Volunteer

GSSJC News 

Everything's coming up Daisies: An adventure for recruiting Daisy leaders in the Spring

March, 2008

Girl Scout DaisiesFor the past seven years, service units in West Houston and Katy have held successful 90 minute Daisy-To-Be-Events in the spring. These resulted in energized, trained Daisy leaders in place when recruitment events occur in the fall. Here's the recipe:

  1. Select one or more ripe, enthusiastic service units who agree on a date, time and place for a one hour Daisy leader recruitment event in the spring. There is a BIG advantage to sharing this event with neighboring service units: LESS WORK! Each service unit knows in advance its own kaper, such as finding a facility, refreshments, providing girls for flag ceremony, and staffing craft and game stations. Your membership manager can help, too.
  2. Mix with great promotion, via flyers at ISD kindergarten registrations, local child care centers and mother's day out programs, articles in neighborhood newsletters and community newspapers. Be sure to include a contact person.
  3. Pour onto designated day. Volunteers, girls, and membership manager arrive at location one hour in advance of event, not wasting time to set up: welcome table (sign-in sheet with interest indicator, leadership brochures, registration forms for the adults, volunteer applications, criminal background check forms, etc.); petal stations; and refreshment station.
  4. Blend parents and daughters into a large room for quick welcome, flag ceremony, and fashion show (20 minutes)
  5. Sift daughters from parents, dividing girls between three petal stations (20 minutes in each); process parents for 45 minutes with lots of information about Girl Scouting in general, Daisies specifically, and an explanation of the need for volunteer
    leadership teams. (be sure to show the Daisy smock-parents love it!) Remember, this event's main focus is to recruit leaders! Promote day/twilight camps. Save time for questions and answers. Distribute business cards for future inquiries.
  6. Re-blend parents and daughters, thank them for coming and fill them with yummy refreshments. Those interested in leadership can designate on sign-in sheet. (20 minutes)
  7. Glaze with BLT within a few weeks of event, while parent is still warm with enthusiasm. Daisy-level training is available at Train-In in June. (Follow-up throughout the summer by mail/e-mail, informing all families of scheduled fall rallies.) By recruitment time, you have an eager, trained Daisy leader, awaiting her troop!

Opportunities Available

Volunteer with child at group eventBeing a Girl Scout volunteer will give you a chance to meet new people, spend your time meaningfully, use your talents and skills, and learn new ones. Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council offer adults an exciting opportunity to partner with an organization of timeless character, genuine purpose, and far-reaching promise; the promise that Girl Scouting is for every girl, everywhere. The girls and the community will benefit as you help girls build self-esteem and decision-making skills. Girl Scouting also gives parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their daughters.

New Experiences

Girl Scouting is much more than cookies and camping. Girl Scouts of all ages learn about a wide variety of topics by working on badges, going on field trips, or doing service projects in their community. Troop leaders share in the fun and excitement as girls experience new challenges.

Imagine yourself visiting NASA with a group of girls to learn about being an astronaut, wandering through an art museum, learning about other cultures, or going on a nature hike. As a guide and role model for girls, Girl Scout volunteers help girls be the best they can be.

Volunteering can be flexible

Flexibility is the key for Girl Scout volunteers. You volunteer on your terms when you have the time. Your troop can meet weekly or twice a month. Most Girl Scout troop activities are scheduled after school and on weekends. Responsibility for a troop is shared between two or more leaders. Or you can help by organizing a field trip or helping with the Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Learn how to become a Girl Scout Troop/Group Leader! Are you ready to take on the challenge of leading an existing troop/group? We have online information for new leaders.

Males in Girl Scouting

Girl Scouting has volunteer opportunities for both men and women at the troop level. Men may volunteer with troop activities as a Do-Dad. The Do-Dad program gives adult males an opportunity to share their skills, help girls earn badges, and conduct service projects. Men can also assist with troop meetings and the Cookie Sale.

Corporate Volunteers

GSSJC is committed to an expansion of Girl Scouting to our registered girls who have no troop leaders. GSSJC recruits adult volunteers from corporations to become troop leaders. GSSJC provides all training materials, classroom instruction, and a special corporate membership team to make sure newly recruited troop leaders have a memorable Girl Scout experience.

Make an investment in the future

According to the inaugural study of the Girl Scout Research Institute, "Girls Speak Out: Teens Before Their Time," our nation's girls are caught in a state of 'age compression' in which they are bombarded with images and choices that are beyond their maturity level. This study confirms that today, more than ever before, girls need a trusted adult role model to relate to as they journey through their youths into adulthood. Don't wait, volunteer today!