Girl Scout Leaders----summertime ???

[Chim Chiminy]

I lead a Brownie troop and mentor two Juliette Juniors.

My assistant and co-leader do not want to do any summer activities and I am really struggling with this.
I remember doing a few activities in the summer as a Girl Scout and they were always a blast.
My assistant says to me " summer time is for families and if you have any event nobody will come, and that includes me and my daughter. You would be cutting in on family time."
Co-leader just kind of goes along with whatever.

Am I wrong to feel like we should have a couple of day events? Does anybody else do this?

Same assistant, who is a really good assistant--more like a co-leader but she didn't want the responsibility of the name-----doesn't want to take the troop to eat after our big end of year outing. Which is to Build a Bear next month, the girls voted to go there (mostly 1st graders!).
Our event is at 9:30, figure it will take 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. By that time it is lunchtime! I thought a nice picnic at the park would be good.
She thinks we should take them for ice cream then back home (40 minute drive). Doesn't make any sense to me.
I understand she doesn't want every free moment filled with Girl Scouts, but come on!

Maybe I feel differently because I am a SAHM and both of them work full time. Guess this turned into a vent...............

 

[buddy&wooz]

I know with our Cub Scouts the program pretty much comes to a grinding halt at the end of March- in time for baseball/soccer/roller hockey season to start. Families just have too much going on, and we've found it's not worth the trouble to try to go year round. We start back up in September, and have a very full 7 months.

Maybe you can plan a trip to a ballpark, a pool party, a local zoo, for a few hours one day during the summer. It could help keep everyone in touch. But I know even when we do these things, the turnout is less than half the families.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I'm planning on a picnic sometime in July for my girls and their families. I figure that it will be a nice relaxing day for parents. The girls get to see each other over the summer., win-win all around. I live next to a town park so its easy for everyone.
Also, its completely optional. If someone doesn't want to attend or they have plans, no big deal.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

That's what I wanted to do.

Have one backyard sleepover and have one hiking day or day at the beach.

Hiking day is tentatively scheduled for end of August.
What happens though, since "summers are for families" is that we wind up running like crazy during the school year.

Already planned for fall/winter are an outdoor hike, sleepover, ice skating day not to mention there are always three or four council or troop sponsored day events.

 

[mrsmom]

My dd12 is a cadette ,and they are going white water rafting the second week in June and this will be it, until Sept. They have never done anything in the summer, due to the girls and families having plans. They have tried but not alot of girls show up for the stuff.
Kim

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

We always have a week of day camp in August, but that is a Neighborhood wide event, with several troops involved. There is usually pretty good response for that, but it is a tradition, has been going on for years.

I'd say try it and see who shows up. Maybe later in the summer when the kids start getting bored. The picnic day would be good. Just don't make it too much work on yourself, and realize going into it that you may not get a lot of participation. How many girls in your troop?

 

[KJSJpipe]

I think it would be a good idea to take a general poll of girls/parents. Your Assitant may be right about no one coming. Alot of our girls go away for weeks at a time during summer vaca. We have a enough trouble getting them to come to stuff during the school year. They always say how come we don't go on trips, or do more activities and then do not show up. We also have fund raising issues-they don't come to them either then wonder why there is no $$ for anything.

 

[lbgraves]

I was in GSs for 12 years and the only summer activities that I did were the council's GS camps.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I think it would be a good idea to take a general poll of girls/parents. Your Assitant may be right about no one coming. Alot of our girls go away for weeks at a time during summer vaca. We have a enough trouble getting them to come to stuff during the school year. They always say how come we don't go on trips, or do more activities and then do not show up. We also have fund raising issues-they don't come to them either then wonder why there is no $$ for anything.

That would frustrate me to no end!
Twice I have had one girl, same girl both times, whose mom told me she was coming to an event but then they don't show up.
So that leaves the troop out that amount of money for the event. It is a waste and it makes me .

We have eleven in the troop plus the two Juliettes.
Most if the parents are good about getting them to meetings and events thankfully.........

I wonder what the change is from when I was a scout to now.
We always did a week long day camp at the park and other activities. I realize many homes have both parents working and guess that is it.

 

[allison443]

I am a GS leader and have been for the past 11 years...all different levels and for five of those years I had two troops. None of my troops ever met or had activities during the summer. We basically run on the school calendar. I don't think any of the troops in our service unit ("neighborhood") get together during the summer.
With vacations, camps, people making alternate child care arrangements, etc., I think it would be difficult to schedule something for us. Also, I have to admit, I like taking a break in the summer!
In our council, a simple "day at the beach" would involve trip approval forms in advance, permission slips, figuring out drivers, food, and I think we might even have to bring our own lifeguard...they are very strict with that kind of thing.

 

[allison443]

I also meant to say...your enthusiasm is great!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, we're currently winding down our fifth year with our troop. I'm a co-leader. We generally end mid-May, due to busy schedules. We get together for the Memorial Day parade, though. Then we generally have a troop picnic in August--pot luck, at the main leader's house. Low key--a few games, if you can make it, fine, if not, that's okay.

This June we're also doing a sleepover at the leader's house. The girls had a bad time at last year's lock-in, and voted to do a "private" sleepover instead. This isn't typical for us, but the girls wanted to.

I suggest asking the girls and their parents. Every troop is different.

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

Why not schedule something very informal like a park day or swim party. I would still try to keep the girls together at least once each month doing something fun. Yes summer if for families but they still need their friends and/or a sense of structure and routine.

As a former Cub Scout leader I did enjoy taking the summer off from weekly den meetings. Less work for me BUT we always scheduled at least one group event each month. THey may not have been as well attended as during the school year but we held them for anyone who was interested in attending.

Make it informal and have fun.......

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Our troop enjoys doing things in the summer. One co-leader wants nothing to do with Girl Scouts over the summer, so the leader plans and coordinates it all on her own. Maybe 3/4 or so of the girls show up. The ones that like it, love seeing their friends and doing more outside, warm weather activities that we often can't do during the school year. The ones that don't want to come aren't pressured or made to feel like they've missed out. So everyone is happy.

Ask yourself if you are willing to make all the arrangements yourself, and whether you'll be hurt if only a few girls can make it. If you're OK with those two things, just plan it and do it on your own. Let the co-leader know that you don't expect her to come or to help in any way, but you want to give it a try.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[buckler]

Which is to Build a Bear next month, the girls voted to go there (mostly 1st graders!).
Our event is at 9:30, figure it will take 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. By that time it is lunchtime! I thought a nice picnic at the park would be good.
She thinks we should take them for ice cream then back home (40 minute drive).

My DD went to a part at Build a Bear this weekend. For 12 kids it took right at an hour to be in and out of the store. Double check with the store to see how long they think it will take. Your time estimate may be a bit long. You may be done by 10:30 if it only takes an hour.

 

[aprilgail2]

Our girl scout meetings end in the beginning of June and then we don't pick back up until Sept...We don't do anything during the summer, I am actually glad of that because we are busy on all the weekends and during the weekdays kids go to some type of summer camp so they are not around to do other activities...

 

[MrsPete]

I've been a scout leader for years, and we do not meet during the summer. We're a very active group of three troops (Br, Jr, Cad/Sen) who meet at the same time but break up in to our own age groups.

Why? Too many people have too many plans, and it just doesn't work out well. I tried to have informal "badge afternoons" at my house one year -- come over for a couple hours, see your friends, work on a badge; I had literally no takers.

Our individual girls who're interested can sign up for day camp at the council office, day camp here in our own county, or sleep-away camp. I'd estimate 1/4 of our girls take part in these activities.

 

[PaulaSue]

I am not a leader...

Last year my Dd 's troop had a pizza party at the leaders house and they had a blast. It was nice to see her friends again and they talked about the week of day camp coming up 2 weeks later. I think it was nice to refresh the girls memories before the day camp with all the other troops so they 'had a friend' and not feel lost at camp.

 

[challada]

I had 5 years of boys (cubs) scouts before DS moved to the big boy version this year...
NEVER MET over the summer (but did do one backyard sleepover first year).

I now have a GIRL SCOUT troop w/DD...Daisies who will move into Brownies in June. As my mantra at all Service Area meetings..."We are Daisies, we don't go anywhere, we don't do anything" (since most outings around here start at Brownies and so does cookie sales).

Anyway, short answer...NO WAY am I meeting w/my girls over the summer. I have 13 kindergartners and can't imagine coordinating to get them all together. Frankly, after 13 kindergarten girls in my house all school year, I am READY to have them AWAY from me for a while!

They'll be back in the fall and we'll ALL be better rested! LOL

 

[Stacey2grls]

My Brownie troop follows the school calendar year, September to June. We have our end of the year party the last week of school. I have never heard of Brownie activities over the summer in my area.