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I agree that as a troop leader you can say how many girls you would take in your troop, and you should also be upfront with the parents as to your expectations of them. But it does sound like you've got a lot going on already - I was a PTA Secretary the year AFTER I was a Daisy leader, and just the newsletter alone was a big job! And I only have 2 kids, not the 4 little ones you have. So your husband might be right, taking on a troop for the rest of the year could lead to a meltdown!
Hearing your stories scares me but there I go.......I just started Leading my troop last week and it seems I have a co-leader that was adamant that she did not want to be the Leader but still acts like the Leader. I think that will be my struggle. How have you all dealt with that? It almost seems passive-agressive. I am going to try my hardest to delegate to her as much as I can. Also, the parents leading a meeting each time we meet, is a good idea, thank you.
therewego, it can be awkward to lead a troop with someone you have just met. It may take a few weeks/months for you two to work out. For me, if my co-leader wanted to do the bulk of the work I would let her, lol!
In our Jr troop that we just started leading, 2 of the moms are the former Brownie leaders, both who lead their own troops for 3 years. They are both clearly type A personalities and both used to being in charge. (one of these ladies I am friends with). They both almost took over our parent meeting at my house last month! It's funny, my co-leader and I are wondering why they both didn't continue as leaders, as they both seem not quite ready to let it go.
Oh wow! I signed our daughter up for Brownies. They said we would hear back in a week. Well, five weeks later I called and offered to become the leader.
I haven't had a meeting yet, but I've had the leader training and I am stunned at the amount of paperwork. I definitely don't understand the part about opening up a bank account.
But here's the thing. It was quite clear that I could be the leader, and then my daughter could experience girl scouting and I will have some wonderful memories of doing it with her.
Also, the smile on her little, proud face when I told her that I had volunteered, was worth all this confusion.
And I work full-time and am an older mom with health issues.
I am a Girl Scout Leader in Oklahoma. This is a frequent reason people become Girl Scout Leaders. Since it is a non-profit organization it relies heavily on volunteers. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to get people to volunteer anymore. One thing I do know, if you want your daughter in Girl Scouting, you might have to MAKE the time to help out. Both of my daughters have been in Girl Scouts for years. A Girl Scout Troop is only as good as the Leaders of the troop.
Both of my girls had a hard time getting placed in a troop. We are not "society" people, nor are we "in" in our small town. For my oldest it took my mother (who is an RN) volunteering to be the Level 2 First Aider, for any and all trips the troop wanted to make. She got into the troop and is still in. My mom goes to all her meetings. That just happened to be what that Troop needed at that time, was a First Aider. My youngest daughter was bounced from troop to troop basically learning NOTHING for several years until I got fed up with it and decided to become a Leader. In 2 years she had earned 1 try-it and 1 badge. I don't think so. I decided to take a troop and basically I accidentally got a really good Assistant Leader. I have been with this particular Troop for 3 years now, and I have added 3 more troops over the time period.
Not everyone can do that I know. I basically have a Daisy Troop (5-6 year olds) Brownie Troop (2-3rd graders) that meet together, and a Junior Troop (4-5th graders) and a Cadette Troop (2 Sixth Graders) who meet together. We have a blast, but I will say it is work.
I decided I wanted to get involved in SOMETHING that would further my daughters' futures. I am a SHAM, I can do that since I do have more time. My children are both older, being in 6th and 10th grades. It is the best thing I have ever done, both for my daughters and for myself. I have learned SO MUCH and grown so much...just from Girl Scout Training. I am now a Girl Scout Trainer, I have learned how to teach people to be Leaders. In my opinion it is wonderful. Right now I probably donate 20 hours a week....depending on the week....sometimes more, sometimes less. I also have learned about coordinating events. I put on a yearly Talent Show for our County. It is small, less than 100 girls so it isn't real hard to do. This year we also had a Career Day that I coordinated. It isn't alot of work because I delegated to each troop things to do. One troop brought the refreshments, two troops gave me lists of speakers they knew such as: moms that are State Park Manager, Police Officer, 2 small business owners that are very different businesses, Nurses from LPN up to a Teacher at a RN school, A Council Representative that has been in Girl Scouts for 25 of her 45 years of life, her experiences. All I basically did was set the time, date, reserve the place, and we were good to go.
Is there ANYWAY that you can re-arrange your schedule? What about Grandma or Grandpa? Aunt, Uncles, older sisters?? Basically any adult that can pass the background check can be a Girl Scout Leader. Get creative. Even if you start a troop and just be upfront with the other parents. "I will be on paper as the leader, but we all will rotate 2 or 3 meetings a year." That is better than nothing. You can still have a good program and teach Girl Scout Ways and Values doing just that. It only takes 1 committed person to be on paper and be "The Leader".
Good Luck, and if you become a Girl Scout Leader rarely do you regret it. It is alot of work, but your girls and you will get exactly what you put into it, just like anything else you do.
This post says it all - this is a VOLUTEER organization folks - it can't operate without volunteers.
Anyone out there ever have an issue with Brownies/Girl Scouts? My daughter was on the waiting list for a year. We moved and, low and behold, she got to get onto the new town's waiting list.... unless I volunteered to be an assistant leader.... which I did.
A month later, I received an e-mail congratulating me on my new "Leader" position. "Wait a minute", I thought, "didn't I apply to be the assistant leader?" Now, here I am the "Leader" and all we need to do now is find an assistant, right? Not so easy. Still waiting.
Now I feel like the "bad guy" because I can't get the troop up and running because nobody else is volunteering to help me lead and I'm not comfortable taking it all on myself (way too much on my plate at the moment).
Sorry, I just felt the need to vent and wondered if anyone else has been subjected to a leadership "bait and switch" situation with regard to Brownies/Girl Scouts or any other organization.
I guess the scouts work differently now than when I was a kid. I just signed up at the begining of the school year and the next thing I know I'm a scout and my parents have to buy all that crap.
But I completely sepathize with you on the leadership thing. I once signed up to be an assistant coach for my daughter's soccer team. They made me head coach because nobody else signed up to be the head coach. I got the phone call and they played it off like I knew it all along. "Uh....what???...you want ME to be the coach????" And they say..."well...no coach...no team". OK OK OK. After going through it once I will never volunteer to be a coach again. I loved working with the kids but the parents were a nightmare! It's about the kids folks! Let the kids play! Let the coach coach! <end rant>
OK OK OK. After going through it once I will never volunteer to be a coach again. I loved working with the kids but the parents were a nightmare! It's about the kids folks! Let the kids play! Let the coach coach! <end rant>
This is about the way I feel with it. I have only ever had 1 child I had a real problem with. It is the crazy parents that I can hardly deal with. I mean SERIOUSLY people. Your child don't have to earn a badge EVERY MEETING, your child don't have to have a patch every time she goes potty. Sometimes it is fun to just do things together for FUN. And sometimes learning things isn't "jumping up and down" kinda fun. More of a satisfaction of knowing you can do it.
I have had parents that question EVERYTHING I do. From Balancing the checkbook to how you march in a parade. I try to teach girls LIFE SKILLS in a fun manner that makes sense to them as well as me. Not just an abstract lesson in math or whatever.
#1. Sell fundraiser products
#2. Balance Checkbook
#3. Brainstorm with the girls what they want to do for a reward trip.
#4. Break it down to them, this is what we do first, second, third.
#5. Make a plan. Ours was to go on a camp out.
#6. We learned to cook over a fire
#7. We divided up into patrols and decided who would cook what meals
#8. Gave them a choice between 2 different complete meals for each meal.
#9. Break it down to ingredients and tools needed for each meal.
#10. Make a shopping list.
#11. With an adult go shop for ingredients needed for each of our meals.
#12. GO CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!
A 8-9-10 year old can do this with a bit of guidance and help in skills. Yes it took ALOT Of time, but they had a good time so who cares? And they learned HOW to do something.
If they are that talented they can be a troop leader, too. And I would tell them that. Give them the membership leader's telephone number. Have at it or shut up.
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