Monthly Archives: October 2014

Girl Scouts Should Play By the Rules

At the risk of turning this into a Girl Scout Daisy blog, I’ve got 12 minutes before I have to pack Ellie’s lunch and just want to share this because it went so well yesterday.

Every Girl Scout Troop has rules for their group (can’t function as a society without rules and all that). In an ideal world, the Leader would help the girls brainstorm until a wonderful golden accord is reached and the perfect set of rules for troop behavior is defined. But come on. Daisies are 5-6 years old and grownups are still struggling with the U.S. Constitution after 250 years. Everybody would rather be playing animal charades.

So I pre-made two sets of rules.

Bad Rules
Girl Scouts should call each other names and hurt feelings.
Girl Scouts should all talk at once and never listen.
Girl Scouts should ignore the Leader and get up to all kinds of crazy.
Girl Scouts should climb all over the furniture and break everything.
Girl Scouts should NEVER have fun.

Good Rules
Girl Scouts should use kind words and include everyone.
Girl Scouts should be quiet when others are talking.
Girl Scouts should listen to the Leader and follow directions.
Girl Scouts should take care of their meeting space.
Girl Scouts should ALWAYS have fun and enjoy their journey.

I used big chart paper to write two lists of rules. I cut the bad rules into strips and taped them (with blue painters tape so the paper underneath didn’t tear when I pulled them off) over top of the good ones. After our little rules introduction (Why do we have rules? etc.), I pulled out the chart and started to read. The girls were, of course, “What?!” “Are you CRAZY?” So I’d ask what that rule should say and they’d give me a better alternative that was pretty close to what I had underneath. This worked really well with a Troop of young Daisies. It gave them a sense of control without having the tedium that goes with a big job like rule-making.

Michael would like you all to know that it was his idea to tape the rules over top and reveal them. My original idea was to have a longer list with good rules and bad all mixed together – we’d go through and cross off the crazy stuff, leaving the good set of rules behind. Michael’s idea suited our time frame much better, but either would be a hit.

Confession Time

Michael and Ellie are both on a school field trip today. One of the other chaperones was sick so Michael has all the little girls in the class in his group. This really has me tickled. Since they are both occupied, I’ve got a minute to talk. But just a minute. I’ve got to tell you something.

I did a crazy thing and said I’d be PTO president at the elementary school this year.

I know.

I thought I’d have all this free time when school started again. And now there is no time for anything that isn’t on fire. And Ellie has lost two teeth.

WIN_3883

My sister and I collaborated on some pictures. I took them, she made them look good with her fancy photography skills.

Everything is pretty good. I miss Great Gran. Ellie and I both like her first grade teacher (who, in true small town fashion, we are related to). I was really struggling with the new creature I was working with at the beginning of the summer so I put him up for a while. It’s about time to pull him out for a fresh perspective. We ended up ordering Ellie’s Halloween costume this year – there was no way I could make it for the price in the catalog and it’s pretty amazing. Michael and I are trying to decide if we want to dress up too.

Now I have to go get ready for the first Girl Scout Daisy meeting of the school year. Yup. Doing that too.

I know.

I hope I can figure out how to write to you more. I’ve missed our little chats.