Service Unit: Coyote Plains
Troop 6455 (Juniors and Cadettes)
Years as a troop leader: 5
What inspired you to become a troop leader?
My co-leader, Sarah, inspired me to take on a leadership role with her contagious passion for Girl Scouts! She demonstrated that transitioning to a leader role from a volunteer role was very rewarding and I never looked back. I was also inspired to become a leader to see first-hand the growth, development, and all-around enjoyment that the girls in the troop have when trying something new or seeing something click for the first time.
What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?
Our troop does all sorts of activities! We have traditional meetings and participate in neighborhood events while also hosting troop only events (such as horseback riding, escape rooms, museum visits, and more), but I would have to say our favorite is camping with our neighborhood. Although camping has evolved over the years from having the entire troop together to just a few members since our older girls are now counselors, the opportunity for everyone to be present, engage, have fun, bond, and grow together is truly amazing and remains a highlight of the year.
What do you wish someone had told you as a new troop leader?
You don’t have to recreate the wheel. Reach out to your Service Unit and fellow leaders in the community. We are a sisterhood, and we all want each leader and girl to have an amazing experience. Most of us are willing to share our plans, resources and experiences with you. You are not alone. I was fortunate to have an amazing co-leader and an awesome neighborhood of additional leaders to tap into and ask questions. It might be hard at first to reach out (especially if you are an introvert like me), but it is totally worth it in the end.
Does your troop sell cookies? If yes, please tell us in your own words, why it is important to participate in the Cookie Program?
Yes, our troop sells cookies. We do this every year to help girls learn life skills, goal setting, money management, communication skills, confidence development, etc. The skills the girls learn by selling cookies truly does help them in the long run with other areas such as math and public speaking. Additionally, the proceeds the girls earn by putting in the hard work allows the troop to self-fund activities, camping, memberships, high award projects, and more.
What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks?
The biggest tip and trick I would say for our troop would be to engage your parents and girls early. Before you send in your initial cookie order, have a parent meeting and get the buy-in or agreement on the number of cookies your troop is willing to sell. We sit down with our parents each year and review the number of cookie packages they want before we submit an initial order. This allows us, as leaders, some peace of mind that our girls and families are willing to also put in the time and effort to sell the cookies and the troop or leaders will not be stuck with a ton at the end. Doing this also promotes transparency with the girls and parents. Fortunately, our troop has been selling for several years, giving us a good understanding of how many of each type of cookie typically sells, allowing us to guide parents. However, if you are newer, consult your service unit cookie rep, and they can assist you in figuring this out.
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