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In my last post, I shared with you how my girls were going to earn Junior Girl Scout badges. Today, I will share what I plan on doing about the required Journey.
Quite simply, I am only doing the Journey because it is required for the girls to get their Bronze Award. While I do not know who wants to continue Girl Scouts past elementary school, right now they are really set on going all the way with Girl Scouts. This surprises me, as my older daughter lost interest in fifth grade. But I guess that means they like coming so I must be doing something right!
In the event that we do continue during the middle school years, I want to have everything done properly. So if I have to do a Journey, I will do it my way, like I have since I started my troop in October 2008.
Based on reviews I have read online, I decided to go with the Amuse Journey. I will read it, digest it, and make it as short, sweet and to the point as possible so we can be on our way to learning and mastering new skills. I will share my lesson plans online in articles and here on my blog so I can help other leaders get through this hoop.
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As for the Legacy badges that are a part of the program, we will also do a few of those. I love the baking one, so that might be the first one we try.
I found your blog a few days ago and already I am so happy – thank you for sharing so much of your ideas & planning! We are at the same level (just bridged 8 of my brownies to juniors) and I am going to take the same approach that you have discussed here (complete a journey in case the girls continue and they can complete the bronze award). I am not sure which one we’ve done yet, but I ordered the starter kit for my girls and got a smattering of all three books – will be looking forward to what you discuss here!! =) Keep up the great work! YIS, Bridget =)
Bridget-Welcome to my blog! I hope you can share what you have done, too, so all of us can get through it together!
I love your website and visit every week and read every post. It’s been very helpful to me as a leader. But, I am a bit concerned with something and maybe you can clarify a bit. Girl Scouts is all about being “girl-led” and it sounds like (correct me if I am wrong) you are making decisions on what your girls do. Part of the experience for girls is progressively moving up to be a leader. If they are not being allowed to make decisions pertaining to their troop, how will that be possible.
Again, please correct me if I am wrong. I certainly don’t want to sound negative, just wondering how you incorporate “girl-led” into your meetings.
Thank you for your response, Deanna.
My girls have lead by telling my co-leader and I what they like to do and what community service projects they like to participate in. For example, I do not camp. My girls want to camp. My co-leader has to be re-certified with the new camping program. She promised the girls she would get certified so they could go. They made this decision, not me.
If you read my article on Infobarrel about our enormously successful canned food drive, you will see how they led the project. It was intense and the girls want to do it again!
I have done many activities with my girls over the past four years, and I know for a fact they love arts and crafts. It is because of this knowledge that I selected a few old arts and crafts badges for them to earn.
In the fall, we will go over what they can do, what field trips they want to take and they will vote and help get it organized.
In my opinion, they cannot decide certain things being that they are only 8 or 9, but others things, they can. They cannot decide how to run a Journeys program, but they can tell me they want to earn a Science badge and pick the experiments they want to try and set up.
My girls lead the Pledge, Girls Scout Promise and Law, and the closing Friendship circle and squeeze. They are responsible for handing out materials and cleaning up at the end of our meetings.
I hope this clarifies things for you! I appreciate your comments and your readership!