I’m heading into my fourth year as a Girl Scout leader. And while the being a leader is super fun, it can be stressful at times. There’s a lot of planning, organizing and finances to deal with. As a volunteer, you might not know what you’re getting into when you start a troop.
Here are five things I wish I knew when I was a new leader. And keep readiing to get my free Girl Scout Leaders supply list, where I share the supplies I keep on hand for my meetings.
Ask for help
Your council, your co-leaders, and parents are there to help you. Lean on them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I’m part of a really awesome section unit, so I also have other leaders in my community to help me, too. You don’t have to do this on your own. Ask parents to take on cookie duties, plan trips, and donate supplies or snacks. You can ask older girls from other troops in your community to help out too! They are great role models from your troop, and volunteering can help them earn badges.
Set boundaries
You’re the leader so you get to decide when meetings are held and when to get started. Set some rules about behavior during meetings, start times and pick up.
You can spend a lot of time chasing down dues and permission slips, or you can set deadlines and stick to them. I learned this lesson after spending a day driving all over to pick up money and slips, only to have people still submit them a day or two late.
Be ready to improvise
I’m a go with the flow kind of leader. I started out planning out each minute of our meetings, and we’d either run out of time or things would go wrong. Craft projects would take longer than expected or the girls’ would finish something quickly. Here are some things you can do in a pinch:
- Have some printable activities or coloring pages ready as a back up.
- Teach the girls a traditional GIrl Scouts song.
- Start a conversation about the project you worked on.
- Ask the girls what they’d like to do next time.
- Have a dance party.
Here are some printable activities from my Etsy shop.
Pre-meeting activities
One way I kept my troop on track and engaged was having something for the girls to do as they arrived. They could check the kaper chart to see their assignment, and then I’d have coloring books or games they could play to keep them focused. So much easier to flow into a meeting because Daisies are full of energy and want to run around.
Track your budget
Start your budget tracking or delegate it from the start. I use a spreadsheet. You can end up with lots of money coming in for activities and cookie sales. Use your troop funds for supplies and save those receipts.
And one last thing…
One last thing I didn’t know was how much I’d get from being a leader. I’ve made friends in our community of leaders and parents. I’ve watched my Scouts’ learn and grow. They are so funny, smart and creative, and they love each other so much. It makes my heart so happy!
Supplies Check List
I’ve created a free checklist for Girl Scout leaders, with all the supplies I personally use and keep on hand at meetings to stay organized, get crafty and clean up. Grab the free checklist below. You can find more printables and resources for Girl Scout leaders in my Etsy shop to help make your Leader Life easier! Please share and Pin this post if you found it helpful!
