Anonymous
05/27/2013 01:29
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a mixed grade troop of 3 grades. We have done fine, but, we only do one girl scout level. I had parents complain last year that their daughters were not bridging up to juniors. I suggested that one of the parents become a leader and bridge those girls up. Nobody took me up on that offer, so everyone stayed brownies for another year.
The girl scout curriculum and many badge requirements make little sense and are either too hard or too easy. We just pick badges based on topic and modify the requirements.
Are you saying you had girls in Brownies who were this year in grades 2,3 and 4? You had 4th graders but called them Brownies?
Just trying to understand!
Yes. My 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders were all still Brownies. We did a Brownie journey and worked on Brownie badges. This coming year, I will just bridge my three 2nd graders early, and all the girls will become Juniors.
We are actually briding in in June, in the coming school year, my youngest girls will be in 3rd grade. I do not know (or care) if the service unit is aware. I hate our service unit bureaucracy.
I can actually see doing that with the 2nd graders because I think the official Junior "curriculum" so to speak is a little weak. But did the Service Unit/Council know you were doing this? Are they OK with just calling your girls "Juniors" even if they are in 2nd grade?
Again just curious.
Anonymous
05/25/2013 07:09
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a mixed grade troop of 3 grades. We have done fine, but, we only do one girl scout level. I had parents complain last year that their daughters were not bridging up to juniors. I suggested that one of the parents become a leader and bridge those girls up. Nobody took me up on that offer, so everyone stayed brownies for another year.
The girl scout curriculum and many badge requirements make little sense and are either too hard or too easy. We just pick badges based on topic and modify the requirements.
Are you saying you had girls in Brownies who were this year in grades 2,3 and 4? You had 4th graders but called them Brownies?
Just trying to understand!
Yes. My 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders were all still Brownies. We did a Brownie journey and worked on Brownie badges. This coming year, I will just bridge my three 2nd graders early, and all the girls will become Juniors.
I can actually see doing that with the 2nd graders because I think the official Junior "curriculum" so to speak is a little weak. But did the Service Unit/Council know you were doing this? Are they OK with just calling your girls "Juniors" even if they are in 2nd grade?
Again just curious.
Anonymous
05/24/2013 23:18
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
I think the ideal number in a troop depends on the leader's ability to handle kids and the leader's experience as a leader in GS.
For me, with a brownie troop, I think 10 was perfect. For juniors, I can see going up to 15 as the girls are a little more mature and I'm a little more experienced.
I have known people in mega troops (i.e. 28 brownies) and I can't imagine how it works. With 10, everyone gets a chance to be heard in the discussion (and there are MANY group discussions). It's small enough that I (as a leader) can get to know each girl's strengths and personality and I can use those in setting up patrols or pairings. I suspect that if we were a larger group (20+), girls would congregate in groups of 3-4 of their closest friends and they wouldn't mix and mingle so much. With a smaller group, I don't see cliques.
Jumbo troops are at a real disadvantage when it comes to cookie sales b/c each TROOP gets to pick 2 booth slots at a time. Doesn't matter if you have 5 in your troop or 25 -- you get the same number of booth slots per round.
Logistically, I would just be overwhelmed trying to find carpools for 28 girls and I wouldn't want to supervise that many at activities, or organize that much paperwork (permission slips!) --- so I just wouldn't plan much of anything. With 10, I'm in good shape to get drivers and to supervise.... so we do a lot of activities.
OP if you are thinking of leading, my biggest advice to you is to know your limits! The Service Unit Mgr and School coordinator have goals for getting a certain number of girls signing up.... but they don't have to deal with the girls once they are signed up. As a leader, it's your responsibility to make sure the girls are safe and getting a great scouting experience. Do not be meek about stating your limits. IMO, you should never be pressured to do anything more than you want to do as a volunteer. You are already giving plenty by being a leader.
For me, with a brownie troop, I think 10 was perfect. For juniors, I can see going up to 15 as the girls are a little more mature and I'm a little more experienced.
I have known people in mega troops (i.e. 28 brownies) and I can't imagine how it works. With 10, everyone gets a chance to be heard in the discussion (and there are MANY group discussions). It's small enough that I (as a leader) can get to know each girl's strengths and personality and I can use those in setting up patrols or pairings. I suspect that if we were a larger group (20+), girls would congregate in groups of 3-4 of their closest friends and they wouldn't mix and mingle so much. With a smaller group, I don't see cliques.
Jumbo troops are at a real disadvantage when it comes to cookie sales b/c each TROOP gets to pick 2 booth slots at a time. Doesn't matter if you have 5 in your troop or 25 -- you get the same number of booth slots per round.
Logistically, I would just be overwhelmed trying to find carpools for 28 girls and I wouldn't want to supervise that many at activities, or organize that much paperwork (permission slips!) --- so I just wouldn't plan much of anything. With 10, I'm in good shape to get drivers and to supervise.... so we do a lot of activities.
OP if you are thinking of leading, my biggest advice to you is to know your limits! The Service Unit Mgr and School coordinator have goals for getting a certain number of girls signing up.... but they don't have to deal with the girls once they are signed up. As a leader, it's your responsibility to make sure the girls are safe and getting a great scouting experience. Do not be meek about stating your limits. IMO, you should never be pressured to do anything more than you want to do as a volunteer. You are already giving plenty by being a leader.
Anonymous
05/24/2013 22:14
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a mixed grade troop of 3 grades. We have done fine, but, we only do one girl scout level. I had parents complain last year that their daughters were not bridging up to juniors. I suggested that one of the parents become a leader and bridge those girls up. Nobody took me up on that offer, so everyone stayed brownies for another year.
The girl scout curriculum and many badge requirements make little sense and are either too hard or too easy. We just pick badges based on topic and modify the requirements.
Are you saying you had girls in Brownies who were this year in grades 2,3 and 4? You had 4th graders but called them Brownies?
Just trying to understand!
Yes. My 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders were all still Brownies. We did a Brownie journey and worked on Brownie badges. This coming year, I will just bridge my three 2nd graders early, and all the girls will become Juniors.
Anonymous
05/24/2013 22:04
Subject: Re:Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:PP -- another q: about how many girls do you have in each separate level?
I'm the PP who has the large mixed age troop. We have Juniors, Brownies, and Daisies in grades 1st through 4th. We have about a dozen Juniors, 10 Brownies and only 5 Daisies. We're bridging the Daisies in a couple weeks so we'll actually be down to only two levels next year. Our meetings are officially an hour and 15 minutes, but they often run over.
Someone wrote that the leader will be most focused on her own daughter's level. That may be true -- I know what my daughter's level is doing, and I don't often know what the younger girls are doing. I think that's fine. I have great assistant leaders who plan meetings and activities for the little ones and I don't worry about it.
It's interesting to read the comments about Service Units pushing multi-age troops. That hasn't been my experience. I think there is only one other multi-age troop in our area.
What do you think about having 15 -19 girls in a troop or level? Would you do that? What do you think is an optimal level for a section?
Anonymous
05/24/2013 21:14
Subject: Re:Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:PP -- another q: about how many girls do you have in each separate level?
I'm the PP who has the large mixed age troop. We have Juniors, Brownies, and Daisies in grades 1st through 4th. We have about a dozen Juniors, 10 Brownies and only 5 Daisies. We're bridging the Daisies in a couple weeks so we'll actually be down to only two levels next year. Our meetings are officially an hour and 15 minutes, but they often run over.
Someone wrote that the leader will be most focused on her own daughter's level. That may be true -- I know what my daughter's level is doing, and I don't often know what the younger girls are doing. I think that's fine. I have great assistant leaders who plan meetings and activities for the little ones and I don't worry about it.
It's interesting to read the comments about Service Units pushing multi-age troops. That hasn't been my experience. I think there is only one other multi-age troop in our area.
Anonymous
05/24/2013 21:13
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:Anytime the SU dictates something about troop management, you better believe it's because they are trying to increase their membership numbers, not because it's in the best interest of the troop. Your field rep needs to recruit more adults as leaders. Don't ever forget that you are a volunteer. . .
I agree but I think it is short sighted of a Service Unit to insist on 2 grades per level. That might allow more girls to be that level, but they will be more likely to drop out the next eyar than if you had single grade troops.
Anonymous
05/24/2013 21:12
Subject: Girl Scout troop question
Anonymous wrote:I have a mixed grade troop of 3 grades. We have done fine, but, we only do one girl scout level. I had parents complain last year that their daughters were not bridging up to juniors. I suggested that one of the parents become a leader and bridge those girls up. Nobody took me up on that offer, so everyone stayed brownies for another year.
The girl scout curriculum and many badge requirements make little sense and are either too hard or too easy. We just pick badges based on topic and modify the requirements.
Are you saying you had girls in Brownies who were this year in grades 2,3 and 4? You had 4th graders but called them Brownies?
Just trying to understand!