One of the goals Girl Scout leaders have for their troop is to have them be girl led. But what exactly does that look like?
Girl Scouts is a progression of skills. From the simple three tasks required to earn a Daisy badge to the complex 80 hours of work and research required to earn the Gold Scout Gold Award, as your troop gets older, they will become more responsible for what happens at meetings.
Or will they?
The Definition of Girl Led
In its most simplified form, girl led is exactly what it means-the girls will lead. That is going to look different at every stage of scouts. It will also look different as your troop gets older and busier.
Girl Led Daisies Through Juniors
For Girl Scout Daisies, girl led is letting them vote on what badges they want to earn. You can do that with a silent vote or with paper ballots.
At the start of the scouting year, Brownie can vote on what badges they would like to earn. They can also lead badges with others in their troop, if that is something you want to do. It was my experience as a parent that it was another thing on my already busy plate. When my oldest was a third grade Girl Scout Brownie, she and two others in her troop volunteered to lead a badge. It meant extra trips to stores to buy supplies, taking my toddler twins with me.
That was twenty years ago, and parents are more stressed and busy than ever before. If you have a parents meeting at the start of the year, ask parents if they are willing to add that to their plate.
As the leader, you will also need to prepare a backup meeting in case the girls do not follow through.
Another thing to think about is that the girls are busy with other activities. Girl Scouts is almost always at the bottom of the list. Think about the attendance at your meetings and the other activities that your troop are involved in. Is it realistic to think that they have the time to lead a meeting?
Girl Led Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors
In the progression of Girl Scouts, one would think that the older girls would enjoy planning badge meetings.
It is quite the opposite.
Most older girl troop do very little, if any, badge work. The reason why they meet less frequently is because the girls are busy. Those who remain in a troop past elementary school enjoy being a troop more than those who left, and are willing to fit it into their schedule.
Combine the fact that most of the new badges are too much like school work, and you have a better understanding as to why older girls do not want to do badges. In addition, what girl has the time to lead a badge on a topic in which she is not proficient?
And guess what?
That decision is having your troop be girl led!
My troop earned one Cadette badge, one Council’s Own badge, one Senior badge, and two Journeys the last seven years of their Girl Scout experience. When we went camping when they were in 10th grade, they did four of the five steps for the Senior First Aid badge while at camp. When I asked them if they wanted to meet to earn the fifth step, they said no.
Girl led!
We camped, did community service, went on field trips, and basically was a soft place to fall for very busy teens. My co-leader and I asked the girls what they wanted to do, and they directed us. We had the time to plan it and every time we met, it was what they wanted to do.
Does Leadership Equal Badge Work?
In my opinion, leadership does not equal badge work. Leadership can be having the girls use their strengths to help others in the troop. For example, my daughter is an artist. When we did crafts and cookie and cake decorating, she helped her sister scouts when asked. She has innate skills that the others did not.
Her best friend was a theater person. She was very outgoing and has no problem asking potential customers at our cookie booths if they wanted to buy a box. My daughter was unable to do that on her own; she was the stay and organize the table scout. Her friend would take her by her side and encourage her to ask.
Do any of the girls in your troop have a special talent that they want to share? Crocheting? Sketching? Cooking vegan? Knowing the latest dances? Any of these can easily make for a fun meeting without much planning. The scout can give you a list of the supplies she needs you to buy, and then lead the meeting.
Girl led can be having the girls plan their excursions. For example, if they to go horseback riding, have them research the local places and price them. Have them call for the reservation.
Are you planning a weekend of camping? Have them plan the menu and the activities.
They can plan a hike or a group tour at a local business. These are adult skills that they will need later in life.
What do you do to make your troop girl led?
