Meeting Recap: Vi the Violet

I had a blast with our responsibility meeting, but I’ve been really looking forward to this one: the Purple Petal (Respect Myself and Others). At this age, “respect” can feel like a big, fancy word, so I like to describe it to the girls as “treating people and things like they are precious.”

Here is how I spent the hour helping the girls learn to value themselves and their friends:

Goal: To understand that respect means being kind to our bodies, our minds, and the people around us. Materials Used: Vi the Violet story, purple paper or petals, a hand mirror, and “Respect” badges.

0:00 – 0:10 | Arrival & Opening Circle

We’ve included some patch suggestions to give to participants. See all our fun patches.

As the girls arrived, I had a “Mirror, Mirror” station set up. I asked each girl to look in a small hand mirror and whisper one thing she likes about herself (like “I am a fast runner” or “I have a nice smile”).

The Girl Scout Promise: We stood in our Daisy Circle and recited the promise with focus.
The Law: We emphasized the purple line: “I will do my best to be… respect myself and others.”
Check-in: I asked the girls to share one way they showed respect to a teacher or a parent this week.

0:10 – 0:25 | Story Time: Vi’s Garden Party

I read the story of Vi the Violet, who learns that everyone has different strengths and that being respectful means celebrating those differences.

Interactive Element: Whenever a character in the story said “Please” or “Thank you,” the girls had to take a polite “curtsy” or bow.
Discussion: I asked them, “How do we treat a library book or a brand-new toy?” They said, “Carefully!” I explained that we have to treat our friends’ feelings with that same “careful” respect.
0:25 – 0:45 | Practice: The “Respectful Listening” Game
To practice respecting others, we played a game of “Interview Buddies.”
The Activity: I paired the girls up and gave them one minute to tell their partner their favorite animal and why. The partner had to listen without interrupting.
The Switch: Then they swapped. Afterward, I asked the girls to tell the whole group what their partner said.
The Lesson: I explained that listening is one of the biggest ways we show someone they are important.
Self-Respect: We talked about eating healthy snacks and getting enough sleep as ways we show respect to our own bodies so we stay strong for Girl Scouts!

0:45 – 0:55 | Craft: The “Purple Petal” Handprint

We made purple handprints on a large piece of poster board.

Inside their handprint, I helped them write one way they will show respect this week (e.g., “I will listen to my coach” or “I will brush my teeth without being asked”).
Service Connection: We talked about how DIY to Donate projects, like making blankets for shelter pets, is a way to show respect for animals and our community.

0:55 – 1:00 | Clean-up & Closing Circle

Clean-up: We practiced “respecting our space” by making sure every marker cap was snapped on tight and every chair was tucked in perfectly.
Friendship Circle: We formed our circle and joined hands.
Friendship Squeeze: I started the squeeze, and when it returned to me, we all said together, “I am precious, and you are precious too!”

Leader Note: If you want to keep the “respect” theme going at home, I love sending the girls home with aDaisy Petal Coloring Pageso they can color Vi the Violet and tell their parents what they learned!