Advice For New Leaders

This long but true list is written from a leader like us about things that I wish I had known ahead of time. So, in random order, here is her advice. Make sure you read all eighteen! 

  1. You will NOT please everyone! There will always be that one parent or parents, or even girls, who will never be pleased. Don’t let it bother you. Yes, I mean in, don’t let it bother you.
  2. If your Girl Scouts are happy, you should be too! It will show up in lots of places you don’t expect.
  3. You will spend A LOT more of your own time and money than you think you will. It’s okay and it’s totally worth it!
  4. Don’t reschedule your time to fit other girls or family needs. You are the volunteer and your schedule is what matters.
  5. Don’t do it alone! Find good support people, co-leaders, parents, friends, family, or even Girl Scout Facebook groups. These will be people you can brainstorm with and even give you assistance with some good ideas or even the bad ones to avoid. Remember, good and bad criticism is okay, but remember to “Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout” and “Respect Yourself and Others.”
  6. Use your Community, Service Unit, Council, and National Girl Scout resources. I know some Councils lack good resources. Remember, almost all Councils in the U.S. have websites to explore information and ideas; that’s over 100 Councils out there. If yours doesn’t have good resources look around!
  7. Try new and odd things. Don’t just do the girly things or not just “girl scout-ish” things. You can do ANYTHING with your troop.
  8. Things will not always go as planned. Don’t worry about it. What’s important is to have fun. Just call it “Plan B.”
  9. Don’t worry about doing it wrong! Just do it and have fun! Girls will have more fun on something that you just sort of winged or that went astray versus something that you planned out to the minute.
  10. Safety is important. The world can be scary. People can be scary. Remind your girls about this from time to time.
  11. Be prepared for anything!
  12. Have a designated Girl Scout area/shelf/space in your house. Otherwise, Girl Scout stuff may take over the whole room or even the whole house!
  13. Your daughter, yes – your sweet girl, may end up being the worst behaved girl in your troop. 
  14. No matter what, you will always have one parent claim, “I didn’t know anything about this.” This statement usually comes after you have sent them at least two emails, a text message, and updated website and facebook site with the information.
  15. You will also hear, “I know the RSVP/deadline has passed but my daughter can still join, right?” You’ll even hear it if the event is today. Stand your ground. NO is the word you’re looking for here.
  16. Telling a parent NO will harm no one, I promise. It will help you in the long run. It may seem to cause problems, but you want to establish that NO means NO as soon as you can!
  17. Have fun! 
  18. Girl Scouts is what you make of it. So make it the best it can be!