Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Girl Scouts encourage girls to take on new roles, make choices, set goals and make decisions. We do that by giving every girl opportunities to make decisions in the group, to make choices as an individual and to explore various roles in the Troop. Daisies and Brownies may need more assistance than girls who are in middle school and high school.   But even the youngest of girls can make choices between two or three options that you offer.   We can help girls expand their leadership skills by focusing on GOAL SETTING and teaching them various ways to make DECISIONS. Here are some examples of roles for girls at each level… Daisies can help hand out supplies or help with clean-up Brownies can lead the Girl Scout Promise or the walk around the block Juniors can work on writing out the caper chart or send out the emails for Troop meetings Cadettes can lead a Journey activity Seniors and Ambassadors can lead a meeting with an elected official in pursuit of a Take Action proje

Remember those days when your mother would tell you that “please” and “thank you” were the magic words. Well that still holds true today, especially when asking for help from girls or parents or thanking girls or parents for their time and effort. It is important to always be gracious and generous. When there are parents that are not able to share or be as supportive as other parents, be as gracious as you are to the parents who go the extra miles. Be patient and non-judgmental. (You really don't know everything that they may have on their plates at work and at home.) Be kind. And, be extra sensitive to treat every child as kindly as you treat the others. A simple “thank you” for a smaller task completed will make someone feel needed and appreciated and may compel them to go a step further the next time. Special thanks to Joyce Wagner, Girl Scouts of Nassau County's Chief Mission Delivery Officer, for her input on this edition.

Build a team of support for the girls and the Troop Leaders.  Most people will help if you ask, and more people will help if you give them a specific task. So, don’t be afraid to ask! Most parents want to support their daughters and the Troop, but many just don't know where to start.   So, Troop Leaders, be specific in your requests for help.   Start by posting a chart or sending an email asking for what you need and when you need it. Whether it is snacks, a craft helper (no experience required), a Troop Cookie Manager, a chaperone for a trip, a Troop Treasurer…   be specific and simple, and give an estimate of how much time it will take for the person to do the activity or tasks. If you have parents with special talents that would benefit the Troop, ask the parent if they can do a demonstration for the girls or talk about their skill or job.   Beyond the parents, partner with older Troops or individual girls to serve as helpers or to lead some activities that they alr