Girl-Led Planning in Girl Scouts

Letting Go and Empowering Girls to Lead

Though it’s natural for parents to believe their daughters need constant guidance, the truth is that children thrive when given the chance to make their own choices. As leaders, we still provide structure and foundational planning, but when we empower girls to engage in decision-making, the results can be truly transformative.

Young Girl Scouts as Leaders

A fantastic example of this empowerment surfaced during our kindergarten year while the girls discussed how to spend their cookie profits. Our troop leader facilitated a brainstorming session to generate ideas for trips, giving the girls a sense of purpose and something to discuss with their cookie customers. With a little guidance, the girls quickly took the lead in generating an impressive list of creative possibilities.

When voting time came, they ultimately chose to go painting at a local pottery studio—a decision excited them and sparked meaningful conversations about their choice.

This year continued that empowering spirit as the girls voted on how to allocate their cookie profits. They decided to donate cookies to a local hospital, provide pet food for an animal shelter, and support a charity focused on helping those in need—again, all these choices made solely by the girls, without a leader’s influence.

During our Christmas party planning, we adopted the same approach. The girls brainstormed their activities—decorating cookies, crafting SWAPs, and even an ornament exchange, which hadn’t initially been on our leader’s radar. By planning these activities themselves, the girls not only enjoyed the party more but also took ownership of it, making it an even more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Preparation Meets Choice

As we geared up for our spring bridging ceremony, our troop leader collected and organized ideas from various online resources into manageable categories for the to evaluate. They discussed suggestions for the ceremony’s structure, cake flavors, types of food, and invitation designs. When it was time to make decisions, the girls broke into smaller groups to discuss, add ideas, and vote on their favorites.

One girl proposed a pop-up bridge design for the invitations, a suggestion that thrilled everyone. Watching the girls excitement as they shared their decisions after the meeting was heartwarming—each choice they made only amplified their enthusiasm for the upcoming ceremony.

Interestingly, a new member from another troop was observing to see if she would fit better with our troop’s dynamic. After participating in our decision-making process, she confidently stated that she preferred our troop, where her voice mattered much compared to her previous experience, where decisions were largely made by the leader.

As the girls advance in Scouting, they hone their leadership skills by taking charge of activities and decisions. When they participate in choosing badge activities and meeting objectives, they develop greater investment and eagerness to engage. The empowerment they experience leads to delightful surprises and achievements that exceed our expectations.

MakingFriends Girl-Led Downloads

Take a look at the MakingFriends.com Superhero downloads. They can be done without any leader input or special supplies. Even beginning readers can complete the Daisy requirements by themselves!

A New Dimension to Girl-Led

Creating a genuinely girl-led environment, where every is encouraged to express ideas and preferences, is essential. While voting often seems like an effective method, we’ve noticed instances of “group” that may discourage quieter or less vocal girls from sharing their thoughts.

Enter the “Interest Gauge.” One of our troop parents suggested a simple chart listing each badge with a 1-5 scale for interest. After a brief description of each badge, the girls quickly rated their interest, and we completed this exercise in under 20 minutes!

I compiled the data into a spreadsheet for a straightforward visual reference of the most popular badges among the girls. It was enlightening to discover insights about individual members—such as one girl voicing concerns about a badge related to dogs. Instead of leaving her apprehensive due to a group vote, we devised an alternative plan that involved visiting an adoption center with various animals, allowing her to avoid dog-related activities.

This approach not only empowered her but also fostered a collaborative spirit within troop, ensuring a more inclusive badge selection process.

While we continue to vote on various decisions—such as choosing between options for the Inventor badge—our commitment is to ensure every voice is heard, especially those of the quieter girls. With this inclusive input, we hope to create even more engaging and enjoyable meeting experiences.

Exciting Plans Ahead

As we look forward to our upcoming camping trip and autumn activities, we dedicated to our girl-led approach, encouraging each girl to express her ideas and play an active role in shaping our experiences. Every decision we make together not only creates cherished memories but also builds vital leadership skills and lifelong friendships. Here’s to an amazing year ahead!