|
Leaders,
The first few
meetings seem to be the hardest to plan. Here are some
ideas, and tips to help get you started.
All meetings have the same basic structure:
(Click on underlined words)
Early Arrivers Activity
Opening
Business
Snack
Main Activity
Clean-Up
Closing
Emergency Activity
| |
Each of these activities can
be moved around and adjusted to meet your own troops needs.
For example some troops may use Snack as an Early Activity.
Meetings should last long enough to meet the needs of the girls.
Each meeting will be different and plans should be flexible.
The Girl/Adult partnership in planning is a very vital part of
Girl Scouts. As the girls get older they should understand
the basic structure of a meeting and be able to put one together
themselves when they reach Cadettes/Seniors.
Remember
-
The girls want to have fun and excitement. They don't want to feel as if
they are still in school when school is over.
|
Early Arrivals -
no matter where or when you meet you have girls who will show up early and want
something to do. Have coloring pages available, light reading, worksheets,
puzzles, and games for girls to do while you finish setting up and wait for the
rest of the troop to arrive.
Tip - If meeting right after school;
girls generally want snack, you may want to wait until all girls arrive to
have snack together or if it fits better into your troop to have open time
after school where they can eat snack and play games or talk.
Opening - An
opening is used to officially open your meetings. This tells the girls
it's time to start. Sing a song, Say Promise and Law, Do a
Flag
Ceremony.
Tip - Try to do a sit
down or quiet activity to start your meetings so the girls know it is time
to settle down.
Business - this should be the shortest time at
the beginning of the meeting. Can be done while the girls are eating snack or
during its own separate time.
You Should : Take Attendance, Collect Dues,
Remind girls of upcoming meetings, Collect Permission Slips, and Hand out
newsletter (if have one), Vote on decisions for upcoming meetings, and make
plans for upcoming meetings.
Tip - While the girls are young; you as the leader or your asst
leader/parent helper can take attendance and dues and mark it down. As girls
get older they can do this.
Snack - If meeting directly after school, girls tend
to be hungry, once you have them altogether sing a simple grace (as scout
tradition) and have them eat snack. Each girl could bring their own, a girl
could bring for the whole troop, or leader can bring snack.
Tip - No matter which way you choose to have snack at your meetings, you
will at sometime run into the problem of no snack. It is always good to have
on hand an emergency snack for the scout or mom that forgot that week, or
the girl who forgot to bring her own snack or mom forgot to pack one. Keep
emergency snack in your Troop Supply Kit.
Main Activity - This spot should take up the
majority of your meeting time. This can be anything, working on petal, try-it or
badge requirements, doing a service project, making a craft or a combination of
all and more.
Tip - Get to know your book so everything you plan can work towards a
petal, try-it or badge. In the beginning you will need to do most of the
planning, pick a couple of things to do and have the girls vote on which one
they want to do.
Clean-Up - Remember the Girl Scout Rule to leave
a place better than you found it, all girls should help clean up before the
meeting ends.
Tip - Put together a
Kaper Chart
Closing - A closing is used to officially close
your meetings. This tells the girls and waiting parents scouts is over. Do a
Friendship Circle, sing a song, etc.
Tip - Choose one or two things that always close the meeting and are
never done at any other time. If you choose a song, when you start singing
it the girls will know it is time to close the meeting. Doing a friendship
circle can still include a song like Taps, or Goodbye Girl Scouts.
EMERGENCY Activity - this one is a
biggie. You will always want to have on hand 2 or 3 extra activities (songs or
games) for girls who finish their project early or girls finished faster than
you figured it would take or meetings over and you are waiting for parents.
|
