Girl Scouts is SO Much More than "Crafts and Singing"

I have loved my first two years as a Girl Scout leader because Girl Scouts is so much more to me than crafts, songs, petals, and patches.  In addition to spending scheduled quality time with my daughters twice a month, I get the opportunity to serve some of the young girls in our community.  I am honored that other parents allow their daughters to spend time with us.  I get excited when girls in our troop express that they value helping others and making our world a better place.  I challenge you to embrace your role as a troop leader.  Your meetings can be about so much more than "crafts and singing."  The Girl Scout Law provides guidance for lessons, activities, and projects.  As the girls learn the Law, they will be growing into strong and secure young women.  THAT is what Girl Scouts is all about.

Here is the schedule we followed our first year:

1. First Meeting
2. Founder’s Day
3. Tour Library—Apply for library card  (orange petal)
4. Investiture Ceremony (receive blue center and orange petal)
5. Make gift for the elderly  (spring green and rose petals)
6. Service Unit Christmas Party 
7. Service Unit Skating Party  (red petal)
8. Plan Thinking Day tea party and Review for Cookie Sale
9. Service Unit Bowling Party  (red petal)
10. Tour Police Dept (magenta petal)
11. Thinking Day tea party (receive spring green petal)
12. Recognize Girl Scout Birthday (March 12^th)  discuss Soles for Souls               (rose petal)
13. Tour Fire Dept (receive magenta petal) 
14. "Horseback riding"--pony rides   (receive red petal)
15. Speaker (eye glasses recycling)  (rose petal)
16. Jump Zone with Service Unit
17. shoe and eye glasses collection  (receive rose petal)  
18. End of Year Party:  Paint Pottery
19. Backyard Camping and Hike at Woodland Mound 
20. Tour of Sunrock Farm

Here is the schedule we followed our second year:

1. S’mores Fest!  Camp Butterworth
2. Kickoff Party
3. Game Day (receive light blue petal)
4. Fire Station Tour (for 3 girls who joined our troop this year) (magenta petal)
5. Shaw Farm Halloween Party   
6. Founder’s Day: Investiture Ceremony for New Daisies and Manicure Party (dark purple petal)
7. Roller Skating with SU at Beechmont Rollerarena
8. “Everybody Counts”  (receive dark purple petal)
9. Christmas Ornaments for Nursing Home Residents  (Money Counts Leaf)
10. Deliver Ornaments/Christmas Party (flower pot snowman)
11. Cookie Sale Review     (Talk it Up Leaf)   Decorate  clipboards.
12. “Everybody Counts” (speaker and sign language demonstration)    Make friendship pins.  Make Ice Cream Social invitations.  (dark purple petal)
13. Thinking Day:  GREECE--Snack, Dance, Game, Craft, Outfit, presentation
14. GS Birthday:  Ice Cream Social with Sister Troop (receive violet petal) 
15. Animal Shelter Tour (receive yellow petal)
16. Jump Zone with Service Unit 
17. ZOO  (receive green petal)
18. CocoKey Water Park               
19. “Near Sleepover:"  ZINK THE ZEBRA, ribbon flip flops, PJ collection
20. Bridge to Brownies Ceremony

I do not believe our way is the only way, but it has worked well for us.  I would love to hear what has worked for your troop.  Hopefully you have found inspiration in this post.  Thank you for reading!