Volunteer Essentials

Addressing the Needs of Older Girls Consider the following tips when working with teenage girls: • Think of yourself as a partner, and as a coach or mentor, as needed (not a “leader”) • Ask girls what rules they need for safety and what troop agreements they need to be a good team • Understand girls need time to talk, unwind and have fun together • Ask what they think and what they want to do • Encourage girls to speak their minds • Provide structure, but don’t micromanage • Give everyone a voice in the troop • Treat girls like partners • Don’t repeat what’s said in the troop to anyone outside of it (unless necessary for a girl’s safety) Behavior Management Guidelines The Girl Scout philosophy of behavior management builds on a girl’s need to develop a sense of self- worth. To promote this, the program has been carefully planned to foster positive behavior. To accomplish this please ensure that: • Girls are involved in rule setting and help determine the consequences of misbehavior • Whenever possible, the site and activities are set up to promote positive interaction among girls • Volunteers encourage girls to learn how to solve problems and settle differences among themselves • Troops are encouraged to create their own behavior contracts for troop activities and meetings When a girl’s behavior is disruptive to the troop meeting activity, the following steps are recommended: 1. If a situation occurs during a meeting or activity, declare a “time out” for the girl who is misbehaving. Remove the troop member to a quiet place, away from the other troop members. Be firm but fair, and never leave a child alone. 2. Yelling or physical forms of punishment are never appropriate. 3. Inform parents of unacceptable behavior and possible consequences. Ask for their support. 4. If behavior continues, consult with parents again, and discuss with your Neighborhood Manager to determine what action might be taken. 5. The Neighborhood Manager and Volunteer Support Coordinator must be consulted for approval prior to any removal. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri can assist with behavior management if it cannot be resolved through the actions taken above. It is our goal to ensure all girls have the opportunity to participate in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Starting a Troop 43