Learning Objectives

At the end of this session adult participants will be able to:

 Identify their feelings as they make the transition from Leader to Advisor
 Specify reasons why it is important to let girls manage the troop themselves
 Express the importance of creating a trusting climate in the troop
 Become familiar with other training opportunities available to Teen Advisors

For more Education & Support on Girl Scout Teens -

Go to www.gscnc.org and click on Volunteer>Volunteer Resources>Online Education
On this page you will find:

 Online tutorials covering the logistics for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors
 Online tutorial for Troop Money Management
 Troop Travel
 And more!
Print Resources for Girl Scout Teens -

 Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting*

 Journey – It’s Your World: Change It!*
 Journey – It’s Your Planet: Love It!*
 Journey – It’s Your Story: Tell It! Ambassadors*
 Volunteer Essentials (facts, policies and local guidelines)
*The Girl’s Guide and Journeys have one book for each program level – Cadette, Senior, Ambassador
 AGENDA
Participants Arrive
Sign-In/Early Bird Activity

Opening: Welcome, Trainer introduction, Logistics

Participant introductions
Review Learning Objectives
Group Guidelines

Activity: Reflection on Girl Scouting

Discussion

Introduction: Transition from Leader to Advisor

Activity: Teaching the Task
Discussion
Handout Review: Advisor & Teen Responsibility

Introduction: Troop Management

Activity: Personal Reflection & Pair Share
Discussion
Handout Review: Types of Troop Management
Discussion

Introduction: Troop Finances

Activity: Garage Sale Shuffle (Jr.& Teen, or just Teen)
Discussion
Handout: Troop Finance Sample, for review on your own

----------------------- Stretch Break -----------------------

Introduction: Creating a Trusting Environment

Activity: Adolescent Minefield
Discussion
Handout Review: Age Appropriate Behaviors

Introduction: Working with Troop Conflicts

Activity: Conflict Escalator Pair Share
Discussion
Handout Review: Intervention Strategies

Closing Reflection: Complete the Sentence

 Feelings Vocabulary
Afraid Ecstatic Jealous Sad
Affectionate Embarrassed Jolly Safe
Aggressive Empty Joyful Satisfied
Agonized Enraged Secure
Amazed Enthralled Kindly Sedated
Angry Enthusiastic Self-Conscious
Anxious Envious Left Out Self-Pitying
Apologetic Exasperated Lonely Sheepish
Argumentative Exhausted Loving Shocked
Arrogant Exuberant Shy
Ashamed Mad Silly
At peace Foolish Malicious Smart (cocky)
Friendly Mellow Sorrowful
Bashful Frightened Mischievous Sour
Belligerent Frustrated Miserable Spiteful Strange
Blissful Funny Mixed Up Superior
Bored Moved Surprised
Brave Grateful Suspicious
Greedy Negative Sympathetic
Cautious Grief-Stricken Nervous
Cheerful Guilty Nice Tenacious
Cold Tense
Comfortable Happy Obstinate Terrific
Conceited Hateful Optimistic Thrilled
Contemptuous Heartbroken Timid
Crabby Helpless Pained
Creative Hopeful Paranoid Uneasy
Cruel Horrified Peeved Unworthy
Hurt Perplexed
Delighted Hysterical Persecuted Vengeful
Depressed Pleased Victimized
Determined Impatient Proud Victorious
Devilish Independent Puzzled Vindictive
Disappointed Indifferent
Disapproving Inferior Regretful Wary
Disdained Insulted Relieved Wonderful
Distinguished Intimidated Remorseful Worried
Dumb Irritated Righteous

Miller-Lieber, Carol. (1998) Conflict Resolution in the High School: 36 Lessons. Cambridge, MA: Educators for Social
Responsibility, p66.
 Advisor & Teen Responsibilities
Your Responsibility to Your Teen Girls:
 Serve as a sounding board for girls to bounce new ideas off of
 Support your girls
 Provide a trusting environment
 Intervene in conflicts between group members
 Be knowledgeable of policies that may impact your girl’s decisions, actions, programs, etc.
 Run "interference" with the Service Unit, Association and Council.
 Provide continuity and stability as girl leadership changes
 Provide an "outside" point of view or perspective
 Provide your girls with resources and connections
 Give honest feedback to group members

Their Responsibility to You:

 Share their expectations with you right from the start – of what they expect from an advisor
 Consult you before making any changes in the structure or policies of the organization or
committee, and before major projects are undertaken
 Understand that although you have no vote, the advisor should have speaking privileges, and in
matters of safety, the ultimate position to say no
 Remember that the responsibility for the success or failure of a group project rests ultimately
with themselves, not with you, the advisor
 Evaluate you periodically and give appropriate feedback to help you improve as an advisor
 My Reflection on Girl Scouting
Your Aim Is Indirect Leadership. The girls decide on activities, plan and govern
themselves. Step back and listen to your girls, they are ready to make decisions; so
let them!
 Types of Troop Management
Patrol System – based on the task coming up, this method of leading by committee presents a
collaborative model with includes a lot of girls in the decision making process.

Elected Governing Body – with president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, etc., this more
hierarchical model of leadership allows for easy communication between the advisor and her main
point of contact. Decisions can be quickly made by allowing the greater group to vote on options.

Rotating Executive Board – with president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, etc., similar to the
governing body, but for a specified time period.

…Brainstorm others…
 Sample
Teen Troop Financial Records
Description Deposit Expenditure Total
General Funds
Dues Sept. 1 $50 $50.00
Supplies for coloring pages service project $10.00 $40.00
Dues Oct. 1 $50 $90.00
Snacks for Neighborhood Meeting $15.00 $75.00

Individual Records*
Lindsey
Cookie Profit $50.00 $50.00
Camping** $15.00 $35.00
Calendar Profit $10.00 $45.00
Maryland Legislative Day $15.00 $30.00
Car Wash*** $12.00 $42.00

Michelle
Cookie Profit $15.00 $15.00
Camping** $15.00 $0
Calendar Profit $5.00 $5.00
Silver Trefoil Award $4.50 $0.50
Car Wash*** $18.00 $18.50

Tricia
Cookie Profit $75.00 $75.00
Camping** $15.00 $60.00
Calendar Profit $20.00 $80.00
TTFN1-GSCNC Travel Group-Trip 2 $60.00 $20.00
Car Wash*** $6.00 $26.00

Notes:
* These are not separate bank accounts, but separate records!

** The camping totals were figured out by adding all expenses and dividing by the # attending.
(i.e. Three girls went camping- total was $45 with each girl paying $15.)

***Total car wash profit was added up and divided by the number of girl hours put into the
carwash that day. (i.e. Each girl got $6/hr for being there. Lindsey – 2 hrs, Michelle – 3 hrs,
Tricia – 1 hr)
 Behavior Characteristics
One major finding of the New Directions research was the existence of significant differences
among age ranges of girls 11-17. They can be clustered within three age ranges: 11-13, 13-15 and
15-17. Below is a list of issues that face each age group and recommended actions for dealing
with those issues.
appearance and self-confidence such as the Girls
Girls 11-13 Are Great Issues for Girls.

Defining Moments – Transition to junior high/ Pressures – To act certain ways for other girls,
middle school. Middle school is when bullying for boys, for parents. Give lots of possibilities for
peaks. Encourage girls to share the experiences they different things girls can do.
may have had with bullying. Talk about how friends
support each other. Activity Interests – Personalizing my space,
taking trips, music, expressing myself. Spend time
Self-Image – Want to be like others and belong. on activities where girls create something
Girls need to connect – with each other and with you. personalized for their rooms and/or listening to music.
They can plan activities that are more fun done as a Girls can plan trips that combine interest.
group – day trips to sporting events or amusement
parks for example.
Girls 15-17
Worries – Worry about fitting in. Provide girls with
a safe place to go. Encourage girls to expand their Defining Moments – New independence, girls can
worlds through clubs in and out of school. Investigate drive. Girls can learn car maintenance from a local
new hobbies that girls can try for the first time mechanic and spend some time talking about the
together. pleasure and pressures of independence.

Pressures – New risk-taking behaviors (dating, Self-Image – Pressure to achieve success. Ask
smoking, etc.) Girls who take healthy risks such as girls how they would define success. Talking to some
sports or travel are less likely to take unhealthy risks. women who have been there – in and out of college –
Provide the girls with lots of opportunities to test would provide perspective.
themselves.
Worries – Stressed out; worried about becoming
Activity Interests – Exploring the world around somebody. A day at a spa (commercial or one
me. Check out Safety-Wise for tips on planning trips. prepared by the girls) may be just what the girls need
Find out what activities the council offers girls 11-13 to kick back and relax.
through TTG, Mosaic, More and the program
department. Pressures – Getting into the right college.
Whether college, vocational school or work is in their
Girls 13-15 plans, encourage girls to talk about their dreams.
Girls may wish to find out more about the Girl Scout
Defining Moments – Becoming a teenager. Talk to Gold Award and scholarships offered by colleges to
the girls about what becoming a teenager means to girls who have earned one.
them. What can they do together to express their
independence? Activity Interests – Career opportunities, self-
defense and managing time. Provide resources for
Self-Image – “Me” focused. Help girls try to figure time management tips and self-defense classes.
out who they are. They can do a bit of self-analyzing Discuss how taking these classes can be healthy and
about what makes then unique individuals. relaxing.

Worries – If boys don’t like me, how I look, eating

disorders. Create a comfortable environment for
girls to share fears, get advice and reassurance from
each other and you. Try activities that focus on
 The Conflict Step #5
On a camping trip,
Joon finds that

Escalator chewing gum has

been stuck inside her
journal. She throws
the whole notebook in
Step #4 the trash and storms
Your co-leader talks out of the cabin
to the troop about crying.
the importance of
being a sister to J–
every girl. She takes
Step #3 a few of the lead-
girls aside to scold G–
Joon has begun to
make comments them about not
about how she including Joon.
A–
thinks the other girls
J–
are immature, and
uninteresting.
Some of the girls roll
G–
their eyes and
Step #2 snicker when Joon
The other girls speaks at meetings.
A–
frequently talk about
J–
boys and sports at
school, and Joon will
Step #1 wander away to
A troop of 8 girls have G–
engage the advisor in
bridged up from conversation or to
Juniors. write in her journal.
The oldest girl, in the A–
troop, Joon is J–
developmentally
delayed and seems to
prefer hanging around G–
with adults rather than DIRECTIONS:
her peers. 1. Work in pairs to guess what each person might be feeling at
A– each step of the conflict.
What might they be feeling? 2. Remember to think of Joon, the Girls, as well as the Advisor.
Joon – 3. Write at least three feeling words under each step.
Girls –
Advisor –
Partner Discussion:
1. What do you think about this scenario? Was it realistic? Unrealistic?
2. What thoughts or feelings came up for you as you were reading this? Any memories from your own childhood, or the
experiences of your children?
3. Did you feel biased toward one side of the conflict or the other? If so, why?
4. How might your bias impact the way you, as an advisor, would respond? Why is this important?

------------------------------- Large Group Discussion --------------------------------

Points to Ponder:
 Every behavior in a conflict is either a step up
or a step down the conflict escalator.

 Behavior that makes a conflict worse will take it

another step up the escalator.

 Every step up the conflict escalator has feelings that

go with it. As a conflict escalates, so do the feelings.

 The higher you go on the escalator,

the harder it is to come down.
Conflict Intervention Strategies
1. Group Guidelines
2. Team Building Exercises/Kits
3. Peer Mediation
4. Group Problem-Solving Process
5. Additional Resources

Group Guidelines
Group guidelines allow for you to contract with your group for a code of behavior they would all like
to see. This is a time for you to mention some ideas you’d like to see respected, but primarily it is a
way for the girls to create their own group, so try to sit back and let them fill the page. Only add
something if it is glaringly missing.

Setting up Group Guidelines with your troop:

 An early meeting is ideal, but it is never too late to set-up group guidelines.
 Start by explaining that you will brainstorm ideas for how your troop will work together.
 Invite them to call out any ideas that pop into their heads.
 Write everything down as they say it. Try not to paraphrase or put your personal spin on
anything they say.
 Discourage any discussion, or judgment of anything offered. Emphasize that you are gathering
all ideas at this point.
 Ask - If everyone can agree to follow these guidelines.
 Post the Group Guidelines up somewhere in the room as a reminder.
 Post them again in the future if you need to review them with the group.

Team Building Exercises/Kits

Program Kits are available from Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital:
For more information, or to reserve a kit go to: http://www.gscnc.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-
program/kit_patches.html
Peer Mediation
The mediation process is characterized by a series of steps that enable girls to identify their own
needs and interests and to work cooperatively to find solutions to meet those needs and interests.
The process gives support and direction to the cooperative effort, assisting the girls in conflict to
stay focused on the problem rather than on each other and to find a mutually acceptable
resolution. It is best if a third; neutral peer can facilitate the process, but can also be effective
when a leader walks them through the steps.

The mediation process may include the following steps:

1. Set the stage

2. Gather perspectives
3. Identify interests
4. Create options
5. Generate agreement

1. Set the stage

Explain that your role as mediator is to help them solve their own problem
Ask them to agree to speak one at a time and to keep everything that is said confidential.

When they are in agreement about this you can ask who would like to begin sharing their side of
the story first.

2. Gather perspectives

Ask the first person “What happened?”

Re-frame what they say, editing out any blame and adding feeling words:
EXAMPLE:
Joon: Every time I come to troop meetings, Grace and the other girls sit across
the room making comments about me and I am sick of it!

Mediator: So, you are feeling frustrated because you feel you are not being
respected here at the meetings and at times you are feeling left out.

Grace: Joon thinks she is too good for us and only wants to hang out with the
adults. We’re not talking about her. We can’t help it if she thinks everything
we want to talk about is too juvenile for her.”

Reframe: So, you feel upset because you feel you are being accused of
something you didn’t do. And you are upset because you feel that
your are being judged for your interests.

Continue doing this until all the issues are identified (lack of respect, accusations, etc.)
3. Identify interests

To identify the most important issues to tackle first in the mediation, ask both girls:
“What bothers you the most about your interactions?”
After both have answered, summarize for them by identifying what they value.

EXAMPLE
Girl #1 “What bothers me the most is that she excludes everyone except her
three friends.”

Girls #2 “What bothers me the most is that she expects us to beg her to hang out with
us.”

Mediator: So you both value everyone hanging out together. Joon, you wish to feel
more included, and Grace you wish Joon would include herself more often.

4. Create options

Ask each person what they would be willing to do to solve this particular portion of the problem.
Go back and forth writing down their ideas, or offering suggestions of your own, until you have a
good list of concrete actionable tasks:

I, Joon would be willing to sit closer to the girls when they are talking.

I, Grace would be willing to make sure that we open up the circle when
we are sitting and talking so that our backs are not blocking anyone out.

(When you make suggestions, offer them in question form: “Grace would you be willing to call Joon
over to join you one time during the next meeting?” But be willing to accept “No” as an answer,
because the solution has to fit for them.)

5. Generate agreement

Write down the options they wish to include on an agreement

Have both parties sign the agreement
Talk about what they will share or not share with others
Group Problem-Solving Process - Steps

STEP 1: Agree to Problem Solve

o Explain the purpose of the meeting/discussion
o Establish necessary guidelines (such as):
 Everyone sits in a circle
 Everything will remain private
 Everyone will take turns talking and listening
 Every time a person presents a point of view, someone from the group must
summarize that point of view before anyone else can present another point
of view.

STEP 2: Gather Points of View

o Encourage participants to share what they know and how you feel about the
problem. Allow participants to speak if their point of view hasn’t already been
shared.
o Help the group decide on a problem statement – what you are trying to solve in this
meeting.

STEP 3: Focus on Interests

o Have participants discuss:
 What they want (reveals the position)
 Why that is important to them (reveals underlying interests)
o Try to find and emphasize any shared interests (staying together as a troop)
o If participants have trouble, you might have them:
 Tell why they think the problem isn’t going away.
 Tell what they think might happen if the group doesn’t solve the problem.

STEP 4: Create Win –Win Options

o Have the group brainstorm ideas that meet everyone’s interests using these
guidelines:

STEP 5: Evaluate Options

o Have the group determine the criteria by which options will be judged.
o Test each option by asking if it meets the criteria.
 Eliminate options that don’t work and focus only on the most promising ones.
 Try to combine all or parts of ideas until they work for everyone.

STEP 6: Follow-Up
o Meet with the group in the future to discuss:
 Is the plan working?
 Any changes in the plan necessary?
 Is everyone getting his or her needs/interests met?
Girl Scout Senior & Girl
Scout Ambassador
Journeys
Sensitive Issues Parental Permission

Parents and/or Guardians,

please review and return this signed letter to the Troop
Advisor:

I, the parent/guardian of _________________________ give

permission for her to participate on this Journey. I understand
that my daughter will be exposed to diverse religions, multicultural
perspectives and statistics on world-wide girl health. The content
and discussions could be considered sensitive.

I have discussed the materials with my daughter and am confident

that she has the maturity and ability to participate in this activity.

I understand, and have shared with her, that her attendance is

optional for all or part of the activity. However, it is my or my
daughter’s responsibility to communicate to the leaders of this
activity any special concerns in advance of the date the activity is
to be conducted.

Parent/Guardian Signature__________________________
Date__________________

Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital

4301 Connecticut Avenue, M-2
Washington DC, 20008
Closing Activity:
Complete one of the sentences below:

 As I began this class, I felt … At the end of this class I felt …

 One thing that surprised me was …

 As we worked together, I kept thinking about …

 Now I’m more aware of how important it is to …

 I liked this class because …

 I would have changed this class by …

 I want to remember this experience the next time I …

 I can take what I learned from this and apply it too …

 One thing that was fun, challenging or eye opening was …

 After participating in this class, I realized it would be great if we could …

 This helped me to learn more about …

 I found it really difficult to …

 I found it easy to …