Setting the Tone for the Year and for the Future

As a new Daisy leader, you have a lot to learn. There are all of the GSA rules and regulations that you must follow and if you are unfamiliar with managing a large group of children, then this is a skill you will need to develop on the job.

But one thing you must remember is what you do now and what behaviors you accept will set the tone for the rest of your leadership years. 

This is a learning curve, and the faster you learn, the easier it will be for you to lead a troop.

For example, what is your policy on tagalongs?  What you accept this year will be hard to undo for next year.  

What about parents talking at your meetings?  You need to send a clear message that conversations should be taking place outside so your meeting is not interrupted.

How do you arrange carpools for Girl Scout trips?  

What is your policy for parents who continually pick their daughters up late and forget that you have a life and are not a free babysitting service?

With your co-leader, you need to discuss these topics and create a united front. As I always like to emphasize, you are a volunteer and your time is just as valuable as the anyone else's.  Parents need to respect your boundaries, but they can only do that if you create them.

If you are uncomfortable with something, speak up NOW and do not wait until your girls are Brownies to pop your cork.  It will come as a great shock to parents who think that everything is fine.

Remember that you are in charge because you chose to lead the troop. Establish your guidelines now so that down the road, you will enjoy each meeting and not dread it.

Thanksgiving Crafts and Craft Kits for Daisy Scouts

*This post contains affiliate links.

It may only be October, but it is not too soon to be thinking about the meetings surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. If you have not earned the following petals, you can easily earn them with an easy Thanksgiving craft and donate what you have done to a senior center or another local organization who could use the crafts to decorate their holiday table.

Yellow-Friendly and Helpful
Spring Green-Considerate and Caring
Green-Use Resources Wisely (if using recycled products)
Rose-Make the World a Better Place

For those of you feeling extra crafty, here is my Pinterest board full of Thanksgiving activities and crafts for kids. Find some ideas, collect your materials and have fun!

If you are busy and do not want to make a craft from scratch, there are plenty of ready made craft kits available.  While ordering, you may want to find some winter craft items as well and do all of your shopping at once.

Here are some adorable craft kits for Thanksgiving!

Paper Plate Scarecrow Craft Kit - Crafts for Kids & Novelty Crafts from Amazon Makes 12

 

  3D Pumpkin Wreath Craft Kit - Crafts for Kids & Decoration Crafts for 12 from Amazon

  Tissue Paper Turkey Craft Kit - Crafts for Kids & Decoration Crafts from Amazon for 12

 

  Give Thanks Charm Bracelet Craft Kits (1 dz) from Amazon

Girl Scout Founder's Day Ideas

*This post contains affiliate links.

By Edward Hughes (1832-1908), painter. (Daderot (I took this photograph)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Daisy leaders, if your troop is up and running, then plan you last October meeting to celebrate Girl Scout Founder's Day.  Juliette, Gordon Low, whose portrait is featured above, was born on October 31, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia. It is a special Girl Scout holiday and one that troops across the country celebrate with community service projects.

If you are a brand new Daisy leader, your first celebration might want to center around who Ms. Low is.  You may want to read parts of a children's biography to her, like the best selling Here Come the Girl Scouts.

Juliette's nickname was Daisy, and the girls will really hearing about their namesake.  

You can start off the meeting by asking the girls what they already know about Girl Scouts.  Cookies and meetings will more than likely be the answers you will hear.  Then you can share a bit about the background of Ms. Low and then do a project.

What kind of project?

You can choose to do a service project like this one which is easy to do and cheap to make.

If you are an already established troop in your second year, you may want to consider doing the Birthday in a Bag project. This is how my troop did it and donated a dozen bags of goodies to our local high school food pantry.

Here are others from this blog.

If you plan on decorating bags, here are some cute and inexpensive stickers! Combine Daisies, Girl Scout and birthday stickers for a one-of-a-kind look!

 

 

  Happy Birthday Sticker Roll (100 pcs)

What are your plans for Girl Scout Founder's Day?