Brownie Leader Guide
www.gsbadgerland.org
Madison Service Center
2710 Ski Lane
Madison, WI 53713
phone 608.276.8500
fax 608. 276.9160
Beloit Service Center
1201 Big Hill Court
Beloit, WI 53511
phone 608.362.8922
fax 608. 362.4084
La Crosse Service Center
2710 Quarry Rd
La Crosse, WI 54601
phone 608.784.3693
fax 608. 784.3613
Platteville Service Center
305 E Business Highway 151 Suite D
La Crosse, WI 54601
phone 608.784.3693
fax 608. 784.3613
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Welcome to Girl Scouting
Welcome New Leader!
We are so excited to have you join our Movement. Badgerland Council is committed to helping every
girl, and every adult volunteer, grow through her Girl Scout experience. We are dedicated to helping
today‘s girls become tomorrow‘s leaders by providing programs that allow them to gain courage,
confidence and character. That is our Girl Scout mission.
Girl Scout programs and activities are Girl Scout grade level specific and designed to challenge girls
while they‘re having fun. This Leader Guide is designed to help you deliver activities that do just that.
Our goal is for you too to gain courage and confidence in your own Girl Scout journey.
Keep this guide handy and use it as a resource throughout the year. Remember we are always here
to support you; whenever you have a question or an idea please feel free to reach out to us!
Your moments shared at Girl Scouts will change a girl‘s life. Thank you for helping your Girl Scouts
shine.
Marci Henderson, CEO
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Badgerland Council
608.237.1177 (direct line) | [email protected]
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Using This Guide
This Brownie Leader Guide to the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting will help you get started in Girl Scouting. The
first section provides the basic information you need to know about Girl Scouting and preparing for your first
troop meeting.
SECTION 1
The Girl Scout Promise & Law
Important Information Reference Sheet
Recommended Supply Lists
Guide to Running a Safe Troop Meeting
Helpful Guidelines for a Successful Troop Meeting
Helpful Online Resources
Girl Scout Terms for Brownie Leaders (aka Decoding Girl Scout-speak)
Brownie Award Record Sheet
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6
8
9
11
13
14
17
The second section begins on page 19 and provides you with ready-made plans for five Girl Scout meetings
and a sixth plan for a Girl Scout outing/field trip. You will also find an appendix providing coloring pages and
other activities referenced in the meetings.
SECTION 2
Meeting One
Meeting Two
Meeting Three
Meeting Four
Meeting Five
Meeting Six – Outing/Field Trip
Appendix
19
24
28
35
40
45
47
To make it easy for you, each meeting plan has the following sections:
Theme - Each troop meeting has a cohesive theme to help with your planning.
Recommended Time Allotted – Each meeting plan is set to run for a total of 60-90 minutes from
beginning to end. It is completely adjustable based upon the needs of your troop.
Goal(s) of this Meeting – This will help you to understand what is being achieved by your Girl Scout
Brownies while participating in the various activities provided in each meeting.
Recommended Leader Preparation – We know that you need to prepare for your troop meeting but in
the beginning it will be tough to know where to start. This will help you get ready for each meeting and
give you an idea how much preparation time is needed so you can plan it into your schedule.
Supplies Summary– Each meeting will have a list of supplies. Some supplies you will have on hand or
in your troop supplies; others may need to be prepared or purchased before the meeting.
Set-up Recommendation – We have provided recommendations on what type of space you may need
for the activities included in the meeting. You will also see how the space can be set up in advance of
the meeting to make sure things run smoothly from one activity to another.
Helpful Parent Roles – Parents/guardians are often willing to help out when asked for a specific
supply, activity or role. As a new troop leader it can be difficult to know what help you need, only that
you need it. For each meeting, we have provided a few suggestions of roles that helpful parents can
take on. You may want to have a sign-up sheet at the beginning of the year listing these and other roles
as you think of them.
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All troop meetings will follow a set layout to help you organize your troop meeting and help the girls and
parents to fall into a routine so they will know what is happening at each meeting.
Arrival Activity – Something girls can do while all troop members are arriving and getting settled.
Opening – A brief activity, often repeated at each meeting or with small modifications, so girls are
prepared to start their meeting.
Business – A time set aside to talk about troop business with girls &/or parents.
Activity Instructions – You will find a selection of activities with instructions on set-up and explanation
to the girls provided in each meeting. You can feel free to modify these based upon the space and
number of girls. Some activities are required for earning a petal or leaf, other activities are optional.
Clean-up – Girls should get into the routine of taking care of the meeting space by helping clean-up
before the end of the meeting.
Closing - A brief activity, often repeated each meeting or with small modifications, to summarize the
activities of the day and provide a special end to their time together.
Throughout the meetings you will also find boxes that give you special leader tips and recommended additional
resources.
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The Girl Scout Promise & Law
Girl Scout program is fun with purpose! It is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law that generations of girls
have followed. All Girl Scout members, girls and adults, accept the Promise & Law upon joining the national
organization.
In 2008, Girl Scouts launched the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, represented by three keys of leadership—
Discover, Connect, and Take Action —to promote the Girl Scout Mission:
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character
who make the world a better place.
The Girl Scout program is based on the needs and interests of girls. All members:
Share the Girl Scout Promise and Law
Pay national dues
Follow safety guidelines
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
*Individuals are free to substitute their own wording for “God” that best reflects their spiritual beliefs.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong,
and responsible for what I say and do,
And to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place,
and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Throughout all Girl Scout programming we work to implement the three processes of the Girl Scout
Leadership Experience: Girl Led, Learn by Doing, and Cooperative Learning. These are built into the
activities and format of the meetings and other experiences provided in this Leader’s Guide.
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Important Information Reference Sheet
The next two pages help track your most important contact information as a troop leader. Fill in the information
so you will always have your important Girl Scout resources at your finger tips. Keep this information in a safe
place and don‘t forget to make copies. We have even provided some blank spaces for you to add in helpful
resources that you find.
Your Troop #:
Your Membership Area #:
Contact Role
Badgerland Council Staff
(Here to support you. General
contact Information for the
Council offices)
Name
Girl Scouts of
Wisconsin Badgerland Council
Phone #
1-800-236-2710
Email address
[email protected]
Membership Specialist Recruitment
(helps get things started)
Membership Specialist –
Retention
(helps provide you support
after you are up & running)
Product Sales
Coordinator
(local volunteer who acts as a
resource during the Cookie &
In a Nutshell Programs)
Membership Area Leadership Team (MALT) Members
(local volunteers who taken an active role in leading the “business” and activities of the Membership Area
MALT Position:
Name:
MALT Position:
Name:
MALT Position:
Name:
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Key Badgerland Websites
Website
E-Biz
(For family & troop
program registration and
member management)
NutE
(For management “in a
nutshell” program
information)
SNAP
(For management of
cookie program
information)
Username
Password
Notes
Stay informed!
We post, tweet, pin and more to keep you up to date.
Visit our sites frequently and read the Badgerland Banner e-newsletter.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Visit www.gsbadgerland.org frequently
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/gsbadgerland
Follow our Pinterest: pinterest.com/badgerlandgs
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/gsbadgerland
Read the Badgerland Banner! The newsletter is emailed a few times a month.
Watch for other emails from the Badgerland Council team of staff & volunteers.
Some Important Information About Money
Important Troop Finance information can be found on the Volunteer Resources CD in the
Volunteer Essentials Guide, ‗Chapter 5: Managing Troop/Group Finances‘.
Make checks payable to: Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Badgerland Council or GSWIBC
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Recommended Supply Lists
―Be prepared‖ is the Girl Scout motto and this list will help you get prepared. No matter what may happen
during your meeting, you will be able to bandage a scraped knee, mend a craft-gone-wrong or come up with
activities on the fly for those unexpected moments of down time. These basic start-up supplies are
recommended by your fellow leaders as things to always have on hand. It is a good idea to gather these items
within your first few meetings. You will probably add to this as you go. Ask for donations from parents, friends
or local businesses to get your troop started. Talk to other leaders in your area for ideas as well.
Troop Craft Supplies
Paper - construction and plain
1 roll of mural paper - There are so many activities in the books with murals (and you can cut it down
for smaller projects!
5 packs of crayons
3 packs of skinny markers and 3 packs of normal markers
Assorted stickers
10 Pairs of scissors
Leader Note: You’ll also
Quick drying glue sticks or glue dots
carry your troop’s health
5 Permanent markers (Sharpies)
histories with the first aid
Tape – scotch and masking/painter‘s
kit.
Other Troop Supplies
Basic first aid kit -You never know when you'll need a band-aid!
o Band-aids – various sizes
o Non-latex gloves
o Gauze pads
o Wound wash – non-stinging
o Tissues
o Feminine products
o Thermometer
o Instant ice pack(s)
Wet/Cleaning wipes – Awesome for taking marker and glue off the tables.
Magic Erasers
Paper towels/napkins – For clean-up and snacks.
Leader Supplies
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
Volunteer Resources CD
Girl Scout Pin (Recommend the Insignia Tab with the Girl Scout Pin and WAGGGS Pin)
Tote bag or rolling suitcase to keep all of your Girl Scout supplies in and organized
Binder -To hold all of your registration forms, health forms, attendance sheets, etc.
3 hole punch
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
Girl Scout Brownie Uniform Pieces
Lots of smiles & laughter
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Guide to Running a Safe Troop Meeting
To ensure girls and volunteers are free to have fun, there are safety requirements. Listed below are the
essential building blocks for running a safe meeting. For more details on safety, reference the ―Safety in Girl
Scouting‖ section of your Volunteer Essentials Guide on the Volunteer Resources CD.
1. Adult-to-Girl Ratios: Adult-to-girl ratios in Girl Scouting show the minimum number of ‗councilapproved adults‘ needed to supervise a specific number of girls. These supervision ratios were devised
to ensure the safety and health of girl. For example, if one adult has to respond to an emergency, a
second adult is always on hand for the rest of the girls. The chart below is helpful to understand the
safety ratios involved for both troop meetings and outings for all Girl Scout grade levels.
Please note the ratios are different for troop/group meetings and events/travel. In addition to the adult-to-girl
ratios, please remember that adult volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have submitted a Badgerland
Volunteer Application and Background Check Release. Only once approved can they become a ‗councilapproved adult‘. Badgerland Council runs background checks on all volunteers, ensuring the safety of the girls.
The background check form is to be submitted by all new volunteers, and re-submitted every three years.
Volunteers receive a confirmation email/letter confirming they are a ‗council-approved adult‘ with Girl Scouts of
Wisconsin – Badgerland Council (GSWIBC). If you are not sure if an adult in your troop has been approved,
contact your Membership Specialist– Retention for help.
2. Follow the Girl Scout Safety Guidelines and Safety Activity Checkpoints: Instructions for staying
safe are detailed in the Girl Scout Safety Guidelines and the Safety Activity Checkpoints, available at
www.gsbadgerland.org or on the Volunteer Resources CD. Whether you‘re going swimming, hiking, or
headed to a theme park, read and follow the Safety Activity Checkpoints for your specific activity. Share
them with other volunteers, parents, and girls before engaging in activities.
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3. First-Aid: Make sure a general first-aid kit is available at your group meeting place and accompanies
girls on any activity (including transportation to and from the activity). Be aware that you may need to
provide this kit if a fully stocked one is not available at your meeting site.
In addition to standard materials (see page 8 for a list of recommend first aid basics), all kits
should contain a copy of Badgerland Council‘s ‗Procedures for Serious Accident, Emergency, or
Fatality‘. This form includes emergency telephone numbers for Badgerland Council staff to
contact in case of an emergency, and can be found in the forms section of the Volunteer
Resources CD. You should include Girl Scout accident report forms, permission slips, and
health histories in your kit as well. Don‘t forget a pen or pencil!
Every girl and adult in your troop should also complete the Girl/Adult Health History form
provided by Badgerland Council. This is available for download on the website or on the
Volunteer Resource CD. It is important to have both girls and adults because a medical
emergency can happen at any time and can involve any aged person. If an adult is concerned
about sharing this information, they can seal it in an envelope to be stored with the other forms
and it can be opened in the event of an emergency.
Carry the emergency procedures card in your wallet for quick access to emergency information.
If you haven‘t received one, contact your Membership Specialist.
4. First-Aider: A ―first-aider‖ is what Girl Scouts call an adult volunteer who has taken Girl Scoutapproved first-aid and CPR training which includes specific instructions for both adult and child CPR.
Activities may take place in a variety of locations, which is why first-aid requirements are based on the
remoteness of the activity location—as noted in the Safety Activity Checkpoints for that activity.
The levels of first aid required for any activity take into account both how much danger is
involved and how remote the area is from emergency medical services. See below:
o
o
If access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is LESS than 30 minutes away, a firstaid trained adult is sufficient. This is likely where troop meetings will fall. Visit
www.redcross.org to find first-aid trainings.
If access to EMS is MORE than 30 minutes away, a Wilderness First Aider (WFA) or
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) should be present. This requirement generally
affects trips into the remote wilderness on trips such as a canoeing or hiking trip. Visit
www.wildmed.com to find out more about these trainings.
Follow these safety requirements and you‘ll find there are almost endless possibilities to what you and your
girls can do as a troop. With the safety taken care of, you and other Girl Scout parents can feel secure in
knowing that you are providing a safe space and experience for your Girl Scouts.
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Helpful Guidelines for a Successful Troop Meeting
Time now for the fun and games to begin – troop meetings! Think of each meeting as having six parts, as
outlined below. Feel free to structure the meeting in a way that makes sense for you and your Girl Scouts.
Don‘t be afraid to get creative and change it as you and your troop become more comfortable.
The sample sessions in this Brownie Leader‘s Guide to the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting will give you ideas
about how to plan and hold successful troop meetings that allow girls to Discover, Connect, and Take Action as
they have fun with a purpose. We have also taken the opportunity to build in the three processes of Girl Led,
Learn by Doing and Cooperative Learning appropriately through the sample meeting sessions. Take inspiration
from these resources and let your own ideas grow! In general, troop meetings last 60-90 minutes. Activities in
this guide have been provided to fill 90 minutes but can be easily adjusted for a 60 minute meeting.
For the sake of ―being prepared‖, it‘s a good idea to plan ahead with your co-leader(s) and communicate who is
leading each part of the meeting as well as what supplies are needed. Leading a troop is a team effort so make
sure to utilize your adult volunteers and parent helpers as well.
It‘s also a good idea to have a game or two ―in your back pocket‖ when your Girl Scouts need to let some
energy loose. Simon Says and Freeze Dance are often favorites among Girl Scout Brownies! You can find
more games and songs under the ―Resources for all Volunteers‖ link on the Volunteer Resources CD.
As girls
arrive
Have start-up activities prepared so that when your girls arrive at the meeting they have something to do
until the meeting begins. This will allow you to start on time and plan for a few late arrivals without the
girls missing something important. For Girl Scout Brownies, it could be a short craft, activity, or snack.
5-10
Minutes
Opening
5-10
Minutes
Business
5-10
Minutes
With the opening you‘ll signal to the girls that the meeting is starting. You decide how to open your
meeting—most begin with the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and then add a simple flag ceremony, song,
game, story, or other activity designed by the girls. Take this chance to let the girls be creative and silly!
Girl Scout Brownies might create a new tradition by singing a special song. Ceremonies, even when brief
or humorous, make Girl Scout time special.
Tip! Find fun ice-breaker games in the Activity Resource Guide on the Volunteer Resources CD.
Your troop business may include taking attendance, collecting dues, making announcements, or learning
who has kapers (jobs) that day. (You‘ll learn more about kapers in session 1.) This is a good time for girls
to take turns leading, especially as they grow up! Some troops choose to move the business portion of
the meeting to an earlier or later slot.
Tip! Search ‗kaper charts for Girl Scouts‘ online and you‘ll find lots of great ideas online!
Activities
30-40 +
Minutes
Activities will depend on what your girls want to do in their troop and how they want to spend their
collective time. Outdoor time is important, so encourage the girls to do an activity in a park or forest. If
girls are interested in animals, encourage a visit to a zoo or animal shelter. You will find the Girl‘s Guide to
Girl Scouting a great way to lead your activities depending on the badges the girls are most interested in
earning. When the time comes and you engage in one of the three National Leadership Journeys, review
the ―Sample Sessions at a Glance‖ in the adult guide for Journey activity ideas. If your troop chooses to
include snacks, guide them to consider the health of a snack, as well as possible food allergies. Enlist the
help of parents/guardians by asking them to sign up and bring a snack.
Tip! Get prior permission from your Girl Scout families if you‘re doing an activity outside the regular troop
meeting and location. The form on the Volunteer Resources CD is easy to personalize and email.
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Clean-up
Clean-up is a great habit for girls to get their meeting space back to the way it was when they arrived—
maybe even cleaner! Girls can also take leadership of the cleaning themselves, deciding who does what.
10
Minutes
Tip! To learn more about the Brownie grade level, take a look at your Volunteer Essentials Guide
(available on the Volunteer Resources CD), Chapter 3: Engaging Girls at All Grade Levels. You might be
surprised at what Brownies are ready for and what they need help with. Keep in mind every girl is
different. What is easy for one Brownie may be challenging for another.
Closing
5-10
Minutes
The closing activity lets the girls know the troop meeting is ending. Many girls close with the Friendship
Circle. Each girl stands in a circle, puts her right arm over her left, and holds the hand of the girl standing
next to her. The friendship squeeze is then started by one girl or adult and then passed around the circle
until it comes back to the girl who started it. When the squeeze is finished, girls twist clockwise out of the
circle lifting their arms and turning around and out of the circle. (The Friendship Circle is explained in
detail in Meeting One.)
Tip! Many troops will also sing a song as part of their closing. ―Make New Friends‖ is always a favorite.
You can find more song ideas on the CD. To see lyrics and hear songs live, go to
www.songsforscouts.com. YouTube is also a great idea resource for fun songs.
You and your girls are the architects of your troop meetings! With Girl Scout Brownies (as with all Girl Scouts),
your troop activities are girl-led. This can mean girls help plan opening and closing activities, bring and prepare
treats, lead and direct some activities, teach songs or games, and clean up. It can also mean asking your girls
what they thought was fun and what they would change. Ask your girls for ideas and they will amaze you! At
the Brownie level, the girls are a resource while you guide their experiences in Girl Scouting. Make sure to
have them involved as much as possible with decisions. As Brownies, the adults still play a major role in
planning and decision making. As they grow in Girl Scouting (even in their 2nd year as Brownies), they will learn
and play a stronger role in deciding activities, planning trips and other opportunities, and budgeting for all of the
exciting things that you will do together.
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Helpful Online Resources
Here are some additional online resources to use in your planning:
www.gsbadgerland.org - Badgerland Council information and resources
www.badgerlandcamps.org - Badgerland Council resident and day camp information
forgirls.girlscouts.org - Activities and resources for girls
www.girlscouts.org - GSUSA National site
www.girlscouts.org/mycalendar - Calendar App from GSUSA to make planning your troop‘s activities easy
www.girlscoutcookies.org – All about the Girl Scout Cookie Program
www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org - Information on Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts, and her
birthplace in Savannah, Georgia
www.pinterest.com/BadgerlandGS/ - Badgerland‘s own Pinterest page is full of ideas for all ages.
www.shutterfly.com - Share photos and create an account for your troop – a Shutterfly Share site can be
useful to organize your troop and provides a secure place to post information, photos, and other troop
communications online
www.songsforscouts.com - Interactive site to see lyrics and hear songs
www.worldthinkingday.org - Resources and ideas for the yearly celebration in February
www.gsswaps.net - Photos and information from Girl Scouts all over the world on making and sharing SWAPS
(Special Whatchamacallit Affectionately Pinned Somewhere)
www.leaderlobby.net - Activity ideas and planning tips for leaders
www.makingfriends.com - Craft project sheets, recycled ideas & free printables
The next time you visit www.gsbadgerland.org , click the social media icons to follow us on Facebook,
Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Girl Scout Terms for Brownie Leaders
Girl Scouting has its own language. Use this glossary to help navigate your way as you learn new terms.
Badgerland Council (GSWIBC) - Your regional Girl Scout council that serves the southwest and south central
region of Wisconsin.
Badge - Embroidered official recognition awards for Girl Scouts, levels Brownie through Ambassador, to
indicate increased knowledge and skill in a particular subject.
Badge Activity Sets - Additional sets of badge requirements, there are 3 sets available for each level of Girl
Scouts and can be inserted in to the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
Buddy System - A safety practice in which girls are paired to help and keep track of each other.
Brownie Elf - The mythical creature who guides Girl Scout Brownies through their journeys and badges.
Camp Names - Nicknames that older Girl Scouts and adults can acquire while at camp.
Ceremonies
Bridging - The move from one program level of Girl Scouting to the next (e.g. from Girl Scout Brownie
to Girl Scout Junior).
Court of Awards - A ceremony that can be held any time during the year at which badges,
recognitions, and awards are presented.
Fly-Up - The ceremony in which a Girl Scout Brownie ―graduates‖ to a Girl Scout Junior.
Girl Scouts’ Own - A quiet inspirational ceremony that has a theme and is planned by Girl Scouts and
their leaders.
Investiture - A special ceremony in which a new member makes her Girl Scout Promise and receives
her membership pin.
Rededication - A formal ceremony for girls or adults, previously invested, to renew the Girl Scout
Promise.
Day Camp - Camping by the day; may be a single day program or a multiple day program.
Camp S’More – Day and mini camps run by Badgerland Council.
Dunk Bag - A mesh cloth bag with a drawstring, used to sterilize and hang-dry eating utensils when hand
washing dishes; most often while camping.
E-Biz - An online portal where individuals can register themselves or girls to be Girl Scouts, fill out a volunteer
application, receive online or sign up for in-person volunteer training, and sign up for council-run programs.
Friendship Circle - A symbolic gesture in which Girl Scouts form a circle by clasping hands- crossing their
right arm over the left. The circle represents the unbroken chain of friendship among Girl Scouts and Girl
Guides all over the world. It is often used at a closing ceremony.
Girl Guides - The original name for Girl Scouts, a term still used in many countries; name originated in
England.
“Girl Scouts Always Leave a Place Better than They Found It” – Unwritten Girl Scout rule!
Girl Scout Highest Awards
Girl Scout Bronze Award - The highest award a Junior Girl Scout may earn.
Girl Scout Silver Award - The highest award a Cadette Girl Scout may earn.
Girl Scout Gold Award - The highest award a Senior or Ambassador Girl Scout may earn.
Girl Scout Handshake - A formal way of greeting other Girl Scouts. The handshake is done by shaking left
hands while giving the Girl Scout Sign with the right.
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Girl Scout Holidays
Founder’s Day - Juliette Low‘s birthday, October 31.
Girl Scout Birthday - March 12 marks the first meeting of Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912.
Girl Scout Week - An annual celebration during the week of March 12th, the Girl Scout birthday. It
begins on Girl Scout Sunday and ends on Girl Scout Sabbath.
Leader Appreciation Day - April 22, a special day to honor Girl Scout leaders.
World Thinking Day - Celebrated by Girl Guides and Girl Scouts throughout the world, February 22 is
the birthday of Lord Baden-Powell and Lady Baden-Powell. (The founder‘s of the Guide movement in
England that inspired Juliette Gordon Low to start Girl Scouts.) This is the day for Girl Scouts and Girl
Guides to think about their sisters around the world, through special projects, international programs,
activities, or pen pal projects. Girl Scouts at each level can earn a special award patch that can be
worn on the front of the vest or tunic along with their other badges and awards. More information and
the requirements to earn this award can be found at:
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/global/world_thinking_day/
Girl Scout Friendly Businesses - Organizations and businesses that offer classes or opportunities for Girl
Scouts and their families throughout Badgerland Council. Find this list at www.gsbadgerland.org or on your
Volunteer Resources CD.
Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) - Girl Scouting centers around three keys to leadership. Girls
Discover themselves and their values, Connect with others, and Take Action to make the world a better place.
For more information about the GSLE go to ‗Chapter 2: Girl Scouting as a National Experience‘ in your
Volunteer Essentials Guide on the Volunteer Resources CD.
Girl Scout Mission Statement - Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the
world a better place.
Girl Scout Sign - The official Girl Scout sign to be used as the Girl Scout Promise is being recited and may be
used as the Girl Scout Law is recited (optional). It is also used during the Girl Scout handshake. The right hand
is raised shoulder high with the three middle fingers extended and the thumb crossing over the palm to hold
down the little finger.
Girl Scout Slogan - ―Do a good turn daily."
Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting - Along with the Journeys, this is part of the National Program Portfolio and is
the heart of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Inside each guide is the handbook for that Girl Scout level,
Petal and Leaf (Daisy) or Badge (Brownie-Ambassador) requirements, Girl Scout Award information, a
scrapbook section, and stories/activities.
Grade Levels - Daisies (K-1), Brownies (2-3), Juniors (4-5), Cadettes (6-8), Seniors (9-10), and Ambassadors
(11-12). These have varied over the years and may be different from what you remember if you were a Girl
Scout.
GSUSA - Girl Scouts of the United States of America; our national organization.
Journeys – Part of the National Program Portfolio and based on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience,
journeys incorporate the three keys to leadership - Discover, Connect, and Take Action, into a series of
themed sessions for girls to follow. Each level of Girl Scouts has three journey themes to choose from, It‘s
Your World – Change It!, It‘s Your Planet – Love It!, and It‘s Your Story – Tell It!
Journey Summit Award – A special award pin earned by girls who have completed all three National
Leadership Journeys at their grade level.
Juliette Gordon Low (nicknamed Daisy) - Founder of Girl Scouting in the United States, she formed the first
troop that met in Savannah, Georgia on March 12, 1912. * Read the story in your Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting!
Kaper Chart - A chart that shows the delegation of tasks and rotation of responsibility day-by-day and/or mealby-meal.
Membership Area - A geographic subdivision within Badgerland Council.
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Membership Area Leadership Team (MALT) - A group of adult volunteers responsible for organizing and
delivering service and support to Girl Scouts and Girl Scout leaders in a geographic area.
Motto - ―Be Prepared."
My Promise, My Faith - Girls in grades K-12 can earn this pin each year by experiencing a faith journey
through the exploration of the Girl Scout Law and teachings from their faith. Requirements are found in the
handbook section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
National Program Portfolio -This is the combined activity materials for the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
including the Journey books and The Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
Participation (fun) Patches - Optional patches worn on the back of a uniform. These patches are for available
for activities or outings that are not part of earning an official badge award through the Journeys or the Girl‘s
Guide to Girl Scouting.
Program Aide – A Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and/or Ambassador who has been trained to assist younger Girl
Scout groups with songs, games, crafts, ceremonies or outdoor skills.
Quiet Sign - The Girl Scout signal for silence in a group situation. The person in charge raises her/his right
hand and the Girl Scouts present fall silent and raise their right hands. This is an extremely helpful tool when
working with groups of girls!
Resident Camp - A multiple-night camp experience at a GS camp facility.
Camp Black Hawk – Badgerland resident camp near Antigo, WI.
Camp Ehawee – Badgerland Resident camp near La Crosse, WI.
Safety Activity Checkpoints - GSUSA‘s safety program standards found on the Volunteer Resources CD.
Sit Upon - A ―cushion‖ often made by Girl Scouts to use when the ground is damp or to keep their clothes
clean.
SWAPS - Special Whatchamacallit Affectionately Pinned Somewhere, a keepsake exchanged as a perfect
way for Girl Scouts to meet each other and promote friendship.
Tag-a-longs – An informal name for a non-GS child attending a Girl Scout event.
Trefoil - The international symbol of Girl Scouting; the three leaves of the Trefoil represent the three parts of
the Promise.
Troop Camping - Camping with your own troop and leaders. The Brownie adult-to-girl ratio is usually 2 adults
per 12 Brownies. For every additional 6 girls, there must be 1 additional adult.
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) - An international educational association for
girls with membership surpassing eight million girls.
World Trefoil Pin - A pin worn by all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, symbolizing our sisterhood throughout the
world.
World Centers - Four program activity centers owned by WAGGGS. The centers are located in Mexico (Our
Cabana), England (Pax Lodge), India (Sangam), and Switzerland (Our Chalet).
16
Girl Scout Brownie Award Record for
(Name of girl)
Leaders – Use this form to track the progress of your Girl Scout Brownies as they work through the Badges,
Journeys and other Girl Scout Awards. Photo copy one for each girl and keep in a binder for you. The girls can
keep record of their achievements in their Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting book. This form is not intended to be
displayed or shared with other girls and does not need to be turned in. Additional forms and forms for other levels
are available for download at: http://gsbadgerland.org/ForVolunteers/FormsandResources/tabid/218/Default.aspx.
Badge
Brownie Girl Scout Way
Painting
Celebrating Community
Snacks
Brownie First Aid
Fair Play
Bugs
Girl Scout Brownie Legacy Badges
Requirements
Date Completed
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Badge
Money Manager
Philanthropist
Girl Scout Brownie Financial Literacy Badges
Requirements
Date Completed
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Badge
Meet My Customers
Give Back
Girl Scout Brownie Cookie Business Badges
Requirements
Date Completed
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Date Received
Date Received
Date Received
Girl Scout Brownie Skill Building Badges: It’s Your World – Change It!
Badge
Requirements
Date Completed
Date Received
Dancer
1 2 3 4 5
My Best Self
1 2 3 4 5
Computer Expert
1 2 3 4 5
My Family Story
1 2 3 4 5
Home Scientist
1 2 3 4 5
Badge
Hiker
My Great Day
Household Elf
Potter
Senses
Badge
Pets
Making Friends
Letterboxer
Making Games
Inventor
Girl Scout Brownie Skill Building Badges: It’s Your Planet – Love it!
Requirements
Date Completed
Date Received
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Girl Scout Brownie Skill Building Badges: It’s Your Story – Tell It!
Requirements
Date Completed
Date Received
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
17
Make Your Own Badge
Badge Topic
Date Completed
Date Received
Year 1
Year 2
It’s Your World – Change It! Brownie Quest Journey Awards
Journey Award
The Discover Key
The Connect Key
The Take Action Key
The Brownie Quest Award
Date Completed
Date Received
It’s Your Planet – Love It! WOW! Wonders of Water Journey Awards
Journey Award
Date Completed
Date Received
LOVE Water Award
SAVE Water Award
SHARE Water Award
WOW! Award
It’s Your Story – Tell It! A World of Girls Journey Awards
Journey Award
Date Completed
Date Received
Hear a Story Award
Change a Story Award
Tell a Story Award
Better World of Girls Award
Other Awards for Girl Scout Brownies
Award
Requirements
Date Completed
International Friendship Pin
Safety Award
1 2 3 4 5
My Promise, My Faith (Year 1)
1 2 3 4 5
My Promise, My Faith (Year 2)
1 2 3 4 5
Global Action Award
World Thinking Day Award
Cookie Activity Pin
Medal of Honor
Bronze Cross
Brownie Journey Summit Award
1 2 3
Bridge to Girl Scout Junior
1 2
Award
Date Received
Where to find requirements and more information:
Safety Award (1 per level): Handbook Section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting – page 38
My Promise, My Faith (1 per year): Handbook Section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting – page 37
Global Action Award: http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/global/global_action_award/
World Thinking Day Award: http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/global/world_thinking_day/
Cookie Activity Pin: www.girlscouts.org – in the search box type in ―Cookie Activity Pin‖
Brownie Journey Summit Award: Handbook Section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting – page 31
Bridge to Girl Scout Junior: Handbook Section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting – page 40
18
Welcome to Girl Scouts!
Meeting One
Theme: Welcome to Girl Scouts! This first meeting is all about getting to know each other and
what it means to be a Brownie!
Recommended Time Allotted: 60-90 minutes
Goal(s) of this meeting: Welcome girls and their families to Girl Scouts and their Girl Scout
Troop. Work on Step 3 of the Brownie Girl Scout Way badge by creating a Brownie Web.
Recommended Leader Preparation: Read ahead in this Leader Guide and the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
(GGGS), collect necessary supplies, make a communication connection with each of the parents to let them
know that throughout the year you will need support with materials, snacks and supervision.
Supplies Summary for Meeting One:
Large poster board
Index cards (one per girl)
Pieces of colored foam sheets
Adhesive pins for name tags (1 per girl)
Scissors (one for every girl or 1-2 girls)
Coloring pencils
Crayons
Yarn
Markers
Tape (Scotch)
Plastic tablecloth
1 bottle school glue
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS)
Snack (optional)
Tips for Troop Leaders
Create an adult support chart (you’ll learn
about “Kaper” Charts in Meeting Three) to
help support the leaders. Assign parents
to things such as: snack for the week,
permission slip collector, distributing and
collecting supplies.
After each session look ahead to the next
session so you can prepare and
communicate any items to parents, if
needed.
Set-up Recommendation:
Pre-cut the foam sheets into 4 inch diameter circles. These will
serve as nametags. These nametags can be used while the girls
are getting to know each other, when a new girl enters the troop,
or when a new adult is helping. The activities in this meeting may
get messy so put a plastic tablecloth down before any gluing
begins.
Helpful Parent Roles:
Assign a parent to bring snack (optional).
Parents can also help with supervision.
Helpful Resources
Volunteer Resources CD
Other leaders in your area
o Visit with other leaders
during leader meetings in
your Membership Area.
Contact your Membership
Specialist- retention to find out
when and where these meetings
are held.
19
ARRIVAL ACTIVITY
Girl Scout Nametags (5-10 minutes)
Leader Tip
Depending upon each girl’s comfort level and
your plans, you may want to invite adults to stay
for the first meeting. This will help adults to
understand Girl Scouting and get to know you
and the other adults in the troop. Try to involve
them today as much as possible.
Supplies
Pre-cut foam circles or other shape of your choice
(purchased or created)
Markers
Adhesive pins (available at
your local craft store near the foam sheets, etc.)
If these are not available you can prep these in advance by having an adult hot glue safety pins to the
foam.
Instructions
1. Have each girl choose a foam circle.
2. Have the girls write their names on the circle and decorate.
3. Once she is done decorating, peel the backing off the adhesive pin and stick onto the nametag.
OPENING
Introductions (10-15 minutes)
Introduce yourself and your co-leaders.
Ask each girl to introduce herself – have her say her name, school and something she likes to do.
Have any other adults introduce themselves.
BUSINESS
Quiet Sign: (page 2 of the GGGS) (10-15 minutes)
Leaders: This sign is a great way to get all of the girls quiet in your group so you can talk to them.
When the leader raises her hand, it is a sign that she needs the group‘s quiet attention.
When the girls see the leader‘s Quiet Sign, they should raise their hands as well, and be quiet.
How to teach the quiet sign
1. Have the girls sit in a circle on the floor.
2. Raise you right hand straight up into the air.
3. Tell the girls that this means they are responsible for being quiet
when someone raises their hand for the quiet sign.
4. Tell the girls that there is an imaginary string tied on their wrist and
connected to their lips. When your hand goes up into the air, the
imaginary string pulls your lips together so you cannot talk.
5. Have the girls practice a few times. Inform the girls to practice
raising their right hand into the air so that the imaginary string closes
their lips.
6. Explain why it‘s important that the girls give their attention – If there
is an important announcement, instructions, too noisy, emergency,
etc.
Leader Note
It may take a few seconds to
have all the girls notice the
quiet sign. Do not be
discouraged. The girls will
catch on very quickly. Try it
a few times during the
meeting to have the girls
practice. Make a game out
of it to see how fast everyone
can quiet down.
20
ACTIVITY 1 (Required for the GS Way Badge)
Brownie Web (20-25 minutes)
Activity Introduction
Tell the girls they are going to create a Brownie Web that will be with them for the whole year! This web will be
a way for the troop to record memories throughout the year. They will each have their very own spot to write
down their favorite part of the troop meeting, things they learned or discovered and things they would like to do
with their troop.
Supplies
Large poster board or cardboard
Yarn (enough to be passed to each girl)
4x6 or larger Index card for each girl (even those who are
absent)
1 pair Scissors
Tape (Scotch)
Glue (Tacky)
Plastic tablecloth
Instructions
Leader Note: The resulting web created
in this activity will be reused throughout
your Girl Scout year. For today, you can
choose to secure the web easily using
tape, glue dots, or glue. Consider taking
it home (or have a helpful adult take it
home) and securing it at the points the
web crosses with hot glue or brads.
This will help it stay secure. The cards
can also be posted with repositionable
glue dots to allow them to remain secure
while being removed to add additional
thoughts throughout the year.
1. Gather the girls in a close circle. They should stand
shoulder to shoulder or just a bit apart.
2. Lay a plastic tablecloth in the middle of the circle to protect the floor or table from glue if you are using
it.
3. Have one girl start with the yarn and say one thing she is looking forward to doing this year in Girl
Scouts.
4. Have her hold onto her piece of yarn and pass it to another girl (across the circle or near her). This
passing should create a ―spider web‖.
5. Once each girl has had the yarn and said what she is looking forward to, slide the board in the middle
of the circle.
6. Have the girls kneel down together while still holding the yarn and lay down the web on the board.
7. It is okay if the web is not laid down perfectly, as long as it resembles a web shape.
8. Adhere the yarn to the board with a heavy duty glue or tape (See the Leader Note for additional tips).
You can trim any excess yarn from the outside of the board later.
9. Hand each girl an index card and have her write her name in the middle. Make cards for any girls who
are absent today. Be sure to add cards if you have new girls come into the troop.
10. Once the web is dry, the girls can stick their cards in the web. The overlapping pieces of yarn should
hold the cards in place. Scotch tape or glue dots can be used to attach the cards. Remember that the
girls will be taking out their cards at each meeting to record memories.
21
ACTIVITY 2
Girl Scout Promise and Law (10-15 minutes)
Activity Introduction
Tell the girls that they are going to learn (or be refreshed) on the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Tell them that
you are going to say a line and they can repeat it together as a group; then repeat all together as a group.
Supplies
Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting, page 2
Instructions
1. Gather the girls and say the Girl Scout Promise and Law line by line. Have the girls repeat each line
together as a group.
2. Have the girls hold up their right hand as pictured below; this is the Girl Scout sign.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law
Important Note
Girl Scout Law
One does not need to show the Girl Scout sign
while saying the Girl Scout Law, but can.
I will do my best to be,
Honest and Fair,
Friendly and Helpful,
Considerate and Caring,
Courageous and Strong,
And Responsible for what I say and do.
And to respect myself and others,
Respect authority,
Use resources wisely,
Make the world a better place,
And be a sister to every Girl Scout.
ACTIVITY 3
All about Brownies! (10 – 15 minutes)
* When saying the Girl Scout
Promise, individuals may
substitute wording appropriate
to their own spiritual beliefs for
the word “God”.
Snack Time
Snack is optional for every meeting. Since most
Girl Scout Troops meet at different times of the
day, we would like to give you the opportunity to
decide if your girls need a snack.
If a snack is desired – before Activity 3 is the
best time to pass out the snack. The girls can
spend 5-10 minutes eating their snack. They can
be finishing up their snack during Activity 3.
Activity Introduction
Tell the girls that they are going to hear all about how Girl Scouts began. Tell the girls that they are going to
learn about what Brownies do!
Supplies
Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
22
Instructions
1. Ask if there are any girls that would like to read the first story. If not, the leader will read.
2. Turn to page 10 of the GGGS and read ―How Girl Scouts Began‖.
3. Ask if another girl would like to read the next story. If not, the leader will read.
4. Turn to page 22 of the GGGS and read ―When Brownies Get Together‖.
5.
CLEAN-UP (5 minutes)
―Girl Scouts always leave a place looking better than how they found it.‖
Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies. Or, you could assign easy
―kapers‖ (sweeping, collecting trash, pushing in chairs, etc). We will go into details about kapers
during the third meeting.
Have each girl write one thing on her index card and then put away the Brownie Web. Remember this
can be something they have enjoyed doing so far with their troop, something they would like to do with
their troop or things they have learned or discovered so far.
Collect the name tags and put all of the supplies away.
Remind girls of their next meeting and see if there are any needs that you need to assign to troop
adults.
CLOSING
Friendship Circle (5 minutes)
Gather the girls and any adults. Stand in a circle.
Tell the girls that they are going to learn a special way
to say goodbye to everyone after a meeting, called a
Friendship Circle.
Have them raise their right hand high up into the air.
Next have them take their left arm and tuck it across
their chest.
The girls should lower their right arm so that it is over
their left arm. Their arms should make an ―X‖ shape
with their right arm over their left arm.
Have the girls hold the hands of the girls next to them.
Each girl‘s right hand should be holding the left hand
of the girl next to her.
After all of the girls are holding hands tell them that
you are going to pass a special squeeze around the circle and that when they feel their hand squeezed
gently, they need to gently squeeze the hand of the girl next to her.
Each girl squeezes the next girl‘s hand in turn, until the squeeze returns to the first person.
The one who began the squeeze can then say, ―Goodbye Girl Scouts.‖
Each person then raises their right arm over their head while turning clockwise. The result is that
everyone should be facing away from the circle with their arms no longer crossed.
Girls are now free to find their adults and go home.
Notes:
23
Meet the Brownie Elf
Meeting Two
Meeting Two
Theme: Brownie Elf
Recommended Time Allotted: 60-90 minutes
Goal(s) of this meeting: Continue to learn what it means to be a Brownie Girl Scout.
Complete step five of the Girl Scout Way Badge.
Recommended Leader Preparation: Read ahead in this Leader Guide and the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
Print off a copy of the Brownie Elf Self page (Appendix B) and Girl Scout coloring page for each girl. The
coloring page is also found in the My Girl Scout‘s Section of the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
Supplies Summary for Meeting Two:
Girl Scout coloring page, Appendix A (one per girl)
My Elf Self page, Appendix B (one per girl)
Crayons
Markers (one pair for every 1-2 girls)
Scissors (one pair for every 1-2 girls)
Brownie Web (from Meeting One)
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS)
Snack (optional)
Set-up Recommendation:
Have a space for each girl to work at a table, as they will be coloring and writing a lot today.
Helpful Parent Roles:
Assign a parent to bring snack, if desired.
Make photocopies.
Ask parents to be available for supervision and help.
ARRIVAL ACTIVITY
Girl Scout Coloring Page (5-10 minutes)
Supplies
Coloring page (Appendix A)
Crayons and/or markers
24
Instructions
As girls arrive, allow them time to color this Girl Scout Friends coloring page. This will also allow you some
time to talk to parents as they arrive.
OPENING
Girl Scout Promise and Law (5-10 minutes)
Gather the girls in a circle and tell them that they are going
to open their troop meeting by reciting the Girl Scout
Promise and Law.
Ask if there is a girl who would like to lead the Promise.
Recite the Promise as a group.
Ask if another girl would like to lead the Law.
Recite the Girl Scout Law as a group.
Leader Notes
It is a good idea to write the words of the GS
Promise & GS Law on a piece of poster
board to help the girls (and adults) learn and
remember it. The Promise and Law are on
the inside cover or page 2 of your Brownie
Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting.
And…
Remember to use the Brownie Web to have
BUSINESS
the girls record thoughts and memories of
Brownie Web (5 minutes)
their first Brownie year.
Have the girls bring out their Brownie Web and display it
where the whole troop can see.
Remind the girls that this Brownie Web is a way for them to record all the fun things they will do during
their first year as Brownies.
Have each girl get her index card from the web and write down one thing. Remember, this can be
something they have enjoyed doing so far with their troop, something they would like to do with their
troop or things they have learned or discovered so far.
When they are done writing, have them put their cards
If a snack is desired – before Activity 1 is
back into the web.
ACTIVITY 1 (Required for the GS Way Badge)
the best time to pass out the snack. The
girls can spend 5-10 minutes eating their
snack. They can be finishing up their snack
during Activity 1.
Brownie Elf (25-35 minutes)
Read the Brownie Elf story on page 18 all together and have the
girls color their My Elf Self page.
If you 3 hole punch these (other papers and hand outs too) each girl can save hers in her Girl‘s Guide
to Girl Scouting when they are done.
Supplies
Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
My Elf Self page, Appendix B (one per girl)
Crayons
Markers
Instructions
1. Tell the girls that they have already met so many new friends
in their Brownie Troop, but it is time to meet one more friend,
the Brownie Elf!
2. Ask if girls would like to help read the Brownie Story.
3. If not, the leader(s) will read the story.
4. Turn to page 18 of the Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
and read the story.
5. When the story is finished, ask the girls if they knew that they
are Brownie Elves too?
6. Tell the girls that they are now going to create their own Elf
Self by coloring in their very own Elf to look like themselves.
7. Hand out the My Elf Self Page to each girl and have her color
25
in the Elf and fill in the bubbles to describe her.
8. If time allows, each girl can show off her Elf Self! You can also plan time for this at your next meeting.
ACTIVITY 2
Human Knot (10-12 minutes)
This is an activity to get the girls up and out of their seats to keep their
attention, but it might be a bit tricky!
Supplies
Just the girls!
Instructions
1. Ask the girls to gather together in a close circle.
2. Have the girls put both hands in the circle and take hold of a
hand of two other people not standing next to her.
3. Tell the girls that they must work together to untangle this
human knot!
4. Tell them that they may have to duck under and over hands to untangle the knot – but they must never
let go of each others‘ hands as that breaks the circle.
5. Once the girls are untangled, ask them what was the hardest part? Easiest?
ACTIVITY 3
Brownie Adventure (10-20 minutes)
The girls use the Brownie Journey Map on page 6 of the
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting and discover all
the different things they can do together.
Supplies
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting
Helpful Resources
“Back-pocket” activities are great for when the girls
are getting restless and need a quick change of
pace. Here are a few ideas:
o Human Knot
o Linda Lemon
o Duck Duck Goose
o Birthday Lineup
For more information on this please refer to the
Volunteer Resources CD: Resources for all
Volunteers: Teaching & Playing Games.
Instructions
1. Have each girl find a comfortable space on the
floor or at a table.
2. Have each girl turn to page 6 of her Girl‘s Guide
to Girl Scouting (GGGS).
3. Tell the girls that they are going to look at what an adventure they can take this year! Badges, cookies,
trips, and more!
4. Explore the next three pages of their GGGS together to see what Brownie Adventures are available.
5. Tell them to think about all the ways they can experience Girl Scouts: Badges, Journeys, cookies, in a
Nutshell (nuts/candy & magazines), programs and camps, trips, traditions and more!
6. Have the girls write down some ideas they have on page 8 and 9.
Special note: Let the girls take their time on this activity. Encourage conversation, dreaming and creativity.
Make sure to take notes about what the girls want to do. This list will come in handy later.
CLEAN-UP (5 minutes)
―Girl Scouts always leave a place looking better than how they found it.‖
Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies. Or, you could assign easy
kapers (chores like sweeping, collecting trash, pushing in chairs, etc). We will go into details about
kapers in the next meeting.
Collect the name tags and put all of the supplies away.
26
CLOSING
Friendship Circle (5 minutes)
Have the girls gather together and do a Friendship Circle.
Since the girls just learned how to do a Friendship Circle last session, they may need a few reminders.
If you need to remember how to do the Friendship Circle, refer back to Meeting One, page 23.
Tell the girls to spend some time thinking about what they can do to help out at troop meetings. This is
to get them to start thinking about kapers (special job/chores) but also to have ownership of the
assignment, not just another assigned chore.
Be sure to remind the girls and adults of any important information for your next troop meeting.
Notes:
27
Sing Loud! Girl Scout
Meeting Three
Meeting Two
Theme: Singing songs – a fun GS tradition for all ages.
Recommended Time Allotted: 60-90 minutes
Goal(s) of this meeting: During this meeting the girls will learn what a Kaper Chart is and
learn about the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, by playing Kim‘s game.
Recommended Leader Preparation:
Read ahead in this Leader Guide and the Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting.
Pre-cut the Kaper Chart cardboard into a large round circle (around 2 feet in diameter). You can also search
the internet for other Kaper Chart designs or create something original. There are both simple and elaborate
versions of Kaper Charts shown online. Choose one that works for you. Look up the Girl Scout Law Song and
the Brownie Smile song online to get a feel for the songs.
Supplies Summary for Meeting Three:
Brownie Web from Meeting One
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS)
Leader Note
Kim‘s Game Supplies
If the Kim’s game supplies are difficult to
o Small pumpkin
find you may also find the images of the
o Silk daisy
supplies online and print them off. The
o Toy horse
girls just need to see what the piece is –
o Crayons
so a picture is just fine.
o Toy ring
o Bag of rice
o Telephone
o Picture of a boy
o Sailboat
o Strand of pearls
o Girl Scout Pin
A clothespin for each girl
Poster board or cardboard
Large piece of paper
Markers
Sheet or pillowcase (big enough to cover Kim‘s Game supplies)
Paper
Pencils/Pens
Set-up Recommendation:
The girls are learning songs today so have a space with some room to move around.
28
Helpful Parent Roles:
Collect the Kim‘s Game supplies then run or help run the game.
Assign a parent to bring a snack, if desired.
Make copies of any handouts.
Support with supervision and activity assistance.
If you have a parent who is crafty, ask if they would be interested in creating the troop Kaper Chart.
Leader Information: Teaching Songs to Girl Scouts
Today the troop is working on Step 1 of the Girl Scout Way badge, ―Sing Everywhere.‖ Here are some tips to
help prepare you to teach new songs to the girls. Remember there isn‘t a right or wrong way to teach songs!
We‘ve listed some helpful tips below to assist in teaching new Girl Scout songs to your girls. Use any or all of
the tips to make learning new songs easy for everyone. It may be helpful to post the words to the song on a
poster paper in front of the group or hand out words on individual papers. Depending upon the reading level of
the girls you are working with, this can be useful for them or for the adults joining you for the meeting.
1. When teaching songs to Girl Scouts it is important that the song leader either know the song well or find
a good recording of it for the girls to listen to. There are
Helpful Resources
many songs available online or through a CD.
Find tunes through CDs in your local
2. If a song is long, break it down by verse and chorus to help
library or online.
the girls remember the words and tune.
Visit this website for other tips on how
to learn and lead songs.
3. Say each line of the song and have the girls repeat the
http://www.girlscouts.org/for_adults/vol
words. This will help them with the words before learning
unteering/music.asp
the tune.
4. Next sing each line of the song and have the girls sing the line back to you. If you are short of time,
steps 2 and 3 can be combined. At this point, if the song leader does not know the tune, play the full
recording.
5. Sing as a whole group. If it is a longer song, sing each verse from the top. Try singing loudly or with a
recording then try again with the leader singing quietly or not at all.
6. Have fun and sing! It is okay if you don‘t think you have the best singing voice; it‘s all about having fun.
ARRIVAL ACTIVITY
Birthday Celebrations (5-10 minutes)
Supplies
Paper
Pencils/Pens
Leader Note
This is to get the girls thinking of
activities they can do to celebrate
Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday during
Meeting 5.
Instructions
1. Have each girl spend some time writing down all the fun things they can do at birthday parties.
2. Have them write down what is the most important part of a birthday to them.
OPENING
Girl Scout Promise and Law (10-15 minutes)
1. Gather the girls in a circle to recite the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Encourage individual girls to lead
the Promise and Law.
2. Tell the girls that they are going to learn the Girl Scout Law song. This is a great way to help everyone
remember all of the lines of the Girl Scout Law.
3. The lyrics are the same as the Girl Scout Law.
29
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be,
Honest and Fair,
Friendly and Helpful,
Considerate and Caring,
Courageous and Strong,
And Responsible for what I say and do.
And to respect myself and others,
Respect authority,
Use resources wisely,
Make the world a better place,
And be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Helpful Resources
Look up the Girl Scout Law song
online to get a feel for the tune and
hand movements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d
F8dUi37x8
For additional resources refer to your
Volunteer Resources CD.
o Look under Resources for All
Volunteers: Teaching & Singing
Songs
BUSINESS
Brownie Web (5 minutes)
Have the girls bring out their Brownie Web and display it so the whole troop can see.
Remind the girls that this Brownie Web is a way for them to remember all the fun things they do during
their first year as Brownies.
Tell the girls that they are going to write on their index cards at the end of the meeting.
Kaper Chart (5 minutes)
Ask the girls if they remember what they were supposed to be thinking about since the last troop
meeting (what can each girl do to help have a fun at a Girl Scout meeting). Many things have to be
done in order to have a fun troop meeting! Ask the girls to pay special attention as it will come in handy
today.
If none of the girls have suggestions, give the girls some ideas to get the conversation started.
Girl Scouts always leave a place better than they found it (5 minutes)
Tell the girls before we start that you want them to take a look around the room. Tell them that this will
be important at the end of the meeting. How does the room look? Where are things placed?
ACTIVITY 1 (Required to earn GS Way Badge)
Brownie Smile Song (10-15 minutes)
The girls are such great singers that they are going to learn another traditional Girl Scout Brownie Song!
Gather the girls and tell them that they are going to learn a song that has been sung by Brownies for
many years.
Supplies
Just the girls!
Instructions
1. Gather the girls and tell them that they are going to learn a new song!
2. Sing the Brownie Smile Song:
I’ve got something in my pocket (point to pockets)
It belongs across my face. (make smile motion with hands across face)
I keep it very close at hand
In a most convenient place. (pat your pocket)
I’m sure you couldn’t guess it (shake finger ―no‖)
If you guessed a long, long while.
So, I’ll take it out and put it on (gesture taking something out of pocket)
It’s a great big Brownie Smile! (draw a smile across your face with index fingers)
30
ACTIVITY 2
Kim’s Game (10-15 minutes)
The girls are now going to play a fun memory game to help them learn more about Juliette Gordon Low. This is
a favorite game of many Girl Scouts! This version will help us learn all about Juliette Gordon Low!
Supplies
Kim‘s Game supplies (remember you can print off images if the items are hard to find).
o Small pumpkin
o Silk daisy
o Toy horse
o Crayons
o Toy ring
o Bag of rice
o Telephone
o Picture of a boy
o Sailboat
o Strand of pearls
o Girl Scout Pin
o Sheet or pillowcase big enough to cover all the items
o Large paper
o Marker
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Instructions
1. Lay out the materials on a table or tray. Say the following and hold up the item when you are talking
about it. This is a great way for the Brownies to learn about Juliette‘s life.
a. Juliette was born on Oct 31, 1860 - Halloween (Hold up a pumpkin)
b. Her uncle took one look at her and said, "She looks like a Daisy" - this nickname stuck with her
for the rest of her life. (Hold up silk Daisy)
c. Juliette always loved animals, especially horses. (Show toy horse)
d. She also loved to draw and paint pictures - so much that she created a children's magazine with
all of the articles and pictures done by children. (Show crayons, colored pencils or paint
brushes)
e. Juliette married Willie Gordon Low in 1886. (Hold up toy ring)
f.
Some of the rice thrown at their wedding became lodged in Juliette's left ear, causing her to
become deaf in this ear. (Show bag of rice)
g. Juliette and Willie both loved adventure, so together they decided to move to England. (Hold up
sailboat)
h. Once in England, Juliette met Lord & Lady Baden-Powell. She very much enjoyed what they
had done with the Boy Scout movement .(Hold up picture of a boy)
i.
Willie passed away while they lived in England, Juliette returned to Georgia and made the
famous phone call which was heard around the United States! That she was going to have the
first Girl Scout meeting. (Hold up telephone)
j.
As with all Girl Scout troops, money was needed to keep the program running, so Juliette sold
the pearl necklace Willie had given her for a wedding present. (Show strand of pearls)
k. Girl Scouting in the USA was born on March 12, 1912 and continues today with over 3 1/2
million members. (Hold up GS pin)
2. Have the girls look at the tray of items for one minute. Cover the tray or remove it from the room, and
have the girls write down all the items that they remember. Bring out the tray of items and see if they
can remember the story.
3. Tell the girls they will celebrate Juliette‘s birthday at an upcoming troop meeting. Tell the girls to think
back to when they arrived to the meeting today and spent some time thinking about all the fun things
they can do at birthday parties.
4. Take out the large paper and record with the marker some of the ideas the girls have about birthday
party ideas for Juliette Gordon Low‘s birthday celebration.
Snack Time
If a snack is desired – before Activity 3 is the time to pass out the
snack. The girls can spend 5-10 minutes eating their snack. They can
be finishing up their snack during Activity 3.
32
ACTIVITY 3
Kaper Chart (20-30 minutes)
The girls will come up with kapers and the Troop will create a
Kaper Chart. A kaper is a job or chore that must be done. In
Girl Scouts, we use a Kaper Chart to keep track of who is in
charge of each task.
Leader Notes
Although it can be prepared in
advance, it is recommended that a
Kaper Chart is prepared by the troop
as a whole so each girl feels a sense
of ownership of all the tasks.
Here are some kaper ideas:
Supplies
Large pre-cut poster board or cardboard
Clothespin for each girl
Markers
Large sheet of blank paper
Instructions
1. Ask the girls to remember back to the beginning of the troop meeting when they were reminded to think
of what it takes to run a fun troop meeting.
2. Explain what a kaper is. (A kaper is a job or chore that must be done)
3. Brainstorm a list of kapers with the girls on the large sheet of blank paper. You may need to guide the
conversation to make sure that all jobs needed are listed.
4. Hand each girl a clothespin and tell her to write her name on it clearly and decorate it.
33
5. When they are done decorating, decide on the kapers that were brainstormed. There should be at
least one kaper per girl (or include a free space on the chart).
6. Count the number of kapers that were decided on and divide the circular kaper chart into the correct
number of ―pie pieces.‖
7. Write down a kaper in each ―pie piece.‖
8. Have each girl come up and clip her clothes pin to a piece of the pie (kaper).
9. Tell the girls that each meeting the clothespins will be moved one spot to the right (clockwise).
10. Here are a few examples of kaper chart designs:
CLEAN-UP (5 minutes)
―Girl Scouts always leave the place looking better than how they found it.‖
Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies. Tell the girls that next meeting
they will start using their Kaper Chart. If the girls are excited to use it now, feel free to start giving the
girls assignments.
Collect the name tags and put all of the supplies away. Leave the Brownie Web up as they will be
using it for their closing.
CLOSING (5 minutes)
Have each girl get her index card from the web and write down one thing. Remember, this can be
something they have enjoyed doing so far with their troop, something they would like to do with their
troop or things they have learned or discovered so far.
When they are done writing, have them put their cards back into the web. Put away the web when the
girls are finished.
Ask the girls to remember back to the beginning of the troop meeting when you asked them to take a
look around the room. Ask them if they think the room looks different? How? Tell them that it is
important, as a Girl Scout, to always leave a room better/cleaner than you found it. Is it? If not
challenge them to see if they can make the room look like it did (or better!) at the beginning. Tell them
that they will discover why this is so important at their next troop meeting.
If time allows, end the meeting with a Friendship Circle. See Meeting One closing for complete
instructions if you need.
34
Caring About the World Around You!
Meeting Four
Theme: Girls learn about being prepared and how they can make their world a better place
Recommended Time Allotted: 60-90 minutes
Goal(s) of this meeting: Girls make a situpon, learn a new song, and discover ways they can make their
world a better place to complete Steps 1 and 4 of the Girl Scout Way badge.
Recommended Leader Preparation:
Photocopy coloring sheet for opening, from Appendix C.
Read through the outline for Meeting Four.
To get ready for this meeting, you will need to prepare materials for sit upons; there is a lot of cutting and
measuring. If you have extra time, you can let the girls do the hole punching, but you will still want to pre-cut
the material and filling. This is a great job to assign to helpful parents.
o Cut waterproof fabric in 30‖ x 15‖ rectangles, one per girl and you (cut a couple extra)
o Precut foam or carpet padding in 13‖ x 13‖ squares, one square per girl and you
o If you don‘t have many hole punchers or want to save time at the meeting, you‘ll want to prepunch the fabric. Do this with a hole punch or sharp scissors. Fold each rectangle in half, so you
have a 15‖x15‖ square. With fabric folded, cut holes about ½‖ from the edge, every 1 inch
around the three open sides of your square. Holes should go through both layers of fabric
(holes are to sew the square shut).
Leader Note
You may find some other
tutorials or designs online.
Keep in mind that sit-upons
are utilitarian and need to
travel well if considering
another version.
o
o
This image, and a great tutorial for this project can be found at
http://artsychaos.blogspot.jp/2011/04/sit-upon-tutorial-by-rachel-beyer.html
Prepare one sit-upon to use as an example at the meeting.
35
Supplies Summary for Meeting Four:
Crayons
Copies of coloring sheet for opening activity, appendix C (1 per girl)
Scissors (1 pair for every 1-2 girls)
Hole Punch (1 for every 1-2 girls if girls are punching their own)
Yarn, 3 skeins of different colors
Tape (scotch or any kind)
Permanent Marker
Waterproof Material (vinyl tablecloth, or other store-bought vinyl). You need enough for a 30‖x15‖
rectangle per girl, and one for yourself
Filling (foam, carpet padding, or 1 ½ ― stack of newspapers) cut into a 13‖x13‖ square, per girl and you
Markers or Pens (one per girl)
Brownie Girl‘s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS)
Set-up Recommendation:
Be sure your meeting place has enough open space that all girls can spread out their 30‖x15‖ fabric. Girls can
work on tables, desks or on the floor. It is best to have girls positioned so they can all see your example, and
how to complete each step.
Helpful Parent Roles:
Prepare the fabric for the situpon before the meeting.
Assign a parent to bring a snack, if desired.
Print/copy any handouts.
Support with supervision and activity assistance; sewing
sit-upons and tying knots.
Helpful Resource
Sit-Upon Tutorial
http://artsychaos.blogspot.jp/2011/
04/sit-upon-tutorial-by-rachelbeyer.html
ARRIVAL ACTIVITY
Coloring (until all girls arrive or 5 minutes into meeting time)
Supplies
Crayons
One coloring sheet per girl (Appendix C)
Instructions
1. Set out coloring sheets where you want girls to be at the start of the meeting, set out crayons as well.
2. Allow girls to color until you are ready to begin; girls can color on the blank side of the pages if they
finish early.
OPENING
Remembering Juliette Gordon Low (5 minutes)
To open the meeting, remind girls how they played Kim‘s Game last week and that they looked at
objects that represent the life of Juliette Gordon Low. Ask girls to share what they remember, you may
need to help remind the girls and guide the conversation.
Ask girls to select an object that can represent each one of them. Give a few examples. In Kim‘s
Game, a sailboat represented Juliette‘s love of adventure, a string of pearls represented how Juliette
started the Girl Scouts (she got the money to start by selling her expensive necklace).
Help the girls identify an object that they would choose by asking them, what do they like, what is
something they are proud of, and what could be used to symbolize this?
Go around the circle have girls share any item that would represent them.
Have the girls recite the Girl Scout Promise and the Law to complete opening your troop meeting.
36
BUSINESS
Brownie Web (5 minutes)
Have the girls bring out their Brownie Web and display it so the whole troop can see.
Remind the girls that this Brownie Web is a way for them to remember all the fun things they do during
their first year as Brownies.
Tell the girls that they are going to write on their index cards at the end of the meeting.
Kaper Chart (5 minutes)
Show the girls how to find their names on the Kaper Chart and help them identify which task they are
assigned.
ACTIVITY 1
Making a Situpon (25-30 min)
Activity Introduction
Situpons are a Girl Scout tradition. A situpon is a lightweight pad
used when sitting on the ground or the floor. It is often made by a
GS Brownie; they can be made easily by young hands and are an
opportunity for girls to practice easy stitches. Girls should be
encouraged to bring their situpons to future meetings and outings.
They last for years and can follow a girl through her years in Girl
Scouting.
From artsychaos.blogspot.jp “Sit-upon tutorial by Rachel Beyer
Supplies
Scissors (1 pair for every 1-2 girls)
Hole Punch (1 for every 1-2 girls if your girls are punching their own)
Yarn, 3 skeins of different colors
Tape (any kind)
Permanent Marker
Waterproof Material (vinyl tablecloth, or other store-bought vinyl). You need enough for a 30‖x15‖
rectangle per girl
Filling (foam, carpet padding, or 1 ½ ― stack of newspapers) cut into a 13‖x13‖ square, per girl
Your example situpon
Instructions
1. Show the girls your situpon, letting them know that is what they‘ll be working on today. Explain that a
situpon is a useful thing Girl Scouts make to be prepared when they go outside. Like the objects in
Kim‘s Game and the objects the girls described, a situpon represents all Girl Scouts and our Girl Scout
Motto which is ―Be Prepared.‖ Ask girls how they think a situpon will help them be prepared? (Hint: It
will keep them dry, clean and comfy when they sit outside).
2. Pass out precut pieces of fabric, yarn and filling to each girl. Yarn should be cut in
lengths twice as long as three edges of each situpon. Give each girl a 1‖ piece of
tape, and help her wrap tape around the end of the yarn so it won‘t fray. Have girls
place their filling on the inside of the fabric and then fold the fabric in half so the filling
is the in the middle. Show girls how to stitch their situpons together, weaving their
yarn in and out of each hole, and knot the yarn to the situpon at either end. As the
girls finish, you should use the permanent marker to write their names on their
situpons.
3. When every girl is complete, tell the girls that in addition to being prepared, Girl Scouts always leave a
place better than they found it. This will lead into the next activity.
37
ACTIVITY 2 (Required for the GS Way Badge)
Brownie Clean Up Song (15-25 min)
Girls learn a song to sing as they clean up
This is an opportunity for girls to improve the meeting space and learn a fun song to sing as they
clean. Leaving a place better than you find it is the Girl Scout way, and it‘s something we can do to
show we care about others. In completing this activity, girls complete Steps 1 and 4 of the Girl Scout
Way badge. The Brownie Tidying-Up Song was written in the 1960s.
Supplies
None
Leader Note
Talk to the people who operate
your troop meeting site prior to
this activity to see if there are
some thoughts of supplies or
something else a group of
Brownie’s could do to improve the
space you meet in. If you cannot
talk to them beforehand, let the
girls know that they may have to
change ideas once you talk to the
people who operate your meeting
site and share the girls’ ideas.
Instructions
1. Tell girls that it is the Girl Scout way to leave a place
better than we find it. This is how we show we care.
Explain that this doesn‘t just mean cleaning up after
the troop.
2. Have girls look around the meeting space and discuss
things they can do to help make the space better than
they found it.
3. Offer suggestions if they are stuck:
Is there something they could bring that others may
want to use? Could they organize the art supplies for
others? What about making art for others to enjoy?
4. Have the girls brainstorm three things they can do to leave their meeting place better than they
found it.
5. Teach the girls the ―Brownie Clean up Song.‖ It is to the tune of London Bridge.
Weave the magic in and out,
In and out, in and out,
Weave the magic in and out,
For we are Brownies.
We have tidied everything,
Everything, everything,
We have tidied everything,
For we are Brownies.
6. Have the girls clean up after their sit-upon project, and do at least one of the things they have
brainstormed to leave the site better. They can sing as they clean.
ACTIVITY 3 (Required for the GS Way Badge)
Making the World a Better Place (10-20 min)
Snack Time
If a snack is desired –
before Activity 3 is the
time to pass out the
snack. The girls can
spend 5-10 minutes eating
their snack. They can be
finishing up their snack
during Activity 3.
One line of the Girl Scout Law is to ―make the world a better place.‖ Girl
Scouts can make the world a better place by participating in service
activities. These are opportunities for girls to help a cause that they find
important. For example, do your girls like animals? They could
participate in service by visiting an animal shelter and clean cages or
spend time with the animals. Service activities are a girl-led
opportunity, ask the girls what they would like to do, and you (and
helpful parents) can research ways to follow through on one of the girls‘ suggestions.
38
Supplies
Brownie Web
Markers or pens, one per girl
Instructions
1. Have girls sitting in a circle, they can use their situpons and sit on the floor (or even outside if it‘s a nice
day.)
2. Girls will brainstorm ways they can make the world a better place as Girl Scouts, if having a snack girls
can eat as they brainstorm.
3. Have girls read the Girl Scout Law, they can read it together or follow it along as you read it. They can
find a copy of the Law on the inside of their Girl‘s Guides to Girl Scouting. Point out that the tenth line
is ―make the world a better place.‖ Ask the girls what they think this line means.
4. Ask girls to brainstorm ways that they can make their world a better place, this can mean their school,
their neighborhood, their town… get them thinking beyond the meeting space.
5. They can share big ideas they can work on as a troop, and simpler things that they can start doing right
now. (Ex. A big idea is organizing a park clean up and a simple thing is a girl picking up litter on a walk
with her family this week.)
6. Ask girls why they like to be helpful.
7. Have girls write one thing they would like to do with their troop and one small thing they can do this
week to make the world a better place on their card on the Brownie Web.
CLEAN-UP (5 minutes)
If they haven‘t already, have the girls complete their kaper for the week.
Assign kapers for next week.
CLOSING (5-10 minutes)
Close in a circle, and remind girls that by helping to make their world a better place, they make other
people happy. Helping also makes a girl feel good about herself, and when we feel good, we smile.
Have girls sing the Brownie Smile Song.
For a final note, encourage girls to try to make their world a better place by doing the small thing on
their card this week.
Remind parents that they will want to arrive 10 minutes early to pick up girls next week.
Review what the girls would like to do for a service project. Select some ideas that seem
realistic and popular. You can research these ideas (or have a helpful parent do this) this week
to assess their feasibility, and next meeting, give two or three ideas to the girls to pick from.
Review what the girls said they would like to do at a birthday party.Incorporate their
suggestions into the theme at the next meeting.
39
Happy Birthday Juliette Low
Theme: Girls celebrate Juliette Gordon Low‘s birthday
Recommended Time Allotted: 60-90 minutes
Goal(s) of this meeting: Girls will learn about the founder of Girl
Scouts, complete Step 2 of the Girl Scout Way Badge, and receive
their Girl Scout Way badge
Recommended Leader Preparation: Purchase Girl Scout Way
badges from Badgerland Council Shops
Print certificates from Appendix D for each girl acknowledging that
they have earned the Girl Scout Way Badge. Staple a badge to
each certificate to present to each girl.
Meeting Five
Leader Note
Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday is
October 31, but we can celebrate in
honor of her birthday (Girl Scouts
celebrate this day as Founder’s Day)
any time that is convenient for you
and your girls. So, don’t worry if this
activity occurs well outside the
Halloween season. If you wish, you
can make this a birthday party
themed meeting with appropriate
snacks, streamers and hats, etc. Ask
parents or girls to bring party items.
Read through the outline for Meeting Five.
You can set this meeting up as a birthday party, using some of the girls‘ suggestions.
Supplies Summary for Meeting Five:
Girl Scout Way Badge Booklet in the Brownie GGGS
Construction paper (1-2 sheets per girl)
Scissors (1 pair for every 1-2 girls)
Markers or crayons
Masking or scotch tape
Pens or pencils (1 per girl)
Glue sticks (1 for every 1-2 girls)
Optional things to decorate cards: glitter, foam shapes, stickers, magazines to cut pictures from
Large writing surface and utensils (poster/marker, chalkboard/chalk, whiteboard/marker)
Certificates, see Appendix D (1 per girl)
Girl Scout Way Badges (1 per girl)
Helpful Resource
Optional birthday party decorations
Volunteer Essentials Guide (found
Snack such as cake or cupcakes, optional
on Volunteer Resource CD)
Set-up Recommendation:
Have space where girls can sit and listen together. Be sure there is a large wall space with a whiteboard or
chalkboard or space where you can hang large sheets of paper to write on. If you would like, set up the room
space like a birthday party, or have the first arriving girls do this as their arrival activity.
40
Helpful Parent Roles:
Supply you with donated party decorations, card decorations, and/or favors.
Print badge certificates, and staple badges to certificates to be presented to each girl.
Watch and guide the arrival activity as you check in girls.
ARRIVAL ACTIVITY
Party Set Up (5-10 minutes)
Supplies
Masking and scotch tape
Scissors, one pair per 1-2 girls
Ribbon (optional)
Streamers (optional)
Balloons (optional)
Other items girls/adults bring
Computer and/or construction paper (any amount)
Markers
Leader Note
Check with the operators of your
meeting site to make sure you use the
right type of tape and only use
decorations that they approve for your
party. Painter’s tape is easily removable
and safe for most surfaces.
1. Before the meeting set out materials so girls can begin decorating by blowing up balloons and
decorating them. You can show them how to write or draw on an empty balloon with a marker to have
the image get big when you blow up the balloons. You will want an extra adult who can help tie the
balloons. NOTE: You can also try it the opposite way. If you do this, make sure to keep track of which
balloon belongs to which girl.
2. Girls can make birthday decorations with scissors, markers and paper to hang up.
3. Girls can also hang streamers or other decorations if you have any.
4. Let the girls be creative and decorate as they like (and the space allows).
OPENING
Introductions (5-10 minutes)
1. Begin the meeting with the girls in a circle.
2. Tell girls that today you are celebrating the birthday of the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low.
Girl Scouts across the world celebrate her birthday in honor of how she encouraged us all to make the
world a better place.
3. Encourage each girl to share what they did this last week to help make their world a better place.
4. Review- was it easy to take the action they took? Tell girls that they are powerful and can all do good
things. Remind them that at this meeting, they will be planning ways they can make their world a better
place.
5. Recite the Promise and then have the girls keep their right hand in the air. Explain to girls that Girl
Scouts have a special handshake they can use to greet other Girl Scouts. Keeping your right hand in
the Girl Scout sign, turn to a girl and shake her left hand with your left hand. As you demonstrate this,
tell girls that this is the Girl Scout Handshake.
6. Have girls mingle for a minute or two and practice this handshake.
41
BUSINESS
Brownie Web (5 minutes)
Have the girls bring out their Brownie Web and display it so the whole troop can see.
Remind the girls that this Brownie Web is a way for them to remember all the fun things they do during
their first year as Brownies.
Tell the girls that they are going to write on their index cards at the end of the meeting.
Kaper Chart (2 minutes)
Help the girls find their names on the Kaper Chart and help them identify which task they are assigned.
ACTIVITY 1 (Required for the GS Way Badge)
Daisy’s Birthday Messages
(15-25 minutes, you can skip a letter to save time)
Activity Introduction
Pass out snack if you are having one, girls can eat as
letters are read and discussed.
Supplies
Girl Scout Way Badge booklet in the Brownie GGGS
Snack Time
If a snack is desired – before
Activity 1 is the time to pass
out the snack. The girls can
spend 5-10 minutes eating their
snack. They can be finishing up
their snack during Activity 1.
Instructions
1. Have girls get comfortable and have a girl read each of the birthday messages on page 4 of the Girl
Scout Way Badge booklet (to save time, you can also have adults read the messages instead).
2. Talk about each letter and how it applies to what the girls are doing.
Letter from 1923:
o Ask girls what a resolution is, have any of them ever made a resolution?
o Have the girls ever ―put themselves in
another‘s place?‖ Ask a girl to share an
Leader Note
experience when she put herself in someone
Putting herself in someone
else‘s shoes. How did she feel? Did it make
else’s shoes may be difficult for
her change her actions?
some Brownies. Keep
o If no one wants to share, ask girls to think of
example simple and help them
someone they have seen being picked on.
to understand what that means.
Ask them to think of how that person must
have felt? How would girls change their own
behavior to prevent someone from feeling that way?
o Ask if girls feel happier when they are nicer to people? Why do they think that is?
Letter from 1924:
o Review the rules, and make sure your girls know what they each mean.
o Juliette Low said that these were rules for Scouting; where else could these rules apply?
o Can girls think of other rules that they could follow?
Letter from 1925:
o Tell girls that there are Girl Scouts in 145 countries, there are over 10 million Girl Scouts
worldwide. Girl Scouts where a World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) pin on their uniform, it is blue and gold, with a trefoil. When girls look at this
pin, they can think how they connected to girls all over the world!
o NOTE: Girl Scout Week is now celebrated in March, around March 12- the day Girl
Scouts of the United States was founded by Juliette Gordon Low.
42
ACTIVITY 2 (Required Option for the GS Way Badge)
Making Your Own Message (10-20 minutes)
Activity Introduction
Girls can reflect on the messages Juliette Gordon Low wrote to Girl Scouts on her own birthday, and
write their own message about Girl Scouting to share with others. This will complete their requirements
to earn the Girl Scout Way Badge!
Supplies
Large writing surface and utensil (poster/marker, chalkboard/chalk, whiteboard/marker)
2-3 suggested service activities, prepared from brainstorm last week
Instructions
1. Ask girls what they would like to share in a message with other Girl Scouts. Have them brainstorm
ideas of what they would write in a birthday message. Write a list of their ideas where they can see it on
a whiteboard, poster, etc.
2. Focus girls‘ brainstorm on one to three topics they have mentioned. Have girls work as a group to come
up with a short message that incorporates those topics. Again, write this message where they can read
it (white board, poster, etc).
3. Talk to girls about ―service.‖ What is service and why would they want to do it? How does giving
service relate to their message?
4. Give girls your selected two or three options from their brainstorm to vote on from last week. Decide
what service project you are going to do.
ACTIVITY 3 (Required Option for the GS Way Badge)
Birthday Cards (15-25 mins)
Activity Introduction
Girls will decorate their own birthday cards which will include the message they wrote in Activity 2. You
can give these cards to another Brownie troop in Badgerland Council. Contact your Membership
Specialist to find another troop near you.
Supplies
Construction paper (1-2 sheets per girl)
Scissors (1 pair for every 1-2 girls)
Markers or crayons
Pens or pencils (1 per girl)
Glue sticks (1 for every 1-2 girls)
Optional things to decorate cards: glitter, foam shapes, stickers, magazines to cut pictures from
Instructions
1. Tell girls that in honor of Juliette Gordon Low‘s birthday, they will each make one birthday card. If you
are giving these to any particular troop, tell the girls who will receive the cards.
2. Give each girl a sheet of construction paper and writing utensil, and make crafting supplies available.
Have each girl fold her construction paper in half (like a card), and on the inside, have the girls write
their message (from Activity 2).
3. Give the girls time to decorate their cards. Collect them at the end if you are giving them to others. If
you are not giving them out, allow each girl to keep her card and suggest she give it to someone:
perhaps a friend she would like to join Girl Scouts, someone who is having a birthday, or someone they love.
4. Have girls clean up their work space and organize the craft materials.
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CLEAN-UP (5-10 minutes)
Ask each girl to be responsible for her own place and her own supplies.
Girls with clean-up kapers should help with any final cleaning or organizing.
Have each girl write one way they can apply their message (from Activity 2) to their own lives at Girl
Scouts on her index card and then put away the Brownie Web.
Collect the name tags and put all of the supplies away.
Assign kapers for next week.
CLOSING (10 minutes)
Close with the parents present. Explain to all the girls and parents that the girls have earned the Girl Scout
Way badge (this is their first badge- it‘s a big deal!). Share with the adults that girls have learned about Girl
Scout traditions and the qualities of a good leader over the last several weeks . They should be proud of these
accomplishments. Remind girls that they belong to a sisterhood; they are a group of girls that can treat each
other well and work together to do extraordinary things!
Have girls read their message from activity 2 for the adults present.
Give each girl her certificate and badge with a Girl Scout handshake. After all girls have received their badges,
show them where the badges will go on their uniform. Remind everyone that they can refer to their Girl‘s Guide
to Girl Scouting page 26 and 27 of the Handbook, to remember where the badges go.
NOTE: If your next meeting is a field trip, have parents fill out and give you permission slips while they
are present.
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Going on an Outing / Field Trip
Meeting Six
Theme: Your troop goes to a new location, either during your regularly scheduled troop meeting or outside of
that time frame
Recommended Time Allotted: varies, with Brownies, a half day field trip is recommended. To select the time
and date, consider the location, the activity and troop/adult supervision availability.
Goal(s) of this meeting: Girls learn about one of their interests and possibly give service
Recommended Leader Preparation:
Arrange for transportation and adult supervision. You will need a minimum of 2 unrelated adults (at least one
who is female) for the first 12 girls and an additional adult for every additional 6 girls. This is the bare minimum
of adults you will need. Consider how many vehicles it will take to safely transport the girls. You need an adult
who has been Badgerland Council background checked, holds a valid operator‘s license and registered
vehicle. Follow state laws! Girls who need booster seats should provide them. Remember no girls may travel in
the front seat of a vehicle.
Review the Safety Activity Checkpoints for any further precautions. These are found on your Volunteer
Resources CD.
Communicate with your parents; let them know if you will need them to drive and get their signed permission
slips (found on Volunteer Resources CD, under Forms). You can also consider their feedback to determine
when to take the trip. Be sure to give them enough time to get forms completed, but not so long they will get
lost. One to two weeks is ideal.
Prepare a list of Key Contacts. Provide each parent with information on itineraries (specific activities are not
necessary, but locations are) and phone trees.
How to Decide Where to Go
Look at the Badgerland Girl Scout Program PathFinder (mailed to homes in August and December and online
at gsbadgerland.org) for programs near you. Also look at the Girl Scout Friendly Business List at
gsbadgerland.org to find organizations offering Girl Scout programs upon request. Consider spending time at
a Girl Scout property or park. Start small as you get to know the girls. Always consider what your girls enjoy.
There are many opportunities to apply the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to your trip. Help girls discover
what they enjoy, connect to this, and take action to complete service for what they value.
Examples
What badge did your girls decide to pursue next? Is there a field trip built into the badge? Or a
professional they could visit to learn about the topic?
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Do your girls enjoy animals? Visit an animal shelter, walk the dogs, and/or see if you can talk to the
shelter staff, find out what items the shelter could use, and girls can give service by collecting
needed items
Do your girls like to hike? Spend a day at a park and clean up litter or plant native flowers. Work
with park staff to find out if there is a particular area that needs work, the girls could adopt this area
for the year.
Do your girls want to connect to other community members? Visit a nursing home, girls can sing,
visit, and play games. If the girls make a connection to the residents, consider a return trip, girls
could make cards or small gifts for a holiday.
Are your girls interested in social justice issues? Go to a food shelter, girls can help assemble
baskets, and talk with volunteers or staff there. They could then host a drive to collect more food or
other items that they may need like toiletries
Leader Note
(whatever the staff tell you they need).
If you are doing an indoor overnight, you
must complete the Troop Overnight
If your girls (or you) are wary of an over-night, consider just a
Certification 1 home-study course.
day outing. We recommend several half or full-day outings
before taking on an overnight, save the camping for when they‘re
older.
Ensure girls are mature enough for the activity. Do they need
special skills? Will they be comfortable away from parents for the
entire time?
Always work with the girls to decide where your field trip will be.
What do the girls want to do? What did they decide to do for a
service project in Meeting 5?
This course will give you many ideas on
how to discover, connect and take
action on a camping trip.
Find the course online at
www.gsbadgerland.org (under the “for
volunteers” tab), on your Volunteer
Resources CD, or a paper copy at any
Service Center. Read through the study
packet and submit the course
completion form:
On the Day of the Trip:
Get a weather report.
Prepare the girls to use the buddy system. All girls should
GSWIBC, Attn: Volunteer Management
know who her buddy is and you should have a list of
2710 Ski Lane, Madison, WI 53713 or
buddies.
[email protected]
Have some time-filling activities for waits in a line:
riddles, games of telephone, retelling Juliette‘s Story.
Carry extra snacks, water and a first aid kit along with each girl and adults‘ Health History Form.
Remember what the girls have learned; leave your site better than you found it.
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