Group Games = Strong Teams

The right group game can help your team grow together because of two things:

1. Groups of people who have struggled together and come out the other side are stronger together in future challenges. You obviously don’t need life or death experiences for your girls to bond, though. Completing a challenge or solving a problem will help them feel closer to their troop-mates.
2. The conversation you have after the the game helps girls reflect on what happened and connect it to their lives and relationships. After you play a group game, circle up and lead a discussion about what you observed. Ask about how they solved a problem. Ask about what skills they had to use. If you have an upcoming troop trip or project, ask how they can use those skills in that new context.

What to look for when selecting a group game when your goal is teamwork.

• Does this game have a goal? The best teamwork games work because the group accomplishes something together. For example: Move an option from point A to point B, or complete a group task in record time.
• What skill do you want to focus on? Teamwork is comprised of so many skills: Communication, listening, taking turns, problem solving, trust. The list goes on and on. Think about what your girls need to practice.
• Add skill focused hurdles. Do your girls need to practice communication? Set a game rule for no talking or limit the number of words a person us allowed to say. Working on trust? Add some blindfolds or put limits on the instructions, so only a small number of girls are able to complete a certain task.
• Consider the big (and small) personalities. Some girls have big personalities and like to be front and center. Others are much more comfortable on the sidelines. When assigning rules, take this into account.  Outgoing girls might be in a group that are only allowed to use body language to communicate. Shy girls might be with a buddy reading the instructions.
• Save time to reflect. This can be challenging with all the giggling girls, but take a break from the fun to ask intentional reflection questions. This is the best way to take the experience from a fun game to a teambuilding and leadership experience.

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What’s your favorite group game? Here are a two of ours!

BASIC – For troops that are new to teambuilding

Steal the Bacon – Hockey Style

Ideal for any age

Skills to practice: taking turns, sportsmanship

Supplies needed: Two brooms/toy hockey sticks, cones to mark 2 goals, a ball, clear area to play

How to Play:

On the playing area, set up two goals. In the middle of the area, lay down the brooms and ball. Divide girls into two even teams. On team 1, assign each girl a number starting with 1. On team 2, assign girls a number starting with 1. Have girls stand to the side of the playing area. Yell out a number, like 3. There should be one girl from each team with that number. They run, each grab a broom, and try to score. Once someone scores, reset the field, and call a new number.

Important: Take a moment to discuss safety, before beginning the activity. Pause the activity to give safety reminders, if needed.

Reflection questions: How did it feel waiting for your number to be called? Were you upset when your number wasn’t called? Were you worried that your number wouldn’t be called? How did you treat your team mate when she won? When she lost? How did you treat the other team when the won? When they lost? How did you feel about yourself when you won? When you lost?

ADVANCED – For troops that have some practice with teambuilding

Mission Control

Ideal for Juniors and older.

Skills to practice: Trust, communication, how to give directions

Supplies needed: A unique object the size of a tennis ball, hula hoop, objects to scatter on the ground (bean bags are ideal), 1 blindfold.

How to Play:

Set up the playing area. Scatter objects on the ground. Place the hula hoop and the tennis ball far away from each other. Select 1 person to be blindfolded. When blindfolded, place her in the middle of the scattered objects. Select 3-6 people as the speakers. They line up with their backs turned to the scattered objects and blindfolded person and may not turn around. The rest of your group are the see-ers. Line them up facing the speakers. They should be able to see the blindfolded person and the scattered objects. They are not allowed to talk. The group must instruct the blindfolded person to pick up the tennis ball and set it inside the hula hoop without stepping on any of the scattered objects.

Reflection questions (hold conversation with entire group, although some question might be focused on certain roles): Were you confident about the information you were getting? What happens to communication when there are more layers in between? What happens to trust in communication when there are more layers in between? Were you frustrated that someone didn’t understand you? Did you find a better way to communicate as the game progressed? If you could complete the challenge again, what would you do different next time?

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Share your favorite group game or reflection question in the comments! We would love to hear from you!

Schools out, now what?

Let’s Get Ready for Summer!

It’s a great time to have fun with your Girl Scout friends. Don’t take a summer break from school, homework AND Girl Scouts. Make this the best summer for your troop.

Staying active over the summer

Meet with your troop and determine if you want to meet once or a couple times over the Summer. Meeting with your troop in June, July or August has a couple advantages. Your troop can earn a badge or the community service bar pin. The troop can meet and determine which badges and Journeys they want to earn during 2018-2019. The girls can create a troop calendar to include service projects, badges, service community annual events, holiday activities and Citrus Council programs.

If your troop decides to meet, schedule a couple troop activities. Here are some suggestions:

• 

  Regal Summer Movie $1 Express

• Go to play or musical
• Take a morning day or evening hike
• Visit splash playgrounds
• Cook a new recipe and provide to your local fire station
• Participate in a 4th of July parade
• Visit a farmer’s market
• Try a new yogurt or ice cream shop
• Collect & donate school supplies

 

Stay Productive

Ask Juniors/Cadettes/Seniors/Ambassador Girl Scouts to consider a bronze, silver or gold award project.

Be sure to check the Citrus Council calendar for upcoming Silver or Gold training before starting any higher award project.

Over the Summer girls will read novels, picture books and chapter books.

Earn the GSC Summer Reading Patch! Girl Scouts complete book logs to receive the fun patch. The fun patch can be purchased at the GSC Council Shop.

If your troop doesn’t meet over the summer, ask your girls to write post cards when they travel or maintain a summer journal to include their local adventures. Be sure to plan a fun back to school activity to reconnect the girls before the school year begins.

Girl Scouts from Seminole County

Visit a Seminole County Public Library, sign up for the Summer Reading Program, complete the book log and receive a free book at www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/leisure-services/seminole-county-library/kids-page/

Read 10 books or 300 pages, complete the online Z Kids Summer Book Club form at http://zradio.org/completed-z-kids-summer-book-club-form/

The bookmobile schedule can be found at www.scps.k12.fl.us/district/departments/lets-read-seminole/bookmobile.stml

Girl Scouts from Orange, Brevard, Volusia, Lake & Osceola

Complete a book log from the Summer Reading library program and receive a book.

Read 10 books or 300 pages, complete the online Z Kids Summer Book Club form at http://zradio.org/completed-z-kids-summer-book-club-form/.

Participate in the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program (first-sixth grade) complete the reading journal and receive a free book.

• Orange Library: http://kids.ocls.info/programs/upcoming.asp
• Brevard Library: www.brevardfl.gov/PublicLibraries/ChildrensSummerProgramming/
• Volusia Library: http://volusialibrary.org/kids/
• Lake Library: www.mylakelibrary.org/youth/default.aspx
• Osceola Library: www.myosceolalibrary.org/kids/

Earn a religious emblem over the summer

Girl Scouting promotes and encourages girls to participate in faith-based programs. It has been part of the Girl Scout tradition since its inception in 1912. Girl Scouts recognizes the religious diversity that exists within our communities. There are various religious recognitions offered by different faith communities at www.praypub.org/gsusa

The National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts serves Catholic youth and adults through quality faith based programs at www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/religious-activities

Our Catholic Faith Patches: Women in Scripture & Models of Faith patch series guidebooks available at www.catholicscoutingstl.org/awards/catholic-identity-patch-program

Plan for the Fall

Ask the adult volunteers and troop parents to meet during the Summer.

Recruit adults to support the Co-Leaders during back to school recruitment, fall product, cookie season and during troop meetings. Update your MYGS profile to include the adult volunteer role(s).

What is Early Bird and Why it Matters

We completed cookie sales and now we are preparing for Early Bird registration. You might be asking, “What is Early Bird Registration?” or “Why should I participate in Early Bird Registration?”

Well…before the girls can continue their Girl Scout adventure they need to RENEW their membership.

Early Bird registration helps Troop Co-Leaders know whether girls will be back when school resumes and if there are openings in the troop. By asking parents and girls to participate in early bird registration, they get to secure their troop spot. This becomes especially important to prepare before back to school recruitment, where you’ll get another influx of girls wanting to join troops.

Mark your calendar – Early Bird registration begins April 1^st and ends May 15^th. Current memberships expire September 30, 2018.

As a Co-Leader You Have IMPORTANT Homework

• Ask your troop before April 1^st if they are re-registering with their current troop, joining another troop or will become a Juliette.
• Ask your troop if you are using troop funds for renewal or if the adults are purchasing their own adult/girl memberships.
• Check your Troop Roster in MYGS at https://gsmembers.force.com/members/login.
  • Do all the adult volunteers have positions? Who’s helping the girls during year?
    • Troop Positions can include Fall Product Chair/Cookie Chair/Finance Chair/Co-Leader(s)/Parent Helper.
    • Ask your Parent Helpers with troop meeting set-up, purchasing supplies or snacks, leading/teaching a badge requirement, and clean-up.
  • Clean Up your Troop Roster
    • Check to make certain you have the correct girls listed as active. A correct roster helps with girl retention, fall product sales and fall recruitment.
    • Submit the Troop Transfer Request to Citrus Council with any inactive adults or girls.
    • Online Troop Transfer Request citrus-gs.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-council/forms/troop-transfer-request-form.html

Early Bird Renewal & Payment

• Co-Leaders that re-register the entire troop CANNOT select Financial Aid as a payment option. If the troop has decided to use the funds for girl registrations, you can pay using your troop account at checkout.

• Steps to Renew
  • Login to MY GS.
  • Co-Leaders click the Troops tab.
  • In the top right corner, change CURRENT YEAR to NEXT YEAR.
  • For each member, choose to RENEW, or DECIDE LATER. Click Continue.
  • Accept the Promise and Law. Click Continue.
  • Proceed to Checkout

Please Note: If you add a new member and purchase a 2019 membership, they will not appear on your current roster until October 1, 2018.

If your Girl Scout is joining a new troop or will become a Juliette (Individual Girl Scout) in 2018- 2019, complete her Early Bird registration for the 2019 Membership Year in her current troop.

• Contact Victoria Katz at Citrus Council – vkatz@citrus-gs.org to discuss Juliette Scouting as an option.

 

Early Bird Incentives & Bonus

During early registration troops receive special incentives and bonuses from Citrus Council. Your Service Community can also earn incentives.

Early Bird Incentives are offered each week and accumulate the earlier you register.

Don’t miss the $.05 per box bonus on next year’s cookie program!

Troops that reregister 80% of girls and 50% adult members will qualify to receive 2 free t-shirts. Following the Early Bird campaign, an email will be sent to each qualifying troop with instructions on how to order their t-shirts. T-shirts will be distributed at the fall community meetings.

Be sure to visit the council website for Early Bird Renewal Resources

Are You Considering Disbanding Your Troop? Here are a few things you can work on before making that leap.

• Change the frequency of the troop meetings. Consider meeting once a month or bi-monthly.
• Schedule troop meetings before or after a troop outing.
• Provide additional girl led opportunities – girls leading the meetings, older girls hosting badge workshops.
• Ask the girls to select badges, journeys, take action projects, earning higher awards during the year.
• Meet with your service community team for support or guidance.
• Ask Co-Leaders in your service community if they want to combine troops.
• Ask for additional troop adult volunteers.

After you’ve exhausted all other options and are set on disbanding, be sure to review the Troop Disband Report/Checklist with your troop prior to disbanding the troop.

www.citrus-gs.org/content/dam/girlscouts-citrus-gs/documents/TroopForms/Troop-Group-Disbanded-Report-Checklist.pdf

 

After Early Bird Registration

When you go back to school there are so many girls that want to join new and existing troops. You and your Girl Scouts can encourage girls to join during fall recruitment and help other troops in your service community from disbanding.

Support your Service Community Recruitment Team by assisting with set-up, girl activities, distributing recruitment information and clean-up during recruitment events.

Girls also receive a special Recruiter Patch for their efforts.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook @Floridagirlscout