by Katie Mock (GSNorCal Staff) | May 31, 2018 | Building Strong Girls, Camp & Outdoors
Camp is a transformative experience for every Girl Scout: trying new things, roasting marshmallows under the stars, and making life-long friends and camp sisters. But that kind of transformation can be daunting or even a little scary for first-time campers. Here are our four best tips on making sure your girl is a happy camper.
by Amy Burke (GSNorCal Staff) | May 29, 2018 | Badges & Awards, For Volunteers, Troop Basics
Recognition awards are a great way to recognize adult volunteers in a formal way. With 15 different national and council awards to choose from, you can nominate any of your fellow volunteers for their unparalleled commitment and exceptional service.
by Ann Marie Brown | May 24, 2018 | Camp & Outdoors, Ideas & Inspiration, Travel & Adventure
Whether your girls are working on outdoor-themed badges, putting your outdoor skills and knowledge into practice, or just getting out to enjoy the sunshine with their Girl Scout sisters, Ann Marie Brown, author of Moon 101 Great Hikes San Francisco Bay Area has the perfect hike for your next outdoor adventure.
by GSNorCal Guest | May 22, 2018 | Ideas & Inspiration
Excited about what the next year of Girl Scouting has in store? Haley, one of the Program Managers with GSNorCal, shares her top 10 picks for Fall 2018 programming. We’ve got it all: robots, stars, archery, camp, and so much more!
by Katie Mock (GSNorCal Staff) | May 17, 2018 | Badges & Awards, Camp & Outdoors
Whether you’re camping for the first time (as a girl or as a troop leader), or leveling up your survival skills, it can be a little nerve-wracking to get started. Never fear: there’s a troop camping badge for every level of Girl Scouts with age appropriate resources and skill-building activities to turn your troop into happy campers.
by Angela Borchert | May 15, 2018 | Building Strong Girls
Whether you want to help your daughter recover from a skinned knee that she got on the playground at school, help her keep track of her finances, or start a conversation with your entire troop about bullying, GSUSA’s Raising Awesome Girls blog has an answer.
by Marissa Vessels (GSNorCal Staff) | May 10, 2018 | Ceremonies & Celebrations, Troop Basics
Girl Scouts are one of the few non-military organizations that can perform flag ceremonies! So if you’re thinking of incorporating the Stars and Stripes into your next Girl Scout event, here’s what you need to know to plan a flag ceremony.
by Shannon McMath | May 8, 2018 | For Volunteers, Troop Basics, Volunteer Training
If you’re a troop leader, you’ve probably heard about service units at least once or twice, and maybe even visited yours. But what is a service unit, and why are they such a valuable resource for troop leaders from newbies to veterans? In this post, Shannon shares some need-to-know information to help answer these questions.
by Karen Rodriguez (GSNorCal Staff) | May 3, 2018 | Building Strong Girls, Ideas & Inspiration, Troop Basics
Girls of all ages, Daisies through Ambassadors, can become leaders when they are given the opportunity to step up. Having volunteered with Girl Scouts for twenty years (and leading three troops), Karen discovered that the best way to empower girls as leaders is to help them plan and host events, so they can test their leadership and ideas in action.
by Jackie Callahan | May 1, 2018 | New Troop Leaders, Troop Basics, Working With Parents
Starting a co-op troop is a great way to share responsibility and empower the group to expand without overburdening a single leader. Unlike the traditional troop model where two unrelated adults act as leader and co-leader, a co-op troop encourages all troop parents to work together to balance the leadership tasks.