Girl Scout Week Ideas for Brownie Leaders
Easy BrownieTroop Meeting, Step by Step
Busy Brownie Girl Scout leaders still have enough time to create a special troop meeting for Girl Scout Week, which honors Juliette Gordon Low's founding of Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912.
The meeting can be both educational and fun. All girls love a good birthday party, so the troop meeting, successfully tested with 12 second grade Brownies, is themed "Happy Birthday to Girl Scouting."
Act Out the Story of Juliette Low
It's important for Brownies to know the story of Juliette Gordon Low, the free-spirited, almost deaf woman who founded Girl Scouts in the United States. But troop meetings usually occur after school, a time when Brownies are tired of sitting in the classroom all day.
The key: Bring the story of Low to life by preparing an interactive reading of the "Juliette Low Album," which is found on pages 8-11 of the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, a leader's staple.
- Before the meeting, the leader rereads the story, and gathers items that represent parts of the story. For instance: a United States map (Low was born in Savannah, Georgia)
- a paintbrush (to illustrate that Low loved the arts)
- pieces of taffy to hand out (Low famously got taffy stuck in her hair)
- a Brownie who is the second oldest child in her family (like Low)
- a small plastic bag filled with rice (an accident with rice caused part of Low's deafness)
- a first aid kit (Low's first U.S. troop learned first aid)
- basketball (her first troop also played basketball)
- a book and a pencil (to demonstrate when Low wrote the Girl Scout handbook)
- any other items that the leader feels appropriate, to match the number of Brownies present
Before reading the story, the leader passes out at least one item to each Brownie. The leader then animatedly starts to read the story. She pauses at the point where an item is represented, and asks the Brownie who is holding the item to display it to the group (the Brownie who represents the second oldest child stands up.) This helps the girls listen carefully to the reading. It's great fun!
Make Girl Scout Themed Mug
Brownies love crafts! The following project, which takes about 20 minutes, ties into the birthday theme, is educational, relatively mess free and requires little to no adult help.
- clear plastic mugs with plastic insert (readily available at "big box" craft stores in children's section) These cost about $1 each
- markers, pencils, crayons
- glue sticks
- scissors
- Girl Scout graphics (free, from the national Girl Scout website) downloaded and printed in color
- Girl Scout Promise printed out in color (several more copies than girls, to allow for mistakes)
Girls remove the mug insert and paper, then decorate the paper. They should make sure to paste (or write) the Girl Scout Promise and their troop number on the paper. They also can add the dates "1912-2009" to help link history to present. Afterward, they simply wrap the paper around the insert, and put it back in the mug. The mug is not fragile, but care should be taken when washing so as not to get the paper insert wet.
For snack: a birthday cake made from a mix, served on birthday plates. Before eating, the girls can sing "Happy Birthday to Girl Scouts."
By using a "Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts" theme, Brownie Girl Scout leaders can quickly design a troop meeting that celebrates Girl Scout Week with a story, craft and snack.
Sources: Brownie Girl Scout Handbook: New York, N.Y. Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., 2000.
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