How to Earn the Yellow Daisy Petal Friendly and Helpful With The Invisible Boy

*This post contains affiliate links.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2019

While there is no particular order in which the Daisy petals need to be earned, after first earning the Blue Promise Center, one of the next ones that I feel should be taught is the yellow Daisy petal, Friendly and Helpful. One of your jobs as a leader is to foster positive relationships within your troop...to have the girls become sisters in scouting (another petal that should be among the first to be earned, in my opinion).  After all, you are going into this hoping to lead a troop of girls for many years to come. Even if the girls are not friends outside of troop time, while they are with you, they need to get along.

Photo from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva

A book that simply touched my heart is The Invisible Boy by Tracy Ludwig. I guarantee it will pull at yours as well, as the author writes about experiences that most of us have had at one time or another during our childhood.

The Invisible Boy Available in Different Formats on Amazon

This book is the story of Brian, who is invisible to his classmates. When the book begins, Brian is drawn in black and white, while everything around him is in color. We read about two of his classmates, Sophie and Nathan take up a lot of space. You can ask the girls what does that mean?

My heart broke as I read...the author touches upon so many real life situations that children face and we adults are not there to protect them. Parents and leaders need to stop and talk as they read this book.

Other situations that Brian faces are:

• Not being picked for a team
• Talking about a party Brian was not invited to while sitting at lunch (is that being considerate and caring?)

One day, a new boy named Justin comes and the kids give him the once over. At lunch, he eats with chopsticks and the other children make fun of his lunch...all that is except Brian. He overhears what is happening, as he is sitting alone, and he wonders if it is worse to be laughed at or worse to be sitting alone-invisible.

Photo from Pixabay

Brian, who has a kind heart, draws a picture and writes a nice note on it and puts it in Justin's cubby. At recess, Justin thanks Brian, who is now illustrated with a bit of color. But, as Brian is once again left out in class, he is black and white...that is until Justin invited him to be a part of his group. This illustration jumps out as you can see how others make Brian feel like he does not matter.

After Justin gives Brian a compliment, he is in full color. At last, he is invited to sit with the others at lunch and becomes visible to everyone else.

Once you are done with the book, you can follow it up with a discussion of the story and this simple craft.

Materials

• White paper
• Pencils
• Markers or crayons

Have the girls fold the paper in half. Give each girl a pencil and have her draw her entire self and how she would feel if she were treated like Brian. 

When they are done with that, have them draw a happy picture of themselves in color.

To finish, ask the girls what they could do to make someone comfortable and included what if a new girl joined their troop. How would they make her feel colorful and not black and white?

Girl Scout Kaper Chart Resources

*This post contains affiliate links.

UPDATED AUGUST 2019

A Girl Scout Kaper Chart is one way for leaders to get the girls working together as a troop and develop positive self-help skills. When the girls are younger they will only be able to do certain tasks, but as the reigns of leadership get passed onto them year after year, they will be in charge of organizing the jobs they are required to do at each meeting.

(If you want to read about the different kinds of jobs girls can have, please read this blog post about Girl Scout Kaper charts)

Whether you are a new Daisy leader or are entering your second year, you will want to have a portable and easy to use and maintain chore chart. In fact, creating a Kaper chart makes an excellent first meeting idea, and you can read about it in this blog post.

Image created by the author in Canva

If you do not want to spend time and effort creating the perfect kaper chart, you can buy a ready made chart and have it laminated. This way, you can change the jobs every meeting or two and use it year after year.

Helper Chart from Amazon

This Helper Chart comes with everything you need for troops with 12 or fewer girls. You can use the back of the card and a graphic that you print out yourself for jobs that are not listed here.

Bear Chart from Amazon

Another option is to buy a job poster like this one. Cover the word "Class" with the words "Girl Scout" and then have it laminated. Use a dry erase marker to write the jobs and the names of the girls.

Owl Chart Pieces from Amazon

Purchase a large piece of poster board and decorate it with these adorable owls. This set comes with 34 owls and 10 moon pieces. Laminate them so that the jobs can be changed as the girls get older.

A Kaper chart is a Girl Scout tradition and a good way to start having the girls be responsible.

Resources for Brand New Daisy Leaders

Updated October 2019

You signed up to lead a Daisy Girl Scout troop-congratulations! It felt exciting as you made the decision and went through the training, and now as the school year begins and your first meeting is looming on the horizon, you may be feeling a sense of panic.

I am here to tell you to relax! I was once in your shoes, as was every other leader of a Daisy troop. Breathe...it will be fine. Remember that your audience is a group of kindergarten or first grade girls, and they are fairly easy to please.

Below are a list of resources for you to use, with links provided.

Photo from Pexels

Your First Daisy Girl Scout Meeting

Although it feels like a million years ago (my Cadette troop is entering eighth grade now!), this is what we did for our very first meeting. The parents were there as I set the tone for what my expectations were for the troop. It was a learning experience for us all, and I am proud to say that of the six girls who were there, three are still a part of the troop!

4 Steps to Successful Meetings

This blog post highlights four things for you to do to ensure that your Daisy meetings go smoothly.

New Daisy Girl Scout Leader Checklist

In this blog post, I have listed all of the things you need to think about before you have your first meeting. Don't play this by ear...it helps to parents and you stay on the same page when it comes to various policies.

Photo from Pexels

Frequently Asked Question that New Leaders Need to Have Answered

When you start your troop, you are going to have lots of questions. While some answers are different depending on the Council you are in, here are 7 questions that are on the minds of most new leaders. You can read them and the answers in this blog post.

Establishing a Good Relationship With Your Co-leader

The most important relationship you have during your time with Girl Scouts, besides the one you have with the girls, is with your co-leader. It is important to delegate tasks so you are not doing everything. And I will emphasize to put whatever you decide to do in writing. Memory is fleeting, and whatever you have in writing in a time stamped email after your meet with your partner will leave no denying what was promised. Take this tidbit from my own personal experience.

This blog post will help you navigate this new relationship.

Photo from Pixabay

10 Things You Need to Know to Have a Successful Troop

This article shares what you need to do to have a successful troop that will hopefully stay together for a long time!

Your First 8 Daisy Meetings All Planned for You

This blog post plans out your first eight Daisy Girl Scout meetings. Except for earning the Blue Promise Center, there is no special order for you to earn petals. Use this as a guide, as well as my other blog post outlining your second 8 meetings for winter and spring.

As I begin my ninth year as a Girl Scout leader, I am so happy that I began this volunteer role all those years ago. It has been a fulfilling experience, and as you embark on your journey, take a deep breath and don't forget to enjoy yourself!