Regarding Brownies

[semperfiona]

Ok, in fairness, I wasn't there for the whole meeting last night, only the last twenty minutes or so. But Tammie has stayed through an entire meeting on a previous occasion and reports much the same thing I saw.

They did have a planned activity (making finger puppets out of gloves): a couple girls were still working on it when I got there. Rosa does not report any songs or pledge-saying or friendship circle. She says they had the craft activity, chaotic running around--not an organized activity but a kid-generated game of freeze tag that each girl seemed to be playing by different rules--and a snack. The Daisy meetings last year (a different group of younger girls in a different place) seemed more like what reannon and beckyzoole describe.

Sigh. I'm beginning to feel like I should take some responsibility here, but I have neither the time nor the energy to be a Girl Scout leader.

Comments

[windsea.livejournal.com]

I know the Boy Scouts of America are a very different critter from Scouts Canada. That being said, my girl and her two best friends have had an absolute ball breaking the gender barrier in our Scouts group -- they started in Beavers, moved on through Cubs, and are now patrol leaders in Scouts. And they whipped the asses of a few hundred other Scouts at the big provincial Alert camp a few months ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/windsea/sets/72157594354193568/

The Halifax 36th group is hard core. The little Beavers start out with 2 camps per season, in cabins in the woods, no plumbing, wood stoves. By the time they're Cubs they're in tents. The Scouts do a camp every three weekends or so all winter, with lean-tos made from tarps. No tents. Last weekend it was -15. Kate came home exhilarated, with slightly chapped cheeks, and a broad grin.

They had a firelighting contest a few weeks ago -- I went along, it was damp, foggy night, the temp hovering around 0. We were about a 10 minute hike back in the woods, and the patrols competed to see who could get a fire going first and boil water, no paper or candle ends, just matches and what they could gather in the woods. The winner was 17 minutes flat; the slowest, 23 minutes. That was damn good in challenging conditions.

These kids exude competence. The adult leaders lay out what needs to get done, and the kids do it. The patrol leaders, like Kate, are responsible for organizing the other kids for all the camp supplies -- they plan and make their meals, do up the checklists for packing, all the stuff. The leaders watch and advise, but they don't *do*. And they don't carry spare food, either :-D.

It's been wonderful for Kate, and her older brother, going through this sort of program. We're glad we did not opt for Sparks way back when -- the girls all wanted to *be outdoors* and the Sparks/Brownies/Guides were much more oriented toward crafts and in-town social activities.

Just a thought, in terms of programs ... but I know the Boy Scouts of America were very homophobic, very conservative. I don't know if that's still the case; Scouts Canada is entirely separate. It welcomes gay and lesbian leaders and kids.

[ona-tangent.livejournal.com]

I would first talk to the leader. Maybe this was an atypical week? Next I would contact the Girl Scout Council for information about what should be expected in a typical meeting. Finally, you might not have time to be a leader, but you could probably help out with some of the paperwork/planning/etc. Maybe this leader is just overwhelmed and could use some help?

Let me know if there is anything I can do.

[a2macgeek.livejournal.com]

This is how my sister wound up first running, then co-leading, my niece's troop. And, just to show that you can't please everyone, she's had some people compalain that the meetings are too organized - they want them to be more like play dates.