Our First Girl Scout Cadette Meeting of the Year-6th Grade

Are you ready for the first Girl Scout Cadette meeting of the year? Here is what we did with my troop.

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Updated September 2024 (see bottom of this post)

For meeting ideas for 7th grade, you can read this blog post.

Yesterday was our very first Girl Scout Cadette meeting of the year, and it was also my first not being the head leader.

My friend had emailed me asking some questions about what she had planned, and it all sounded good. She had planned a rededication ceremony with candles, something that I thought was very brave since we were meeting in her home!  Parents were invited to stay and watch the ceremony, and most did.

She had a “sponge activity” (something to keep the girls occupied while waiting for all to arrive). She took the Girl Scout Cadette Guide and took it apart.  She had all of the badge work pages on her coffee table and asked the girls to look over them and see what badges interested them to work on. They all were focused on the cookie page, since our leader is going to have them sell cookies for the first time since they were Daisy Scouts.

First Girl Scout Cadette Meeting

Rededication Ceremony

After nine girls arrived (we lost one who changed her mind and one was coming from dance and was late), the ceremony began. The leader read this and the girls each took a turn lighting a candle.  Then, they took a strip of paper from a big bowl, and each paper was numbered. read it and blew out the candle. Then the leader read something else and the girls took turns reading and lighting another candle.  It was very sweet.

If you would like to hand your girls a certificate for their Rededication ceremony, you can find one here.

First Girl Scout Cadette Meeting-Let’s Talk (and talk and talk!)

The parents left and then it was down to business.  The girls talked (and let me tell you, this group can talk!) and decided upon the marketing badge and the cookie badge.  Our Cookie Mom, a veteran from a different troop, discussed what they needed to do and the girls seemed excited.  Of course, this is new to them since I always had issues with cookie sales, and the Cookie Mom asked if I was okay with it.  I am fine with cookies as long as I am not running it (and that is what would have happened if I had sold them, and I already did everything else for the troop. Cookies was my line in the sand that could not be crossed).

I was also fine with cookies as long as it was non-competitive and the emphasis was the GIRLS selling them, not having Mommy and Daddy bring them to the office to do the work for them or posting on Facebook or Twitter to buy them. We also talked about a local organization that send Girl Scout cookies to the military, and the girls were highly interested in doing that as well.

Once the cookie discussion was over, then the girls were led to a discussion about what kinds of trips they wanted to take with the cookie money they would earn.  After that, they talked about service projects they wanted to try.

Overall, it was a chatty meeting but the groundwork was laid out for the year. I sent some emails about service projects the girls could work on and am awaiting responses.

We will meet once a month  and then take a trip or do a service project on sporadic weekends.

Image created by the author on Canva

My daughter told me that it felt strange not having me lead the meeting, and in all honesty, it did feel strange to me as well.  But it was the right decision for me and I am going to be helping out, not just a warm body to meet the numbers quota.

How did your first meeting of the year go?

August 2023 Update

If you wish to see what we did for our first Girl Scout Cadette meeting of the year in 7th grade, you can read this blog post.

As go about my blog updating posts, it puts a smile on my face. We had our ups and downs over the years, and I can honestly say, I would do it all over again.

Leading my troop for 13 years as the leader and as an equal co-leader. The new leader and I both acted like 01’s and each of us handled different aspects of leading the troop. It was a true partnership. Our daughters’ bridged to adult, and it was an emotional experience for us both.

How did we keep our troop going for so long?

In my new guide Working With Older Scouts-Leading Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors, I share my experiences, as well as those of other leaders with whom I have spoken to, who led their girls into the teen years. You can get your copy at Teachers Pay Teachers. I also have many other resources for Cadette leaders that will make working with your troop easier.

Available on Teachers Pay Teachers

September 2024 Update

Available on TpT

This resource is a reimbursable investment, as the meeting can be used all three Cadette years.

This resource includes:

• Food ideas to start the meeting
• Alternative meeting places
• Five icebreaker games
• Themes
• Ideas for planning the year ahead
• Planning sheets in both color and in black and white