Building Legacy Troops

What is a Legacy Troop*?

Around here the term "legacy troop" defines a unit that continues at the same level indefinitely with no expected disbanding in sight. Most legacy troops serve older girls (S/A or C/S/A). They bridge in new girls regularly and graduate their oldest to adult scouting annually. I had the honor of working with such a troop for 13 years, including eight as the primary advisor. This troop has been operating continuously since 1953.

Why Start a Legacy Troop?

While the legacy troop model may not work in every community, it has real benefits.

Strong Program
Legacy troops are often larger than other troops in this age range. A larger troop provides more program opportunities. Whereas a small troop may need almost every girl to sign up for an activity to make it viable, a large troop can have only partial participation and still meet the minimum threshold to make the activity worthwhile. This means the troop can schedule things that might appeal to some girls, but not all. The troop's program becomes more rich and varied.

Retention
Girls leave scouting for a variety of reasons. Legacy troops still compete with a variety of other activities, but the strong program reduces the likelihood that girls will leave for lack of interest. In addition, the constantly changing troop makeup provides many opportunities for new friendships. Girls are less likely to leave because their connections have gotten stale. Lastly, the visibility of a large, active troop of older girls in the community helps younger girls to see an exciting path ahead, encouraging them to stay with the program.

Leadership Experience
In a legacy troop, girls aren't just making decisions with the same group they've known since kindergarten. Each year the troop dynamics change with the influx of new girls. The oldest girls take responsibility for running the troop and keeping it cohesive. They learn not only how to plan and coordinate activities, but how to handle team-building. Younger troop members get a chance to learn leadership by watching the older girls in action. The social skills that are developed in working together as a group over multiple ages are very different than what you get in a very singular age-level troop.

Strong Adult Team
Legacy troops generally attract the highest quality adult leadership. This consists of a combination of long-term leaders, parents, and young adults who are graduates of the program. Leaders who have been with the troop the longest mentor those bridging in with new girls. Constant internal training of leaders and parents results in a strong adult support team who become experts with girls at this age.

How to Start a Legacy Troop:

Creating a new legacy troop can be quite difficult. For a number of decades now, the primary troop formation method has been to form a troop at a very young age and then have that group progress together through the levels. This generally results in a troop that suffers serious attrition by the time the girls are in high school, when they can most benefit from the activities a larger troop can provide.

Making things more difficult is that the age at which legacy troops are most beneficial is also the age at which girls are the most cliquey. If left to their own devices, girls in the C/S age range are unlikely to vote to merge with others. Unfortunately, the result is often girls at the Ambassador age who realize they have missed some great opportunities and are now too close to leaving the program to change that.

For these reasons, starting a new legacy troop is often easiest with girls bridging into Cadettes. They are still young enough to be open to the idea of merging some troops to provide greater program opportunities.

Once a troop is established, recruitment becomes important. A well established legacy troop creates a clear pipeline for girls in their area. Most of the legacy troops in our area sponsor an annual camping weekend for younger girls and have very visible presence at Service Unit activities. This creates an expectation among the younger girls that they will someday join that troop. It also gives the adult leadership a chance to network with upcoming younger leaders and explain the benefits of bridging their girls to the legacy troop once they are old enough.

Many of the legacy troops in my council have a history that extends back to the period when GSUSA supported specialty units for Seniors - Mariners, pathfinders, etc. Especially in Mariner troops, it is tradition for the troop to take a "ship" name (our troop was MSS Morning Star). This tradition continues today and most legacy troops have a name and not just a troop number. The result is that younger girls get a sense of identity from the troop. They grow up thinking not just that someday they will be a senior scout but that some day they will be in Walawi. Knowing they have a specific troop to join as a future dream helps with retention.

While GSUSA has continued to fracture the program levels into ever smaller components, the strength of the old Senior program lives on in our legacy troops. Give it a try. It can be a lot of work, but the experiences the girls will get make it extremely rewarding.

*This terminology is fairly new and grew from the reorganization in the late 2000s. At that time a number of councils in our area merged to form new larger council. The old council affiliations were referred to as Legacy Councils and some people extended this term to older troops.

Should Boy Scouts allow Girls?

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When I was a girl I loved all the "boy stuff." My playground friends were boys. I played Batman instead of house. And I spent time reading my older brothers old Cub Scout books, working on badge and rank requirements. Those brothers were no longer in scouting, I wasn't old enough to join anyway, but I would have joined Boy Scouts in a second if that option was available.

We hear about these kinds of things occasionally. The girl who wants to join the Boy Scouts or the boy who wants to join Girl Scouts. Currently, BSA is considering whether to open more opportunities for girls in their program. Is this a good idea?

While five of the six children in my family participated in scouting at some point, I was the only one to stay involved in scouting through High School and into adulthood. Despite my young interest in Boy Scout program, I treasure the friendships I've made through Girl Scouting and I now recognize the value of the girl only nature of the organization. It provides opportunities for girls to grow outside of the realm of gender stereotypes and raging hormones. But gender isn't the only distinction between GSUSA and BSA.

The organizations share the same roots and both focus on youth-led activities that are character and leadership building, but they have grown increasingly different over time.

In either organization, the individual troop leadership has the most significant influence on any given child's experience, but some general differences persist.
Boy Scouts—in general—is more outdoor/leadership focused with a highly defined rank advancement system. Girl Scouts—in general—is more flexible and service focused with a separate recognition system for each level.
Troop organization also differs. Boy Scout troops are typically larger and span a larger age range. Girl Scout troops are often small and include girls who are very close in age. Girl Scout troops remain relatively constant over time, less likely to take in new members and bridge out older members than Boy Scout troops.

Arguments rage over which program is better. I happen to prefer the rank advancement, outdoor focus of the Boy Scouts, but also appreciate the way that Girl Scouting approaches youth-led program. Any given child might be served better one way or the other. Because the programs are different, I think either program should be available to either gender.

BUT kids can still use an opportunity to interact and grow in a safe, gender-segregated space.

So I encourage opening the Boy Scout program to girls and vice-versa, but only if individual troops are not required to be co-ed. Troops should be allowed to be organized along gender lines.

If I were CEO of GSUSA

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Interim CEO of GSUSA, Sylvia Acevedo, has asked ideas for the organization in the form of "What would I do if I were CEO?" Here are my thoughts:

If I were CEO of GSUSA I would listen to the girls and volunteers, both present and past, who understand the movement so well and know what has worked for them. I would recognize that our past is the key to our future. Girl Scouts has a long legacy and continuous program changes away from that legacy dilute our brand.

If I were CEO of GSUSA the program would be more focused on a wide variety of hands-on skill building badges instead of journeys. The Gold Award would be reworked to include more prerequisites that build skills and prepare girls for their project. I would stop looking at program information as something to sell for a profit and make it available online.

If I were CEO of GSUSA I would focus on older girls, recognizing that the largest benefits of the Girl Scout experience accrue to adolescents. I would measure success not by how many members could be recruited each year, but by how many girls were retained each year and by how many girls are sticking with it and bridging into adulthood. I would institute a bi- or triennial National Jamboree to bring together older girls from around the country.

If I were CEO of GSUSA, I would reduce and restrict the number of licensing agreements, while making it easier for Girl Scout troops to license the Girl Scout brand in their troop fundraising efforts. Our brand isn't cookie flavors and baking. It's leadership and empowerment and service and fun!

If I were CEO of GSUSA, I would attempt to reduce bureaucracy at the National and Council levels. I would encourage close partnerships between staff and volunteers, especially in the area of program delivery. I would build a strong online information and training network for volunteers.

If I were CEO of GSUSA I would try to purchase instead of sell land, recognizing that the long-term benefits of land for programmatic purposes far surpass the short-term benefits of a few more dollars in the bank account.

Some of these things are being worked on already. Some of these things vary widely from council to council - this variance should be reduced. Some of these things would require significant change and challenge, especially financially. But it would sure be cool to belong to an organization that girls and volunteers were joining instead of leaving.

Smitty

The Final Bridge

As bridging season is upon us, I was reminded of the reason I started this blog in the first place. A few years ago, a local leader approached me requesting a letter for her girls. I hadn't been active with the troop, but some of the girls were students where I taught. They had been discouraged by a lack of support for their bridging to adulthood and needed words of encouragement to keep them active in the program. So I wrote a letter and this story.

THE FINAL BRIDGE

By Smitty

Margaret stared at the rickety bridge in front of her. As she debated whether to cross, the circumstances that brought her here came flooding back.

It began in a dark forest when she was just a girl. She was crying. Another girl asked, “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know the way and this forest is scary.”

“It’s not scary when you have the right friends. Come with me.”

A group of girls sat in a circle.  Margaret was introduced to their leader.

“My name is Daisy and I’ve got something for all of you girls,” the leader said. Daisy exuded a sense of adventure. She was like living laughter. Margaret had never been so excited.

“Together we will make plans, create our own adventures, learn about the world, and help make it a better place. You are in charge and I will help you,” said Daisy.

Margaret and the girls followed Daisy through the forest, all the while learning new fun things. They collected pinecones and made crafts with them. They sang silly songs and songs about friendship. They cleaned up litter. They showed lost hikers the way.

They arrived at an old wide covered bridge. “What’s over there?” asked Margaret.

“More exciting adventures,” said Daisy, “We’ll all cross together.” They held hands and sang songs as they skipped across the bridge.

Now they were older and the world they explored broadened. Daisy taught Margaret to tend the fire and cook. They collected food for those without and helped find homes for stray animals.  They became fast friends. It was a lovely time.

Eventually they reached a long narrow suspension bridge. “Buddy up,” said Daisy, “The bridge looks straight, but it is easy to get lost.” Some girls were scared and chose not to cross. Some girls lost themselves in other interesting paths off of the bridge and left the group. The bridge created new emotions and some girls left because they didn’t want to work through their differences. Margaret held her best friend’s hand tight and weathered the challenges. On the other side, they were a much smaller group.

Those who persevered enjoyed boundless adventures. They climbed mountains, built robots, and Margaret learned surfing. With Daisy’s help they created a park for younger children to enjoy.

A wild stream blocked their progress. but Margaret was confident now. “We’ll just build our own bridge,” she said. Daisy smiled as she watched the girls build. They barely needed her help. Again some girls chose to stay behind and Margaret found herself saying goodbye to old friends.

Daisy made the girls cross first. “I’ll stand by to keep you safe, and provide guidance and comfort when you need it, but you will be your own leaders now.”

As Daisy followed, the girls backpacked for days in the wilderness and explored faraway cities of the world. They learned to sail and fly. They built shelters for the homeless and installed nature signs in the forest. Margaret knew she could accomplish anything.

Until now. A small rope bridge stretched over the chasm. It was foggy, she couldn’t see where it ended.

“This is the final bridge, “ said Daisy. “ Each of you must cross it alone. If you choose not to cross now, it will always be here. It may present itself later. Perhaps you will see each other on the far side, perhaps not. But the other side is very special.”

Some girls had crossed eagerly, others scattered back away from the cliff. Margaret was left alone with Daisy.

“What are you going to do, Margaret?” asked Daisy.

“I want to stay with you. We’ve had such great adventures and I don’t want it to end,” said Margaret.

“It doesn’t have to. I can’t come with you, but I’ll be there,” said Daisy. “Have courage. You belong on the other side of that bridge.”

Margaret gave Daisy a hug and wiped away tears. She stepped softly onto the rope bridge. It swung under her weight. As she progressed into the fog, her confidence grew. Daisy faded behind her and she was alone. The fog gave way to a view of a forest. She stepped off the bridge into the forest. It felt comfortable. She was home.

As she hiked along a pathway, Margaret heard crying. A small girl was sitting on a rock. “Why are you crying?” Margaret asked.

“I don’t know the way,” said the girl.

Margaret wished that Daisy had crossed the bridge with her. Who will lead this girl through the forest? As the girl looked helplessly up at her, Margaret smiled. She wiped the girl’s tears. “My name’s Daisy and I’ve got something for you and for all the girls in the forest. Let’s go find them.” They skipped away together, like living laughter.

The Glory of GAM

Last weekend my council held their annual GAM event. What is GAM you ask? At GAM Senior/Ambassador troops compete in Mariner skills. The name is an acronym for Gathering of All Mariners. Mariner Scout program was an official program field for many Senior Troops from 1934-1963. In the 1960s, GSUSA discontinued program field areas for Senior Troops, but vestiges remain, including the GSGLA GAM. This years GAM attracted about 170 girls representing 14 different troops.

MSS Morning Star rigs the sailboat while a judge looks on

What makes GAM so Glorious?
GAM is the highlight of the year for these troops. Some troops spend months of preparation, with older girls teaching skills to newer "Swabbies" in the troop. Some troops prepare very little and just enjoy fun on the water and the camaraderie of their sister scouts. Every troop walks away with an award flag based on the level of excellence they achieved in the skills. A handful of troops will make it to Golden Clipper level, but only one troop will take away the coveted Top Ship flag.

MSS Wind Quest gets tips on their Marlinspike project from the judge

Because GAM is a Senior/Ambassador only competition, the girls get a chance to meet and socialize with other scouts their age. In addition, GAM is a welcome program activity where they get to be the kids instead of being expected to be the leaders for younger girls. It's outdoor adventure at it's finest.

Switching teams at the kayak relay race

Because GAM is a team competition, it develops courage, confidence, and character in amazing ways. Girls are challenged to try new skills. I've seen non-swimmers overcome their fear of water. I've seen a girl who struggled with academic skills shine with a natural talent for catching the wind in the sailboat. I've seen a troop have to work together using each girls strengths and helping each other on their weaknesses in order to achieve their goals. I've seen girls learn to deal with adversity when things went poorly and learn to advocate for themselves through official channels when they believe something is unfair. And I've watched incredible sportsmanship as every troop supports their sister scouts throughout the weekend and cheers on every competitor.

[GAM from a girl's perspective]

Girls tackle the charting exam

What skills do girls compete in at GAM?

The competition includes three main types of competition. Boating races include kayaking, canoeing, canoe tipping, and a relay event known as Message to Garcia which also requires signaling knowledge. Girls also show their skills in rowing and sailing, including rigging a sailboat. Swimming events include relay races and swimming for form, along with ring buoy rescue skills. A host of additional events test a wide variety of knowledge and skills including knots, piloting, compass points, anchors, tides, and weather.

Don't forget the singing! GAM includes learning a few traditional sea chanties along with the fun of writing your own for performance at the campfire program.

Graduating Ambassadors prepare for overboarding at the landship ceremony

How is GAM organized?
While the format of GAM remains fairly steady, each year a girl committee is formed to define a theme, revise rules, and plan special activities. A consistent team of adults provides logistical support to the girl committee and its adult advisors. This team, working with council staff, helps to secure the site, supply necessary equipment and judges, and handles the scoring duties for the competition.

Innertube Extravaganza!

What makes GAM possible?
GAM exists because 50 years ago, when GSUSA decided the Mariner program should die, a few troops in this area kept it alive.
GAM exists because these troops have a commitment to maintaining their legacy.
GAM exists because these legacy troops build a long lasting interest within their graduates to keep these programs running.

But the best part is that GAM exists!

[more photos from GAM 2015]

Are Girl Scout Elections Democratic?

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My city holds their municipal election this week. On the ballot are three candidates for Mayor and four candidates for two city council seats. In the voting pamphlet--for those candidates who bothered to submit--I have their picture, current occupation, and a full page statement explaining why they think I should vote for them.

My Girl Scout council also holds their annual meeting this week. On the ballot are eleven candidates to fill eleven board positions and two candidates to fill two board development committee positions. For each candidate I have their picture, the position they are nominated for, how many terms they have served, and when their term will end. Nothing about their qualifications, or why they want to serve on the Girl Scout council board, or what they think about current council policies. And no alternative choices. Just exactly the people they are telling me to vote for.

In Girl Scouts, "democratic" elections consist of approving a slate of candidates that someone else picked for you. And who are the people who put together this slate? Other people that were chosen in exactly the same way. A mechanism exists to make nominations from the floor, but this is not generally encouraged. It's the election method commonly used by large corporations to reduce the power of shareholders and insure that management maintains control. It's oligarchy, not democracy.

Admittedly, this system has benefits. One need only take a look at the present presidential campaign to see that contested elections can be incredibly messy and have the potential to result in poor choices. But when a membership organization has leadership as it's focus, isn't it a bit of a slap in the face not to allow those members to truly participate in choosing their leaders? Why can't we do something similar to my city's council elections? Have a ballot with a slate of the interested candidates and then vote for the number of seats available.

Most of the time, it wouldn't make any difference. Serving as a volunteer board member isn't a glamorous job. A board development committee will still be necessary to identify enough willing candidates and to help the membership understand their qualifications. Allowing for contested elections may rarely result in an actual contest. In fact, I belong to three other organizations that currently have board vacancies.

Contested elections bring greater transparency and participation to the process. They also give choices to the membership and provide for useful debate when the direction of the organization is questioned.

Please Girl Scouts, let your members choose their leaders.

Building Girls

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Girl Scout Mission

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

In previous posts I've talked about courage, confidence, character, and making the world a better place. But what does it mean to build girls?

Buildings start with a foundation, and then a framework, and finally the full structure. Each step is necessary before moving on to the next, but the building isn't complete until the structure is finished.

So it is with Girl Scouting. Each level has its place in the building of a girl, but the process isn't completed until the older levels. Despite the current GSUSA focus on K-5, the most significant benefits of Girl Scouting are achieved in Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors. When Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts it was for girls ages 10-18. This age range provides the maturity necessary to allow for true girl leadership.

How program levels build girls

What girls learn and can accomplish at the different program levels depends on characteristics of child development.

Daisies focus on the promise and law, creating the moral foundation of Girl Scouting to guide their ethical decisions as they grow.

Brownies continue this foundational process by exploring the world around them, learning to deal with friendships, understanding the outdoors, and helping their community.

Juniors creates the framework through skill-building. By this age, most girls have the dexterity and mental development to learn a wide variety of skills. Badges play an important part in encouraging girls to try new things and expand their skill set. At this age, most girls are still eager to explore lots of different activities, so be sure to do so. A broad skill set will serve them well in the future.

The real magic begins at the Cadette level. As girls travel through adolescence, they exert their independence and a truly girl-led troop begins to emerge. This age is fraught with changes, including potential changes in friendships and a growing awareness of each girl's individuality. Now the foundation and framework of ethics and skills that was laid in K-5 can be fleshed out as girls discover the women that they will become.

Senior/Ambassador girls bring the program to fruition. At this age, the girls experience what it means to lead for themselves. Scouting is a relatively unique youth program in this regard. Most other youth programs and extracurricular activities depend on significant adult coaching or leadership, especially at the High School level, when competition and excellence become paramount. Scouts takes the opposite approach. We let the girls be their own coaches and administrators, with the attendant failures, tears, and sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing you did it all yourself.

Keeping Girls active

The best recruiters are the girls themselves. At every level, girls need interaction with older troops. They need to feel like sisters to the older girls to build expectations of continuing. The younger your girls are when they aspire to be like the older scout troops, the more likely they will stay involved. Be sure that interactions with older girls include an understanding that they are Girl Scouts and that your troop will be them some day.

Keep progression reasonable. The girls need something to look forward to at the next level. Remember that a big trip taken with 5th graders, which requires a lot of organizing by adults, is a very different experience than High School girls get, when they do most of that organizing themselves. Don't defeat the leadership purpose of trip travel or challenging adventure program by pushing it to a younger age.

Why focus on K-5?

Currently, GSUSA has initiated a focus on K-5 program levels. If older girl program is so important, why is GSUSA focusing on K-5? Because they want high membership numbers and younger girls are easier to recruit. But we must be willing to let the world know that Girl Scouts true purpose serves grades 6-12, and downplay the younger levels as preparatory (similar to the Cub Scout/Boy Scout link) or we do the older girls a disservice.

Unfortunately, as Girl Scouts has pushed into younger and younger demographics, it has created a perception that the program is for little girls. This intensifies the attitude among adolescents that it's not cool to be a Girl Scout. It's not a new problem, either. When I was a Brownie, we looked up to the Juniors as "The Girl Scouts." I had no clue that any level older than that even existed. But I am extremely grateful that my scouting path eventually led to an awesome Senior Troop, which has in turn led to a lifelong commitment to the organization.

Is it possible to recruit older girls? As girls get older, their interests intensify. If they're not already Girl Scouts when they hit adolescence, it's a hard sell. I have found that the Ambassador age is the tipping point. In the middle of High School, girls grow past peer pressure concerns and will join if they are excited by the program. At this age, your girls may recruit new friends who have never been Girl Scouts before.

Finishing touches

The end of the building process involves finishing the project with paint, carpeting, and landscaping. As our girls get ready to leave Girl Scouting and bring their leadership skills into the adult world, they will hone the subtle nuances of leadership, developing tact and the passion to inspire others. Developing these high level social skills that will lead our girls into the future depends upon practicing leadership with the maturity and independence inherent in older troops. Keep them in, keep them building, and let the program serve the age that it serves best.

Smitty