To ensure girl participation in planning, review this calendar with them at the beginning of your troop year and ask them how they would like to incorporate these ideas - Badgework? Ceremonies? Crafts? Games? Service Projects? Trips?
For younger girls, offer limited choices (perhaps a choice of three activities that would apply to an appropriate Daisy Petal; or a choice of three appropriate Brownie Badges) and have them vote on their favorite. Juniors and Teens should take the lead in selecting, planning and carrying out the activities - as troop leader and advisor to older girls, you can help guide them through the process, but be sure to step back and allow them to do the actual work.
GIRL SCOUTING THROUGH THE YEAR CALENDAR
Note: the following calendar reflects certain events specific to the Chesapeake Bay Council
August
- Time to rev up your planning! Make sure you have all necessary forms.
- Watch for council's Program Calendar on the website - possibly in July - to plan the trainings you need to take this year, and inform girls of council events they might want to participate in.
- Register for Fall School - a fun weekend just for adult volunteers !
- Organize your troop notebooks, binders, files.
- Plan to attend the monthly Service Unit volunteers meetings for updated information, ideas and networking. If your Service Unit has a website, Facebook page, or email group for sharing communications, make sure you sign up and check those sources frequently for important info.
- Get in the habit of checking the council website for information on trainings and girl events (www.cbgsc.org) and GSUSA site for general information and updates (www.girlscouts.org)
- Troop year starts! Make sure all girls and adults working with girls are registered.
- Hold a Parent Meeting to recruit Troop Committee Members, explain policies & procedures.
- Make sure adults have been or will be receiving the trainings necessary for their positions.
- Have girls develop troop rules, goals, activities, badges to work on, and budget.
- Introduce Girl Scout history (some great badges and patch programs tie in nicely.)
- Teach/review Girl Scout Promise and Law; Sign, Handshake, Motto and Slogan.
- Programming for the next two or three months should emphasize Team Building activities, especially for new troops or when including new girls.
- Fall Product Sales (QSP - magazine subscriptions and nut/candy.)
- Juliette Low’s birthday (October 31.)
- Investiture/Rededication Ceremony.
- Service Projects.
- Court of Awards for badges and awards earned during the fall.
- Cookie Sales begin!
- Winter activities and/or winter (cabin) camping.
- For younger girls - begin spring pre-camping progressions such as a one night indoor sleepover.
- Cookie Booths.
- World Thinking Day (February 22.)
- Girl Scout Birthday (March 12.)
- Girl Scout Sunday - the Sunday immediately prior to March 12.
- Earth Day and other environmental/outdoors activities.
- Spring camping.
- Order end of year member star pins and bridging patches (avoid the May “run” on Council inventory.)
- Bridging and Year End Activities including final Court of Awards.
- Family Recognition.
- Prepare all necessary End of Year Documents and Paper Work (DCR, United Way form, etc.)
- Attend your Service Unit's Adult Volunteer Recognition Dinner.
- Optional - plan once a month fun activities to keep the girls in contact and involved in the Girl Scout experience through the summer (girls who maintain that connection at least once or twice during the summer are much more likely to return in the fall!)
