Girl Scout Troop Leaders, What do you do?

[smkiya]

My DD6 wants to become a girl scout but there are no established groups in this area. We have contacted the Girl Scouts and they have discussed the possibility of me becoming a troop leader. I work full-time and go to school full-time and don't know what the responsibilities or time requirements would be. Also, would the meetings be held at my house? Is it difficult to set up outings? What about raising money? Please tell me your experience as a troop leader so I can make an informed decision. Thanks!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would tell you no. Working and going to school full time is just too much.

Running a troop is a part time job.

ETA...

You could join as a "single" and then go to GS events and have your dd do caming stuff in the summer. I would tell them you need an alternative.

I said "single" because I have no idea what words they are using to describe a GS that is not part of a troop. They are changing the rules right now.

 

[mickeyboat]

I would definitely not take it on alone. You would need a very involved co-leader. I don't know how you would be able to handle leading a troop working full time and going to school full time. There is a lot of paperwork involved for council, and I think you would be surprised at how time is spent organizing things on a troop level - just contacting parents!

We hold our meetings at public meeting locations - like schools or community centers.

Outings can be as easy or difficult as you want them to be. Our Council has many opportunities that they plan - all you do is pay and show up.

There are fundraisers through Girl Scouts - we sell nuts in the fall and cookies in the spring. We have earned a lot of money that way. We used to collect dues, as well, but don't anymore. Just starting out you will want to keep your activities to inexpensive things until your troop collects some funds from cookie sales. Some examples are touring the fire station, the local grocery store, library, etc.

 

[TanyaS]

I recently became a leader of a Daisy troop for my daughter, and while I enjoy it very much, it has been a huge time commitment.

Before we held our first troop meeting, our council required several different training sessions (Intro to Girl Scouting, Leadership Essentials, Grade-level basics, First Aid/CPR and Child Abuse Awareness). The council also wants a leader to attend a meeting for leaders each month, held in the evening.

I got one of my friends (whose daughter is friends with my daughter) to be a troop leader with me, so we split the duties half and half. That has worked pretty well.

Our group meets at in a classroom at the elementary school right after school, for about 1.5 hours. Because most of the mothers either do not work, or have flexible work schedules, we have been able to have a parent attend each meeting to assist the leader.

We also had to set up a bank account. Cookies sales took the leaders another several hours to organize and distribute (and our pick-up time was early on a Saturday morning ). Then you need to plan meetings, buy supplies, and keep parents informed of what is planned.

Planning the meetings is somewhat time-consuming. We are fortunate that the families in our troop are financially able to contribute towards troop expenses, because the crafts and other activities add up quickly (cookie dough is a help towards defraying this, but then you need time to staff booth sales or have parents willing to help their girls sell lots of cookies).

We were careful about which girls we gave information to about our troop formation. This sounds evil, I know, but it has been very helpful in an otherwise potentially stress-filled volunteer position to have girls who get along and parents who are supportive.

An acquaintance of mine found a high school student who was willing to come aboard her troop as an assistant leader. She attends all the meetings and the girls love her. I imagine she is interested in a teaching field, and the volunteer work will look good on her college applications. Might be something to consider if you decide to take the plunge.

It really is a lot of work, much more than I imagined. Part of me advises you: "Don't even think about it!" But the other part is a firm believer in the adage that if you want something done, you should ask a busy person. Does your job give you time to email or plot out a meeting schedule? Do you have other children you will need childcare for?

Good luck with making a decision!

 

[minniebeth]

I would tell you no. Working and going to school full time is just too much.

Running a troop is a part time job.



You could join as a "single" and then go to GS events and have your dd do caming stuff in the summer. I would tell them you need an alternative.

I said "single" because I have no idea what words they are using to describe a GS that is not part of a troop. They are changing the rules right now.

An independent GS is a Juliette~
I agree with The Mystery Machine, it is like a part time job, and sometimes even more when you go above and beyond.
The training alone is quite time consuming and the paperwork never-ending.

Usually under your area's council, there is a local service unit that keeps track of all the troops in your area. I would try to contact them through council's direction and try to find others who would be willing to either start a troop or perhaps even find another troop that your daughter will join. There has to be troops established somewhere in your area?

My concern would be if you did take the role on, since there isn't much established, you would all of a sudden become inundated with lots of interested girls. Have you talked with other moms and would their daughters be interested in GS? Maybe if other moms knew they would have suppot, they would be willing to take on the leader role.

To be fair to yourself and the would be girls in the troop, I would say put a leader role on hold for a while until you know you have the time and energy to put into it.
Best wishes whatever you decide and I hope your DD can find a GS "home".
Both my DDs have been in GS since Kindergarten and it's a great program!

ETA: I just went back to re-read my post, and I don't mean to come of negatively~ I don't want to discourage anyone from becoming a GS leader, all whom I have great respect for. I just think people (myself included) don't realize how big of a job it is if people take it responsibly and fulfill all the duties required of them. And all that is just BEFORE you even get to the girls...which is the most precious part, and the reason I keep going as a leader.

 

[Leajess99]

My DD6 wants to become a girl scout but there are no established groups in this area. We have contacted the Girl Scouts and they have discussed the possibility of me becoming a troop leader. I work full-time and go to school full-time and don't know what the responsibilities or time requirements would be. Also, would the meetings be held at my house? Is it difficult to set up outings? What about raising money? Please tell me your experience as a troop leader so I can make an informed decision. Thanks!!!

I would definitely just sign her up as a Juliette. A juliette is a girl scout that is not associated with a troop but has the same benefits. You just have to do the projects and you can check your local service unit for different activities that she could attend as well. Does she have any friends that are also interested in doing girl scouts?? Have them sign up as juliettes as well and then you parents could take turns with projects/activities. This is what a friend of mine and I have done.

 

[minniebeth]

I would definitely just sign her up as a Juliette. A juliette is a girl scout that is not associated with a troop but has the same benefits. You just have to do the projects and you can check your local service unit for different activities that she could attend as well. Does she have any friends that are also interested in doing girl scouts?? Have them sign up as juliettes as well and then you parents could take turns with projects/activities. This is what a friend of mine and I have done.

I think this is a really good alternative to starting a new troop~

 

[emma'smom]

I work full-time as do my co-leaders. If you do it, just go into it knowing you are doing it on your terms....and let the parents know this as well. You'll need a co-leader for sure.

We meet in a local church youth center (but we used to meet at a school). The parents of most of our kids are also working moms who are just thrilled to have someone willing to do this.

Once a semester the leaders sit down and plan out our schedule of meetings around our work/other obligation schedules so that 2 of the three can be there for every meeting. Most months we try for two meetings, but sometimes it only works out being 1 and other months 3 meetings.

Then that is the schedule for the semester and we send it out.

We make a point of bringing in a lot of guest speakers and taking local field trips (parents just drop their girls off at field trip sites) to earn our badges (and when we were Daisies it was earning our petals). This means less micro-planning on our part. The leaders will learn the opening and closing circle, introduce the guest and then just be an active participant and help manage the children during the presentations.

Council Meetings- We divy them up so only one of us goes to each monthly meeting and if we have to miss---we have to miss. Those meetings are usually painfully slow and boring. No loss to miss them!

Product Sales-- The only product we sell is cookies and we get parent volunteer to handle that.

Training- We did have to all go through the training sessions---but our council has cut back on them a bit. However, we had to make the time for some of them--that was just how it was.

Leader Dynamics- We also divy up the workload as leaders. One person is handles to paper work, one person manages the meeting content, and one person is the all around "pitch in" person-- she's actually the one with the most time because her work hours are more flexible.

So...if you want to do a troop...do it! Just go into it on your own terms and have fun with it!

 

[kacaju]

I see you are in South Jersey. Which County? I know there are some active 4-H counties in South Jersey. If you can find an active 4-H club then that may be another option

 

[LaraK]

I work full time (and then some) and have a troop. I used to just be a co-leader, but the other leader has kinda fallen off the face of the earth this year so I've had to pick up the slack.

It's hard. Our troop meets one evening a month...not a lot, but with the girls getting more involved in other activities the feedback from the parents has been very positive.

You can do it, but be ready for a lot of work. That said, it's so rewarding I would hate to give it up. Our girls have been together for four years now and I love them all dearly.

 

[aprilgail2]

I work full time days and part time evenings and I am a troop leader. We meet at a local grade school since you are not allowed to meet at peoples homes-girl scout insurance does not cover if anything happens to a kid while they are there you have to go through your homeowners insurance--NO THANKS!
We do 2 meetings a month and sometimes a meeting is turned into a trip but most time we try to do trips Saturdays or Sundays. If kids can make it great- if not then maybe next time- hard to work around peoples religion stuff,sports, work,rehearsals etc.