Welcome Back For Another Year of Girl Scouts!
By Loretta Golden, Communications Associate at Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
October 02, 2023
Girl Scout Volunteers are essential to making our mission possible. Back to Troop is a season with lots of energy and excitement around the beginning of the Girl Scout year. But it can also be a time of stress as you try to plan for a whole year of activities designed to help girls make the world a better place. How do you keep it girl-led? How do you set goals for Product Programs and keep things organized? When do you sleep? It truly takes a village to lift the next generation of leaders.
Loretta's Former Girl Scout Troop
As a Girl Scout Alumna, I absolutely love
sharing my stories with all of you. Back to Troop brings back all the
beautiful memories of when my mom was my troop leader. I vividly
remember what it was like for her to collect materials, patches,
vests, and troop rosters-there really is so much to do, and she was
always thankful for her co-leader and family friend, Nikki Crawford.
To help you get started, we contacted Girl Scout Leaders around the
council for their suggestions and advice on preparing for a successful
troop year.
CREATE YOUR CALENDAR
Each year, in early September, my troop leaders would set up a calendar of meetings with draft topics to review with the troop. They would typically base the topics on subjects we expressed interest in the prior year. My mother and Niki felt it was essential to have a calendar for the troop so people could plan ahead.
"Our troop parents appreciated that, especially if the meeting was going to be held someplace that required travel, such as at a park to learn outdoor skills or in a legislator's office to learn about government."
The calendar was also implemented to allow the two leaders to think about what badges or other supplies (journey books, etc.) would be needed from the Girl Scout Shop.
Try the Troop Year Planner
Troop 1600 has ten girls, all entering their senior year of high school. And they have been together since they were Daisies! Troop leader Andrea Kabacinski said,
"Every August, my co-leader, Beth Geddes, and I get together to develop an outline for the year. We decide on troop meeting dates and discuss what we want to accomplish with the girls during the year or what experiences we would like them to have.”
GSUSA has created a tool to help new leaders and veterans make the most of the troop year, the Girl Scout Troop Year Planner. Use these plans to help your Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors discover what Girl Scouting is all about, find simple ways to explore the outdoors, improve your community with a service project (locally or nationally), build your cookie businesses, and so much more.
Girl Scout Troop 609 dressed to impress.
KEEP IT GIRL-LED
Lakeasha Jackson leads Junior Troop 609 with her co-leaders, Caitlin Flaherty and Jacquie Brayer. They prepare for the new troop year by sitting down with the girls at the end of the prior year and asking them what they enjoyed best and perhaps didn't enjoy as much. Then, the girls offer ideas for the upcoming year, including what badges they want to earn. The new year starts with a get-together where they compile a list of all the activities, events, and goals they want to reach as a troop. The leaders then plan meetings and trips to ensure they accomplish everything to achieve their goals.
Troop 1600 uses their first meeting in September to plan their year. Girls compile a list of trips and other experiences they’d like to try. Then, they look at all the available badges and provide suggestions for future meetings. The girls also recap activities from the previous year and strategize their plans based on the findings.
Troop 2798 volunteering as at Ghoul Scouts Haunted Trail.
USE TOOLS TO STAY ORGANIZED
Multi-level troops, such as Troop 2798, know that organization is critical to success. Troop Leader Liz Stylianos utilizes an Excel spreadsheet, where she keeps track of attendance and can quickly look back at what her Girl Scouts had done the previous year and would perhaps like to do the following year. She brings those topics to the girls, and they provide input.
“Organization is so important, and the booklet/binder is so valuable to have.”
To keep organized, they also provide a calendar to the parents.
MEET WITH YOUR PARENTS & CAREGIVERS
Having the buy-in of the caregivers of your Girl Scouts is crucial to success. A specific tone needs to be set for the year, not only for the Girl Scouts themselves but also for the parents and caregivers. By doing so, the involved adults will understand their roles in the troop and be empowered to stay engaged, enhancing the entire group's Girl Scout experience. Read Girl Scouts of USA’s “Tips For Your First Parent Meeting” for help kickstarting your year.
Some leaders use apps to share information, or you can rely on email. But continuous communication is essential. Andrea Kabacinski mentioned that,
"...communication and early planning are the keys to a successful, fun, and engaging troop year!"
Andrea Bast, a mom of two Girl Scouts, mentioned that her girls volunteer with their father over the summer at his job for the town. It's an excellent opportunity to prepare the girls for the new troop year and volunteer at everything! Andrea's girls are also friends with their troop leader's daughter, so Girl Scouts is spoken about non-stop in their homes. Her daughters want to continue Girl Scouts through high school and strive to reach for the Girl Scout Gold Award! Andrea and her daughters feel fortunate to be a part of a troop that is supportive of parents and working families, so they make sure the schedule works for everyone, which is extremely important.
Ready for some additional tips for Back to Troop? Remember to:
- Log into your council troop account and see who has registered for the new year. Send a friendly email thanking the parents or guardians who have already registered and remind those who still need to register. The new Girl Scout year starts October 1st!
- Take your Fall Product Program Training and meet with your troop to set goals. This year, our Munchies & More Product Program has new offerings that teach financial literacy, people skills, and business ethics while encouraging each Girl Scout to “Own Your Magic.”
- Decide what, if any, changes you are making this year: Are you going to serve a snack? Would you like to extend the meeting time? Is there a need to increase dues?
- Meet with your co-leader: An open and honest discussion about which aspects she will be responsible for and which you are responsible for will avoid any confusion and conflict.
- Plan an active and fun first meeting: Enjoy a fun icebreaker activity if you can’t meet up over the summer.
- Change over your First Aid Kit: Medications and supplies expire, so be sure to buy new products or a new kit.
- Uniforms, badges, and journey books, oh my! The team at the Girl Scout Shop is an excellent resource for all things Girl Scout. They can help with suggestions on badges, activities, and tools to make life easier, like Girl Scout Kits and our Heat Press Service. New items like our “New Year, New Me” Kit for $10, the new Girl Scout Blanket for $35, and the Leader Vest for $39 are available. Check out what's new, Fall shop hours, or order online .
The excitement of Back to Troop season is here, and we know that by working together, we can help our Girl Scouts do anything. What tools do you use to help set your troop up for success? Please share your stories with us today!
Troop 609 having fun together
Troop 2798 cleaning up a park
Troop 483 hosting a Food Drive w/ Long Island Cares.
