Shift the Lens on Girl Scout Volunteering: Part 1
The possibilities are endless with the way girls and their leaders are staying connected through Girl Scouts. Maintaining routines are important to a girl’s development, and this troop leader has shifted the lens on the way she engages with her girls, proving a pandemic doesn’t have to stop them from receiving a true Girl Scout experience!
Girl Scout Troop Leader Marissa leads a troop of Girl Scout Cadettes (grades 6-8) and has continued to meet bi-weekly on a virtual platform since the shelter-in-place ordinance began in March 2020. Each meeting, Marissa thought of fun, interactive activities to keep the girls engaged while learning and earning Girl Scout badges organically. Check out this newscast her troop created to participate in the Cadette Media Journey.
Marissa’s strategy to maintaining a virtual troop: “Take one big project and break it up into several meetings. The newscast project took up at least three meetings: one to give the girls a chance to plan, the second to rehearse, and the third to record,” she says.
Below Marissa shares more tips on how to manage a Girl Scout troop meeting like a boss!
Utilize breakout rooms
“Badge work can become a bit tedious for girls sometimes and they need a change of pace every 15 minutes or so,” Marissa says. “Use the breakout room feature to help them release energy by having a friendly chat or playing games. Our troop did a virtual escape room and did fun quizzes using an app called Kahoot.”
The breakout room feature is available through Zoom, which your troop can get for FREE when 90% of your girls renew by August 31! Learn more.
Understand your audience
Girls may experience remote learning in different ways. Think about what you can do to keep that girl engaged. “Consider mailing or safely delivering an activity packet to the family at home so that she can review it on her own before we come together as a group,” Marissa says.
Don’t be afraid to adjust badge requirements
“If your troop is working towards a badge, don’t be afraid to scale the requirements to cater to your girls, especially if you have a multi-level troop. They can organically earn badges by just participating in an activity that is along the same lines as a badge requirement,” Marissa says.
Marissa shared these virtual activities ideas for your troop to enjoy!
- Find a fun, interactive virtual escape room to participate in to earn this escape room fun patch
- Play online games and quizzes or even make up your own (such as Kahoot!)
- Do your own newscast! Check out these quick instructions
Continue the connection with your girls and renew your troop today.
Renew Your Troop by August 31 for a Chance to Win!
We just announced a new promotion to help you get ready for a knockout new year!
Renew at least 90% of the girls in your troop by August 31 and your troop will receive:
- A free Zoom account for your troop
- A $20 gift certificate for the Girl Scouts GCNWI online shop
- TWO entries into a drawing for a $200 Amazon gift card (10 prizes available)!
Renew at least 75% of your troop by August 31 and your troop will be entered into a drawing to receive a $200 Amazon gift card (10 prizes available)!
It’s easy to renew your whole Girl Scout troop at one time, and a great way to use troop funds—by powering another year of amazing experiences! Follow these step-by-step instructions to renew your troop.
Related links
We’ve got more than a few things to look forward to as we enter the new year.
- New virtual meeting plans are uploaded to the Volunteer Toolkit and resources added to the Learning Portal
- Read our newly expanded guideline for in-person meetings. SPOILER ALERT! Up to 15 girls and two related adults can meet outdoors, with masks!
- AND we’re working hard on programs for the fall, both virtual AND outdoor! Continue to check our Girl Scouts from Home page for updates.
Create Your Own Newscast!
Follow these instructions to create your very own newscast. Renew your membership today and try it at your first back-to-troop meeting!
Objective: Create a feel-good news show
Time Limit: 10-15 minutes
Each girl has to play a role (someone can be a producer or a writer if they aren’t comfortable with being in front of camera).
Name your news show and include the following segments:
- Opening from the anchor. Think of this like an introduction to an essay. Remember to include your name and your TV station. (Think: “Good Evening, this is Cheryl Burton with ABC 7 News“).
- 1-3 feel-good stories
- 1 or 2 sports or entertainment news
- A breaking news story. Create a script to follow and come up with a breaking news story related to Girl Scouts (i.e. cookie donation drive announcements, first in-person meeting under newly expanded guidelines, etc.)
- Closing from the anchor. Some anchors have fun with their sign-off, such as, “Good Night and Good Luck!” or and “that’s the way it is!