

Beth, Josey, Jordan

Closing

Sculptors

Tasha, Lucy, Rosie

Attendance

Yodelers

Ann, Lisa, Meredith

Using the chart above, each week rotate the groups in order to make sure all girls equally share all jobs. So, the dancers group would move down to snack, the singers to the opening, the painters to the closing, the sculptors to the attendance and the yodelers to the clean up.

Other Ideas Flowers: Have flower centers with the name of the job on them. Put the names of the girls on petals and surround each center with the names of the girls who are doing the kaper that week.

Tree: Have a bare tree with the kapers listed on branches. Put the girls’ names on leaves and surround the branches with the names of the girls who are assigned that job.

Fish and Seaweed: Let the girl design and cut out their own fish. Put the names of the jobs on the seaweed.

Group the fish around the seaweed with the job that they are to do that week.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Putting It All Together

The following exercise will help you to apply the information you have gathered from the first four chapters.

Instructions Fill in the chart using ideas from the reading and your own ideas about how you can achieve growth in each of the components of the traditional Girl Scout Brownie meetings. For each box, write at least one thing that you can do as the leader that will address the needs of the girls in your troop. For example, in the box where “Start Up Activity” meets “Self-Esteem and Emotional Growth,” you could write, “Greet each girl by name with a smile, as they come in the door.” Greeting the girls by name and making eye contact is a quick and simple step that you can take that will make a big difference for the girls in your troop. However, sometimes the smallest steps are the easiest to forget. By putting this step on paper and reviewing the chart as you go through the year, it will be easier for you to remember it later.

This chart is an excellent tool to use with every adult that is helping with the troop. By using this page as part of a planning discussion, each adult will understand what is supposed to happen in Girl Scout meetings and why the action should take place. For instance, a co-leader might secretly wonder why you stop setting up the room when the girls arrive, but a discussion using the chart would help explain the self-esteem building benefits of greeting each girl and making her a priority.

A few examples have been added to the chart to help you get started.

Cognitive Skills Start Up Activity

Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills

Set up puzzles and riddles for the girls to work on as they are waiting.

Opening Business Activity

Plan an activity that requires the use of scissors to build hand muscles.

Clean-Up

Closing

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Emotional Growth and Self-Esteem

Chapter 5: Decision Making In order to fulfill the Girl Scout mission, girls must learn how to analyze information and make sound decisions.

This is not a magical transformation that occurs when the girls are older. Instead, these skills must be built during childhood and adolescence. Many leaders, who are used to doing everything for everyone, report that allowing the girls to take risks, learn to plan and face possible failure is both the hardest and the most important part of leading a troop.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Troop Government The Girl Scout Brownie Ring In Girl Scouts, girls develop their self-confidence and self-esteem by making choices and influencing others.

The girls should be in charge of governing their troop and should add to their responsibilities as they grow.

For Girl Scout Brownies, troop government occurs in the Girl Scout Brownie Ring. In this setting, it encourages the following program processes — Girl-led and Cooperative Learning.

The following are tips for implementing this type of government: • The ring is used for planning, problem solving, and decision making.

•

The girls gather together and sit in a circle on the floor.

•

The leader or “ringleader” introduces the topic of discussion, any information about the topic, and the decision that needs to be made.

•

The girls take turns expressing their ideas and opinions.

•

Everyone should have a chance to speak, but no one should dominate the discussion. A great way to make things fair is to use a “talking stick.” A talking stick (ball, rock, etc.) is passed around the ring.

Only the person with the talking stick in her hand has permission to talk.

•

Have an agreed upon signal to use when the group needs quiet time or you may use the Girl Scout “Quiet Sign”.

Hints for keeping things fair: •

No putting down people or ideas.

•

Make sure all people speak, but no one dominates.

•

Leaders can model behavior for the ring by listening without criticism to girls and parents.

•

At first, the girls will need a lot of help from the leader in order to get the hang of using the ring to make decisions. After they become familiar with it, the girls can take turns being the discussion leader.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Progression

According to Webster’s Dictionary, progression is “the act or process of going forward, continuing development.” In Girl Scouts, progression is the continuing development of girls and adults.

As you and the girls plan your troop year, you should build on skills they have already learned, to progress toward further development of skills. This means that every activity should introduce girls to at least one new skill or experience.

However, girls should never be flung into utterly unfamiliar territory.

This delicate balance between security and challenge is what progression is all about.

The goal of progression is to ensure that each girl is ready for the activities of the troop, physically, intellectually, and emotionally.

To build skills and self-confidence gradually: No activity should be undertaken without appropriate preparation, and such preparation involves a slow introduction.

Try different things to introduce the troop to new things in a way that preserves the self-confidence of the girls, while still allowing them to take an active role in planning and leading their troop’s activities: •

Conduct a brainstorming sessions with the whole troop.

•

Write down all the suggestions girls have and do not dismiss any suggestion as silly or unrealistic.

•

Discuss their ideas, combining multiple ideas into one, if that would work better for the troop.

•

Talk about what steps will need to be taken to accomplish the troops’ goals.

•

The girls should actually do as much of the work as possible in completing the steps toward their goals.

Remember Girls should not be threatened or overly comfortable with an activity. The rule of progression suggests that they be always gently stretched. If the girls are capable of doing something for themselves, they should!

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Girl-Led

Jenny is in the second grade. At 7:30 a.m. every morning, Jenny’s mother prepares breakfast, selects an appropriate outfit for Jenny, and then wakes her daughter to get ready for school. At school, Jenny’s teachers presents a well-rounded curriculum of school subjects. At 3 p.m., Jenny gets on the bus and comes to your Girl Scout troop meeting. At this meeting, Jenny gets to help decide which badge she wants to work on, what color her sit-upon will be, and she is in charge of cleaning up the meeting space. The entire troop is deciding on the next field trip they will take, and Jenny helps convince the other girls that the horse farm is the best idea.

During the course of the day, Jenny has interacted with many adults who care about her and work very hard to make her life a good one. The troop meeting, however, was the first place where Jenny was able to make choices about her life. She practiced her decision-making skills, and is learning to lead and influence others.

Letting Go and Letting Them As a Girl Scout Brownie leader, you will be working with girls who are growing at a different rate, and showing increased independence, talents, maturity, and personality. As you begin to work with the girls, they may want to rely on you for everything. Your job will be to provide guidance and support so that each girl will be able to make her own decisions and take on leadership roles. Girl/adult partnerships allow you to work together with the girls in planning their Girl Scout experience. The goal of girl/adult partnerships is to give the girls experience in decision making.

You may think that with seven to nine year olds, it would be easier to plan everything yourself. However, if the girls have ownership of the group, are making choices about the troop and planning some of the activities, they will be happier with their experience. In addition, don’t forget, these girls won’t wake up at 18 years old with good decision making abilities unless they begin to exercise these skills at a much younger age. The time and effort that you invest now will pay off, as they grow into women capable of weighing possibilities and consequences and then making wise choices.

Ways to Start Letting Girls Lead • Ask a girl volunteer to lead the group in saying the Girl Scout Promise and/or Law at the beginning of each meeting and provide them with support as needed.

•

Ask a girl volunteer to lead a particular portion of your next meeting.

•

When presenting girls with a choice to make, narrow the choices down to two or three and encourage a discussion regarding the pros and cons, then help the girls come to a decision as a group.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Planning Process

The steps in the planning process are useful with helping you plan with your Girl Scout Brownies. This is a step-by-step planning process. If followed, your troop activities will be well-planned, include girl/adult partnerships, and focus on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Step 1: Set a Goal Considering the girls’ interests and working with your other adult leaders, set a goal for the troop.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas Once you have set your goals, brainstorm ways to meet your goals. This brainstorm list may include activities, field trips, and other program opportunities. Come up with a list that will allow the girls to choose from the options by voting.

Step 3: Focus on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience For every program activity you have planned, you need to ask if it relates to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience outcomes and consider the three program processes as you work with girls.

Step 4: Gather Information Now that you have a list of ideas/ activities for the year, you must gather information to ensure success in implementing the activities. Ask yourself... Are there safety requirements, admission fees, transportation, health concerns, or other issues that need consideration for the activities planned?

Step 5: Evaluate Activity Evaluate the entire planning process, not just the final activity. Ask yourself and the girls: Did it work? Would you do it again? How could you improve it? How could you be more efficient in the planning? Was everyone involved? What did you learn?

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Leader’s Role in Planning

A troop must have a plan if it is to accomplish what it sets out to do. Planning on the part of the leader includes thinking through activities in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting, Girl Scout Journey Books, Volunteer Essentials , Program Essentials, and service unit and community resources. Planning with girls includes giving them limits within which to work, encouraging them to think a little higher than their present attainment, and insuring that every voice is heard. Remember progression. Each time you plan together, the girls will gain more thinking skills. The following chart will help you utilize girl/adult planning.

1.

Steps

For Girl Scout Brownies

Advance thinking by the leader.

You begin as the fearless researcher. It will be up to you to do some homework in order to be that endless wealth of knowledge that your girls believe you to be. In order to get ideas for meetings, projects and trips, consult the Program Essentials, Volunteer Essentials, Safety Activity Checkpoints, and other volunteers in your service unit. Before planning with the girls, consider these things: the time of year, resources available, the girls’ needs for enrichment, facilities available, and the goal of the experience. Staying informed will prepare you for the next steps.

2. Getting ideas from the girls.

This is an incredibly important step. You need to know what the girls are interested in, and these interests should guide activities in the troop.

Compile a master list of ideas (have a “Dream Box” or binder to keep all ideas discussed). As the girls get older, have a Girl’s Guide To Girl Scouting treasure hunt, in which the girls scour the book for activity ideas. Use this time to get to know their likes and interests, then move to the next step.

3. Sifting through ideas and working together to create a plan.

Girls may easily get overwhelmed by too many choices or may not have enough life experience to think of feasible ideas. This is where you step in.

Instead of asking open-ended questions such as “Where do you want to go?”, narrow their original ideas and present a choice of two to four options.

The leaders will need to consider safety and feasibility. Have the girls discuss ideas during meetings, and give guidance to girls. The troop may even choose a monthly theme for their activities.

4. Informing adults and parents of the troop’s plan.

Communicate plans that have been made to parents and adults working with the troop. Enlist their general support and let them know what specific help you will need. Listen to their reactions (they may know of conflicts that both you and the girls missed). Keep in mind service unit, council wide, and community events that you could pass on to the girls or that may affect their plans.

5. Implementing the plan.

Be sure the girls know it is their plan. Help the girls to see relationships between thinking ahead, making choices, accepting consequences, and honoring commitments to activities outside of their troop.

6. Reviewing and evaluating.

Before launching into a new phase of the plan, review your progress. Expect some contradictory reactions. Girl Scout Brownies often want definite plans and complete flexibility at the same time.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Community Service and Take Action

“Take Action” combines service to the community with education for a learning experience that engages girls physically, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. Take action projects gives girls the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a particular topic or issue through study, develop skills and knowledge related to that topic, and then make a plan for how they would like to help. Take action projects are different from community service because it incorporates educational opportunities for girls to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.

Step 1: Investigation The first step to take action projects is investigation. Girls investigate the resources, skills, and talents that they bring to service learning. They also investigate how the needs in the community related to the theme of the project.

Step 2: Preparation All take action projects will include preparation. In the preparation phase the girls and their leaders work together to set the stage for learning and social action. They will go onto research and discuss the topic they have chosen (environmental, learning centers, or healthy living) using badge work, journeys, hands-on activities, experiments, the Internet, and field trips.

Step 3: Action Action is the direct result of the preparation step. Good preparation enables girls to confidently carry out a plan of action and apply what they have learned to help the community.

Step 4: Reflection and Evaluation This is a vital and ongoing process in leadership and integrates learning and experiences with personal growth and awareness. Using reflection enables the girls to consider how the experience, knowledge and skills acquired relate to their own lives and their communities.

Step 5: Demonstration and Celebration Demonstration provides evidence of what the girls have gained and accomplished through their community involvement. They exhibit their expertise through public presentations such as displays, performances, letters to the editor, or at ceremonies. Celebrating accomplishments is valuable, but demonstration is more in keeping with the intentions of service learning.

Tips •

•

Investigation is a great opportunity to incorporate girl planning.

Girl Scout journeys incorporate opportunities for community service in a fun and exciting way!

Take Action Results • •

• • •

Promotes learning through active participation in service experiences.

Provide structured time for girls to reflect by thinking, discussing and/or writing about their service experiences.

Provides an opportunity for students to use skills and knowledge in real-life situations.

Extends learning beyond-the-troop experience and into the community.

Fosters a sense of caring for others.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Planning Calendar The dates below represent only a small number of Girl Scout opportunities available. As the year progresses, you will find many other opportunities for your troop. Service unit events and council sponsored programs are two sources for beyond the troop activities. These activities can help support the achievement of the goals of your troop.

Keep notes as you hear of different opportunities so that you can help the girls plan a meaningful year.

SEPTEMBER Register

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Fall product sale begins

Service projects

Juliette Low’s Birthday (31st)

Thanksgiving

DECEMBER Holiday celebrations

Halloween

JANUARY New Year (new ideas)

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Thinking Day (22nd)

Celebrate Girl Scouts birthday (12th)

Girl Scout cookie program begins

MAY Court of Awards ceremony

Girl Scout week

JUNE

JULY

Camping, trips, moneyearning, outdoor fun

Camping, trips, money-earning, outdoor fun

Early registration

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APRIL Prepare for bridging Spring break

AUGUST Get ready for another fun-filled troop year

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Evaluation Learning By Doing / Asking and Reflecting Share

Generalize

These questions help girls analyze what they experienced and helps get everyone on the same page.

These questions make help make meaning of the experience and measure its impact.

• • • •

• • • •

What did you see?

What did you hear?

What did you notice?

What images do you remember?

What have you learned?

What does this mean to you?

Why is this important to us?

How will you be different because of this?

Process

Apply

These questions will determine how the girls reacted and link what they have done to their previous experiences.

These questions apply the learning from experience to life in general and determine if anything will change as a result.

• • • • • • •

• • • • •

How did you feel?

What were the best parts?

What were the worst parts?

What concerned you?

What was familiar?

What was strange?

Of what did this remind you?

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Will we do anything differently?

What will you keep doing the same?

What will you stop doing?

What are the next steps?

Where do we go from here?

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Evaluation Tools

Evaluate your successes and you are more likely to duplicate them in the future. Neglect to evaluate your failures, and you will assuredly duplicate them.

Evaluation takes many forms. As your girls grow, your techniques for evaluation will evolve as well. You will get to know the girls in your troop better and be able to judge which techniques encourage them to share the most.

Bull’s Eye Draw a large bull’s eye on a piece of butcher paper. Have the girls use stickers to gauge their feelings from being “on target” to “way off.” For example, use your bull’s eye as a way to see how the girls feel about their success with a service project.

Satisfaction Rating Have the girls use facial expressions, thumbs up or thumbs down, or a scale of one to 10 to rate how they feel.

Ask open-ended questions as to why they feel this way.

Talking Ball/Animal Ask the girls an open-ended question. Girls who have the ball or stuffed animal are the ones who answer the question. The other girls in the troop should be quiet and listen to each girl’s response. For example, you may ask what the girls learned from the cookie sale. Keep passing the object until everyone has had a chance to speak.

Stop and Huddle Stop in the middle of an activity and have a quick discussion about what’s happening. For example, stop and ask, “How are we doing on our teamwork goal?”

Mural Place a large sheet of butcher paper on the wall or on a long table. Ask the girls an open-ended question. For example, “Since we have been planning a trip to the zoo what have we learned about planning a trip?” Supply paints and markers, have the girls draw pictures and write in responses to the question. This activity can be done on a regular basis (weekly or monthly) Pictures Have each girl cut out magazine pictures or draw something in response to a question. This tool works best as a before or after question. For example, have the girls find or draw a picture about how they felt before they have to speak in public at the Father/Daughter dinner and then again after the dinner is over. Have the girls share their pictures and explain them to the troop.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Chapter Five Rapid Review

Define progression in Girl Scouts: _________

Why is it important to use the Girl Scout Brownie Ring?

__

____

Using the planning process as a model, what is the important step that comes after “Do It!�

____

What are three ways to evaluate with girls? ____

____

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Chapter 6: Management 101 So far, you have been introduced to many of the elements involved in managing your troop, such as girl/adult planning, and what to do at meetings. As the leader, your main responsibility is to ensure the safety of the girls at all times.

This chapter will cover strategies to ensure both the physical and emotional safety of the girls, including behavior management and conflict resolution.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Preventative Behavior Management

It is much easier to prevent problem behavior than it is to intercede once the behavior has begun. The following are tried and true tips that help to establish a positive foundation for behavior. This is a quick reference page, more comprehensive descriptions can be found in the next few pages.

Share these with your co-leaders and parents.

•

Be prepared and get there early.

•

Establish guidelines and ground rules.

•

Reinforce positive behavior.

•

Be a role model.

•

Be patient.

•

Be consistent.

•

Eliminate “you.”

Tips to Prevent Problem Behavior Be Prepared and Get There Early “Be prepared” is the Girl Scout motto and a way of life. Plan for success, but always have a backup plan.

Make sure that all of the leaders and adult helpers are prepared for the meeting and clearly understand their role. Get there early to set up. That will leave you calm and ready to focus on the meeting. Always have simple games and activities ready in case you need a backup plan. A few hours spent researching and putting together a “Backup Bag” will definitely payoff. These bags can be full of simple objects, such as chalk, balloons, rope, paper, and other items. The Internet provides dozens of sites that give game and song suggestions. Having a few tricks up your sleeve will ease your anxiety, because you know that you always have something for the girls to do. If the girls are kept busy, it is hard for them to find other activities that may cause problems.

Establish Guidelines and Ground Rules In the beginning of the troop year, you will need to work with the girls to establish ground rules and guidelines for behavior. The more ownership that the girls have of the rules, the more likely they are to follow them and to hold others accountable as well. The rules must be fair and reinforced consistently. As the troop works together to brainstorm rules, you can guide them by presenting scenarios to help them identify and understand why certain rules may be needed. For example, you may ask the girls, “How do you feel when you have something to share and everyone ignores you? What does it sound like when everyone talks at the same time?

How do you feel when everything is loud?” This line of questioning will likely lead girls to develop guidelines about noise and taking turns while talking. It is very important that the girls feel that the rules came from them.

Even after the rules are established, the job is not done. Have the girls make a portable and fun-looking poster that lists the rules. You can laminate the poster and bring it to every meeting. This poster reminds everyone what was agreed to.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Reinforce Positive Behavior “Reinforce what you want repeated.” Every child desires attention, even shy and quiet girls. The trick is to find positive qualities and behaviors to praise, instead of forcing the children to misbehave in order to get your attention. Some psychological studies suggest that humans need 11 emotionally positive compliments to make up for each criticism they receive. Apply this theory to your own life. How deeply do you feel criticism? Does it seem to stick in your mind, even years after the remark was made? What about praise? Generally, the more personal, specific and frequent the praise, the more it stays with you. Remember that all children need to feel the light of praise. It will probably require you to create new habits. Most people are better at noticing negative behavior. Often, we expect the girls to behave and forget to reward them when everything is running smoothly.

Be a Role Model You want the girls to be kind, respectful, eager, excited, and able to celebrate successes and learn from failures. You are the role model for all of these traits. If you want respect, give it. If you want enthusiasm, show that you have it. If you want the girls to be kind to each other, then be kind to them. Remember that the girls are listening, even when you think they are occupied, so be sure to watch your conversations with other adults.

Be Patient If kids were perfect, then they wouldn’t need us. Remember to enjoy your time spent with the girls for what it is: a chance to be a mentor, to build a meaningful relationship with a child, to make a difference in another life, to help the girls achieve the council goals, and to have fun! You don’t have to worry about tests or secret agendas. Growth takes time, but your patience will be rewarded!

Be Consistent Practice what you preach and don’t change the rules mid-game. The girls need to know what to expect and need to trust you to be fair to everyone.

Eliminate “You” The quickest way to make a girl defensive is to attack with statements like, “You always…” “You keep doing this…” “What’s wrong with you?” Instead, speak from your own perspective, such as “I feel hurt when you say that,” or “What I am hearing you say is…”

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Behavioral Intervention

Sometimes all of your hard work will still not prevent behavior problems. When that happens, remember the tips below.

•

Manage Your Own Reaction

This is so important that we’ve dedicated a whole page to it (next page).

•

Create a Positive Atmosphere

Building a positive environment is essential for making the girls feel accepted and comfortable enough to take risks. See “Building a Positive Troop Environment” in an earlier chapter. Keep reminding yourself to greet the girls at the door, talk with “bended knees” (bend down to look girls in the eye), and use a kaper chart to discourage cliques. It is not only what you do, but also what you don’t do that affects the atmosphere. If the girls know there is a behavior problem and you don’t address it, they may lose faith in your ability to keep order. That doesn’t mean you should jump on every small infraction — just make sure you are not ignoring problems because you are afraid to confront them.

•

Re-Direct Problem Behavior

Every so often, a girl may act up because she feels ignored or is bored. Be prepared with activities or jobs that can busy those idle hands. Keep the girls busy enough that they don’t have time to think of trouble. Catching the problem early keeps it from blowing up to monstrous proportions.

•

Know When and Where to Obtain Help

You have a structure of other leaders, service unit volunteers, and paid staff that can help you to problem solve if you think the behavior is beyond your control. Refer to page 42 for additional information.

•

Communicate with Others

Approach parents with a gentle, “let’s problem solve together” attitude, instead of berating their child or parenting methods.

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Managing Your Own Reactions

Sometimes, even the best preventative behavior management is not enough. The following pages will offer hints to control the problem and your reactions.

Believe it or not, you are the most important part of behavior management. Children will test their limits and boundaries. As the adult, your own reactions can help or hinder your efforts. Here are a few tips on managing your own behavior: •

Instant reactions are not always the best. Take a minute to collect your thoughts, and tell the girl, “I need to take a time-out from this situation. I’ll get back to you in a few minutes. While you wait, I would like you to…” Giving yourself this time will prevent you from expressing rage, overreacting or acting irrationally.

•

The girls are watching. They want to see how you handle problems and conflict. They will remember the example you set.

•

Always have another adult to assist you. If you need to cool down, this person can supervise the girls.

•

Remember to have a sense of humor. It is not normal for a girl to behave all of the time.

•

Do not punish. That sounds strange, right? Try to restructure your thinking. Instead of punishing,

work to instead administer thoughtful consequences. Thoughtful consequences are ones that will help the girl grow in her behavior. In positive discipline, the outlook is for the girl. In negative discipline, the outlook is to the girl (eye for eye, tit for tat, etc.) When you discipline, ask yourself, “Do I care if the girl grows and learns from this experience, or am I more concerned with revenge?”

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Problem Solving for Girls and Adults

When a girl presents behavior challenges, remember to: •

Accept each girl, even if her behavior is unacceptable.

•

Encourage the girls to accept each other.

•

Rotate jobs so that each girl can play a leadership role and feel important.

•

Encourage cooperation, not competition.

•

Assure a “problem” girl that she can belong and look for ways that she can contribute.

•

Clarify her choices. If the group is a cooperative one, it will reward cooperative behavior and withhold approval from those who disrupt. If she chooses not to help the group, she is really choosing not to belong.

•

Do not hold grudges. Each meeting is a new beginning. If you stereotype the girl, she has no fair chance to change in your eyes.

Source: “What to Do Instead of Screaming” by Myra Nagel

As a troop leader, you will often play the role of mediator. What follows are general guidelines for the mediator: •

Allow a cooling off period for angry people. Listen to them rant and rave, but don’t take sides or tell them how to solve their problem.

•

If there is no choice, offer no choice. Certain things have to be done certain ways for the good of all. Do not sacrifice safety to appease others

•

Realize that there will be times that certain people just cannot work together. However, make an honest attempt to work on problems before you come to this conclusion.

•

When people disagree, there is often not a “Win/Win” solution, because compromise involves sacrifices. Instead, focus on “Fair/Fair,” so that all people involved realize that they won’t get exactly what they want, but the solution strives to be fair to everyone.

•

Some problems are big and some are small. It is important to keep them in proper perspective. Do not let a small problem snowball. On the same note, do not minimize a large problem.

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A Fair/Fair Method to Solve Conflict

Bring the people who have the conflict together.

Step 1: Define the Problem • Key in on the basic issue — not what people want.

• Ask questions to identify and clarify issues. Get the five W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why) and then gather more information.

• Before you can work on a problem, all parties must agree on what the real problem is.

Step 2: Generate Positive Solutions • Have the involved parties brainstorm possible solutions.

• The mediator should not make judgment — there are no “dumb” ideas. Write everything down.

Step 3: Evaluate the Solutions • Read down the list of possible solutions and eliminate any solution that both people would not be willing to try.

• Ask each person to justify why she feels a certain solution is the right one.

Step 4: Make the Decision • The mediator makes the final decision that both should try.

• This is not a vote. The conflicted parties had their say when the solutions were evaluated.

The mediator should be objective and not emotionally involved.

• All should discuss how best to implement the decision.

• Compromise and agree to change the solution if the first idea does not work.

Step 5: Test Out the Decision • Make sure that the plan and the parties’ agreements are in writing.

• Set a time period to try the solution.

• After a preset time, meet and evaluate how the solution is working.

• Regroup and try a “Plan B” if the first solution didn’t work.

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Guidelines for Redirecting Problem Behavior Establish clear rules and guidelines with the group.

• Everyone should understand what is expected and acceptable within the group.

Establish a consistent process for re-direction.

• The girl should clearly understand the expectation.

• The girl is aware that if she must be “warned” more than one to three times, there will be consequences to her behavior.

Consistent consequences.

• Consequences should be the least restrictive possible, and then restrictions can increase as necessary, if the negative behavior does not change.

• Always follow through on enforcing agreed upon consequences for an action. Consistent standards and behavior from you are the keys to establishing a safe environment and positive behavior from the girls.

• Consequences should ideally relate to the action and in some way reinforce the positive behavior that is desired.

• Be creative. Discuss the situation and options with the co-leader or the girl’s parents to find new ways of redirecting the behavior in a positive way.

Monitor your own feelings and reactions during this process.

• Stay calm and factual. Remember that the negative behavior is a way for the girl to meet a need that she has. You are simply letting her know what is acceptable in the troop setting to be fair, safe and consistent to everyone.

• If you start to feel upset, take a “time out” for yourself to prevent further escalating the situation.

• Do not allow the situation to become a power struggle between you and the girl. Winning is not the goal. Teaching the girl to make positive decisions about her own behavior is the goal.

Give your attention to positive behavior within the group.

• After giving redirection and/or a consequence for a negative behavior, remove all of your attention from that action. Resist the urge to preach or otherwise call more attention to the negative behavior.

• Deliberately find opportunities to praise the girl who has acted negatively when she exhibits positive behavior. Continue to praise positive behavior, even if the child acts as if she doesn’t care.

• Remember that all kids wear an invisible sign that says, “Make me feel important.” You can make the girls in your troop feel great by catching them doing something right, and praising them for it.

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Communication About Behavior Issues Start with the Girl

If you believe that there may be an underlying issue, find a private time to let the girl know that you are available to listen, if she wants to talk. You might use a phrase like, “I’ve noticed that you seem... How are you doing? Is something bothering you?”

Never promise her confidentiality. You may be required to report the problem. If the girl discloses an issue that falls into an area in which her parents or the authorities must be notified, let her know that you have to tell her parents or the appropriate authorities. You may ask her how she would like to be involved in notifying her parents, if appropriate for her situation, age, etc.

Co-leaders and Staff

Consult this group for assistance with and ideas for developing a positive environment and managing normal adjustment problems.

Maintain confidentiality about the identity of the girl(s), to the greatest degree possible. The focus of the discussion should be on creative ways to redirect specific behaviors, and not the individual girl(s).

Parental Notification and Problem Solving

Consult with parents for assistance, ideas, and additional information that may help you to manage normal adjustment problems. Use phrases like, “I am concerned that (girl’s name) seems to have difficulty with controlling her anger. I want to make sure that she can fully participate in all troop activities. Do you have any suggestions for me?”

If the situation is more serious, contact the parents right away. Let them know that you are concerned about their daughter and you would like to discuss the situation with them as soon as possible.

If you have reason to suspect that the parents could be the cause of the crisis, (i.e., parental abuse or neglect), you are only required to notify the appropriate authorities. See information below.

Child Abuse Reporting Policy

Anytime volunteers have reasonable cause to believe that a Girl Scout minor may have been abused or neglected, they may file a report with the appropriate state’s department of children and family services. Girl Scout volunteers are considered permissive reporters, and although not required by law to file such reports, are encouraged to do so. Volunteers are required to report to the corporate office any time a report has been sent to the department, or anytime there is reasonable cause to suspect that child abuse or neglect of a Girl Scout minor has occurred.

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse – Procedures

If a volunteer has any reason to believe that a Girl Scout minor is being abused or neglected, they may file a report with the appropriate state’s department of children and family services. If in Illinois, call 800-252-2873. If in Indiana, call 800-800-5556. This call may be made from the Girl Scout office, if desired. Volunteers are required to report to vice-president of volunteer services any time a report has been sent to the department or anytime there is reasonable cause to suspect that child abuse or neglect of a Girl Scout minor has occurred.

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Tips for Working with Girls

The atmosphere and interactions within a Girl Scout troop or group should be designed to: • Focus on and develop the talents and skills of each girl.

• Encourage girls to learn by experience.

• Provide a setting in which girls can safely take risks.

• Enable girls to solve their own challenges.

• Foster positive feelings in each girl about herself.

• Develop positive, respectful relationships with other girls, including those with disabilities and from other cultural, ethnic, racial, and socio-economic groups.

Verbal • • •

Adults may not use abusive or derogatory language with a child.

Adults should exercise good judgment in choosing the topics and language used with children. Under no circumstances should the romantic life of an adult be shared with children.

“When an activity is planned on a topic of a sensitive or controversial nature, parents, and the council (paid staff) are informed and (written) permission is received before proceeding.”

Volunteer Essentials

Physical • When touching a child for any reason, ensure that another adult is in clear view.

• Under no circumstances may an adult hit a child.

• When touching children, contact should generally be limited to the hand, shoulder or upper back.

Children should never be touched in a place normally covered by a bathing suit, unless for a clear medical necessity and then only in the presence of another nearby adult.

• A hug should be given only in response to a request by a child or after asking permission. For example, “You look like you could use a hug. Would you like one?”

• An adult should never touch a child against her or his will, unless in the case of clear and present danger to the child.

• An adult should never touch a child against her or his discomfort, whether expressed verbally or nonverbally.

• The physical right to privacy of a child should be respected to the greatest extent possible, especially in activities and situations such as sleeping, changing of clothing, showering/bathing, and other bathroom activities.

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When and Where to Obtain Help Get help as early as you can identify that you can use it.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you should be able to handle everything yourself. For less serious problems, use your co-leader as support and offer your support to her/him. When a problem is more serious, make sure to involve the parents and/or the authorities and follow established notification procedures. See Volunteer Essentials.

Your first responsibility is always to protect the health and welfare of the girls in your troop.

Any potential threat to their safety (individually or as a group) must be acted upon immediately.

Where you go depends, of course, on what you need help with. For input on handling garden-variety problems, you can involve your co-leader, the parents, or other service unit volunteers. If the situation or behavior poses a threat to the health or well-being of any girl in the troop, immediate action must be taken.

Your response depends upon the level of seriousness of the situation. Below are some sample situations and the type of response that might be chosen. This list is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to indicate the level of response needed for each type of situation.

Behavioral Problems Normal adjustment problems

Problem behavior

Problem-solving with co-leader and/or parents

Discuss with parents

Cliques

Apathy/Depression

Disregard for group rules/norms

Suspected behavioral or social issues

Disruptive behavior

Abrupt changes in behavior

Very shy/withdrawn

Aggressive behavior

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Putting It All Together Using what you have learned about decision making with girls (Chapter 5) and managing the troop (Chapter 6), respond to the following scenarios.

•

You are trying to use girl/adult planning, but it just doesn’t seem to work. When you suggested a field trip, the girls looked at you blankly and offered only one idea in ten minutes. That idea was to go to a local pizza and game parlor, which is exactly what they did last year as Girl Scout Daisies. How can you help the girls expand their ideas?

•

You remember loving your camping experiences as a Girl Scout, but when you mention it to your second grade Girl Scout Brownie troop, they seem disinterested or afraid. What are some techniques that you can use to determine if they truly are not interested, or if they are afraid because it is something they have never experienced?

•

One of the girls in the troop talks out all the time and is very hyperactive. It seems that you are always asking her to stop a behavior or to calm down. After the most recent incident, the girl sobs and tells your co-leader that she knows that you do not like her and she never knows the right things to do to make you like her. What actions can you take to address these issues? What behaviors can you change as you continue to work with the girl?

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Chapter 7: Support for Leaders As a Girl Scout leader, you are not alone in your endeavor to build girls of courage, confidence, and character. Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana has a volunteer structure designed to provide support and resources for the Girl Scout leader.

This chapter will introduce you to the structures in place to support your very import role as a troop leader.

Additional information about this structure can also be found in Volunteers Essentials.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Online Resources

Websites • Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana: www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org • All your Girl Scout gear online: www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/shop • Fun, interactive website for girls: www.WorldStrongestGirl.org • Social Media: o www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsGCNWI o www.twitter.com/GirlScoutsGCNWI o www.pinterest.com/gsgcnwi o www.youtube.com/girlscoutsgcnwi2010 • Program updates: gswhatsnew.wordpress.com • Volunteer needs or opportunities: www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/smoresupport • Council resources and forms: www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/volunteer-resources • Girl Scouts of the USA website: www.girlscouts.org Connect E-Newsletter!

A great way to ensure that you know all about all of the opportunities and news as it happens is to receive our biweekly Connect e-newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter using the link at the bottom of our website homepage at www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org.

Volunteer Essentials Volunteer Essentials is the primary resource for all volunteers. It provides information about Girl Scouts of the USA, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, Safety-Activity Checkpoints, Council policies, volunteer policies, financial procedures, volunteer staff structure, service unit structure, emergency procedures, council forms and much more. Volunteer Essentials is available on per troop and can be obtained from your service unit or regional Girl Scout Gathering Place. You can also download it on the Council website.

Program Essentials Program Essentials is a publication that outlines a variety of council- and communitysponsored programs available to girl members. It also includes guidelines and reservation procedures for use of council properties. This book is updated annually in the fall. You can view and download this book from the council website. www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/activities-events Safety Activity Checkpoints An essential part of understanding safety in Girl Scouts are found in the Safety Activity Checkpoints. When preparing for any activity with girls, always begin by reviewing the Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints written about that particular activity. Some activities included are swimming, hayrides, hiking and parades. The checkpoints can be viewed and downloaded from the council website: www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/volunteer-resources

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Service Unit Support

In addition to those printed and virtual resources, there is a whole team of experienced Girl Scout volunteers ready to support you!

Service Unit A service unit is comprised of Girl Scout members in a geographic area. Each service unit has a group of administrative volunteers, appointed by the service unit manager and the membership staff, to support leaders and ensure the delivery of services.

Service Unit Manager The service unit manager assumes the key administrative responsibility of Girl Scouting within the service unit. She/he works within the policies, standards, and procedures set by Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. The two major focuses of the service unit manager are maintaining, developing and/or increasing girl and adult membership in their community and ensuring adult volunteers receive the services they need to effectively deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Be sure to attend your service unit meetings to stay informed and current. New opportunities are scheduled on a regular basis!

Membership Organizer Service unit organizers serve as the primary contact for the recruitment of girls and forming of troops in their designated schools or areas. Their responsibilities includes assisting new volunteers in the new troop process, including the volunteer application and registration process, finding meeting locations and assisting with the initial parent meeting. The membership organizer executes the plan to achieve the service unit membership goal.

Registrar The registrar supports the service unit by collecting and processing Girl Scout paper membership forms and teaches leaders to use electronic registration methods to ensure all members meet the registration requirement. The registrar reviews the service unit rosters ,provided by the council to ensure members are registered correctly, and alerts the registration center to any changes. She collaborates with other service team members to ensure any new members are contacted and supported appropriately.

Service Unit Meetings The service unit manager conducts monthly meetings called “service unit meetings� for all members of the service unit. This meeting provides troop leaders with information about happenings at both the council and service unit levels. This is also a time for leaders to come together to network, offer support to each other, and get new ideas for working with their troop.

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Troop Committee and Sponsorship Troop Committee Many troops have a troop committee that is made up of adults who are registered members of the troop. They perform a variety of functions: assisting with special projects, substituting for the leader when necessary, recruiting people with special skills, assisting with paperwork and odd jobs, aiding in development and implementation of troop activities, advising parents/guardians on financing, and reading publications for activity ideas.

Many troops have relationships with community organizations or businesses that believe in and are willing to support the Girl Scout program. A troop sponsor may assist a troop by doing some or all of the following: appoint a representative to serve on the troop committee, publicize Girl Scouting through internal newsletters, provide goods and services, provide consultants or volunteer resources, provide a meeting place, and provide financial assistance.

The troop has responsibilities to the sponsor. These responsibilities include keeping the sponsor informed of troop and group activities, keeping the meeting place clean and orderly, including the sponsor in appropriate activities, recognizing and publicizing the sponsor’s contribution to the troop, actively seeking opportunities to provide services to the sponsor, and making Girl Scout membership available to the sponsor.

Tips for Working with Parents

As a Girl Scout leader, you will be developing meaningful relationships with the girls in your troop. Since you will need help from time to time, it is also wise to develop positive relationships with the parents and guardians in your troop. Here are some tips to start the year off right and to keep things running smoothly.

Share the magic of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

• Discuss the Girl Scout Promise and Law. • Let the parents know that while Girl Scouts is fun, it is much more than a social club.

Get to know the parents.

• Give parents interest cards at the beginning of the year. This card, in addition to containing emergency contact information, can gather information about professions, places of work, hobbies, and talents.

Later in the year, you will have an idea of who to call when you need help with a project or trip.

Communicate often with the parents.

Send home updates by e-mail/newsletters and easy-to-read permission forms. Talk to parents as they pick up and drop off their girls.

Be professional.

• Do not gossip about the girls or other parents. If you have an important issue to discuss, make sure that the girls are properly supervised and speak with the parent in private.

Parents are more likely to help when you ask them directly.

• Also, make sure the task is specific and short-term. People can easily get overwhelmed if you ask, “Would you be willing to help with the troop?” Instead state, “Will you help us one hour a week for two weeks?”

Create and publish a phone tree or e-mail distribution list.

• Instead of calling every parent in your troop, you can make only a few calls and start a chain of information or send one e-mail to all.

•

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How Parents Can Help

There are many ways that adults can help your troop.

Troop Committee Member — Attends troop meetings and actively participates to support the approved girl/adult ratio, and transportation. Troop committee membersmust complete a Volunteer application that will include a background check and registered Girl Scout Member. See Volunteer Essentials.

• Telephone — Calls parents/guardians or girls for reminders or changes in plans.

• Troop Cookie Manager — Completes cookie training, coordinate cookie sale, picks up and distribute cookies, and maintains financial records (January–March).

• Fall Product Manager — Places troop fall product orders, coordinates payment, and distribution of products (November).

• Family Partnership — Offers every parent/guardian in the troop the opportunity to donate, collect monies, and compile reports.

Parents Can Also Provide • Use of their house • Special equipment or skills • Help with trips and activities • Snacks and drinks • Space for storage Share a hobby, interest or skill • Outdoors and nature • Sports, dance, and fitness • Careers • Singing, music, and drama • Sewing and crafts • Games • Science and computers • There is no limit Be • • •

A First Aider for hikes and trips A certified camping adult A babysitter for leader’s children during meetings, trips, or events

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Chapter 8: Girl Scout Program Opportunities and Traditions

The girls in your troop are modern and are exposed to technology and a society that the original Girl Scouts could never have imagined. As your girls plunge into the future, it is useful to stay in touch with the past as well.

This final chapter will introduce you to some of the traditions associated with the Girl Scout movement.

Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook

Girl Scout Recognitions

There are many traditions that have been a part of the Girl Scout program since Juliette Gordon Low held the first meeting in 1912. One of these traditions is earned recognitions. Girl Scout recognitions should acknowledge a girl’s accomplishments and attainment of specified requirements. Leaders should work in partnership with girls to decide when recognitions have been completed. At all times, adults should play a key role in stressing the quality of the program experience over quantity of recognitions.

Brownie Girl Scout Journeys

Girl Scout journeys help girls explore a theme through a sequence of fun and challenging experiences. The definition of a journey is a passage from one place to another. Your Girl Scout Brownies now have the opportunity to choose their journey. Like all journeys, there is a beginning and an end. Every grade level has a journey designed to meet the developmental needs of the girls and take the girls through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Hopefully during this time your Girl Scout Brownies will travel the distance they will learn and grow from start to finish.

A Quick Look at the Available Brownie Journeys Title

The Brownie Quest

W.O.W. Wonders of Water

A World of Girls

Length

Six sample sessions* plus one ceremony session

Nine sample sessions*

Nine sample sessions* plus one celebration session.

Purpose

Girls will be on a quest for three keys. No telling! It’s a secret.

They will discover how each key relates to leadership.

Brownies pledge to protect water and team up to advocate other people to save the water too.

Girls will explore stories for clues for how to better the world, realize they have the power to change things for the better, and teach and inspire others to support change, too.

Sample Activities

• Girl Scout Brownies will

• Girls will show two things

• Girls will see how they belong

uncover their special talents.

• They will lead their families

in healthy living activity.

• They will participate in a Brownie Brainstorm designed to engage them in identifying their own Take Action project.

• Girl Scout Brownies will be invited to “Go ELF” by Exploring, Linking arms and Flying into action.

• Activities parallel the actions and events in the stories woven throughout the journey.

they know and love about water.

• Make and carry out a personal promise that protects water.

• Girl Scout Brownies will team up and speak up as advocates to protect water.

• Plan and carry out a Take Action project related to water.

•

• • •

to many different circles of “worlds” of girls.

They will play relay games to create stories, and experience and appreciate diversity.

Girl Scout Brownies will roleplay scenarios to practice communication skills.

Create self-portraits to express uniqueness.

Plan and carry out of Take Action project related to their world of girls.

*Sample sessions may take only one meeting or may take a few meetings to complete. These sessions can also be supplemented with other activities, trips, etc.

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Five Things to Know About the Journeys 1. Theme

2.

3.

4.

5.

There is a common theme throughout all grade levels. The themes will change so it is important to stay informed about current journeys. The three themes and the titles of the journeys are It’s Your Planet—Love It!, It’s Your World—Change It! and It’s Your Story—Tell It! Community Service: Take Action!

This component of leadership encourages girls to participate in an activity that is service-oriented.

Earned Recognitions Each journey has a specific recognition piece.

Girl and Adult Resources Each journey includes a girl book and an adult facilitator guide for working with girls through the Journey and incorporating the methods and three keys to leadership.

These guides will help you work with your Girl Scout Brownies in order to make their journey a memorable and positive learning experience. Some characteristics of the facilitator guide are: • How specific activities and experiences tie to the leadership outcomes.

• Specific suggestions on how to apply the three Girl Scout program processes for girls.

• Tips on how to customize the journey with girls, i.e. adding a trip, camping, and traditional events.

Badges: Wait! What about Badges?

Use your Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting book. Badges can be used to enhance the journey experience.

Or you may choose to use the “Skill Builders Badges” that are connected to the Journey Books.

Remember the three keys to leadership from the Girl Scout Leadership Experience?

A journey incorporates all of them: Discover, Connect, and Take Action.

Visit our YouTube channel to hear about the full National Program Portfolio, including an in-depth look at Girl’s Guides and journeys for each age level.

More about the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting and Journey Books Each grade level journey has an adult guide and a girl partner book. These books have many common elements throughout all grade levels: • An introduction to each journey.

• Information on earned recognitions/awards for girls.

• Grade level characteristics.

• Key information about the program processes: Girl-led, Learning by Doing, Cooperative Learning.

• Girl Scout traditions.

• Information on safety and well-being of the girls.

• Connections between the journey and the leadership outcomes of Discover, Connect, and Take Action.

• The leader’s/adult view on leadership.

• An outline of the journey’s session for implementation with girls.

Girls who complete all three Brownie Journeys will earn the Brownie Journey Summit award, a very special achievement!

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The Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting The Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting is the official book for all Girl Scout Brownies. It is filled with practical tips, age-appropriate and fun activities, and information about Girl Scout history, traditions, and insignia. It comes in a standard size binder so the girls can add new resources as they become available. The guide includes three sections:

Handbook Section Girl Scout Brownie Membership Pin This pin tells others that she is a Girl Scout Brownie. It is shaped like a trefoil. Each leaf stands for one part of the Girl Scout Promise. In the middle of the pin is a Brownie elf. Girls can wear your pin even when they’re not wearing a uniform, just to show they’re a Brownie!

World Trefoil Pin This pin shows others that she is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (also known as WAGGGS). The golden trefoil on a blue background represents the sun shining over all the children of the world.

Membership Stars Each star represents one year as a Girl Scout and is pinned on a disc. The color of the disc indicates grade level. Girl Scout Brownies receive a green disc.

My Promise, My Faith Award Girl Scouts can earn the My Promise, My Faith Award each year that they participate in Girl Scouting. This award encourages a girl to learn more about her own faith and another by talking with her family and people in other faith communities.

Bridging to Juniors Award Awarded to third grade Girl Scout Brownies who have completed the bridging steps. Girls receive the award during the Bridging to Girl Scout Junior ceremony held at the end of the year. Information about bridging and other kinds of ceremonies is on page 65.

Brownie Wings When they fly up to Girl Scout Junior and take part in cool new experiences, girls can wear these special Brownie Wings to show that they were once a Girl Scout Brownie.

My Girl Scouts Section

A section for girls to document their experiences includes pages to scrapbook, draw, or save special moments. It even includes stickers! It is a way for the girls to customize their Girls Guide Book!

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Badges

Badges are non-competitive recognitions designed to encourage the girls to try new things.

Badges are an opportunity for each girl, small groups, or the entire troop to learn and be creative. The activities for badges are designed to be done as a troop. However, a girl may work on a badge by herself or with another person. Adult assistance is often required for badge activities.

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Incorporate badge earning with your Girl Scout Journey.

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Use the Brownie Ring to discuss the girls’ interests and decide on the appropriate badge.

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Be realistic about what the girls can do and when you need other adults to help in fulfilling the requirements of the badge.

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Break activities down in small steps so the girls can see parts of the plan working right away.

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Be sure to raise practical points that the girls may not think of such as transportation costs, admission fees, or equipment.

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Evaluate the activity with the girls, emphasizing the how and the why.

Brownie Badges

Girls will have lots of fun as they learn many skills, start new hobbies and try things they have never tried before as they earn these badges. Badges can be arranged on each girl’s uniform and they will love to share how they earned them with anyone who asks!

Cookie Business Badges: Money Manager and Philanthropist. The steps girls will go through to complete these badges will help them learn how to manage money and help people in need.

Financial Literacy Badges: Meet the Customers and Give Back. These awards teach girls how to find customers and be comfortable selling to them, and learn how businesses help others.

Uniforms

Girl Scout Brownies are encouraged, but not required, to wear their uniforms to meetings, public ceremonies, or events. The uniform symbolizes a worldwide organization devoted to the development of girls and represents the following values: Identity: Growth: History:

A sense of pride in being a member.

Commitment to developing knowledge and skills, and a sense of worth.

Continuing focus on personal and social development, personal responsibility, civic service, and leadership.

Community: Partnership of youth and adults in a worldwide movement.

Check the next page for a uniform placement guide for Girl Scout Brownie vests and sashes.

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Bridge to Girl Scout Junior Patch

The Bridge to Junior Girls Scouts Patch has six bridging steps that must be completed in order to earn the patch. The key for successful completion of each of the steps is to plan ahead. Ask the girls at the beginning of your Girl Scout Brownie year if they would like to earn this recognition. In your planning process, you can then include the bridging steps.

The best way to earn this patch is to involve a Girl Scout Junior troop. Please see the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting.

Ceremonies

The ceremony is a long-standing tradition in Girl Scouts. A ceremony is a way to celebrate a special occasion and share feelings. Ceremonies should be short, simple, and planned by the girls. The following elements are typical in a Girl Scout ceremony.

Ceremonies that Girl Scout Brownies commonly use are: •

A flag ceremony.

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An investiture or re-dedication.

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A bridge to Girl Scout Brownies .

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A bridge to Girl Scout Junior.

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A court of awards.

Components of a ceremony: Opening — An activity or statement to set the mood for participants.

Main Part — Focus or major activity of the ceremony.

Closing — Activity or statement to summarize everything or involve participants in a final moment of sharing.

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Fall Product Program

The fall product program is a great way to get your troop up and running. The sale is traditionally for friends and family. With the sale happening early in the membership year, girls have the opportunity to set goals and earn start up funds, while giving them a chance to practice goal setting, team work, and customer service.

The fall product program is also important because this means the girls can start having fun and plan exciting activities right away.

By participating in the fall product program, the girls will: • Set individual goals.

• Work as a team to set troop goals.

• Communicate with others.

• And much more.

Checklist for Troop Cookie Managers/Fall Product Managers • • • • •

Be registered for the current membership year.

Submit an application and background check on our website.

Received an official welcome letter from Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Contact service unit cookie manager/fall product program manager.

Participating in training for this position.

Cookie Program

What are the benefits for the girls?

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is what makes Girl Scouts unique compared to any other youth service organization because it outlines measurable outcomes. What measurable outcomes do we see with the Girl Scout cookie and fall product program? Selling Girl Scout cookies gives girls a chance to run a business and practice leadership skills they can use in their lives. As they participate in cookie program, you will see them actively involved inlearning Five Skill sets: 1. Goal Setting The girls work together to set a troop goal and develop a plan to reach it, developing cooperation and team building skills 2. Decision Making The girls decide how the troop will spend the money earned from the product sale, learning critical thinking and problem- solving skills.

3. Money Earning Each girl will with the help of an adult take orders and handles customer’s money developing practical life skills around financial literacy 4. People Skills The girls learn how to talk, listen and work with each other developing healthy relationships and conflict resolution.

5. Business Ethics The girls learn about honesty and responsibility, enforcing the positive values they are developing in Girl Scouts.

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Your Quick Start Guide to the Cookie Sale The Cookie Sale is EASY as 1, 2, 3!

1. Recruit a troop cookie manager.

You don’t have to do it alone. This can be you or some other adult helper in your troop, i.e., co-leader, parent helper, that can help you with the logistics of the sale.

2. Troop cookie manager takes training.

Managers will learn when, how, and why the cookie sale works. This training will teach them how to bring success to your troop during the sale 3. Have fun.

This will be a fun learning experience for you and the girl in your troop. By guiding girls in budgeting, planning and goal setting, you ensure that girls have a good time and understand why they are selling.

What are Your Resources?

You are not alone.

There are many resources available to leaders and girls who are participating in the cookie sale. If you have not started to recruit volunteers, START NOW. Recruiting a cookie manager is your first step. The cookie manager will be your point person who will handle most of the aspects of the sale for the troop. The cookie manager is responsible for attending cookie training, tabulating orders and submitting paper work on time, entering all orders online, managing the delivery and distribution, coordinating cookie booths, and collecting cookie money. You may do this job yourself, or you may recruit your co-leader, parents, or grandparents of the girls.

Parent and/or guardians will be a huge support during the sale. If you or your cookie manager educates the parents on the sale, they will be a big encouragement to the girls to sell. The parents need to sign the permission slip for the girls to sell, ask their daughters about their goals, encourage sales beyond just family and friends, check on their daughter’s progress throughout the sale, and hopefully will volunteer their time to help with the troop cookie booths.

By being resourceful and seeking the help you need, you’ll give the girls in your troop a real-life lesson in leadership!

www.littlebrowniebaker.com

This is an interactive site that will support you in giving cookie sale suggestions and tips, providing training and program ideas, providing fun clip art and resources for the girls to create posters and announcements, interactive games and more to support the cookie sale. This is also where cookie managers will find eBudde, the easy to use online ordering system!

“No university has produced as many female business owners as has the Girl Scout Cookie Program.”

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Getting to Know You Games Me-You-Lisa Supplies: Softball such as a foam ball or flexible foam glove ball.

How to Play: Have everyone sit in a circle, including the adult leaders. Explain that the game is designed to help everyone learn names.

When the ball is rolled to a girl, the girl should say her name and then roll the ball back to the leader. The leader rolls the ball to other girls until all girls have introduced themselves.

Variation: Once the girls get the basics down, the leader can roll the ball to a girl, the girl says her name and then rolls the ball to another girl and so on. Other information, such as favorite song, TV show, or activity, can be added.

Variation: Once the girls are rolling the balls to one another, saying their names, add another ball and see if they collide in the center. If they collide, try again.

Affirmation Supplies: Paper and crayon, pen, or marker for each girl.

How to Play: Have each girl on a piece of paper either write or draw responses to the following statements: My name is...

My favorite thing to do is...

My favorite TV show is....

I like myself because...

I like Saturdays because....

After the girls have created their “document,� have them share it with the rest of the troop or a small group. You may wish to display them on a wall throughout the Girl Scout Brownie troop meeting.

Birthday Line Up Supplies: None How to Play: Have the girls’ line up silently in chronological order according to their birthdays. Once they are in a line, ask them to introduce themselves to the girls on either side of them.

Have them next line up alphabetically and again have them introduce themselves to their neighbors.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Fantasy Island Supplies: None How to Play: Have each girl say her name, then answer the following questions: If I were on a desert island, I would bring…; I would eat…; my hobbies would be… etc.

Movement Mambo Supplies: None How to Play: Each girl introduces herself and must make up a movement. The movement must have a name that starts with the first letter of the girl’s first name. The next girl must do that move and add her own, until the last girl is doing the whole troop’s “dance.”

For example: “My name is Jenny and I do the Jermimmy.”

“My name is Emily and I do the Emmamooba and Jenny does the Jermimmy.”

“My name is Ryan and I do the Rymambo, Emily does the Emmamooba and Jenny does the Jermimmy.”

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Songs Brownie Smile Song

Taps

I’ve something in my pocket It belongs across my face.

I keep it very close at hand In a most convenient place.

I’m sure you couldn’t guess it, if you guessed a long, long while.

So I’ll take it out and put it on, It’s a great big Brownie Smile!

Day is done, Gone the sun from the lake, from the hill, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest.

God is nigh.

Frog Version I’ve got something in my pocket That I found behind a log.

My leader said to put it back But I want to keep this frog.

It’s cool and green and slimy And it wiggles in my hand.

I’ve also got a wooly worm And a pocket full of sand.

Listen to more songs on our YouTube page! www.youtube.com/girlscoutsgcnwi2010

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Games Brownies and Elves (An active game to be played out-of-doors) Supplies: None How to Play: Divide girls into two equal teams: Brownies and Elves. The teams should line up and face each other. About 20 feet behind each team is the team’s “safe” place. The leader may call “Elves (or Brownies) are coming.” This team then chases the other team to its safe place. Girls captured must then join the capturing team. The leader calls the teams several times. When the game ends, the largest team wins.

Elephant, Monkey, and Palm Trees Supplies: None How to Play: Everyone stands in a circle with a person in the middle. The person in the middle closes her eyes, then points to someone and says either “Elephant, Monkey, or Palm Tree.” The person pointed to and the girls on either side need to form what was called out.

Elephant: The middle forms the trunk and the sides form the ears.

Palm Tree: The middle puts her arms above her head with her arms bent out and the ends need to turn their back to the middle person and forms palm leaves (arms up and out.)

Monkey: The middle person is "speak no evil” and the sides are “see no evil” and hear no evil.”

This all needs to be accomplished before the rest of the group in the circle shouts; “Elephant, Monkey, and Palm Trees.” If the girls cannot do this in the time allowed, the center girl goes to the middle and the game continues. As the game goes on, you can speed up.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Rainstorm Supplies: None How to Play: All girls sit in one large circle. Tell them that they will be creating their own rainstorm. Start by having one girl softly snapping her fingers. Have each girl, one by one, start snapping until the whole circle is snapping. The girls will continue snapping as another girl starts patting her legs. That motion should travel around the circle as well. After everyone is patting their legs, the starter should begin pounding her feet on the floor. One by one, everyone should follow.

Once the sound reaches a climax (the “eye of the storm�), the leader should start the patting, and finally back to snapping. The entire game should sound like a light rain that changes into a storm and then dies down to a drizzle again.

Balloon Volleyball Supplies: Balloons How to Play: This game is great for when you have an extra ten minutes that you don’t know how to fill. Have the girls sit on the floor in two lines with their feet touching each other. Have the girls start hitting the balloon back and forth, making sure that their feet stay touching at all times.

Find ideas for activities, snacks and much more on our Pinterest page! www.pinterest.com/gsgcnwi

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Ceremonies Flag Ceremony From: Ceremonies Workshop. Available by request through the adult development department.

Supplies: An American flag and, if possible, a Girl Scout flag.

How to: The following are guidelines for an indoor flag ceremony: A flag ceremony honors the American flag and is a great way to start a meeting and focus the girls on what needs to be accomplished at today’s meeting. The troop forms a horseshoe. The color guard is in position. All stand at attention.

The Girl Scout-in-charge says: “Color guard, advance.” This signals the color guard to advance to the flags, salute the American flag and pick the flags up. Then they turn together and get into position facing the troop.

Everyone stands at attention.

The color guard walks forward carrying the flags to the formation. They stop in front of the standards. The Girl Scout-in-charge says: “Color guard, post the colors.” This signals the color bearers to place the flags in their stands. They remain at attention next to the flags.

The Girl Scout-in-charge says: “Girl Scouts honor the flag of your country.” The group salutes the American flag.

The Girl Scout-in-charge says: “Girl Scouts recite the Pledge of Allegiance.” Songs, poems, or verses may follow the pledge.

NOTE: If the flag ceremony is a part of a larger ceremony such as an investiture, the Girl Scout-in-charge dismisses the color guard and then the main ceremony takes place.

Following the ceremony, the Girl Scout-in-charge commands the color guard to retire the colors by taking the flags to their place of storage. The following commands can be used: “Girl Scouts, attention.”

“Color guard, advance.”

“Color guard, honor your flag.”

“Color guard, retire the colors.“ “Color guard, dismissed.”

“Girl Scouts, dismissed.”

At the end of the flag ceremony, take the opportunity to give further instruction on what the girls will be doing in their meeting.

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Investiture Ceremony

Refer to Ceremonies in Girl Scouting for more information.

An investiture ceremony is held when an individual Joins girl scouting for the first time and: • Makes the Girl Scout Promise • Receives her Membership Pin • Is welcomed into Girl Scouting When • An investiture ceremony is done any time new girls join the troop.

• Girls are invested after they have learned the meaning of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. • The investiture ceremony can be combined with a rededication ceremony for returning girls, a time for them to renew the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girls Help Plan • Although younger girls may need guidance in planning, conducting, and participating in a ceremony to make it significant and satisfying, a ceremony which girls themselves plan is an opportunity for creative self-expression.

• Experienced girls in the troop should be involved in helping plan and carry out the ceremony. They might tell or act out the Girl Scout Brownie story, give the Girl Scout handshake, or say words of welcome.

• All girls should be involved in planning for the investiture meeting (songs to sing, refreshments, serving on committees, etc.).

Membership Pins • The appropriate membership pin is given for the grade level (Girl Scout Brownie pin, Contemporary Girl Scout pin, or the Trefoil Girl Scout pin).

• World Trefoil Pin is usually presented after the girls have learned about the international aspects of Girl Scouting/Girl Guiding. However, it can be presented at the investiture ceremony if other girls have this pin already.

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Sample Girl Scout Brownie Investiture

Refer to Ceremonies in Brownie Girl Scouting for more information.

Set up: Place a mirror in the center of the floor surrounded by pin or artificial greens. Girls stand in horseshoe formation or circle.

Leader: “Today we officially welcome you as members of Girl Scouts. Wearing your Girl Scout Brownie pin means you have promised to try your best to serve God and your country, to be helpful to others and to be the best person you can be. The three finger Girl Scout sign reminds us of the three parts of our Girl Scout Promise. Let’s all say the Girl Scout Promise together.”

Girl Scout Brownies: Repeat Girl Scout Promise together.

Leader: “The Girl Scout Brownie story tells how we got our name, and also reminds us of our Girl Scout Promise to be helpful.”

Assistant Leader: “In the Girl Scout Brownie story, the children, Mary and Tommy, want to find someone to help with all the jobs the need to be done in their house. Granny tells them about the magic little Girl Scout Brownies who used to live in the house and who would sweep the floor, set the table, tidy the room, and bring in the firewood. The Girl Scout Brownies were cheerful and never asked for any reward. In the story, Mary goes into the woods to ask the wise old owl to help her find the magic, helpful Girl Scout Brownies. The owl leads her to a pond and teaches her the wonderful secret of being a Girl Scout Brownie. Do you want to know this secret and become a Girl Scout Brownie?”

Girl Scout Brownies: “Yes.” Leader invites one new Girl Scout Brownie to come forward to the mirror pond.

Leader: “Turn around three times and say the magic charm; then look into the pond and say the word that ends the magic rhyme. Twist me and turn me and show me the elf. I looked in the water and saw...

Leader turns girl as line is repeated; girl says “myself” as she looks into the mirror.

The Girl Scout Brownie receives the Girl Scout Brownie pin from the leader and shakes hands with the Girl Scout handshake. The Girl Scout Brownie return to the circle as another comes forward. Continue until all the new girls are invested.

Girl Scout Brownies: Sing “Brownie Smile Song” and “Make New Friends.”

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A Girl Scout’s Own Ceremony

Refer to Ceremonies in Brownie Girl Scouting for more information.

For some leaders, a Girl Scout’s Own is somewhat mysterious and sometimes confusing to introduce to girls, so they avoid it. However, it can be very meaningful, thought provoking and beautiful ceremony and should not be neglected because it is not familiar.

Guidelines for a Girl Scout’s Own •

It should be inspirational.

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It should be planned by the girls to express their deepest feelings about something (any ideals or values that have meaning for them).

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It is not a religious ceremony.

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It can take place anytime and in any form.

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It is not a performance for an audience.

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It involves choosing a theme and a place and deciding what to do.

Example One The leader decided to suggest a Girl Scout’s Own at a weekend camp out because the girls were not getting along. The girls decided that their theme would be “Friendship.”

The leader and the girls sat down and openly discussed how they feel about how the weekend was going. This led to importance of working together and then in turn led to what they valued (or devalued) in each other. It wasn’t long before the word “friend” came into the discussion. The leader suggested that a Girl Scout’s Own might help and explained what it was. In a short time, “friendship” was suggested as the theme.

The leader had books of poetry and famous sayings about friendship, which she gave the girls. After explaining what a Girl Scout’s Own was and how it worked, she gave them a half hour where they scattered around the campsite to decide what they thought about the theme and what they would do or say.

When the leader rang a bell, everyone silently walked to a pine grove and sat down on the needle-covered ground. When a girl felt moved to speak or read or whatever she decided to do, she stood, did it and sat back down. The setting grew quieter as the girls expressed their feelings about friendship.

The leader finally said, “Let’s close with a friendship circle but instead of passing around the squeeze, each girl in turn step in front of the girl on her left, say something positive about her so all can hear and give her a hug.”

Some commented on appearance, some on skills she admired, positive personality traits. They all walked out of the pine grove and the Girl Scouts’ Own was over.

The leader said for the remainder of the camp out, everyone was very cooperative. Later that year, some of the troop members commented that doing that Girl Scout’s Own was one of the best-remembered activities of the year.

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Girl Scout Brownie Self-Study Workbook Example Two The leader explained what a Girl Scout’s Own was and that at the next meeting they would have one. The girls decided that they would like their theme to be Thanksgiving because this holiday was two days later. The girls were told to think about Thanksgiving before they returned for their next meeting.

Before the girls arrived the next week, the leader put a paper foldout turkey on the floor in a corner of the gymnasium. After troop business, the leader said, “We will all have our Girl Scout’s Own in the gym.

Remember, it is a serious ceremony and our theme is Thanksgiving.” The girls slowly and quietly walked down the hall to the gymnasium and sat crossed legged in a circle around the paper turkey.

The leader said, “What can we say about the first Thanksgiving?” The girls expressed the hardships and what it must have been like. No one was called on. If a girl had something to say, she quietly said it.

Then the leader put a little wax turkey candle in front of each girl and told each girl to think of what she felt most thankful for. When a girl was ready to speak, she picked up her candle and held it in her hand. When she was through speaking, she sat it down in front of her again.

After everyone was done speaking, the leader quietly said, “As you eat dinner on Thanksgiving Day, light your candle and think about what you said here today.” The troop then quietly filed back to the meeting room. After they got inside the meeting room the Girl Scout’s Own was over. The leader commented that the girls shared some very personal heartfelt thoughts. This troop was made up of second and third graders.

This Girl Scout’s Own could serve as a springboard for hunger issues and lead to long term planning to help combat hunger in their own community.

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Sample Ideas for Closing

Refer to Ceremonies in Brownie Girl Scouting for more information.

A closing indicates the meeting is over and it is time to go home.

Example One Ask the girls for themes in which they have an interest, for example “Trees” With their leader’s help, they find a short poem or write simple lyrics to a familiar song.

Tune : Three Blind Mice Thank you trees (twice) For giving me air (twice) I love your leaves so bright and green For making new air sweet and clean I love to watch you sway in the breeze Thank you trees Example Two Get in the friendship circle. Read a poem or sing a song. A variation on Taps (Day is Done) “Night is come, owls are out, beetles hum round about, tip toe so out they creep, Girl Scout Brownies go home to sleep.”

Example Three Use the golden friendship circle. Each girl gets a 12-inch piece of gold cord or yarn. The first girl makes a circle and makes a square knot in it. The girl on her left threads her cord through the first girl’s circle and knots her piece. The third girl threads her cord through the second’s, and so on. Eventually you will end up with a linked golden chain. As each girl makes her link, she says, “I am a link in the golden chain of friendship and I must keep the link strong and bright.”

Example Four Use the “Vanish” closing. Two leaders make an arch with their arms. The girls go by twos under the arch as quietly as they can (as if they have cotton under their shoes) as the leaders say, “Vanish.” It makes for a quiet closing.

Example Five Use this to clean up before leaving. The girls move about arranging everything neatly. As the leader asks, “Is everything finished?” Girls answer “Everything.” “Is nothing left?” Girls answer “Nothing.” Leader says, “Then be gone.” Girls get their coats and leave with their parent/guardians, but not until all above as been spoken.

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Answer Keys Chapter Three Rapid Review What are three things that you can do to develop a positive troop environment: Don’t stress perfection, be a positive role model, be sensitive to differences (page 17).

Fill in the following blanks: A child with low self-esteem will…avoid trying new things; feel unloved and unwanted, and blame others for her shortcomings. A child with high self-esteem will… act independently and assume responsibility, attempt new tasks and challenges and take pride in her accomplishments.

Girls expect from you: Acceptance — Fairness — Sense of Humor — Trust Next to each area, write one thing that you can do in your troop to help build self-esteem in this area.

Many ideas are acceptable. Below are examples of possible answers: Achievement Competence: Teach the girls a new song or skill and let them practice it until they are good and can perform it for another troop or parents.

Success at Influencing People: Let the girls come up with ideas for field trips and take turns telling the troop the good things about the place they chose.

Moral Worth: Give praises such as, “I’m so proud that you decided not to hit Jamie and talk to her instead.” “Good job with that decision.”

Social Acceptance: Do name games and team building activities to help discourage cliques and get the girls talking to everyone in the troop.

Chapter Five Rapid Review Define progression in Girl Scouts: The continued development of girls and adults.

Why is it important to use the Girl Scout Brownie Ring?

Using this type of troop government gives girls a chance to make choices and influence others, which contribute to the development of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Using the planning trail as a model, what is the important step that comes after “Do It:” Evaluate What are three ways to evaluate with girls?

Stop and Huddle, Satisfaction Rating, and Talking Ball (page 39).

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