5 Girl Scout Leader Tips For New Leaders

You’ll have more than a few reasons why you want to be a Girl Scout leader. You might have fond memories of your time in a troop as a child, or one of your kids could be in the troop. No matter what your motivations, it could be an overwhelming time.

You wouldn’t just have to get used to being a Girl Scout leader, but make sure you’re doing everything right. That’s enough to make anyone feel nervous. Make it less nerve-wracking by using a few Girl Scout leader tips. With a little time, you’ll be more relaxed and able to lead the troop well.

1. Have Devotionals – Sometimes, you’ll need to remind yourself that you’re doing well with your troop. With a daily devotional for women, you can do exactly that. They remind you of the positives while focusing your attention. Even working these into troop meetings can be great and helps make the meetings more positive.
2. Know The Parents – At some point, you’ll need to meet your troops’ parents. Some will go out of their way to introduce themselves when you start, but others mightn’t. Take the time to arrange a meeting where you can get to know the parents and they can get to know you. It’ll make everyone more comfortable and kick off your time as a Girl Scout leader much better.
3. Plan Out Meetings – You’ll need to lead meetings with your troop, but you can’t do that without having things planned out. Activities, devotionals, and more will all be part of this. Without some proper planning, you mightn’t get through everything you need and you’ll struggle to catch up. Be detailed with your plans and stick to them as much as you can.
4. Use A VTK – You’ll get a volunteer toolkit (VTK) when you first become a Girl Scout leader. Rely on this heavily when you’re starting out. It’s a valuable resource packed full of tips and tricks you could need when you’re starting out. Don’t just go through this once or twice, but give it a thorough read. The more you pay attention to it, the better.
5. Prep Product Sales – The image of Girl Scouts selling cookies might be stereotypical, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few product sales you’ll lead your troop through. The key to making sure these are successful is to be prepared for them. The more prepared you are, the more you can prepare your troop. Introduce your troop to various concepts related to the product sale in the weeks leading up to it.

You’ll have multiple reasons why you want to be a Girl Scout leader, but that doesn’t make the prospect any less nerve-wracking. Not only will you want to do everything properly, but you’ll have the entire troop looking to you for guidance. Anyone would get nervous with that.

With some Girl Scout leader tips, you can relax a little more. While you’ll still be a little nervous at the start, you’ll get more and more relaxed with each meeting.