Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council
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#4 Ginger Creek Parkway - Glen Carbon, IL 62034 (618) 692-0692 - (800) 345-6858 - Fax: (618) 692-0685 |
1207 Network Centre Blvd., Effingham, IL 62401 (800) 345-6858 - Fax: (217) 342-3669 |
GSUSA
Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Frequently Asked Questions
August 2008
Highlights from the NEW Girl Scout "Change Your World" Leadership Journeys
This piece was put together based on questions asked by volunteers. The answers are based on the information that we currently have from GSUSA. This will be a working document which will be updated as we receive additional information. More information will be published in future issues of the Notes to Leaders (NTL).
Who will be selling cookies? All registered Girl Scouts are eligible to sell cookies.
Are GS Daisies selling cookies? Yes, as of the 2008-2009 membership year all Girl Scout levels will be eligible to participate in Product Sales.
Can 2nd year GS Daisies earn Try-Its? No, Try-Its are awards for GS Brownies. Girls in 2 & 3 grade are GS Brownies. However, there are a lot wonderful program opportunities that GS Daisies will be able work on and complete.
What will the 2nd year Daisies do if they earned all their petals the first year? Trust us … there are so many things for your girls to do in GS Daisies. One of the most exciting new things is that GS Daisies will be able to participate in the Cookie Sale. The new “Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden” Journey will be available for them to work on. Girls will also continue to participate in council-sponsored events like: Daisy Sports Day, Daisy Tea Party, as well as the many programs that we collaborate with – St. Louis Science Center, The Children’s Museum, The St. Louis Zoo. Also don’t forget GSRBC has an extensive patch program. Check out the opportunities in the WHAT’S UP section.
Can GS Daisies earn petals on their own? Yes. GS Daisies can continue to earn petals. GSUSA will be launching the new “Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden” Journey in the fall. There are sessions in the Journey which will help girls learn the GS Promise & Law. There are also recognitions that girls will be able to earn by completing the session/requirements in the Journey. These include the Watering Can Award, the Golden Honey Bee Award, and The Amazing Daisy Award. However, if the petals are still in circulation then yes, we encourage girls to work on activities outside the troop meeting. However, petals are not sold individually. All petals are sold as a unit along with the GS Promise Center. These are available in the shop. Remember leaders/facilitators (not parents) purchase awards.
Will troops still bridge? If so, when? For Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Girl Scout 11-17 troops, leaders/advisors can use the Bridging requirements that are found in the current handbooks. If your troop will be moving from GS Senior to GS Ambassador, you can make this a special ceremony for the girls. Find out what the girls would like to do to commemorate this special time. The GSRBC Ceremonies Packet is a great resource.
What will the GS Daisy uniform look like? GS Daisies will have the option of a tunic or vest.
Will 8th graders bridge to Seniors next year? Girls entering 9th grade in the fall of 2008 will be GS Seniors. 8th graders will be GS Cadettes.
New Grade Levels: Implemented in fall 2008
Girl Scout Daisy Kindergarten - 1st 2 year program Girl Scout Brownie 2nd - 3rd 2 year program Girl Scout Junior 4th - 5th 2 year program Girl Scout Cadette 6th - 8th 3 year program Girl Scout Senior 9th - 10th 2 year program Girl Scout Ambassador 11th - 12th 2 year program
How many Journeys will there be for each level? GSUSA will launch “The Change Your World Series” in the fall of 2008. This Leadership Journey will be for all grade levels. By 2010 GSUSA will have 3-5 Journeys per grade level.
“The Change Your World Series” Journeys
GS Daisy: Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden
GS Brownie: The Brownie Quest
GS Junior: Agent of Change
GS Cadette: aMaze
GS Senior: GIRLtopia
GS Ambassador: Your Voice, Your World, The Power of Advocacy
How do girls “earn” awards? Girls will earn awards by completing the activities/requirements/sessions for each Journey.
What will a girl earn when she completes a Journey? What will it cost? Girls will earn awards as they complete steps along the way within the Journey. In the new “Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden” Journey for GS Daisies, girls will have the opportunity to earn at least 3 awards. These are the Watering Can Award, the Golden Honey Bee Award, and The Amazing Daisy Award. Prices are available in the new GS catalog or check with the Girl Scout shop manager.
How will Journeys fit into Pathways? Journeys will be the “what” girls do in Girl Scouts. Pathways will be “how” girls join Girl Scouts. There are currently six (6) proposed Pathways. These include: Camp, Events, Special Interest, Travel, Troops and Virtual. (Pathways are defined by GSUSA)
Camp – Girls participate in a day or resident camps with a focus on the out of doors and/or environmental education
Events – Girls participate in events (e.g. career day)
Special Interest - Girls participate in a series of programs with the same group of girls relating to a specific theme or purpose (e.g. high adventure teen group, completion of the “Change Your World” journey over a six-week period.)
Travel - Girls plan, earn money, prepare, and participate in regional, national, and international trips
Troops - Girls participate in a series of programs with the same group of girls over the course of an academic year
Virtual - Girls participate in interactive, high-quality program activities in a safe, secure, online environment supplemented by live events
How will the new model affect the Gold/Silver/Bronze Awards? At this time we do not know how the New Girl Scout Experience Model will affect the GS Bronze, GS Silver, GS Gold Awards. Be assured that if changes do occur, girls working on projects will be grandfathered in and a transition period will take place. During the transition period, trainings for all awards will reflect all changes. Girls will need to follow the new guidelines/ requirements to earn that specific award.
Will the GS Bronze Award be a two year program now? According to the information that we currently have, the Bronze Award will be a two year program. Girls that have initiated work on the GS Bronze Award while in 5th or 6th grade will have until September 30, 2009 to complete this award. Beginning October 1, 2009, the only girls that will be eligible to work on the GS Bronze Award are girls in 4th and 5th grade. Please be aware that girls cannot work simultaneously on requirements for the GS Bronze Award and the GS Silver Award. If GSUSA releases additional information then this will be amended.
If there is a 5th grade troop working on the Bronze Award and it will not be finished this year, can they continue working on this award after they bridge to GS Cadettes? Girls that have begun work on the GS Bronze Award while in 5th or 6th grade will have until September 30, 2009 to complete this award. Beginning October 1, 2009, the only girls that will be eligible to work on the GS Bronze Award are girls in 4th and 5th grade. Please be aware that girls cannot work simultaneously on requirements for the GS Bronze
Award and the GS Silver Award. If GSUSA releases additional information then this will be amended.
If a girl is a 6th grader next year, can I still work on the Bronze Award? See previous question.
When can I expect program materials to be available? Will leaders have it in time to plan over the summer? GSRBC program staff will be distributing a new year-long program book. This will include programs/events/girl trainings for all grade levels. This will be distributed in late August 2008.
If there is a GS Daisy & GS Brownie troop, can they sign up for Daisy or Brownie programs? No. GS Daisies will have many Daisy program opportunities and GS Brownies will have many of their own program opportunities. Currently GSRBC is not offering any programs for GS Daisies and GS Brownies together.
What are GS Ambassadors going to work on? All grade levels, included GS Ambassadors, will have more GS program opportunities. At this time, nothing is being taken away. Therefore, GS Ambassadors will be able to work on the new “Your Voice, Your World, The Power of Advocacy” Journey, Interest Projects, Focus Books, GS Gold Award program, Leadership program, destinations, extended trips, council sponsored programs, etc.
Will Studio 2B go away and if so, when? We don’t know. However, until GSUSA makes that decision, girls can continue to work on all the wonderful Focus Books. The program staff will still continue to use the Focus Books as resources/references for our programs/events.
Can my Girl Scout Daisy troop opt to bridge to Girl Scout Brownies next year? NO – all levels must conform to the new membership levels designed by GSUSA.
Will GSUSA allow GSRBC to supplement training workshops? Yes, GSUSA has developed nationally consistent training which allows the councils to provide supplemental information specific to our geographic/council area.
When will we have new materials for trainings? According to GSUSA, new nationally consistent trainings will be available by the fall 2008. Subsequent trainings will be released through 2010.
How will we train adults on Journeys so they will know how to use them and feel comfortable? The new Leadership Essentials training will encompass a hands-on approach to learning the Journeys where volunteers will search and learn the new program material.
When will the new trainings be offered? The new Leadership Essential trainings will be scheduled through your Service Unit beginning fall 2008.
Who will be required to attend the new training? (new volunteers, existing volunteers, or both). Both new and experienced volunteers will attend the courses.
Who will deliver the new trainings? We utilize council trainers and staff to ensure volunteers receive a consistent message in a timely manner.
Will an existing leader have to attend the same training as a new volunteer? Yes.
How and when will I receive the new information? You will receive information at your service unit meetings, in the Notes to Leaders, Training Calendar, and the council website.
Will you offer any other opportunities to receive the New Leadership Essentials training? If you are unable to attend the training in your service unit, you may have the opportunity to get the training at another service unit. We will also offer additional training opportunities in the spring training calendar.
It's Your World—Change It!
Highlights Introducing the First Series of
Journeys:
Welcome to the
Daisy Flower Garden
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/daisy.asp##
I
n this journey for kindergarteners and first-graders, a favorite pastime—gardening—meets the Girl Scout Law. The result is a storybook world of flowers and little girls who, together, do great things. Girl Scout Daisies will especially enjoy meeting the colorful, global characters who teach them to live the Girl Scout Law. The adult "how-to" guide offers Garden Story Time tips, key ideas for garden projects, and all the Girl Scout history and traditions needed for an adventure starring Amazing Daisy, a new flower friend for Girl Scout Daisies.
Girl Scout Brownie – Brownie Quest Journey
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/brownie.asp
The Quest consists of 2 trails: The Trail of the ELF Adventure • The Trail of the 3 keys
The Trail of the ELF
Adventure girls will meet Campbell, Jamila and Alejandra. A new elf
story for Girl S
cout Brownies will be introduced. ELF: Explore, Link Arms and
Fly into action.
In The Trail of the 3 keys, Brownie Teams will follow a quest in unlocking the 3 keys of leadership through Discover, Connect and Take Action activities.
Awards– Discovery Key, Connect Key and Take Action Key. The final award is to put all three keys together to crack the leadership code and earn their Leadership Quest Award.
Girl Scout Cadettes will have an opportunity to work with Girl Scout Brownies and earn their Quest Assistant Key as they support Brownies on their Quest.
Girl Scout Junior – Agent of Change Journey
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/junior.asp
Meet - Dez I Ner the bossy, controlling spider with trendy clothes and an obsession with power
Awards – The Power
of One, The Power of Team, The Power
of Community
The Power of One/The Power of Story – through tales, girls understand the power of a story and its role in a community. (Discover)
The Power of Team- this is the team building part of the Journey. Girl will decide on a Take Action project and establish goals (Connect)
The Power of Community - the girls will implement their plan and get the community involved. (Take Action)
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/cadette.asp
Through the aMAZE journey girls will learn tips and strategies for developing healthy relationships.
Awards – Interact Award, Diplomat Award, Peacemaker Award Interact Award- signifies that girls can advance peace in the world around them one interaction at a time. Girls will use an Interact Challenge Chart.
Diplomat Award- girls will choose and plan a project using the 7 steps towards Taking Action
Peacemaker Award- girls are asked to collect "tools" they can use and pass on to others.
Sessions include:
First Impressions in the Maze, Navigating with Friends, Twists & Turns: Cliques and Conflicts, Caution Bullies Straight Ahead, Relating Like Leaders, Improving Relationships in the World, Toward Peace: Take Action!, Pass it Forward
GS Senior- GIRLtopia-It’s Your World-Change it!
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/senior.asp
This Journey invites girls to create a vision of the perfect, girl-focused world through are: poetry, painting, sculpture and video- whatever the girls wants. An ideal community where girls’ values, needs and interests are respected and celebrated always.
Vision + Knowledge = Imagination
Service vs. Action - What’s the Difference?
Leadership Bracelet
GS Senior Visionary Award – Create it, Guide It, Change It
GS Ambassador –Your Voice, Your World:
The Power of Advocacy
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/ambassador.asp
How often have you seen something that really needed to be changed and wondered "Why isn’t someone doing something about that?" This journey gives GS Ambassadors a way to be that someone - an advocate with the power to start the first flutter of real and lasting change. While creating their own "butterfly effect" they’ll gain an array of skills such as networking, planning and learning to speak up for what they believe that will benefit them as they prepare for life beyond high school!
A: What begins with A? Advocacy – speaks up for change, Aspirations-encourage
girls to dream, Assemble - which they’ll do, Agreement-make a decision as a team, Assess - viewpoints,
actions and where to go from there, Affirm-the progress they’ve made as they create positive change in
their world. They are Astute - have the brains to get to the root of their issues. They will Ask questions and
have those A-ha moments, they will Analyze their work, but they are still Adolescents!
B: B is for Bravo! A chance to celebrate the journey’s end! This journey has one award at the end, but adults could use the completion of each step as an opportunity to celebrate their success. B is for Better - the world is a better place because of advocates B is for By the Way - this was some journey, wasn’t it?
C: C is for Celebrate
The Advocacy Award has 8 steps that will guide them through the process to make change happen. This is a change that will have a lasting effect or permanent place in their community because it will impact the community!
Take5
Cliff Notes
Marshmallow Madness
6 Degrees of Separation
This page last edited on Thursday October 01, 2009.
