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 Act...

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.

Thankfully, most of us manage to find our own route to making friends. We strike up conversations, we join groups where we expect we will meet people and we inherit siblings and cousins who become our "starter" friends. For adults there are lots of articles and blogs on how to make friends.   But for kids, it can sometimes be a minefield. I have met thousands of girls and adults who credit Girl Scouting for the friends that they have now, for the friends that came into their lives through Girl Scouts, and in many cases, for friendships that have lasted a lifetime*.   The Girl Scout Promise and Law entreat us to "be a sister to every Girl Scout."   We often speak of the FUN and FRIENDSHIP of Girl Scouting, but what do we need to do to help foster a friendly environment for our girls? In many instances girls will come into a Troop knowing at least one girl from their class, and sometimes Troops are formed with a number of girls who are already...

Top Five Tips for Girl Scout Leaders Keep it FUN for the girls and for YOU.  If it isn't fun for you, it won't be fun for them!  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! Be gracious and generous to ALL the girls in your Troop and to their parents, even the parents who are difficult. Give every girl a ROLE in the Troop, and a VOICE IN THE CHOICE.   Let GIRLS LEAD at levels that are age and developmentally appropriate.   If YOUR DAUGHTER is in your Troop, help her to be part of the Troop, not your special helper. Special thanks to Joyce Wagner, Girl Scouts of Nassau County's Chief Mission Delivery Officer, for her input on this edition.