This week we are bringing you an awesome interview with Susan Eckers, who was a Girl Scout leader across all levels for her own daughter and then stayed on to train and mentor other volunteers, and to serve on her council's history committee. She's attended both the 75th and 100th anniversary celebrations and has gone to nearly every convention in her time as a Girl Scout volunteer. Girl Scouts is such a big part of her family that even her husband serves on her council's history committee! Susan shares not just some interesting stories and memories of her own experiences, but she also shares some tips and best practices and advice for leaders, some historical perspective and history including multiple great Juliette Low stories, and more!

This episode is based on a question from an anonymous leader on Facebook recently... (Actually, she wasn't anonymous, but I forgot to include her name in the screenshot I took of her question... oops!)

This episode is based on a question from an anonymous leader on Facebook recently...

On this podcast, we LOVE to talk about GSLE, but if you're new to Girl Scouts, you probably need a brief overview. In this Back to Troop Bonus, we are talking about the three keys to leadership and the three processes as outlined by the GSLE framework.

This week I am joined by guest Jennifer from GS NorCal. She’s a troop leader for older girls and a member services manager supporting the volunteers in her area. She’s got advice for new troop leaders, shares her best tips for older girl retention, and best of all: we are talking ALL about her trip to Savannah with 13 twelve-year-old Girl Scout Cadettes.

Last week's Back to Troop Bonus episode was an introduction to uniforms, so this week we are talking about insignia and badge placement.

This episode is based on a couple of questions from Facebook recently...

It's time to buy new uniforms and opening up the website or walking into your council shop can be OVERWHELMING. In this Back to Troop Bonus episode, we are covering some uniform basics.

This episode is based on a couple of questions from Facebook recently...

It's a new Girl Scout season, so for the month of September, I thought it would be important to have some bonus episodes on Thursdays that are geared toward newer Troop Leaders who might be overwhelmed coming into the Girl Scout movement for the first time. In this episode, we are talking about some basics and clearing up some general concepts and the structure of the Girl Scout organization.

This episode is based on an anonymous question from one of our leader friends: "What are we supposed to do with unsold GS cookies? An extra case was ordered and could not be sold no matter how hard we tried. Now I have a case of cookies taking up space that I'm unsure of what to do with."

"Any tips for how to help my Junior troop brainstorm for Bronze? (Or honestly any take action?)" & "How do you get girls interested in working on the real meat of the Girl Scout program - journeys and higher awards?"

Girl-Led does not mean "let them do what they want." It does mean: 1) Understand what motivates them 2) Set boundaries together 3) Listen to them 4) Notice what they notice 5) Share happy moments 6) Respect their opinions 7) Empower them In this episode, I'm digging in to all the details of what those 7 tips might look like in your troop.

This episode is based on a question submitted by Erica on Facebook. Erica asked: "How do you handle new girls coming into your troop part way through the season? Do you offer them the opportunity to catch up and earn patches/petals on their own time and just offer the tools or ideas for earning? Or do you just move on and they earn from when they join and forward?"

This episode is based on a question submitted by Kelly on Facebook. Kelly asked: "Do you have any info on how to work through councils? I know it's not a one size fits all, but is a degree needed? How do you get your foot in the door? Is there a way to get notified when jobs are needed?"

This episode is a mash-up of a few questions. Kate asked about service team roles and how they're appointed by council staff. Then, Ying asked about the different structures of troop leadership, which leant itself really well to Nicole's question about parent helpers and parent involvement.

This question was asked by Jennifer in the Facebook group, who wanted to know about supporting new leaders, building community among service unit volunteers, and how to build a service team.

This question was asked in the Facebook group by Nicole. "How do you address implementing changes in your troop when they affect parents? I’m looking to change our communication from text/email to an app like Band or a Facebook group. Do I ask parents what they would prefer or just make a decision? How do you handle pushback? I’ve got 12 girls and I’m tired of unread emails, group texts get messy fast, and I’m desperate to make a change but also terrified to rock the boat."

This was a question asked by Rachel in the Facebook group: "What drives troop retention year-to-year?"

We're back this week with another troop leader spotlight. I had so much fun sitting down and chatting about growing along with our girls, growing up in a multi-generational Girl Scout family, transitioning to balancing a staff role along with a volunteer role, SWAPS, and so much more with Kala from GSNWGL.

I mentioned in the Facebook group a few months ago that I was thinking about trying to have some conversations with some council CEOs. This is my first run at one of these conversations - I do not know if there will be others, but I definitely enjoyed hearing from Susan Douglas of Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road. She shared what the girls in her council are up against and why Girl Scouts is so valuable in her area, as well as the movement to girls of the USA as a whole. Susan also shared some aspects of the complications we've experienced during the past few cookie seasons. Tune in and let me know what you think and if you're interested in more CEO interviews!

Looking for ideas for hanging out with your troop this summer? Whether you take a break and just want to plan a "Summer Reunion" activity or if you meet and play all year round together, this episode is jam-packed with ideas for you with your troop (or your family) this summer.