Organization Tips for Brownie Leaders
Summer Planning Will Save Time, Money During Troop Year
Jul 7, 2009
When it comes to planning a Brownie Girl Scout troop, it's much better to start sooner rather than later. By starting long before the school year starts, the leader can make better use of time and money. Planning ahead also will benefit Brownie parents
Plan Entire Year in Summer
It's easy to put off planning a Brownie troop's activities in the summer; the school year seems far away. But all too soon fall will come, bringing with it many other demands that will compete with Girl Scouts. Leader(s) are more likely to enjoy the planning process when they can do it on a leisurely schedule. There are several parts to setting up an effective planning system that will be in place by fall.
How to Plan for Brownie Year
- Ask for assistance from other parents, but be smart about picking help. A good way to do this is to analyze personal strengths and liabilities, then select co-leaders or parent helpers who will provide balance. For example, if a leader is very organized but not very creative, she will be wise to select a co-leader who is creative . Note: All leaders and helpers must pay a $12 fee and complete a background screening; the registrar for the leader's district council will have the forms. Or, the forms can be downloaded from a Girl Scout website.
- Before the meeting, print out a calendar of the school year. A good type of calendar to use is one that has ample space for writing on each day. Make two copies for each co-leader/parent helper.
- Also the leader should print out a copy of the school schedule for the upcoming year.
- The leader should then pencil in her ideas for meetings (including field trips), in the appropriate dates. Nothing has to be complete.
- At the beginning of the meeting, the leader can pass out calendars. Then, the leader can ask the group to expand on the ideas, and add ideas for meetings. Aim for a mix of meeting types, making sure that there are no conflicts with school activities.
- The leader then asks co-leaders/parent helpers to take on various responsibilities, such as cookie chairperson, treasurer, coordinator of special events, etc.
At the end of the meeting, the leader can set up another, less lengthy meeting before the school year starts, to finalize plans.
After the second meeting, the leader (or another person) can make a neat calendar that include meetings, special events, etc. Any special event that will entail additional cost should be noted, with the cost included.
The calendar can be copied (or emailed) to each parent. A complete schedule will also help parents to better plan for special troop events that require the parent to take a couple of hours off from work, such as the end of the year "bridging" ceremony, in which second-year Brownies become Junior Girl Scouts.
When the Brownie troop does bridge to a new level, the leader will be able to rely on her organizational skills to make the next year run smoothly.
