Adapted from the Palo Verde Neighborhood
Working with Parents
- Be transparent with your troop parents about what the troop is doing/has accomplished at meetings and events
- Keep parents informed about trips, finances, programs, etc. Share the Pima blog with them and let them know they are welcome at our monthly meetings.
- Set expectations (parents meetings!)
- Develop a troop support committee (examples: assistant leader, cookie mom, treasurer, program assistant, or carpool driver)
- All involved parents must be registered and have a current background check on file. This includes parents just sitting in the room during a meeting. Recent revelations about Boy Scouts underscores that we need to follow all the basic safety guidelines established by GSUSA.
Discussing specific situations
- What to do if a parent is uninvolved, asks if (s)he can help, but seems to have no idea how to follow through or take leadership of even the smallest tasks? “I do need your help, here are some written guidelines on how to prepare for our camping trip.”
- What to do if a parent constantly talks about all the ways you could make the troop better? “I need your leadership. Project ideas you would like to develop and lead can fit in well with our plan. Please put down your ideas in writing and perhaps I can help you carry them out.”
- What to do if a parent tells you things about other families not belonging in your troop because of economic status or another exclusive reason? “I need your sensitivity. Girl Scouting is for all girls and by teaching your daughter to be sensitive to others’ feelings you help teach the whole group sensitivity.”
- What to do if a parent shifts parental responsibilities to you and is so busy with her own life that she allows no time to help? “I love volunteering for Girl Scouts and want to make a difference. If you could take a few moments from your busy schedule to let me know what you value about what we’re doing, I’d appreciate it. It would keep me going for another year.”
Co-ops/Alternating Meetings
- Some troops rotate meetings through each family so that parents stay involved and girls and their parent/guardian each take a turn leading a meeting. This also helps take the burden off of leaders who feel the need to “do it all.”
- This is so common that some councils have packets to help troops set up under these structures. Check on out here.
Engaging Non-Parent Volunteers
- Discuss with your co-workers, friends, and other network connections you know who don’t have children the nature and benefits of your role as a volunteer with Girl Scouts, to see if anyone you know might be interested in helping out even if they don’t have a daughter in the troop
- Be realistic about expectations and tasks, and transparent about the time commitment
- Check in with local college clubs, academic programs, and sororities for young women who may be looking for volunteer hours (remember that volunteers under 21 cannot drive girls in their vehicle, but the extra adult can be helpful in so many other ways!)
- Some of our older Pima girl graduates are great resources.
- Use this phrase/script when you need something from parents so they will set their own deadlines
- This works with girls too!
Kids get excited when they can share Girl Scouts with their parent/guardian
4 Her Promise: Here’s a handy document from council about requesting 4 hours of volunteer help from
each family
https://www.girlscoutsaz.org/content/dam/girlscoutsaz/documents/volunteer-resources/4-her-promise.pdf
Parents Meetings: What should you include in your Parents Meeting agenda?
- Uniform expectations, diagrams, purchase lists
- Dues/Troop Finances/Fundraising
- Meetings and Events schedules, RSVP procedures, and expectations
- Troop Communications
- Receive parent expectations - what do parents expect for their girls to get out of Girl Scouts?
Here is a sample parent meeting from another council. Please note that the join link, phone numbers, and other contact details in the script are not for our council.