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TAKE THE
LEAD
DECEMBER
2008
Leadership & Progression |
Developing Connections |
Inspiring Girl Leadership |
Connecting with Girls Outside
the Troop | Thinking Day Ideas |
Council-Wide Community
Service Project
CLICK
HERE FOR .PDF VERSION
LEADERSHIP &
PROGRESSION
One Girl’s Leadership Journey
Rebecca
Kelly started Girl Scouting when a few of her friends invited her to
join them at a Brownie meeting. As a Junior she worked on
badges, went on field trips and did a lot of camping. There
wasn’t a week that passed that Becca didn’t have some kind of
activity with her troop.
When the troop was old enough, the girls decided to use the patrol
method* of troop government . Becca was chosen as the first patrol
leader. Her fellow Girl Scouts recognized her natural
leadership abilities and thought she would be great. Becca and
the rest of the girls in the troop focused on things they enjoyed
doing. The troop was careful to make decisions based on
everyone’s interests so if one girl was interested in horses, they
went horseback riding, if another was interested in art, they would
go to the art museum!
As Becca’s journey progressed, she had a gradual awakening to the
fact that she could participate in the troop and enjoy Girl Scout
activities outside the troop. For example, the first year Becca went
to summer camp was with her troop. The following year she went
to horse camp with a couple of friends. It wasn’t until she
went to camp as a junior counselor, on her own, that she
realized that this new independence brought her in contact with new
Girl Scouts, new leaders, new ideas, and new leadership skills.
 Becca
continued to grow with the independence and skills she had gained
from Girl Scouting. She worked as a resident camp counselor
for three years and one year as the Program Director for day camp.
She even put her leadership talents to good use outside of Girl
Scouts as the President of Naturalists and in the National Honors
Society at her High School. Even today, in college at Ohio
Wesleyan, Becca has taken leadership roles within her Sorority and
other clubs. She thanks Girl Scouts for providing so many
activities and the ability to gain independence and leadership
skills!
*The patrol method is when a troop
decides to break into smaller groups called Patrols who then vote in
an executive leadership team. Each Patrol oversees different
tasks the troop would like to accomplish.
DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS IN THE
SERVICE UNIT AND COMMUNITY
 In
the last few issues of Take the Lead, you learned how to
engage parents, build your team, create partnerships and keep
parents involved. Now, ask yourself, “What can I do as a leader to
stay engaged and avoid burnout from all I am trying to do as a
leader?” Answer: make connections within your service unit, with
other Girl Scouts, and in the community to help accomplish all that
you would like to achieve. Service units are filled with
experienced leaders. One might be an expert on finances while
another might have a great connection for completing the sports
badge that your girls have been begging to do.
In addition, many local community organizations open up their doors
to Girl Scouts and may be able to provide expertise in the area the
girls are wanting to explore. Utilizing the service unit and
community allows you to get help with questions you might have, as
well as provide other new ideas! Below are tips on how to make
the service unit and the community work for you and your troop.
Bringing it to the Service Unit...
the benefits of attending the meetings!
-
Plan to stay a little longer after the leader
meeting - This will give you time to make connections with other
leaders, parents, etc.
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Use other leaders’ experience and skills -
Every service unit has leaders with a wealth of ideas and
experience and most would love to share!
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Ask questions - When you don’t understand or
would like more information, ASK. Remember - there is
always someone else in the group wanting to know the same thing
but afraid to ask.
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Use the meetings as your problem-solving time
- Having trouble with a parent, looking for someone to do the
math badge, can’t rent the cabin you were hoping for and want to
know a good alternative? Ask the people who can help!
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The Service Team is there to help! - By
attending the meetings, you will get to know the service team
and understand how their positions on the team can help you as a
leader.
How the Community Can Meet Your Needs:
Look it up! If your Girl Scout Brownie
troop wants to work on the Animals Try-It, have the girls contact
the local animal shelter or humane society to see if they can give
you a tour or come out and talk to your girls. Additionally,
the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio’s website has links to existing
community partnerships.
Why re-invent the wheel? If a person or an organization
already provides program activities for Girl Scouts, take advantage
of it! For example, most local nature centers will provide low
or no-cost programs for girls, so why do it yourself? As the Girl
Scout Law states, “use resources wisely”.
FREE! In every community, there are many places that have free
admission year round. In addition, many places can provide teachers,
guides, or scavenger hunt sheets to utilize on your visit.
Look into museums, cultural centers, and parks.
You’ll never know unless you ask! Who provides this in the
community? Who has done this before? Don’t stop with
just asking other leaders; ask other parents, friends, and
organizations.
Always say “thank you”! Again, the Girl Scout Law says “be
considerate and caring!”
Ask, ask, and keep asking questions!!
INSPIRING GIRL LEADERSHIP
One
important way that Girl Scouting is unique is that it is “girl-led.”
Every girl should have the opportunity to be a leader during her
Girl Scout experience. Each girl and adult possesses a unique
variety of talents, skills, and traits that can be put to use in
different situations. Even Girl Scout Daisies can begin to
develop the leadership skills that they will carry into adulthood.
As girls grow in Girl Scouting, they have the opportunity to develop
and practice their leadership skills.
Girls redefine leadership:
Here are some interesting facts on how today’s girls view
“leadership” - taken from the Girl Scout Research Institute – Change
It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership, March 2008.
To read more about this study visit
http://www.girlscouts.org/research/.
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More than half of American girls say they don’t aspire to be
leaders because girls are turned off by the
conventional concept of leadership as “command and control.”
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Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents said they want to be
leaders who stand up “for their beliefs and values,” and 59
percent said they would like to be a leader “who tries to change
the world for the better.”
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Girls were more likely than boys to be motivated to be leaders
because they want to help other people (67 percent vs. 53
percent), share their knowledge and skills with others (53
percent vs. 47 percent) and change the world for the better (45
percent vs. 31 percent).
Opportunities for girls to practice leadership:
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Start with the troop
– Allow time for brainstorming, discussion, and voting on
activities, trips, and recognitions
to work on. Encourage everyone to contribute to the
conversation.
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Troop government
– Allow girls to determine which style of troop government they
would like to establish. Rotate who holds which positions or
allow girls to run for and vote for officers.
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Journeys
– The new Journeys series serve as a starting point for girls to
discover, connect, and take action at any age level.
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Work with younger troops
– Let your troop be a “big sister troop” to a younger troop.
Girls can help plan activities and
teach skills to younger girls.
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Service Units
– Create girl/adult planning committees to plan service unit
activities and events.
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Older Girls
– Have girls research the different leadership opportunities
that Girl Scouts and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio provide for
Older Girls.
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Girl Scouts of Western Ohio CSA Association meets monthly to
plan events and activities.
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Program Aide, Leader-In-Training, Girl Scout Senior Troop
Assistant, Counselor-In-Training, Apprentice Trainers, and
being involved with the GSUSA National Board are all ways
young women can continue to develop their leadership skills.
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Destinations are opportunities for older girls to travel to
other parts of the country and the world to explore topics
that interest them, meet people, and develop their
abilities.
In order to become strong
leaders, girls of all ages need to learn the power of cooperation.
Simple team building games like the one below can help girls learn
to work cooperatively and see power in numbers.
All Stand Up
Activity for any grade level:
Have the girls get into
groups of two. The partners sit facing each other, with the
soles of their feet touching and grasp hands. The next step is
for both partners to stand up at the same time while keeping their
feet touching and not releasing their hands. When they’ve
successfully done one, try it with groups of three or four.
Help the girls add meaning
to this experience and apply it to their futures as leaders by
asking these and other debriefing questions. You may have to
change the wording depending on the age level of your troop.
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What was helpful during
this activity?
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How did you solve the
problem?
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Was there a distinct
leader in the group? If so, how important was it for that
leader to have a cooperative partner?
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How many of you talked
about how to stand up together before you attempted it?
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What was
the hardest part of the game?
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What did you learn?
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Why is this important?
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How
is this like a real life experience that you have had?
THINKNING OUTSIDE THE TROOP
 Why
participate in Beyond-the-Troop Activities?
In last month’s Take the Lead, you learned about the
importance of experiential learning. A great way to put
experiential learning into practice is by participating in
activities not only in the troop, but also outside the troop. It is
important for girls to have the opportunity to interact with girls
from their community, region, council, and world in order to work
towards achieving the four Council Goals.
Through beyond-the-troop activities,
girls:
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Have opportunities to learn how to make new
friends and feel comfortable interacting with people who are
different from them.
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Gain new perspectives and get a sense of the
bigger picture when they are exposed to new and different
people.
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Are more sensitive to the needs of others.
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Learn to be more inclusive and rely less on
cliques.
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Are encouraged to move away from their
comfort zone.
The Role of the Service Unit Event
Service
unit events provide great opportunities for troops to interact with
one another in a safe and friendly atmosphere.
Girls can become involved in planning service unit events.
This is a great way for girls in different troops within a service
unit to work together in small groups with girls who are different
from them. Consider forming a girl-planning committee with
representatives from each troop.
Encourage Beyond-the-Troop Activities by:
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Promoting Council- and Community-Sponsored
Events
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Bring-a-Friend activities
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Seek-Your-Sister and the US Girl Scouts Pen
Pal Network (for information check the Girl Scouts of Western
Ohio website or the Program Opportunities Book).
Seek-Your-Sister is a program opportunity designed to allow
girls to interact with girls they don’t know by linking them
with another troop from within our Council. Through
Seek-Your-Sister, girls write letters and plan joint activities.
THINKING DAY - FEBRUARY
22, 2009
What is Thinking Day?
Thinking Day gives girls a chance to celebrate
international friendships and it is also a reminder that Girl
Scouts of the USA is part of a global community - one of nearly 150
countries with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
 The
History of Thinking Day:
Thinking Day was first created in 1926 at the
fourth Girl Guide/Girl Scout International Conference held at Girl
Scouts of the USA's Camp Edith Macy (now called Edith Macy
Conference Center). Conference attendees decided that there should
be a special day for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the
world to "think" of each other and give thanks and appreciation to
their "sister" Girl Scouts. The delegates chose February 22, as the
date for Thinking Day because it was the mutual birthday of Lord
Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, and his wife, Olave,
who served as World Chief Guide.
How can you celebrate Thinking Day?
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Attend a Service Unit Thinking Day
Celebration. If your service unit doesn’t have one,
suggest that they host one!
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Learn about WAGGGS, the World Centers and the
Juliette Low Friendship Fund. Visit the WAGGGS website
(www.wagggsworld.org) for more information.
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Visit the Global Girl Scouting page of
www.girlscouts.org to learn about all the global opportunities
for girls and adults and for online badge and patch programs.
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Learn about Girl Scouts across the world by
learning words, songs, games or making foods from countries in
which Girl Scouts/Girl Guides are located.
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Your local library can also provide videos,
DVD’s, and books about other countries. Check your local
library’s selection of world music or visit Smithsonian Global
Sound at www.smithsonianglobalsound.org. Invite a speaker
who has lived or visited another country or a girl who has
participated in destinations.
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Contact Speakers Match, which links returned
Peace Corps volunteers with those who want to hear about Peace
Corps experiences:
www.peacecorps.gov/wws/speakersmatch/
 Badges
and Patches
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Girl Scout Daisy – Be a Sister to Every Girl
Scout Petal or learn about and receive the WAGGGS Pin
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Girl Scout Brownie – Girl Scout Brownies
Around the World, Around the World, Citizen Near and Far, People
of the World, and Playing Games Around the World
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Girl Scout Junior – Girl Scouting Around the
World, Global Awareness, World Neighbors, Celebrating People,
and Globe-Trotting. Online: Now and Then Stories from
Around the World Badge, The World in My Community Badge, and Our
Rights, Our Responsibility Patch
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Girl Scout Cadette/Senior/Ambassador – The
Lure of Language and A World of Understanding.
Online: Global Girl, Discover the World Patch
Council-Wide
Community Service Project
Working with Community Organizations
Collaborative Efforts Make Service Projects Successful
When
girls participate in developing partnerships and share service
responsibilities with community members, parents, and organizations,
they build relationships that give them the opportunity to interact
with people of diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings.
Through this type of interaction, girls learn about their community
and the community learns about Girl Scouts. Before you begin
working with community organizations, it may be helpful to pick an
area of interest and do related badge work. After that,
working with a community organization can help your girls focus in
on identifying a specific need and building a more detailed plan of
action. Visit the Girl Scout of Western Ohio website for more
information:
http://www.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/Program/serviceproject.htm
As a leader, you may be asking,
“How do I help girls establish partnerships in our community?”
Last month’s Take the Lead provided examples of
organizations in the communities in each region that girls could
work with on this year’s Council-Wide Community Service project.
You may have other ideas about who to get involved with in your
community. Here are some helpful ideas to get you and your girls
started in the partnership process.
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Find
partners for your project by first determining the purpose of
the relationship. For example, if you plan to do a book
drive, where will you donate the books? A children’s
hospital? Library? Preschool? Get the
community organization involved by inviting a representative to
come talk to your girls about the goals of the drive and how new
books can help those they serve.
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Have
the girls initiate contact! Once you decide on a service
project and a partner organization, have the girls write a
letter or make a phone call asking the organization if the girls
can visit their building, have a speaker come talk at the next
meeting, or provide information about a certain topic. If the
organization has a website, have girls explore the site to see
if they can identify the appropriate person to contact.
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Partners can help the girls understand the community need and
identify potential service projects. Suppose your girls
decide to collect school supplies for an organization that
donates them to students in need. The community partner
can help determine which supplies are most needed. Maybe
they have an abundance of notebooks and a shortage of crayons.
Girls can then organize a crayon drive.
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Get
your partner organization involved in all parts of the service
learning process! Partners will appreciate being involved
in reflection and demonstration as well. Girls and
community partners can work together to present the results of
the project to other groups and members of the community.
They can also be involved in the reflection process by providing
feedback about the project’s success.
Think about it: When the
girls make a craft or donate an item do they know where it goes and
how it will help someone in need? Having girls meet with a
member(s) of the partnering organization is one way to help girls
understand how their efforts are actually making a difference!
Service Learning Blueprint
1. Identify a Need
2. Map Out your Plan
3. Identify and Clarify Partnerships
4. Review Plans and Gather Resources
5. Begin your “Take Action” Project
6. Take Time for Reflection and Celebration
Next issue: How to implement your
project and project evaluation!!
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