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It is Back to Troop time across the country and the Facebook Girl Scout pages are filled with many of the same issues that I have seen year after year after year. Leaders are trying to be “nice” and do everything for their girls, insuring that the parents do not view Girl Scouts as more than a glorifed babysitting service with crafts and field trips. It is time for leaders to step back, take a good hard look at what her leadership duties truly are, and eliminate the ones that can either be delegated or done away with. It is no wonder that by Junior year so many leaders have had it and are done with leading. There is simply too much responsibility that many shoulder.
Image from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva
You need to think about what other volunteers do…think of your child’s sports coach. S/he probably does not do half the things you do and feels not one iota of guilt over it.
So here are a list of things that leaders insist on doing that could be done by parents.
Providing Snack for the Girls
I have told this story before, but it bears repeating as this is a perpetual problem for leaders.
When my oldest daughter was a Girl Scout, the troop leader had the parents on a snack rotation. Without exception, when it came time for one girl’s turn, it was never there. The leader had to scramble each and every time to get a snack for a dozen girls at the last minute. It was not fair to the leader nor to the parents who took their turn feeding a hungry group of girls who met right after school.
When I decided to lead my younger daughter’s troop, we also met right after school. Instead of providing snack for everyone, each girl provided her own. Did I have girls who did not bring something? Yes. And I always had a bag of pretzels and a granola bar for these children. No one went hungry on my watch, but I also did not have to feed 10-12 girls every other week.
Photo from Pixabay
Snack issues have already come up in Facebook posts, and it is only October. Some of these are pervasive, like the parent who never takes a turn. Others concern food allergies and leaders who do not make accommodations for those who are gluten-free or dairy-free or nut-free or have any other food issue. First of all, if a leader is providing snack, then it should be something every girl can eat. That is being inclusive (the Girl Scout way) and kind.
However, a leader with girls who have multiple allergies now face the added stress of feeding them at every meeting-something that everyone likes and can eat without a reaction. Do you really need this? Of course, snacks need to be eaten if you meet right after school. The girls have already put in a long day and are hungry. But is it your job to feed them?
No, it is not.
Seriously, leaders, this is a no-brainer. Don’t provide a snack! Do dance teachers or coaches provide snacks at every practice or class? No, the parents do. Why do we make this so hard on ourselves? If we wish to be seen differently, we need to act differently. A parent is responsible for feeding her child. And you can have a generic backup snack for anyone who forgets.
Buying Uniforms for the Girls
This was a new one for me that was brought up over the summer, but a leader asked the others in the Facebook group if they offer to go to the Girl Scout shop and pick up the girl’s vest/sash and other required badges.
I was flummoxed that this was even a suggestion.
Does your daughter’s dance teacher offer to take your child’s shoe size and pick up her new tap shoes or ballet slippers? Does your daughter’s field hockey coach offer to pick her up some new cleats and a new stick for the season?
So why do leaders offer to pick up uniforms for girls?
All Girl Scout Uniforms Are Available at Boscov’s Online
Listen, I get that for many leaders, the Council shop is a big trip. In my case, it was 15 minutes away, but between my multiple jobs, my three kids and my mom, I did not get there very often…perhaps 2-3 times a year to buy fun patches. Since we only worked on retired Brownie Try-Its and Junior badges during those years, I bought all of my badges online at Council stores that were discontinuing them.
As I have stated many times over the years that parents need to have some skin in the game; they need to shell out money in order to think of Girl Scouts as an activity to be as valued as any other one their daughter participates in. Buying a uniform does that, especially when it is a vest. People can order their uniforms online, as well as the necessary flags, tabs, and numerals. Council ID sets can be bought in bulk by the leader once the girls have registered or by the girls’ parents.
Providing Lost Badges and Patches for Girls
Part of your fundraising money and dues are for buying badges and patches for the girls. Invariably, one might get lost. What is a leader to do?
In my case, it was easy. I already shared with you that I only went to my Council store a few times a year and that I ordered retired badges online. When a parent told me that a girl lost something I gave her (or the parent misplaced it), I told them that it could be picked up at the Girl Scout store or in the case of a retired badge, buy it on eBay.
Photo used with permission
Sound harsh?
I do not think so. I am busy like everyone else. I did my part by purchasing the badge with troop funds. I was not going to make another trip for one badge or pay postage for one patch or badge. Do not make yourself crazy by running around trying to get items that you did not lose or misplace.
Providing Make Up Badge Work That is Not Requested
Girls are going to miss meetings. Whether they have a conflict with another activity for a period of time, they are ill, or the family is away on vacation, over the course of time, someone is going to miss something. Unless you are needing hours for an award like the Bronze or work on a Journey for the award, does a girl have to make up the work?
No, she does not.
Do you need to feel badly that she has fewer badges than other girls?
No, you do not.
Do you have to give the girl make-up work?
Only if she asks!
I have read many posts from leaders who give girls the work they missed to do at home so they can earn a badge, only to be upset or annoyed that the work was not done and that their time was wasted. Earning badges is just a part of the Girl Scout experience, it is not all of it.
Photo from Pixabay
When a girl missed one of my meetings, she did not earn the badge. Period. No one ever asked to make up the work that was missed. If someone had, I would have provided it.
My fellow leaders, try not to do everything for your girls or your parents. You are a volunteer. Your time is valuable. Your job is to provide your troop with the best scouting experience, as well as a safe and fun place to learn and grow.
Are there any other Girl Scouting jobs that leaders should stop doing that I have not mentioned here?
Thanks, for posting this! This year as the leader, I took on providing the snacks simply because when we did a snack rotation the other mom’s would bring the absolute worst snacks! They would bring cookies and cupcakes and sugary drinks. I will see how this year goes with me bringing the snacks. If it becomes too much of a burden then I will switch to the girls bringing their own snacks.
Thank you for reading! I do not know what time you meet, but kids really do not need a snack if you are meeting for 1.5 hours…unless it is a long time since the last one. Also, as the leader you can control the kind of snack you ask the parents to provide. As a teacher, I only allowed one handed snacks that were healthy and did not drip onto papers the kids were working on. It was never an issue.
My troop leader needs to stop with the driving to pick up the girls. it’s completely absurd, especilally since we live in a small town. some of the CADETTES live only a few blocks from the meeting place. GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND WALK!
I guess it depends on the situation of each girl (can they walk in a group or are they alone? Do you meet at night?), the weather and the time you meet. As long as the leader does not mind and she has written permission to drive the girls, then that is fine. If she minds it, then she needs to speak up.