Any other Girl Scout Leaders? I need some help.

[agw]

I'm a first year Girl Scout Leader for my daughters junior troop. My husband and I have already decided that I will not continue being a troop leader after this year as it has been too much stress on our already busy household.

 

Our troop started out very small with a core group of 5 girls. These girls are great and were very focused on what they would like to accomplish this year and goal setting for the next few years in Juniors. Since Christmas break the council has added 5 more girls to our troop. The new girls have fit in very well socially, maybe even too well. As, it has become social time for everybody.

 

My co-leader and I are very frustrated at constantly having to stop meetings to remind the girls to respect each other and us. We can't leave pencils or anything on the table as they play with them like 8-year-old boys would. Some of the original girls are upset that goals are not being met because everything takes so much longer to do now. The girls just want to act very, very silly about everything.

 

We have sent notes to parents listing expectations and the troops goals. But, we don't really have any consequences. We've normally relied on positive reinforcement of troop beads.

 

So, if you are a troop leader or have been one are their any suggestions for managing the group dynamics to get me through the next two-and-a-half months?

 

I've got to go to the eye doctor, but will be :bigear: when I get home.

 

TIA

Amy

[Chris in VA]

Divide and conquer? Maybe split the troop into small groups during a portion of the meeting--put the girls together who really want to work on goals in one group and the more social girls in another, give them half an hour and let them go? How long is your meeting? Do you have enough supervision to do that?

We have a group of homeschooled scouts--half are Jr's and half are Brownies. Today we are splitting--one group is doing a horse/stable activity, and the other is working on an Olympic patch, since they did the horse thing last year. Dd will be with the Brownies since she didn't get to participate last year.

 

IDK--it's frustrating. I'd say positive peer pressure can help, but it sounds more like the negatives are making a greater impact.

[The Girls' Mom]

I agree with divide and conquer. I was a troop leader or co-leader for 5 years. When we had unruly ones, we usually had to separate kids out so we could deal with them. Can you get help from some of the parents?

 

You can also tie in rewards with their behavior. "If you do not get x done, then you will not be able to participate in y" Make sure you give it to them (and the parents) in writing.