In this blog poston how to earn the Violet Daisy petal, Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout, I shared how we made a Daisy chain of friendship by writing each of the girls' names and then linking them together. There is another activity for your young girls to do that will also help them earn this petal.
Instead of making a paper chain, why not make a paper doll chain instead? Each girl can write her name on the dress or shirt, then decorate it. These can get passed around. The original owner can have her name written on the back and have her name be the first doll chain she decorates.
Here is a link to a variety of templates that you can use.
On my main Girl Scout blog, I shared information about a free patch program for Girl Scouts of all levels, including Daisy Scouts. Please do not fear the term "mental illness", as it covers everything from ADHD to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The International Bipolar Foundation has a free program, with patch included, to help promote awareness of mental illness. You can read about the program in this article. The updated 2019 patch program can be found here.
By The Library of Virginia from USA (Girl Scouts Uploaded by AlbertHerring) [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons
As a Daisy Girl Scout leader, I imagine that you are both excited and a bit nervous for this new adventure you are going on. I know I was!
Getting ready for your meeting should always be done ahead of time. Buying the necessary craft items, having the book you are reading on hand, having a finished craft project for the girls to see, and making sure your leader bag is packed and ready to go are just some of the things you need to be prepared.
Another thing you might want to consider is what you are wearing. The girls are in their adorable blue tunics or vests...should you have a uniform as well?
In the photo above, which was taken about 50 years ago, it was de rigueur for leaders to also be dressed in a Girl Scout uniform, complete with hat! (notice the gloves on two of the girls?)
The photo below has two leaders in full uniform as well. Can you imagine going to your meeting today after going to work or running around with the kids dressed like this?
By Abbie Rowe, 1905-1967, Photographer (NARA record: 8451352) (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
I am a firm believer in looking good and being comfortable. That does not mean you have to wear sloppy clothes!
For younger girls, I think it would be fun to have the leaders wear some kind uniform that ties everyone together. It can be your "go to" outfit for your field trips and meetings.
Here are some very cook tee shirts that you can wear as your Daisy leader uniform! Many of these also com e in long sleeve for the winter months.
Planning Your first few Girl Scout Daisy meetings does not have to be hard. Here is an easy idea to make a Girl Scout kaper chart to do with your girls that gives them a sense of responsibility.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Updated August 2021 Planning your first Daisy meeting will fill you with excitement-and to be honest, a bit of nerves. Even though I have been teaching since 1987, even now as I begin a new school year, I get butterflies. I want to be able to connect with my students so we all can get the best from our time together.
One of the things I do to alleviate those nerves is to plan. Being organized has been key to my success as a teacher and as a leader. Think about it…if you have no idea what you are doing or are running around at the very last minute trying to put your meeting together, the stress will be evident to the girls. Having all of your ideas, materials and thoughts organized will make your meeting go smoother and it will soothe your nerves as well.
If you are planning on using a kaper chart right away, then you will want to discuss what this is and why you have one at your first meeting.
If you like this idea, email the girls' parents before you meet to bring in a face picture of their daughter that you will be using for this craft activity. They can also email a picture for you to print out.
This set of wooden stick people has 50 to a package, leaving you many extra to use for other projects to use as new girls are added to your troop. It would even be fun to collect these at the end of the year and store in a box, and then make a new one at the beginning of the next scouting year. When the girls are older, you can give them as a gift in a decorated jar when they bridge.
Or you can have the girls place them on the first page of their Girl Scout scrapbook as the start page for the new year.
First have the girls color in the body. They can write their name on the bottom of the stick, as well as the year. Once all of the coloring is done, glue the face on.
Keep these in a plastic baggie that you can attach to the kaper chart or keep in your leader bag.
*This post contains affiliate links. Updated August 2021 Girl Scout Kaper charts give the girls jobs that teach responsibility, promote teamwork and sisterhood, and keep the meetings flowing. Kaper Charts Help Your Girl Scout Meetings Run Smoothly No matter how old the girls in your troop are, from the youngest Daisy Scouts to the oldest Ambassadors, every person needs to have a part in running the meeting. While young girls will not participate in planning the activities you will be doing, they can help out in other ways.A guide for this is a Girl Scout kaper chart.A kaper is a chore that is assigned to each girl. This is one way for leaders to have decisions already made and not assign an arbitrary job to a scout. Can you actually remember who helped to pass out the papers two weeks ago or who was assigned to clean up duty? This takes the guesswork out of who has to do lead the Pledge of Allegiance and who leads the Friendship Song at the end of the meeting.
Why Should Leaders Use Kaper Charts?
The Benefits of Everyone Pitching In
There are many benefits for leaders who use this system of assigning chores. First of all, it keeps things organized and equal. A kaper chart prevents whining and cries of "It's not fair! I don't want to do that!". Assigning tasks is not arbitrary, but done on a scheduled rotation. Kapers are not punishments, they are expectations. If a girl is assigned a job that she does not like one week, the next time you are together she can look forward to having a different job to do, as kapers rotate. Everyone has to pitch in, as there are no excuses when it comes to doing a chore.
It is also a valuable life lesson as each day passes, there may be things that we don't want to do, but we must for the betterment of everyone. Sure, I don't like to empty the dishwasher, but if I don't, then dirty dishes will pile in the sink and create a mess, bring bugs, and have odors from food that is not washed away. So, I empty the dishwasher to prevent all of these things from happening! Also, having jobs at each meeting teaches the girls patience. Sometimes, we actually have to wait to have a turn at a job. Another benefit is that girls have a sense ownership of the tasks they are assigned to do and a sense of pride when they complete the job.
Materials for Creating Your Charts
Kaper charts can be made simple or elaborate-it depends on the leader and how crafty she is and how much time she wants to devote to making her chart. One thing to bare in mind is that over the years, girls will come into your troop and others will leave. Make sure whatever you create can easily be changed.
Therefore, it is important to create a kaper chart that can adjust for the natural ebb and flow of attrition that is a part of scouting. If you don't do this, then you will need to make a new chart every year. Whatever you make, be sure to save your receipts so you can be reimbursed with your troop dues.
In my Teachers Pay Teachers shop, I created colorful Girl Scout Kaper Chart job cards for each level. These are both colorful and inexpensive. Simply print, cut them out, and adhere to your poster board!
The kinds of jobs your troop will do will largely depend on these factors:
The age of the scouts
How many girls are in your troop (Smaller troops need fewer jobs and younger troops need simpler jobs)
Since troop size varies, so will the jobs that are given. It is imperative that every girl gets something to do, that everyone matters and is needed. Therefore, no job is too big or too small.
By yourself or with your co-leader, brainstorm the kinds of jobs your girls can handle. See which ones can be done solo and which need a patrol or group to complete. When your girls are older, then they can assign the jobs to each other.
Here are just a few examples of jobs that girls can do at each meeting:
Lead the Pledge of Allegiance
Lead the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout Law
Take attendance
Set up craft stations
Pass out papers
Bathroom buddy
Clean up crew
Lead songs
Lead a game
Lead goodbye
Kaper Chart Ideas and Leader Resources
Daisy Girl Scouts are in kindergarten and first grade, and at the beginning of the year, only a handful can red. Kaper charts need to use pictures as guides for each assignment. Using the girls' photograph is also a helpful visual clue for what job she is assigned to do at the meeting.Brownie Girl Scouts and older can help make the chart at their first meeting and help contribute to creating new jobs.
