Volunteer Zone

Leader to Leader

Updated 5/24/10

Do you have a question only another Girl Scout volunteer leader can answer? Do you need to consult with the real experts about how to work with girls? Do you want opinions from a volunteer's point of view? Or, do you have a great resource or tip you want to share? This is the place! Whether you have a question or an answer, send it to ProgramResources@girlscoutsofgreateratlanta.org and we'll put it out there, leader to leader.  

Online Nature Resource

In case anyone is looking for inspiration for walks with Rainbows and  Brownies (possibly older ones too) there’s an ideas booklet on the Walk4Life site. (Click on image.)

Helen ő¿ő
Guides & Beavers in Derbyshire, UK*

*In Girlguiding UK, Rainbows are 5 – 7 years old, Brownies are 7 – 10, and Guides are 10 – 14. The Senior Section is for girls and young women ages 14 – 26. “Beavers” are part of the Scouts Association: boys and girls ages 6-8.

So what is everyone else doing this spring and summer to make the most of the light evenings and hopefully good weather?

Girl Scout Cadettes

We're visiting a riding center for children with disabilities one evening; we have also been fortunate enough to secure a visit to local commercial (FM) radio station, both of which produced some “girly” squeals of excitement from the (Cadettes) tonight.

During the summer we’re meeting twice at a local state park for a program there, and visiting our local marina to meet a ranger and to do some pond dipping. We’re also thinking about a spa evening, a European International evening and a cooking school evening.

Kate
 
Girl Scout Brownies and Juniors

Our Brownies love penny hikes, scavenger hunts, outdoor pictures, campfires. As part of one penny hike* we took a compass and each time we turned we had to work out what direction we were then walking.

We took blindfolds on one - with Brownies taking it in turns to lead each other - to see what it would be like to have vision problems and how you communicate effectively to help someone. They swapped places from time to time. Be prepared to catch them before they trip on curbs; and obviously don't cross busy streets!

We do an annual campfire marshmallow roast and also a family BBQ (June) to help build teamwork with parents.

We go to the local park and walk a compass point from tree to tree - we work out in advance the direction from [a business] to [a church] - then find our way through a forest of old trees. This year we will go via the oldest tree in the park. The delight on the girls' faces when they come out of bushes to find themselves successfully above the church is wonderful.

“Pick-Up Pictures” - We do beach pictures, but you could do it on grass too. We give them a theme and teams have to use local materials to make a picture on that theme (for us seaweed, shells, stones, the occasional dead crab....) You could use twigs, pine cones, pebbles, leaves, etc.

At least once during the summer the Juniors cook over an open fire and build survival shelters. We also go out really early to do a dawn hike (actually about 6/7 am) and then cook breakfast at our destination.

Karin

* A Penny Hike is a city hike where the girls flip a coin (penny) at each intersection; “heads” you go right, “tails” you go left.”  You definitely need a map!

Girl Scout Brownies or Juniors (or older)

A lot of children go hungry in the summer because school is closed and they get no breakfast or lunch. There are lots of demands on the Atlanta Community Food Bank and not many contributions. Summer is a good time to have a canned food drive and go to the Food Bank and help sort and stock supplies. If a troop plants a food garden or has a plot at a community garden they can give fresh vegetables to the Food Bank too.

Maggie

Any Age…

Well this is kind of crazy, but we are going to see if a jar of lighting bugs gives off as much light as a flashlight! (Catching our own lightning bugs, of course.)

Sheila

Brownies, Daisies

After taking a nature class where we talked about overcoming fears in the out-of-doors, I think we will have a “Going Batty” night and play games and make crafts about bats. There are lots of easy resources out there – one I like is http://www.kidsoutside.info/activities/bat_moth.htm. (We said “Bat” and “Moth” instead of “Beep” and “Shhh.”)  And here’s one site that has bat crafts that aren’t too Halloween-y: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/bat/.  My own kid like the book Stella Luna so we may read that, too.

Nature Mom